Wellington Train Tours: the 10 Best Rides

1.Northern Explorer Train Journey from Wellington to Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 513 reviews · from $157Our pick

Travel from Wellington to Auckland on the Northern Explorer, passing the Kapiti Coast, Tongariro National Park, the Raurimu Spiral, and Waikato farmland. You get comfortable seating, GPS audio commentary, open-air viewing decks, and a licensed café. The 7:55 am departure makes this a full day on the rails.

“Some aqueducts and the volcano. Too long and less variety than expected. Not clear that we would stop near Auckland so ended up going through to CBD”

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2.Remutaka Rail Trail eBike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 54 reviews · 6 hours · from $131

Start near Kaitoke and ride 28km through native bush, old railway tunnels, bridges, and Wairarapa farmland. Your eBike, helmet, lunch, maps, and return shuttle are included. The ride is self guided after a detailed briefing from guides such as Sam, James, or Isaac William.

“What an incredible day!! The views, the physical and mental workout.. and all supported by the magical commentary and conversation with James. He is a rockstar tour host👊”

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3.Remutaka Rail Trail Mountain Bike Explorer Cycle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · from $124Top rated

You’ll ride 28km from Kaitoke through Pakuratahi Forest and over the Remutaka Range toward Cross Creek, using a supplied pedal bike, helmet, lights, pannier, lunch, and water. Staff brief you before the self-guided ride, with pickup from Wellington Station or the port.

“Well organised. Staff polite and informative including describing how to call for assistance when there is no cellular service. Route to be taken clearly explained including where those who may feel uncomfortable have the option of taking Read more”

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4.Remutaka Rail Trail Mountain Bike Explorer Cycle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $124

Cycle the Remutaka Rail Trail from Kaitoke through Pakuratahi Forest and over the Remutaka Ranges. Wildfinder supplies bikes, helmets, safety gear, lunch, water, and shuttles from Wellington. The easy-to-moderate route suits many riders, with options to adjust the distance.

“I ended up being the only one on the trip so I rode solo throughout and I really enjoyed the quiet of the trail and mountains. The views were great, I got to see so many birds and listen to the water in the creeks. I chose a regular bike oRead more”

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5.Wellington Remutaka Rail Trail eBike Cycle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · from $136

Ride 28km of the Remutaka Rail Trail by eBike from Kaitoke through native forest, railway tunnels, bridges, and Wairarapa farmland. Isaac, Laura, or another Cycle Remutaka staff member handles the briefing, bikes, transport, lunch, and route advice. The ride ends at the Royal Hotel in Featherston.

“Awesome scenery. E-bike worked great. Isaac was very helpful. Trail map was easy to follow. Lunch was tasty.”

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6.Remutaka Rail Trail Cycle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 17 reviews · 6 hours · from $119Best value

Ride 28km of the Remutaka Rail Trail from Kaitoke to Cross Creek, using provided bikes, helmets, lights, lunch, and repair gear. You’ll pedal through old railway tunnels, cross bridges, stop at railway history boards, and finish near Featherston before a shuttle returns you to Wellington.

“Sam, our guide, was very friendly and knowledgeable. My friend forgot to bring a raincoat so he let her borrow his, which was great! The vegetarian lunch was so delicious! The bikes worked great! The steep, downward, cliffside trail was a bit nerve racking. Sections were less than 3-4 feet wide with steep dropoff (no guardrail or natural barrier). So personally, I’d consider it advanced beginner or almost intermediate for that section of the trail. Other than that, everything else was amazing!!”

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7.Remutaka Rail Trail Explorer – eBike Cruise Ship Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $136

Leave your Wellington cruise ship at 9:15am for a self-guided 28km e-bike ride from Kaitoke to Featherston. Expect native forest, tunnels with bike lights, bridges, railway relics, lunch, water, and port transfers. Choose a mountain or step-through e-bike by contacting Wildfinder early.

“Dave was fantastic. He picked us up at the Port and dropped us off after our E-bike experience. The E-bikes were very good. Since it was chilly and rainy we ate a hot lunch in Featherton instead of our packed lunch.”

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8.Remutaka Rail Trail eBike Explorer Cycle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $136

You’ll ride 28km of the Remutaka Rail Trail by eBike with shuttle transport from Wellington, a picnic lunch, safety gear, and a pannier bag included. Choose a mountain eBike or step-through model, then pedal through forest, tunnels, and old railway sites before descending to Featherston. Cooper and Pacey are among the friendly staff praised for careful support.

“Would not recommend using e-bike for this trip as the descending path is very narrow, rocky and curvy and the weight of motor makes it difficult to navigate the bike. My friend's bike motor kept shutting off during the trip and she had to walRead more”

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9.Remutaka Rail Trail eBike Shore Excursion for Cruise Ships

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 6 hours · from $131

Meet Wildfinder at Wellington’s port at 9:15am for a 28km eBike ride from Kaitoke through the Remutaka Mountains. Ride tunnels and bridges, stop at railway information boards, enjoy a packed lunch, then shuttle back from Featherston by about 4pm. James and Alex are among the named hosts.

“There are not enough positive words to describe this excursion! The staff was very helpful and really fun. The bikes were in excellent shape. And the trail was absolutely breath taking! But probably not for beginners.”

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10.Remutaka Rail Trail- Wellington eBike Cruise Ship Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $136

Ride an easy-to-moderate 28 km route from Kaitoke through native bush, tunnels, and old railway works to Cross Creek. Your eBike, helmet, food, water, and cruise-port transfers are covered. Expect about four hours on the trail and a scenic descent into the Wairarapa.

“Bikes were easy & fun. Trail scenery was beautiful. Last part of trail is steep/fast, very rocky and narrow but worth it!”

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