ABOUT US
About Us

Message from the Owner



Hi there, 

I grew up in New Zealand, spending most of my summers in the South Island. I’ve always loved the outdoors, whether hiking, biking, climbing or skiing. In between all of that I managed to fit in a career in banking and law. 

I left NZ in 2006 for adventures overseas and ended up living in London for 12 years, where I worked in the city. But I always knew I wanted to get out of the corporate world. So I started plotting my escape and eventually ditched the suit and tie and ran off to the South Island to get back to nature! 

A2O Cycle Tours is based in Queenstown and has been operating for over 10 years. We provide a premium experience of the best cycle trails in the South Island. We pride ourselves on the high quality of our tours and attention to detail. Please check out our reviews for yourself. The business reflects what is important to me in life – sharing experiences with good people in the great outdoors. And having fun in the process!

In 2019 we invested in a whole new fleet of 25 high performance ebikes. These bikes are nothing short of amazing! They make riding long distances so much easy and enjoyable and open up the world of cycle tours to just about anyone! 

If you're thinking about coming on a cycle tour, please get in touch. I'd be delighted to show you what we have to offer. 

All the best

Ian

Our Values

The South Island is a paradise for nature and adventure. With 150,000 square kms of mountains, lakes, rivers and beaches, and less than 1 million inhabitants, it’s an unspoilt and underpopulated landscape, in an increasingly urbanised and over-populated world. 

We are all about “the Journey”. We believe the best way to see New Zealand’s natural beauty is to have an active adventure away from all the crowds, traffic and mass tourism. The real magic happens off the beaten track, in beautiful landscapes sharing an experience with like-minded people. 

We design our tours to be just the right mix of challenge, enjoyment and fun! We combine days cycling with some lovely walks, jet boat rides, wine tastings, visits to hot pools and places of interest (depending on the tour). We carefully choose where we stay to maintain a high standard of hospitality and excellent food. And we only provide top quality bikes and equipment. 

Our tour guides always aim to exceed your expectations. We are all Kiwis who will provide background on the areas, expert knowledge of the route and a personal level of customer service to ensure you are always comfortable on the tour.   
We are committed to helping you have a great holiday in New Zealand and showing you the best our beautiful country has to offer. 

Support and Flexibility on the Trail

On the Alps 2 Ocean and the Around the Mountains, the trails deviate from the road significantly on first day of the tour. Therefore your tour guide rides at the back of the group as “Tail End Charlie” providing support in case you need it. But generally, once you are confident and comfortable on your bike, your tour guide does not ride with you on the trails. We ensure you are set-up on your bicycle correctly, provide clear instructions where to go and then let you ride the trail at your own pace – you cannot get lost! If you want to ease off the pace and have a bit of time to yourself, you can easily do so. We have regular drinks breaks and meeting points to allow everyone to catch up. We believe this is the best way to let everyone enjoy the trails in their own way – without any pressure to ride together as a group. 

Wherever possible, your guide will provide vehicle support in the van. We meet you at key points along the trails to set up picnics and drinks breaks. Any time you feel like a rest or a break, you can let your Tour Leader know and jump in the van at the next rest stop. 

We have been guiding these trails for over 10 years and we know the best way to ride them in all conditions. Flexibility is crucial to the enjoyment of the group and we often adapt the itinerary to suit the weather patterns. We may reverse sections, swap them round or adjust the length of each day to suit the needs of the group, and ensure everyone has a great time. 

Our Bikes

All our bikes are premium, high performance mountain bikes, serviced after every ride. Earlier this year we purchased a brand new fleet of latest-technology e-bikes – guaranteed to make your journey more comfortable. They are fantastic to ride and take all the hard work out of riding up hills or long distances and make multi-day cycle tours accessible to just about anyone – not just hard-core cyclists! Of course if you want more exercise and prefer a high quality mountain bike (without electric support) we’ve got a full range of sizes. We are the only tour operator to offer a choice of e-bike or mountain bike at no extra cost – because we want to encourage you to enjoy the trails your way.

Only Moderate Fitness is Required

All our bikes are premium, high performance mountain bikes, serviced after every ride. Earlier this year we purchased a brand new fleet of latest-technology e-bikes – guaranteed to make your journey more comfortable. They are fantastic to ride and take all the hard work out of riding up hills or long distances and make multi-day cycle tours accessible to just about anyone – not just hard-core cyclists! Of course if you want more exercise and prefer a high quality mountain bike (without electric support) we’ve got a full range of sizes. We are the only tour operator to offer a choice of e-bike or mountain bike at no extra cost – because we want to encourage you to enjoy the trails your way.

Accommodation

Our tours intentionally take you off the beaten track to experience the real New Zealand. We stay in the best accommodation available - bed and breakfast, lodge or cottage. We choose places because they have something special to offer – a beautiful location, great food and/or charming character. They are always exceptionally clean and comfortable. 

On the first night of the A2O we stay at a remote high country station overlooking the Southern Alps which has shared bathrooms. All other rooms have private en-suite bathrooms. 

Almost all rooms are designed for 2 people – either double or twin (2x single) beds. This means individuals wanting their own private room are asked to pay a “single person supplement” in addition to the price of the tour to cover the additional room costs. 
A2O Cycle Trail

Food!!!

Food is one of the most important parts of our tours! We go out of our way to find the best places to eat and only choose places at an excellent standard. We can cater to all dietary requirements, including vegetarian and vegan. 

Meals are sometimes provided at the accommodation otherwise we visit the best local restaurants. Weather permitting, we set up a amazing make-your-own picnics for lunch at beautiful spots along the trail. These will include make-your-own wraps, sandwiches and salads with cold meats, cheeses, fruit, pastries, hummus, dips, olives, crackers and crisps. 

We like to mix things up and provide good variety using fresh ingredients purchased daily. We also provide an unlimited supply of snacks – nuts, fresh fruit, sweets and energy bars. All meals and snacks are included in the tour price. 

No Hidden Extras

We believe it’s important to treat our customers fairly. Part of that is being upfront about the price of our cycle tours. Unlike many other operators, our price includes all your meals, accommodation, bike hire and transport costs. That includes the helicopter, wine tasting and hot tubs! Everything you need to have the best possible experience. You can choose between a top quality mountain bike or e-bike. We go out of our way to find the best places to eat and stay at the best accommodation. We provide amazing picnics and drinks breaks while you're out riding on the trail. The only things not included, are drinks at cafés or restaurants. Yes, we could cut corners, lower the quality and cheapen the price. But that would go against our core principles to provide the best experience, highest quality, and excellent value for money! Check out our reviews to see what our customers think of our cycle tours. 

Why Choose Us?

We don’t want just to show people where to ride, we want to give you a complete experience that allows you to love the area as much as we do. And so, we create experiences that showcase the best of each region you cycle through.

Our Tour Leaders

Each season we employ the best team we can find and complete our thorough and very comprehensive training system. All Tour Leaders complete driver training, First Aid Certification and basic bike maintenance. This is in addition to learning our comprehensive tour, trail and vehicle systems.

Quality Guaranteed

Our Mission is to be the best tour company operating on these cycle trails. Best to us means best in all areas of knowledge, service equipment and experience. We ask our customers to complete feedback at the end of every tour and constantly tweak what we do based on this feedback.
Share by: