Overview
The Great Taste Trail in Tasman offers a chance to explore both coast and countryside. Our local knowledge and personal experiences of cycling in the area, means that we can create routes to help our guests find hidden gems and get to places that many tourists, who visit the area, don’t know exist. Standard tours stay in comfortable motels and ensuite cabin accommodation. Our premium range of Tasman Great Taste Trail bike tours allows you to appreciate the diverse features of The Great Taste Trail and the Tasman region from Nelson, whilst staying at 4 and 4+ star boutique accommodation. Our Premium Great Taste Self-Guided Bike Tours are bespoke and can be modified to suit the needs of the participants. We don’t amalgamate groups, so each group gets to enjoy their rides at a pace that suits them.
Available Upgrades
- Great Taste Trail E- bike upgrade
- Premium Plus - Boutique accommodation in unique locations
- A day or more in the Abel Tasman National Park. This can be added in to your itinerary as an extra day or it can replace a cycling day. Cruise, walk and/or kayaking combinations are available. All inclusive multi-day tours in the park can be included at the beginning, middle or end of your cycle tour - a seamless way to explore the region
- Gourmet rendezvous picnic lunches or packed lunches can be arranged
- Private wine tastings
- Extra cycling days
- Enjoy a guided day ride with one of our experienced guides who can help you explore hidden gems of the region on a back road adventure
- Heli-tours with or without cycling
- Great TasE-maps, load your personalised tour onto your phone or tablet
Details
Difficulty: 3
Departures
Daily year round
Start: Nelson
Finish: Nelson
Includes:
Premium Tour
- Accommodation in 4 and 4+ star boutique accommodation with breakfasts. Some overnight locations may have limited choice. Dinner will be provided when no restaurants are nearby
- Trail bike, helmet, lock, inner tube replacement kit
- A premium welcome goody bag with a 'taste of the region'.
- A choice of day pannier bags or touring pannier bag
- Bike and rider transfers as required.Luggage transfers with baggage allowance of up to 2 bags per person (max weight 15Kgs per bag)
- Our Great Taste Trail map, bespoke route notes to help you discover hidden gems and other places of interest.
- One way ferry ticket to Rabbit Island
- Discount vouchers for local restaurants and cafes
- A dedicated tour manager and support service throughout the duration of your tour
- Airport pick up and drop off if you want your tour to start or finish at the airport
Pricing:
Cost per person twin share
October 2024 - March 2025: Price on application
Solo traveller and children under 12 POA. Discounts available for larger groups (more than 6 people)
Currency ConverterOverview
The Great Taste Trail in Tasman offers a chance to explore both coast and countryside. Our local knowledge and personal experiences of cycling in the area, means that we can create routes to help our guests find hidden gems and get to places that many tourists, who visit the area, don’t know exist. Standard tours stay in comfortable motels and ensuite cabin accommodation. Our premium range of Tasman Great Taste Trail bike tours allows you to appreciate the diverse features of The Great Taste Trail and the Tasman region from Nelson, whilst staying at 4 and 4+ star boutique accommodation. Our Premium Great Taste Self-Guided Bike Tours are bespoke and can be modified to suit the needs of the participants. We don’t amalgamate groups, so each group gets to enjoy their rides at a pace that suits them.
Available Upgrades
- Great Taste Trail E- bike upgrade
- Premium Plus - Boutique accommodation in unique locations
- A day or more in the Abel Tasman National Park. This can be added in to your itinerary as an extra day or it can replace a cycling day. Cruise, walk and/or kayaking combinations are available. All inclusive multi-day tours in the park can be included at the beginning, middle or end of your cycle tour - a seamless way to explore the region
- Gourmet rendezvous picnic lunches or packed lunches can be arranged
- Private wine tastings
- Extra cycling days
- Enjoy a guided day ride with one of our experienced guides who can help you explore hidden gems of the region on a back road adventure
- Heli-tours with or without cycling
- Great TasE-maps, load your personalised tour onto your phone or tablet
Itinerary
Open AllStart your cycle tour with an easy stretch from central Nelson to Mapua via Rabbit Island. If today is a Saturday, browse the Nelson market for art, jewellery and clothing before you start your bike ride. Along the way to Mapua you’ll find cafes, a brewery and a winery close to the trail for sustenance. There are other possible places to explore including the Nelson Collectable Car Museum. Stop by the long sandy beach of Rabbit Island and go for a swim before catching the ferry to Mapua.
When you arrive at Mapua wharf you will instantly see many eateries and shops that make this a popular destination with locals and visitors alike. Your accommodation is a short distance from here.
35kms Grade 1*. Mostly flat.
Stay at Mapua
Optional extra day – Make the most of the beautiful village of Mapua and stay an extra night. Cycle to and from your accommodation in Mapua and explore the hidden gems of the Moutere. If you want to sample some of the best flavours of the region, then this is a must do. A 35 km circuit offers unique coffee stops, fine food, boutique award-wining wineries (including the most scenic winery in the Nelson region), craft beers (The Moutere Inn, NZ’s oldest pub) and studios of acclaimed artists.
This ride is not on the Great Taste Cycle Trail and uses back roads and local cycle/walk paths.
Stay at Mapua
Your second day cycle from Mapua to Kaiteriteri is a little bit more challenging than day one. This is one of the most popular and diverse segments of the trail. Explore countryside and coastal sections inaccessible to anyone but cyclists. Take your time, with several craft breweries, great coffee, and food options along the way. Our notes and Great Taste Trail Map will help you find some local gems that you won’t find directly on the trail.
43kms. Grade 2 with two short Grade 3* sections. A mix of flat and short hills.
Stay at Kaiteriteri / Little Kaiteriteri
Optional extra day – Explore Abel Tasman National Park, relax and enjoy a swim off one of the local beaches, or take a break from the saddle with leisurely walks around the local tracks of Kaiteriteri. A 20km round trip following the coastal road (narrow in places but great views along the way) to Marahau is also an option if you don’t want a day off the bike.
Stay at Kaiteriteri
Cycle from Kaiteriteri to Tapawera 74km ( or a select your start point if you want a shorter ride). Take advantage of a vehicle transfer at the start of the day, if you don’t want to cycle the full 74kms or you don’t want to cycle through the Mountain Bike Park as you leave Kaiteriteri The scenery is stunning, and quite different to the other days. Follow the majestic Motueka river for most of the way with Kahurangi National Park as the background scenery. Due to the rural nature of this ride, only a couple of coffee stops today! There are also access points to the river for safe swimming or picnic locations.
Today’s ride uses some of the newest sections of dedicated cycle paths that form the trail loop.
Arrive at your accommodation with time to have a leisurely stroll to explore the local area or go for a swim in the river. Dinner is also included at some accommodation so you don’t have to make any plans, it’s all taken care of. If it isn’t included, it’s because there are dining options very close by. We carefully select accommodation so once you have finished cycling, the rest of your day is easy too.
45kms. Grade 2& 3*. Grade 3 on a quiet little road following the river for approximately 33kms, which is also quite flat.
Stay in the Tapawera area.
Tapawera to Richmond or Nelson. Cycle from your accommodation along the cycle trail and through Spooners tunnel (1.4km in length)and enjoy approximately 7kms of gently going downhill from the tunnel exit, before the route flattens out along the valley floor and the Waimea Plain. Stop off along the way at the historical villages of Wakefield and Brightwater. At Richmond you can choose to finish your ride there or you can follow the railway reserve route for part of the return leg to Nelson. You may also want to cycle as far as the airport where you can finish your ride close to the terminal.
We would suggest you finish with a night in Nelson, so you can relax and enjoy everything this small city has to offer. We can recommend some excellent places to indulge in a superb dinner that will showcase the local produce you have seen along the way.
53-68km (mostly flat or downhill!)
Grades 1 & 2* Tapawera to Nelson
* Official NZCT trail grades
Cost per person twin share
October 2024 - March 2025: Price on application
Solo traveller and children under 12 POA. Discounts available for larger groups (more than 6 people)
Itinerary
Open AllStart your cycle tour with an easy stretch from central Nelson to Mapua via Rabbit Island. If today is a Saturday, browse the Nelson market for art, jewellery and clothing before you start your bike ride. Along the way to Mapua you’ll find cafes, a brewery and a winery close to the trail for sustenance. There are other possible places to explore including the Nelson Collectable Car Museum. Stop by the long sandy beach of Rabbit Island and go for a swim before catching the ferry to Mapua.
When you arrive at Mapua wharf you will instantly see many eateries and shops that make this a popular destination with locals and visitors alike. Your accommodation is a short distance from here.
35kms Grade 1*. Mostly flat.
Stay at Mapua
Optional extra day – Make the most of the beautiful village of Mapua and stay an extra night. Cycle to and from your accommodation in Mapua and explore the hidden gems of the Moutere. If you want to sample some of the best flavours of the region, then this is a must do. A 35 km circuit offers unique coffee stops, fine food, boutique award-wining wineries (including the most scenic winery in the Nelson region), craft beers (The Moutere Inn, NZ’s oldest pub) and studios of acclaimed artists.
This ride is not on the Great Taste Cycle Trail and uses back roads and local cycle/walk paths.
Stay at Mapua
Your second day cycle from Mapua to Kaiteriteri is a little bit more challenging than day one. This is one of the most popular and diverse segments of the trail. Explore countryside and coastal sections inaccessible to anyone but cyclists. Take your time, with several craft breweries, great coffee, and food options along the way. Our notes and Great Taste Trail Map will help you find some local gems that you won’t find directly on the trail.
43kms. Grade 2 with two short Grade 3* sections. A mix of flat and short hills.
Stay at Kaiteriteri / Little Kaiteriteri
Optional extra day – Explore Abel Tasman National Park, relax and enjoy a swim off one of the local beaches, or take a break from the saddle with leisurely walks around the local tracks of Kaiteriteri. A 20km round trip following the coastal road (narrow in places but great views along the way) to Marahau is also an option if you don’t want a day off the bike.
Stay at Kaiteriteri
Cycle from Kaiteriteri to Tapawera 74km ( or a select your start point if you want a shorter ride). Take advantage of a vehicle transfer at the start of the day, if you don’t want to cycle the full 74kms or you don’t want to cycle through the Mountain Bike Park as you leave Kaiteriteri The scenery is stunning, and quite different to the other days. Follow the majestic Motueka river for most of the way with Kahurangi National Park as the background scenery. Due to the rural nature of this ride, only a couple of coffee stops today! There are also access points to the river for safe swimming or picnic locations.
Today’s ride uses some of the newest sections of dedicated cycle paths that form the trail loop.
Arrive at your accommodation with time to have a leisurely stroll to explore the local area or go for a swim in the river. Dinner is also included at some accommodation so you don’t have to make any plans, it’s all taken care of. If it isn’t included, it’s because there are dining options very close by. We carefully select accommodation so once you have finished cycling, the rest of your day is easy too.
45kms. Grade 2& 3*. Grade 3 on a quiet little road following the river for approximately 33kms, which is also quite flat.
Stay in the Tapawera area.
Tapawera to Richmond or Nelson. Cycle from your accommodation along the cycle trail and through Spooners tunnel (1.4km in length)and enjoy approximately 7kms of gently going downhill from the tunnel exit, before the route flattens out along the valley floor and the Waimea Plain. Stop off along the way at the historical villages of Wakefield and Brightwater. At Richmond you can choose to finish your ride there or you can follow the railway reserve route for part of the return leg to Nelson. You may also want to cycle as far as the airport where you can finish your ride close to the terminal.
We would suggest you finish with a night in Nelson, so you can relax and enjoy everything this small city has to offer. We can recommend some excellent places to indulge in a superb dinner that will showcase the local produce you have seen along the way.
53-68km (mostly flat or downhill!)
Grades 1 & 2* Tapawera to Nelson
* Official NZCT trail grades
