Top of the South Island Tour
Highlights:
- We take you along what might just be the best piece of single track in New Zealand…
- High Country riding in the heart of the South Island
- A two day single track ride with access via water taxi
- An all-day ride from sea level up to 1000m followed by a 1000m descent
- A tricky technical native bush ride descent with access to the top via helicopter (weather permitting)
On this guided MTB tour we take you to all the best trails in the upper part of the South Island from Christchurch up into the high country, over to the Wild West Coast and further north for some premium riding around Nelson and remote riding through the Marlborough Sounds.
Big South Island high country riding up in the mountains with wide open spaces and huge river valleys, a two day ride through the Marlborough Sounds starts and finishes with a water taxi ride, great riding up into the mountains around Nelson with time to catch your breath in the cool clear air before a very long downhill descending 1000 vertical metres back into the heart of town. Wild West Coast riding on skinny single track with the option to fly you and your bike to the top by helicopter so that the legs and the mind are fresh to take on the (almost) never-ending down-hill. And plenty of smaller rides depending on how the legs feel…
Tour Map
Use the zoom buttons on the map for a close-up of the tour path.
Tour Details
Tour duration: 10 days
Tour includes:
- 9 nights' accommodation in comfortable holiday houses, hotels, motels or lodges
- Breakfast and packed lunches
- Comfortable transport in luxury mini-bus or station wagon depending on group size
- Secure bike and luggage trailer transport
- Tour guides along all trails
- Shuttle transport on point to point rides, trail head to trail finish
- Helicopter shuttle (minimum numbers required and subject to weather conditions)
- Water taxi shuttles (depending on trail selection)
- All land access fees
Tour excludes:
- Bike Hire, biking gear (helmet, gloves) these can be arranged if required
- Evening meals (we set you free to go and explore, with recommendations if needed)
- Additional excursions during travel or rest days
- Trail-side drinks and snacks
Finer detail:
- Cost: $3994.00 NZD per person
Tour Type: Guided MTB Adventure Tour
Support Level: Tour Guides and Support Vehicle for 10 days
Start: Christchurch
Finish: Christchurch (Alternative finish point by arrangement)
Ride Types: short trails of 5-10km giving 1-2 hours of riding through to 30-40km trails with 5-6 hours of ride time (including breaks)
Travel/Rest days: 1 or 2 days when you can take it easy while we whisk you to the next location, do some shopping or take on another activity (or if you are keen more riding)
Meals: 9 Breakfasts, 10 packed lunches and perhaps a celebratory beer in the evening…
Accommodation: 7 nights in comfortable motels, 2 nights in Alpine lodge. Shared facilities, single supplement option available.
Single Supplement: add $450.00 NZD
Bike Hire 10 days: $350 NZD Hard tail. $600 NZD Full Suspension
Pricing: all prices shown are in New Zealand dollars (NZD) and include 15% local tax (GST) where applicable.
Tour notes:
- A minimum of 4 people required for this tour to go ahead
- We don’t want to run your legs off and so this trip has tours that cover 55km during a day ride through to shorter 2 hour rides covering as little as 10km, there are options to pass a ride and take a rest; we will vary the riding depending on the group’s requirements. We also do sightseeing along the way, showcasing some of the amazing scenery New Zealand has to offer and making sure there is time for wine or beer ‘sampling’ in Marlborough or a dip in some hot pools.
- Please contact us for tour dates not listed

Upcoming Tour Dates
Tour commencing 6th March 2019
- Start date: Wednesday 6th March 2019
- Finish date: Friday 15th March 2019
- Places still available: 4
- Notes: If you have a group of 4 or more and would like alternative dates or a modification to the itinerary then please contact us to arrange.
Book this tour
Tour commencing 20th March 2019
- Start date: Wednesday 20th March 2019
- Finish date: Friday 29th March 2019
- Places still available: 6
- Notes: If you have a group of 4 or more and would like alternative dates or a modification to the itinerary then please contact us to arrange.
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Tour commencing 4th April 2019
- Start date: Thursday 4th April 2019
- Finish date: Saturday 13th April 2019
- Places still available: 4
- Notes: If you have a group of 4 or more and would like alternative dates or a modification to the itinerary then please contact us to arrange.
Book this tour
Tour commencing 21st April 2019
- Start date: Sunday 21st April 2019
- Finish date: Tuesday 30th April 2019
- Places still available: 4
- Notes: If you have a group of 4 or more and would like alternative dates or a modification to the itinerary then please contact us to arrange.
Book this tour