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| One Way Shuttle | 3 – 4 Hour Ride | 35 KM | Hilly Terrain |
Ride Description
Head out on a 25 minute shuttle from Around The Basin’s shop to Arrowtown. Once there, you will be provided with all of the tools you need for this self-guided adventure ride: a quality mountain bike or E-bike with a helmet; a detailed briefing to explain the route; and our trail map to help with navigation. There’s the opportunity to explore Arrowtown – once a historic settlement built during the Gold Rush era – or grab a coffee to help fuel your day.
The route starts by following the Arrow River Trail downstream to the Morven Ferry, crossing the river via a few spectacular bridges. From there you’ll join the Twin Rivers Trail, which follows the Kawarau and Shotover rivers to the shores of Lake Whakatipu. Expect to see incredible alpine views throughout this section as you traverse the foothills of The Remarkables mountains. Even the Old Shotover Bridge, which has spanned the river for more than a century, provides outstanding views of two ski areas.
The last stage of the journey is a gentle, flowing trail along the lake’s edge, passing a few cafés and even a brewery, before the finish line back in central Queenstown.
This ride is on wide gravel trails, graded either 2 or 3 (as shown in the images above). The minimum riding distance is 35 KM with a few decent hills. It is recommended for those who are confident riders with a good level of fitness.
Ride Data
Distance: 35 KM
Elevation Gain: 307 M
Elevation Loss: 395 M
Important Information About Riding Times
If you’re feeling fit, there are options to extend this ride – the Tucker Beach Trail or the Kelvin Peninsula – which can make for an amazing day. However, biking from Arrowtown to Queenstown alone can take some groups over 4 hours to complete. It is the rider’s responsibility to manage their time effectively and make it back to Queenstown before our shop closes at 5 pm.
E-Bikes Are Recommended
We are yet to hear anyone say “I wish I never upgraded to an electric bike”, but we have certainly heard the opposite! Guarantee the good times, keep your group together, and have a fun day out there.
There are bigger hills on this ride so E-bikes are recommended for this one.
A Note On Weather
Riding in the Queenstown area over winter is generally very pleasant. A typical winter’s day is cool and crisp with blue skys and snow-capped mountains. However, storms and bad weather are more frequent than in summer and we understand that riding in those conditions is not much fun.
We usually make a weather call on-the-day, as it often turns out not as bad as the forecast suggests. If you are uncertain in the morning of your ride, give us a call 45 mins – 1 hr before your shuttle departs and we will discuss options. If we deem the weather is unsuitable for riding, we first try to re-schedule to another time or another day, but if that isn’t possible we would refund your ride (less a 3% merchant fee).
Other Options
Not the ride for you? Check out the other day ride options here.
Look at our multi-day rides if you want more than just one day of riding.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
An A3 paper copy of this map will be provided before your ride.
Watch the short video below for an overview of the Arrowtown To Queenstown ride:
