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Ride & Wine Central Otago

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Ride & Wine Central Otago - Lake Dunstan to Bannockburn

24km | Grade 1-2 | 1 Day

PAIR SCENIC CYCLING WITH 
WORLD-CLASS WINE

This relaxing ride through Central Otago's vineyards. From Smith's Way, ride the lake edge to Cromwell, through the Heritage Precinct, and onward to the Bannockburn Inlet. Finish your day at Carrick Winery with a glass of Pinot and a bite to eat. 

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Lakeside riding through Pisa Moorings and Cromwell, exploring the historic Cromwell Heritage Precinct, cruising through vineyards in the Bannockburn Inlet, and unwinding with award winning wine and food at Carrick Winery. 

 

Ride and Wine map

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Highlights

 

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    Step back in time at the Cromwell Heritage Precinct, with boutique galleries, retail stores, restaurants and cafes.

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    Ride through the Bannockburn Inlet, a peaceful picnic and swim stop surrounded by rugged rock formations and birdlife.

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    Unwind at Carrick Winery, one of the region’s most acclaimed cellar doors, with the option of a vineyard platter and a glass of local Pinot Noir.

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    Take in mirror-like lake views along the quiet Cromwell to Pisa stretch, a calm, scenic route perfect for soaking it all in.

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    Snap photos across heritage bridges and trails, connecting backcountry paths with modern winery experiences, the best of both worlds.

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    Cruise through Central Otago’s wine country, pedalling past world class vines and golden hills as you head toward Bannockburn.

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COMFORTABLE, RELIABLE & AWESOME

Our Bikes are Built for this Terrain

This landscape is a unique one and it requires bikes that can adapt to its geography. This is where we come in. Our specialist New Zealand cycling pro has designed bikes that are perfectly suited to take on everything the trails will throw at you. Our extensive cycling know-how is the secret to building bikes that can adapt to every rider’s needs. Check out our bikes below. 

 
WHY CHOOSE US?

Don't settle for second best

Central Cycle Trail Co., a name well-known around these parts for providing exceptional and hassle-free service. Don’t settle for second best. Your ride along the trail deserves to be one to remember. We’ll get you sorted.

  • Award winning service for over 20 years

    We have been delivering great Cycle Trail experiences and memories for more that 20 years. We've been awarded Qualmark Gold and are Trip Advisor People Choice 5 star rated.

  • ALLOW US TO CREATE YOUR EXPERIENCE

    We can organise your Cycle Trail adventure hassle free and fee free. We've partnered with the region's finest hospitality and accommodation providers that we know and trust to deliver you the best service.

  • ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES

    Our world class e-bikes and manual bikes are customised to you so you can enjoy the most comfortable ride. Our CCT Ride Guide App will keep you up to date and fully informed before, during and after your adventure.

Other Trails You Might Like

THERE’S MORE TO EXPLORE

HAPPY CUSTOMERS

We had an absolute blast! Loved every minute of it. The accomodations were all outstanding, every place had its own charm and uniqueness. Breakfasts were all fab! The meal and Woolshed at Kokonga, curling, a spa under the stars at Inverlair, and complementary espresso coffee at Pitches among the many, many highlights. It was an extremely memorable experience with many laughs along the way, making memories with a fabulous bunch of friends. Thank you so much.

Erin M, April 2026

We had the most wonderful time doing the "Rail Trail in a Day"! The Central Cycle Co team were all super friendly, informative and efficient. We even got to ride a little extra at the end of the day, as we chose the rail trail to return to Clyde instead of the river loop and the friendly lady at the shop said, “Well if you are up to some more riding, why not go for just another 3 or 4 kms so that you can see the beauty of the river loop section”. We were so grateful for her generosity as the river truly is spectacular. The whole rail trial offers some spectacular views and ever-changing landscapes. It was also super cool to have the opportunity to go through 2 historic tunnels as well as over many historic bridges. My partner is an engineer, and he was like a kid in a candy store looking at all the old construction and marveling at the historic engineering methods. I on the other hand, I was particularly fond of interacting with the friendly donkeys at Chatto Creek and both of us just repeated the phrase “wow, it’s just so beautiful” multiple times throughout the day. If you are comfortable on a bike and up to a 56-60km bike ride, we cannot recommend this ride highly enough. Even though the trail is long, all of the riding is super easy, as it is relatively flat with no steep climbs. It is an amazing way to take in the scenery while you just cruise along on your awesome e-bike. It was by far one of our favourite activities on our summer trip to the South Island.

Anon February 2026

What a great experience in Central Otago! Had an awesome day cycling the Dunstan Trail. The company we went with were great. Staff were super friendly and knowledgeable as well professional. Highly recommend not only doing this trail as part of the Central Otago cycling options but this company. We were lucky to have a great sunny day, not too hot.

ANON January 2026

The trip was excellent and all your arrangements worked seamlessly. You sent us to great accommodation and tasty meals. A highlight for me was the Peters Farm homestay. Enjoyed it so much I am going to bring my wife and stay there for a week. I had a mountain bike which far exceeded my expectations in quality and condition. Gears worked perfectly, it was just the right weight and was a joy to ride. Congratulations on offering such a good experience.

John H, FEBRUARY 2025

Thanks for everything. We really can’t say enough good things about Central Cycle Trail and the people we have met who work there.

Ray D, March 2025

Couldn’t rate these guys highly enough. Within a couple of hours they had organised 3 day itinerary which included bike hire, accommodation, bookings for meals, transportation of our bags each day and transport to where we were starting. It was awesome. The trail is wonderful, beautiful scenery, great places to stay on the way - totally recommend the crows nest in Oturehua!

ANNA W, FEBRUARY 2020

Just returned from a great holiday cycling the Otago Central Rail Trail. Superbly organised by Central Cycle Trail Co. Can highly recommend the company if you are thinking of doing the trail. We were a party of 6. Grandparents, parents, a 13 and 9 year old. We paced ourselves over 5 days. The scenery was spectacular and the peace and quiet of the trail took you away from the hustle and bustle of life.

Nutmeg, January 2020

We completed the Otago Rail Trail with a group of ten. I couldn’t fault a single thing 😀. The scenery was stunning. The bikes were brilliant. The accommodation served our needs perfectly. The transfers to and from the trail and the daily bag transfers ran like clockwork. Nothing was too much trouble for Central Cycle Trail Co. - they clearly wanted us to love it as much as they do! And we did. Even our kids aged 10 to 15 rated it a 10/10 holiday!! Highly recommend.

Anna B, October 2020

We travelled to South Island is October, I’ve always wanted to do some of the rail trail but with a 9 month and 4 year old - I wasn’t sure it was realistic. These guys were great, they gave us an itinerary suitable to us (mostly flat, scenic and lots of spots to stop), the gear was all in good condition (we hired a chariot, bike seat and panniers as well as the bikes), there was no stress and it turned out to be a great day. Thanks guys!

Nooons, October 2019

The Most-Awarded Cycling Tour Company in Central Otago

We'll organise your Ride and Wine adventure, hassle free and fee free - book your trip today.

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