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| Return Shuttles | Ride Starts In Arrow-town | 25 km | Up To 7 Wineries |
Ride Description
This ride begins with a shuttle from Around The Basin’s shop in Queenstown to the quaint, gold-mining village of Arrowtown. Once there, you will be provided with all of the tools you need for an awesome day of riding: a quality mountain bike or E-bike with a helmet; a detailed briefing explaining the day; and our trail map to help with navigation. You’ll have time to explore the town and visit one of the cafés, or hop on your bike and get straight into your ride.
The trail starts by heading downstream alongside the willow-lined Arrow River, riding over spectacular swing-bridges as you go. Before long you’ll reach the Kawarau Suspension Bridge, home of the world’s first bungy jump and the gateway to the Gibbston Wine Valley. From there you will spend the afternoon biking at your leisure along the magnificent Gibbston River Trail, using our winery map to visit the cellar doors linked by this easy-riding trail. There’s plenty of opportunity to sample what this world-class wine destination has to offer; Pinot Noir is the signature grape of the valley. Enjoy a picnic en-route or lunch at one of the many wineries.
The riding distance to the first winery is 15 km (9 miles) and it’s 25 km (16 miles) to the end of the wine valley. We will pick you up at 4:00 pm from your winery of choice for the shuttle back to Queenstown.
Ride Schedule
| Schedule | Timings |
| Check-in at Around The Basin’s shop | 9:50 am |
| Depart Queenstown | 10:00 am sharp |
| Transport from Queenstown to Arrowtown. Navigation and Safety Briefing | 30 – 40 mins |
| Ride 15 km (9 miles) to the first winery along a stunning trail! | 1 – 2 hours |
| Spend time exploring the many wineries. We’ll pick you up from your venue of choice. | 3 – 5 hours (depending on your pace and how long you spend exploring Arrowtown; you get to choose where to spend your time!) |
| Transport back to Queenstown, departing the wineries at 4:00 pm | 30 – 45 mins |
| Total Trip Duration | 6.5 hours |
Ride Prices
| Electric Bike | Standard Bike | |
| Adult | $160 | $110 |
| Child (5 – 14 years) | $135* | $85 |
| Infant (0 – 4 years) | – | $65** |
* Children must be at least 140 cm/4 ft 6″ tall to fit the smallest Electric Bike.
** Infants can select either a bike, trailer, or a tag-along.
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. E bikes are a game changer and make this ride so much more fun!
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).
Venues in the Gibbston Valley: wineries, a tavern, and good food
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The most well-known winery in the valley. Enjoy their cheesery or visit the cellar door for a tasting. Beautiful outdoor area to be enjoyed. |
A stunning setting with a lovely outdoor area to enjoy. Great food and wine are available here. |
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Built in Wangaloa in 1894, this old church was relocated to Gibbston in the early 2000’s. Today instead of hymns and sermons it serves up local wines and good vibes. Our standard pick up location for a reason. |
The Gibbston Tavern is full of character and serves delicious wood fire pizza. A great place to relax. |
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The Rockburn Cellar Door offers relaxed tastings of their award winning wines in a unique setting, at the iconic Gibbston Tavern. A pure expression of Central Otago in your glass. |
The newest addition to the valley, and little sister of the Gibbston Tavern, the GT Tasting Room offers a selection of local wines, gins, distilled spirits, and ginger beers. |
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A great place to visit, Brennan is located at the end of the valley. While you’re here, have a go at petanque. |
Full of personality, Mt Rosa is located at the end of the valley and is certainly worth the effort to visit. Tastings here are extensive, so allow approximately 40 mins. |
Winery Bookings
To ensure you have an awesome experience at the wineries, it is best to book your tastings and lunch in advance. We can help with timings once you have booked with us.
The wineries are independently owned and operated, so tastings are not included in the price of this package, but the average cost is around $20pp per winery.
All of their contact details can be found here.
For this Winter Bike The Wineries Full Day ride, most riders reach the Bungy Bridge – the start of the Gibbston Valley Trail – at approximately 12:30 PM. From there, the riding times between each winery is shown below to help with booking your wine tastings:
