New Zealand’s 23 Great Rides are incredibly well supported by tour and transport companies, all willing and able to get you out on the trails no matter where, when and how you want to ride.

It’s much easier to sit back and enjoy the ride when you’re not the one responsible for planning, packing lists, and on-the-spot logistics!

Located on or near the trails, tour operators such as Adventure South NZ, offer everything from bike hire and shuttle transport, to fully guided multi-day trips including all meals, accommodation and luggage transfers. Others, like Once Upon A Trip, offer customised holiday itineraries taking in multiple cycle trails as well as other must-do activities and attractions.

Awesome all-year riding on Northland's Twin Coast Cycle Trail (Ruth Lawton Photography).

Specialising in small group tours for active travellers, the New Zealand Cycle Trail's official partner tour operators can take you to some of the country’s most memorable places, often overlooked or out of reach of the tourist crowd.

Top local knowledge is all part of the package, with experienced guides able to tailor trips to individual interests and abilities, and work around any weather conditions or special requests while on tour.

Perhaps you want just a couple of hours’ easy riding each day, allowing time for other pursuits such as kayaking or wine tasting. Or maybe you want to push some personal limits with epic, all-day adventures.

Vehicle-supported trips are particularly good for groups of differing abilities, allowing individual bikers to skip sections or get picked up if they want to cut the day short. The aim of the game is enjoyable riding for everyone.

A group tour is a great way to spend quality time with friends and family, or build comradeship amongst your work crew. But you can also join a scheduled tour with folks you don’t know, with all the fun and fresh social interaction that can bring.

Off-the-bike activities galore on the Otago Central Rail Trail (James Jubb).

No bike? No problem! Cycle tour companies offer a choice of high-quality bikes suitable for the terrain, including mountain, hybrid and e-bikes. They’ll also provide helmets, frame bags and anything else you need to stay safe and comfortable.

But bike tours offer much more. Along with local know-how and personal service comes passion for the places the trails go. Appreciate the landscape, learn about its flora and fauna, soak up human history, and gather stories to tell for years to come. Going on a bike tour will improve your brain as well as your bum!

The New Zealand Cycle Trail’s 23 Great Rides offer a diverse and irresistible blend of scenic grandeur and striking natural wonders alongside rich culture and heritage, exciting outdoor activities, and delicious food and wine.

Keen to get going? Check out our National Partner tour companies.

Adventure South NZ

Christchurch-based Adventure South NZ is New Zealand’s largest guided adventure tour operator, offering a great range of supported cycle trips across eight South Island trails – Tasman’s Great Taste, Alps 2 Ocean, West Coast Wilderness, Otago Central Rail Trail, Clutha Gold, Roxburgh Gorge, Around The Mountains and the Queenstown Trail. Their focus is innovative, seamless itineraries featuring memorable accommodation, exciting off-the-bike options (including hiking) and top-notch bikes, run with environmental sustainability and social responsibility always in mind.

Visit their website.

Once Upon a Trip

Based in Auckland, Once Upon a Trip specialises in creating tailored, self-drive itineraries for friends, families, couples and the solo traveller. Their small team of New Zealand travel experts prides itself on attention to detail and personal service, with all budgets, abilities and length of stay catered for. Their trips can incorporate Great Rides in both the North and South Islands – Twin Coast Cycle Trail, Timber Trail, Remutaka Cycle Trail, Alps 2 Ocean and the West Coast Wilderness Trail.

Visit their website.