Otago Central Rail Trail

  The Alps to Ocean trail takes you through really beautiful parts of New Zealand country! Great moments of excitement include a helicopter ride, some gnarly segments, a glamping experience with... read more an optional open-air bathtub, and the most stunning blue lake you will ever see anywhere on earth!

  Beaut Bike Ride through historic towns and magnificent country. - A very enjoyable way to explore Central Otago.
Daily distances very manageable and daily itinerary is flexible. Our tour consultant Alicia was obliging and responsive to our requests to modify... read more activities.
Accoms were mostly beaut and all hosts were friendly, welcoming and full of great tips for our further travels.

  The most wonderful experience - A wonderful experience and truly one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the Otago Rail Trail. I was very nervous as I had never ridden an... read more e-bike, nor had I been on a bike riding holiday . but we loved it. Alicia was lovely and ensured that everything went smoothly. The accommodation was diverse and very comfortable. Beware the pub meals along the way they are huge. We are planning our next bike riding holiday in NZ so we can be “wowed” again.

  5 exceptional days - This was an awesome experience. The company is well organised, excellent communication, top quality bikes and accommodation. Alicia looked after us so well during our journey. We started our ... read more cycle around 9am, riding at our own pace, stopping for coffees and cake and taking lots of photos. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and the history very interesting.
We met some lovely people at the accommodation and evening meal venues. Highly recommend this trip especially with Luxury Rail Trail tours.

  Awesome again - This is the second time I've cycled with LRTT organising my itinerary and transporting me around. Again they have looked after me, listening to what I wanted to do... read more and then making my holiday hassle-free and enabling me to make the best use of my time. Alicia and Nick are very friendly and customer focused and as I was travelling by myself I really appreciated the frequent checking in with me to make sure everything was ok. It was also great to deal with people who have knowledge and advice about roads, trails, and attractions that you can explore as alternatives to the main trails. Can't wait for my next cycling adventure with advice, recommendations, and ideas from this company.

  Just the best and easiest way to book the Central Otago cycle trails - Dave and Alicia saved our holiday when they booked us an itinerary at late notice, right in the busy season.

Friendly, organised, helpful and just lovely.

  From the moment we contact Alicia the process was efficient and seamless. We arrived at Clyde, had an effective briefing, bags were dropped at our hotel (which was perfect)... read more and off we went.
The two rides were outstanding even though we had a wide variety of fitness and experience. We teamed up with the Lake Dunstan Explorer for an epic trip down the lake, really made the trip.
So good I have booked another trip in Spring!

  Great on a good day, exceptional in a crisis - My wife and I have wanted to cycle the Central Otago Rail Trail for some years, when we finally got round to making it happen we were overwhelmed by how... read more many operators there were to chose from. If you are having the same problem I can save you some time and computer-screen-eye-strain, just go with the team at Luxury Rail Trail Tours. Here's why...

Their service was truly exceptional - highly professional, highly responsive and nothing was a problem. The accommodation at every stop was exquisite with a real sense of hospitality. And the meals at each destination were also wonderful. This was especially appreciated on nights when we found out that DIY travellers couldn't find a table at any restaurant, never loan a good one.

One day, we experienced a bike malfunction, and the Luxury Tours team were on site within 30 minutes, offering a replacement bike or a ride to the next stop. They nailed the technology, logistics, hospitality, and human touch aspects of the tour. But what really set this operator apart was their exceptional care and generosity when my wife became ill on the final morning of our tour.

Jayne woke up feeling unwell, and within a couple of hours, had acute back and abdominal pain. We were in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday morning, the nearest medical center was closed, there was no local doctor and we were hours away from a hospital. Frankly it was a very scary situation.

The team at Luxury Rail Trail Tours went above and beyond to support us during this difficult time. They were incredibly caring, pro-active, and nothing was a problem for them. When we had to take a two-hour ambulance ride to Dunedin Hospital, they sorted out our bikes and followed with our bags. They liaised with our Dunedin accommodation bringing them up to speed, (even though this was outside of the tour's scope) and our driver Dave stayed in Dunedin until he knew we were OK and everything was under control both medically and logistically. He couldn't have done more.

We had been home for a week or two when we received a courier package with some items we had left behind during the ambulance drama. There was no charge, just a lovely message wishing us well.

We cannot recommend Luxury Rail Trail Tours enough. They provided truly exceptional service and most importantly showed an incredible level of human warmth and care during a very difficult time for us. We can't recommend them more highly. Many thanks to Dave and Alicia.

  Stunning part of New Zealand and a great 4* way to explore it!  - Such a fun journey with these people! Top class accommodation, food and service. Itinerary was well thought and flowed well.
Great bikes, but might have benefitted... read more with a bit more tuition and / or setting up the heights of seats, etc when the bikes were first issued.
Great trail, not too physical, but you do need a good level of fitness to enjoy the surrounds.
Stunning part of New Zealand and a great way to explore it.
Would highly recommend.

  Great Experience - Great tour, meet great people, and the staff was fantastic. The accommodation was very comfortable, and the pubs and meals were very nice.

  Luxury Rail Trail tours nailed it! - What an awesome adventure we had. To start Alicia listened to our wants and assessed our competence and recommended 2 days of Rail Trail and 1 on Roxburgh Gorge trail... read more to finish. We asked for something a bit luxurious and she nailed it from the wonderful e-bikes, the accommodation and choice of restaurants for our dinners. The drivers were knowledgeable and friendly and thank you Dave for all the education and discussions we had on many things. We thoroughly enjoyed our rides. Due to injury we did not all complete the itinerary but Alicia and Dave were there to help with a medical visit and pick up another who had to pull out. Their commitment to service and a happy time for all was exceptional. Would highly recommend Luxury Rail Tours to everyone wanting a cycling experience.

  Great staff - so friendly and helpful  - Such great personal service, we have an amazing itinerary fantastic bikes - shame about the weather we will be back!

  Perfect combination of adventure, nature and luxury! - Perfect combination of adventure, nature and luxury!
My husband and I did the rail trail together and loved every minute. We felt we were in good hands from the... read more word Go with Alicia organising our bikes, accommodation and evening meals. She was very professional, listened to our needs and delivered on all fronts. It was such luxury to know that at the end of each day of cycling - our luggage would be there waiting for us at our accommodation for the night.
We loved our E-bikes, they were exceptionally good quality and didn't give us a moment of bother.
The accommodation for the most part was very good. The lodgings were carefully chosen to be close to the trail, unique with some character and of a good standard.
Dave was a lovely & friendly character too who picked us up for a side trip to St Bathans, also a wealth of knowledge as a local to the area.

We cant speak highly enough of Luxury Rail Tours

  The service from the staff at the Luxury Trail company was excellent. Friendly,helpful and knowledgeable. The Sinch e-bike provided was enjoyable to ride. The side trips to St Bathans and... read more to Naseby were really great. Loved the Curling!
The landscapes were like being in a painting - it was beautiful.
As an over seventy I was a little nervous about being able to complete the trail but I did the suggested pre trail training and must say I found the ride very easy to complete( with no saddle soreness).
Thoroughly recommend this experience and the Luxury Trail Company.

  Fantastic Trail experience - This is the second time we’ve used Luxury Trail and once again their exceptional service, knowledge and friendly staff never fail to impress! The e-bikes we hired were fantastic and... read more made our days on the trail so much fun. It was great staying down the road from the pick up and drop off point, having the bikes for the full 4 days was a real bonus. Lots of riding when and where we wanted. Can’t wait to book the next trip with this great company.

  What a wonderful bike trek experience!!! - The Otago Rail trail proved to be a wonderful exprience. It was full of variety, surprises and incredible landscapes. By using the services of Luxury Rail Trail Tours,... read more we got the very best of the experience; the best accommodation, access to the best eateries, top quality ebikes and memorable side tours along the way.

The trail was well within the capablilities of the less experienced of our group and we were very lucky with the weather which always makes such a difference with outside adventures. The stay of the tour was at Olivers in Clyde, with a world class meal at their incredible resstaurant. A game of Curling at Naseby is somethng we will never experience again and was a lot of fun.

Organisation was excellent with pickups and deliveries always punctual and well communicated. A greaat tour and a great tour company!!

  Beyond Expectation’s A2O - When my Sister invited my wife and I to do the Alps to Ocean with the Luxury Trail Company I was unsure if I could manage the ride and tour... read more group environment ( not a group person really )
We started the suggested training and finally the start day arrived .
Right from the get go Nick the trail guide made us feel extremely welcome and comfortable ensuring that everyone’s needs were met and all questions were answered about anything .
Whist I took my own bike the standard of bikes that my wife & family rode was very high .
The level of riding was a mixture from the Flying Scot’s ( who did it on non powered bike ) to our most cautious rider who made it the whole way from A2O.
Nick had the bikes ready to go every morning and gave them a check over and charge up at the end of the day including my own .
We stared at Mt Cook with the helicopter ride to the trail on the other side of lake Pukaki.
The daily rides were broken up with some stops for lunch , photos , catch up or to pull in and catch up with Nick and his Van full of supplies which catered for even a fussy one like me .
The food & accommodation were fantastic each night especially the Lakeside Lodge on night 2 .
The biggest riding day was 78 Km which I thought would be a tough ask but found very manageable.
The scenery was absolutely spectacular with a great opportunity to learn about the environment & heritage of the areas were rising through .
My highlight of the trip was the ride from Omarama to Kurow - just stunning .
I really enjoy riding but I must say after this experience with Nick & the Luxury Trail Company my confidence to travel in a group and take on a challenge has grown and we are already planning our next trip with Nick .

  Amazing cycle experience - The trip was amazing. Very well supported by the Tour company. An absolute must if you are into scenic cycling with the assistance of battery power. Accommodation... read more was luxurious and everything we could have needed was attended to.

  Fabulous trip. Thoroughly enjoyed the Lake Dunstan and Roxburgh Gorge rides. The e-bikes that were provided with our package were top quality and made the ride a pleasant one. The... read more accomodation at Oliver’s was lovely (except there was no air conditioning in the rooms which was not so good and the meal at the restaurant on the first night was very expensive and was not enjoyed by any of our group). The pick ups by the company were on time and efficient. This is the second year we have done a bike trip with this company and we will be back for more.

  Amazing family adventure. - Nick and his team at Luxury Rail Trail Tours provided a fantastic trip.
The organisation was faultless, from pick up to drop off.
Next time we'll include the... read more Lake Dunstan Trail

  the whole adventure was great
The route was beautiful and interesting we had great bikes and enjoyed the variety of countryside and accomodation on route, we loved that we... read more were left to our own devices and not herded by a group but well looked after , we loved the country pub experiences and the freedom to swim in the rivers and eat and drink when we felt like it ! The roadside flowers are so pretty , and we enjoyed reading the history of the railway .

  We had an awesome time riding the Otago Rail Trail, Roxburgh Gorge Trail and the Lake Dunstan Trail over 6 days.
Everything was spot on, the e-bikes were fantastic,... read more accommodation was amazing and the trails were awesome. Communication with Luxury Trail Co was great, from booking our trip through to the end, nothing was a problem. They sorted everything - airport transfers, bikes, accommodation and meals, all of which were outstanding. Alicia made organising our trip easy and checked in with us daily while we were cycling.
I would definitely recommend Luxury Trail Co, they are a first class company who really care about their customers! Thank you to the team for making our trip so memorable and such fun!

  The Otago Rail Trail was great and e-bikes made it possible for all the family to have the holiday that they wanted.

Highly recommend Luxury Rail Trail Tours... read more - delivered everything promised, and more. Great people to deal with, and top of the range bikes. All the accommodations and pre-booked evening meals worked seamlessly and we were met by great people from start to finish whether they were coordinating, bike-management, hosting or eating out.

All surrounded by spectacular scenery and history in a part of the world that leaves the rest behind.

  Amazing trip and so well organised - thank you everyone at Luxury Rail Trail Tours.
Highly recommend them 🙂

  Based on advice from family that have done this before we based ourselves in one spot - Clyde. Accommodation was amazing - The Lord Clyde - can't speak highly enough... read more of the surroundings and hospitality. We did this so we didn't have to pack and unpack each day - Luxury Rail Trail accommodated this request easily. Our first official day of riding was wet and windy - but there was an offer to pick us up if it got too much - we finished. Day 2 / 3 were amazing, would love to do again - Roxburgh Dam trail and Dunston Track - both incredibly scenic, spectacular part of the country - postcard perfect around every corner. The team at Luxury Rail Trail were amazing to deal with, friendly, great communication, bikes top grade (eBikes), passionate about what they do. This is a must do for any age. I would thoroughly recommend.

  As "mature but active" travelers we wanted an experience of good cycling in interesting and attractive surroundings with luxury accommodation each night accompanied by gourmet dining and this is exactly... read more what we got plus the additional expert assistance from the friendly and informative team at Luxury Rail Trail Tours. Right from the start with our initial enquiry, nothing was too much trouble, everything was worked out for us with no problems encountered at all. Very well worth doing.

  The company advertises luxury but accomodation deteriorated each day.
We felt that the company could have text each evening checking that you had a great day and had arrived safely.... read more /> Directions to your accommodation at the end of each day could have been better.

  We were booked and had to postpone 3 times due to Covid restrictions. We had paid the full price up front and were encouraged to postpone, which was fine. However... read more after the 3rd time of borders being closed by NZ we requested a refund. This took time and many emails with an unsatisfactory outcome as they deducted $385 from our full payment. Never pay the full amount up front.

  A very special trip, what a wonderful team who provided everything for a great, comfortable and very well fed trip.

  We did the Otago Rail Trail in the last week of March. We had a great time. Nick,Andrea, Rosco, Claire and Gwyneth were amazing, friendly and welcoming. Accommodation was outstanding... read more and the side trip to St Bathans and winery visit in Clyde were great. The team took care of everything including transferring our cars from Middlemarch to Clyde. Great welcome pack with info about the Trail and detailing each day of the trip. Appreciated the chocolate to start and locally made soap and souvenir drink bottle at the end. Fantastic experience. Would do the results with them again.