Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail
Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is a 316km journey from the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean. This is New Zealand - in all its splendor and beauty - from the highest mountain, past great lakes and rivers to the ocean. , the 9 section Trail is an easy to intermediate graded ride, offering a pleasing mix of on and off-road trails. Allow 5-7 days for the entire ride, or simply try out a day excursion. Amidst the grandeur of braided rivers, glacier-carved valleys, turquoise hydro-lakes, tussock highlands and rural plains, are a host of tantalising off-the-bike activities including wine-tasting, penguin-spotting, or simply quietly soaking in alfresco hot tubs. It's no wonder people have come from all over the world to enjoy the Trail's stunning vistas, wide open spaces and expansive landscapes. The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is internationally recognised and a great way to experience the diversity of the South Island. Not just for cyclists, the Trail is for walkers and runners too...
Duration: More than 3 hours
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles147 reviews
Excellent
109
Very good
31
Average
6
Poor
0
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1

Margaret W
Tauranga, New Zealand14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Friends
Fantastic scenery! Not for the faint hearted but worth all the effort! 300kms from Mt Cook (Aorangi) to Oamaru…DO IT!
Go with escapebycycle.com for the ultimate experience
Written 11 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Friends
A2O trail was fabulous. The scenery was stunning and diverse. The trail was challenging in parts, but exhilarating. Every day was different with mixed terrain.
Trail Journeys was excellent. Our accommodation was of an extremely high standard, and spacious, all varied, with each day a new surprise. Our hosts were welcoming and friendly, and where food was provided, it was ample, nutritious, and met our special dietary needs.
Our transfer drivers/mechanics, Brian and Mike were very friendly and helpful, assisted us where needed and always ready with good advice about the trails and the bikes, taking great photos for us.
We all used e-bikes, which made the difficult sections much more enjoyable.
Written 4 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne
Petone, New Zealand11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
A wonderful ride taking you through an amazing variety of scenery. Some sections are quite challenging so you need to be able to handle steep narrow tracks. A great sense of achievement when you reach the finish!
Written 13 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tom W
Ann Arbor, MI3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
We used CycleVentures for this trip and it was absolutely fantastic! This made our trip to New Zealand so much more informative and interesting by riding a bike through the landscape and staying at local hotels and bed and breakfasts. Mark and Lewis at Cycle Ventures were just over the top with their customer service and guiding. We felt like we were saying goodbye to close friends by the time we left. Book directly with CycleVentures for the best rates.

We can't recommend CycleVentures and this ride too highly! Seriously.
Written 12 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tibou73
North Narrabeen, Australia82 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Family
I did the trail as a mum with her 9 year old son. We totally loved it even though it was challenging at times and will give some tips here :-

- buy sun block lip balm from day one;

- yes to padded seat and shorts but chaffing cream not really needed;

- check if the company are providing pedal assist e bikes or true e bikes as the ones we had did not have a lot of power;

- if you are worried it is too long, the best part to skip is between kurow and Duntroon (very flat and you only miss a few hydro stations);

- don’t stay in otetemetala- only one restaurant / hotel and not good place, best to push through and go straight to kurow.

Mariner suites at Oamaru at end was a lovely way to finish .
Written 6 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

travelbug_aegn
Melbourne, Australia73 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
We had an amazing 4 days cycling part of Alps 2 Ocean as a family group, 3 adults, 2 14 year olds, a 12 year old, a 10 year old and a 9 year old. I was the only person with an e bike which most of the time I used in Eco mode, just a very welcome help, but a couple of places was very necessary due to the steep uphill and rough terrain.

The 9 year old and myself cycled from Tekapo B Power Station to Twizel on the first day (just 26km) while the rest of the group cycled from Lake Tekapo (50km) day. Starting at Tekapo B was a very good choice for our 9 year old who while comfortable on a bike was not used to cycling on gravel. Stunning vistas as we travelled around Lake Pukaki

Day 2 we cycled from Twizel to Lake Ohau staying at Lake Ohau Lodge. Totally recommend the lodge will review separately.

Day 3 we cycled from Lake Ohau to Omarama.

Day 4 we cycled from Omarama to Benmore Dam. As others have said, this day was truly spectacular scenery, and a little bit scary at times. However, my cautious 9 year old managed just fine so I would say be careful but enjoy it. This day had some very punishing gravel sections which ended up in a fair bit of pushing for the kids with less fitness. It didn’t matter, everyone enjoyed the day.

Half the group hired bikes in Twizel, the other half had their own. We shuttled cars each night, and stayed in motels along the way. There is no food or water during the day, so you need to bring everything you need during the day on the bike with you.

A wonderful visually stunning experience.

For me, with dodgy knees, the e bike was an absolute lifesaver. But probably not necessary for most fairly active cyclists. However, a bit of practice on rough gravel would have been really helpful beforehand for the kids.
Written 3 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Liz
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
We did 4 out of the 6 days on the Alps2Ocean cycle trail self-guided and supported by Cycle Journeys. It was spectacular. Each day we thought the scenery and experience couldn't get better, but it did. Just be warned that there is some serious mountain biking here that was both hard and scary. Ultimately, I'm glad I did it, but had I known in advance, I might not have. I got an ebike for the first time and am really glad I did. I'm a strong rider, but at age 66, it was at times a real stretch.
Written 31 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Neil B
Auckland, New Zealand1,180 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Family
An amazing adventure. We cycled the trail as a three-generation family group, the oldest 57 years and the youngest 14 months. The toddler alternated between a Thule bike trailer and a standard bike seat. We started at the Tekapo alternative start and cycled seven days, riding between ~30 and 50km per day. The rider towing the trailer used an e-bike, while the rest of us went for standard pedal power.

The A2O was fantastic and crosses through some stunning scenery. The trail surface ranges from road (sealed and unsealed) to finely graded gravel to a couple of more challenging rocky sections. As you’d expect from the trail name, the gradient is generally downhill, although there are a couple of sections with decent climbs, particularly on leaving Lake Ohau Lodge. All of it is easily doable with a moderate level of fitness and cycling experience. We heard that the traditional Mt Cook start point begins with a much tougher section that would not have been suitable for our trailer.

While there are food and drink places at all the recommended overnight stopping points, there is not much in between. Make sure you have lunch and snacks with you before setting out each day.

We used Trail Adventures to organise our trip. They arranged bikes, shuttles, accommodation and helped with itinerary planning. They were brilliant and I’d highly recommend them. When we first started thinking about this ride, I sent enquiry emails to three firms listed on the official A2O site and asked them about doing the ride with a toddler. One of them didn’t reply, one came back with a ‘it’s too hard, we’re not really interested’ sort of response and then there was Aimee at Trail Adventures, who was very positive and supportive, sharing her own experiences of riding on the trail with her young daughter.
Written 14 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Grant T
35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Couples
We are on the wrong side of the 60s and 70s age bracket and rode the full A2O from the Whitehorse Campground after riding from the Hermitage to the start sign. Our destination was Twizel. We had bought our own emtbs from the North Island. We rode to Mt Cook airport where we caught the chopper across the Tasman river. This was a oncer so why skimp. Awesome until we got onto Braymar / Hayman road which was badly corrugated for 30-40 kms and we had a head wind which didnt help but glad of full suspension which took a hammering. This was the worst part of the whole trail with this and dust from passing vehicles and 25c temps. Arrived in Twizel after 82.06kms and 5.5hrs. Mileage boards need correcting on this leg. At Whitehorse campground the start board states Oamaru is 301kms, after riding 8kms to the airport and crossing the river the board at Rotten Tommy says Oamaru is 300kms away. We seem to be going backwards.
Day 2 to Lake Ohau was mainly an easy on road ride but also so pleasant single track. This was 40.31kms and 2.50hrs. Awesome Ohau Lodge, well worth it.
Day 3 to Omarama was over the Tarnbrae summit in heavy fog, no views at all, the track was very rocky and would be a challenge to some bikes but we throughly enjoyed this section as our bikes are built for this sort of riding. At the far end was Quailburn Road which was a long unsealed road but easier than day 1 with a nice bit of single track at the end. We didn't detour to the Clay Cliffs but returned after we finished the A2O as our car was based at Twizel. We are glad we did it this way after seeing the road. We arrived in Omarama after 46.62km and 3.20hrs. The Ahuriri motels are a great base and right next to the trail
Day 4 to rural Kurow was the day we felt would challenge our batteries so leaving Omarama we rode economically for the first 15kms in using our batteries which paid dividends later in the day. Our destination was rural Kurow. We absolutely loved the Benmore section and as experienced mountain bikers it's a must do. The weather turned on us before we got to the dam so we had to kit up with wet weather gear.
After the dam we had 40kph+ ( we were told later) head winds for 30+ kms around the back of the lake . Obviously it would have been more enjoyable without the wind but the sealed road was quiet and the 3 dams were awesome. We arrived at our accomodation at Settlement View which was an awesome and highly recommended place to stay and after doing 74.2km and 7.15hrs later. My battery was down to its last 15%.
Day 5 from Kurow to Rural Duntroon. Started with steady rain and and 6kms of muddy unsealed road, we crossed some creeks and one was too deep to ride so carried our bikes over. We crossed several muddy cow races covered in excrement, visited Elephant rocks and so that's how we were when arriving at our final accomodationm the Tokorahi Huts some 14kms from Duntroon after 46.6kms and 3.5hrs. The last 50mtrs of driveway also covered in excrement. Unfortunately this accomodation was not geared for cyclists wet, cold and muddy. No laundry or drying facilities other than one centralized fireplace with a broken clothes rack. The temps were around 9-11c at one point and although there was a hose for cleaning mud off bikes, and undercover storage, there was very little opportunity to clean and dry gear although we did manage this. This is probably a great place in warm dry weather.
Day 6 to Oamaru dawned wet and foggy and we were relying on Fort Enfield for a food and drink break only to find it closed. Again take nothing for granted. We arrived in Oamaru off an unsealed trail onto a main road to find no directional signage. A passing motorist was kind enough to point us in the right direction. Signage through town was good. We arrived after 47kms and 3.45hrs at the A2O frame on the beach front. And 337km total on one of the most awesome bike adventures you could wish for. Five of the six night had excellent accommodation, Weather ranged from 9c to 25c, fog, rain, sun, strong headwinds, flooded creeks, and dust. The trail conditions were great with some challenges for less experienced riders.
No injuries, no break downs, tender butts and big smiles. A must do for anybody who has an interest in off road biking(there is plenty of on road) especially mountain biking. Would we do it again. If we were younger "hell yes"
Written 1 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ski_Wanaka_NZ
Dunedin, New Zealand71 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
This is absolutely a bucket list must do ride if your in to bike riding. But, as I said in the title, the marketing rather overlooks some of the difficulties and dangers of the ride which I'll go into as I explain the journey. My wife and I rode ourselves (not in a tour group) and stayed in accom alone the way. We have e bikes (so take that into consideration), ride to work most days and are 'pretty competent' riders. We decided to skip Mt Cook because essentially it is a short ride to the airport and then approx $350 for a very short trip in a helicopter over the river. We where dropped off at the Jolly Rd car park and did the short ride to Braemar Station accommodation. OK first caution: This road is a relatively rough, long gravel road. To be comfortable, riders must have a 'reasonable level of experience' on gravel. The road had been recently graded and was hard going. The A2O web site says, Almost anyone with a moderate level of fitness can ride the Trail. This, in my view is just not correct. They would be really freaked out and likely have a fall. To carry on: the Braemar stay is well worth the short first day and lovely place to stay. Julia was great and fantastic meal. We then went Braemar to Ohau in one ride (80KMS) which was great, but maybe a little long to allow the many photo stops. We would now recommend: Jolly Rd to Twizel first day, twizel to Ohau second. Third day Ohau to Omarama was again fantastic views, a
great ride and not as hard as some reviews or the marketing say. It's a steady (but not too steep) climb to the top and then all sorts of warnings about difficulty for the ride down (they must have some criticism about difficulty). If you take it slowly, ride inside your ability and be mentally prepared to stop and get off, it's absolutely fine. More manageable (in our view) than the gravel road!!)
Have dinner in Omarama at the Pink Glider, which offers much better choices and prices than the Pub. Open November through end of April.
Omarama to Otematata, as others say, is by FAR the best part. It is stunning scenary around Lake Benmore. So... If you want to take bits of the trip, do this one. BUT... it is actually quite dangerous and NOT for 'beginners'. We encounted day trippers coming fast the other way and if you just happened to be in the wrong spot, you could actually die falling down the sides. I'm amazed DOC or whoever manages this would allow some of the sections to open. However dying aside...stunning just the same. In Otematata, go to CJ's bar for dinner and ask if Leggy is the guy behind the bar, who offers a free drink if while opening a beer bottle, gets the cap into box in the corner.
The remainder, Otematata to Duntroon and then on to Oamaru is all worthwhile but is
not as stunning. Definitely do it, but if your time limited, you could miss these out.
Cheers
Written 14 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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ALPS 2 OCEAN CYCLE TRAIL: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail

Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is open:
  • Mon - Fri 09:00 - 17:00