Mt Wellington: Summit Descent & Rainforest Adventure Ride | 18km Ride | Guided | Skill: Easy | Fitness: Basic | Bike Hire & Shuttle

Starting off, a shuttle to the summit of Mt Wellington. First ride is a 6 km summit road descent. Next, an 11km guided ride on an enchanting, gently descending off-road forest trail, passing giant ferns, waterfalls, & curious wildlife.

Minimum Online Booking: 2 People

Solo Riders

Please contact us to check tour availability. 
If the tour is available on your preferred date, we'll send you booking instructions.

Private Tour Option

We can tailor the tour, offering flexible start time, hotel pick-up, even include a MTB skills coaching session.

Booking for Tomorrow's Tour

• Online bookings must be submitted before 7 pm.
• If after 7 pm, please email or text your enquiry.
  We often monitor emails after hours, so will respond as soon as we can.

Tour Summary

• Meet at our office in South Hobart. Receive helmet, gloves, and be introduced to your hire bike.
• Your adventure starts with a minibus shuttle from our office to the summit of Mt Wellington, 1270m above sea level.
  
• After taking in the amazing 'top of the world' views, you'll hop on your hire bike and take off on a thrilling 6km descent on the summit road. 
• The road descent ends at 'The Springs'; here you grab a drink or snack at the Lost Freight Cafe, also there is a public toilet.
  
• Following this, our minibus will shuttle you to the south side of the mountain. This is where the 11 km rainforest ride begins, expertly led by one of our guides.
• As you ride this gently descending off-road trail, you'll experience majestic towering eucalyptus forests, duck under giant silver ferns, stop at a waterfall, walk under historic aqueducts, gaze into crystal clear babbling streams, and maybe even catch a glimpse of some curious local wildlife.
• The activity lasts about 4 hours and the ride finishes at our office in South Hobart.
• This is an easy ride. Riders should be comfortable on a bike with good basic bike handling skills.

Tour Departure Time

• Shuttle departs at 9.30 am from our office
• Any alternative departure times will be displayed in the booking calendar
• Arrive at least 15 minutes before tour departure time.

Where To Meet

• Our shop - 466 Macquarie St, South Hobart.

Your Hire Bike

You'll be riding a lightweight mountain bike with front suspension. It has modern geometry, powerful brakes, and is fitted with premium components. An ideal bike for this ride.

Riding Ability And Expectations

Riders should be comfortable on a bike, with good basic bike handling skills.

The ride is relatively easy, and the off-road track is wide and relatively smooth. The surface is a mixture of compacted dirt and gravel.

The descent from the summit follows a bitumen road that is shared with cars, vans, and buses. While most riders are comfortable riding on the road, we understand that some may not. Therefore, there is the option to come down from the summit in the minibus, following the other riders.

The ride is downhill almost all the way, so you don't need to be particularly fit for this ride.

Is This Ride Suitable For Kids?

Children must be comfortable on a bike with good basic bike handling skills.

Children must always be accompanied by a parent/guardian. 

Our smallest bikes are suitable for riders above 125cm tall.

Because of the traffic on the summit road, parents often decide that the summit road descent ride is not suitable for their child. In these instances, kids can skip the summit road and come down in the bus. We always have a conversation with parents about safely riding the summit road.

The second ride, through the rainforest, is child-friendly, 95% of the ride is in the forest. The final 1km of the ride is residential street, and juniors can ride on the path with their parent.

Trail Guide And Vehicle Support

During the summit road descent, our minibus will follow the group, behind the last rider. 

For the off-road rainforest ride, you'll be led by one of our experienced trail guides. The trail guide will lead the group all the way back to our South Hobart office.

What To Wear And Bring

• To ensure your safety and comfort during the ride, we recommend that you wear comfortable active wear, sturdy shoes (toes must be covered), and gloves (we have spare gloves).
• If you're joining us during cooler or rainy weather, we suggest bringing something warm and waterproof.
• If the trail is wet, you'll likely get some mud splatter on your back, pants, and shoes. Wear clothes that are easily washable! Spare clothes can be left in our office, to be changed into after the ride.
• Additionally, we recommend bringing a lightweight backpack to carry your essentials, such as a jumper, snack, drink, phone, and sunblock. 

When The Summit Of Mt Wellington Can’t Be Accessed

At times, the road to the summit may be closed by the Hobart City Council due to roadworks or inclement weather such as snow, icy roads, and damaging winds. In such cases, we won't be able to access the summit, however we have a back-up plan. Instead, we take a longer ride on the off-road rainforest trail, which is situated lower on the mountain and isn't affected by summit road closures. This option ensures that you still have a great ride and experience Mt. Wellington's stunning natural environment.

Useful To Know

• There are public toilets at the summit, the end of the summit descent, and the half-way point of the rainforest ride.
• There is a great cafe next door to our shop, Ginger Brown. Delicious coffee, breakfast, and lunch.
• There's also a general store next door, great for drinks and snacks.
• It's a 25-minute walk from the city centre to our office.
• Parking - on weekends there is plenty of free parking close to our office. Monday to Friday, there is usually free on-street parking on nearby Washington St.
• The oldest operating brewery in Australia, Cascades, is a 15-minute walk from our office.

Safety Waiver

We require every rider to sign a waiver before arrival. We've made the process easy and convenient for you by providing a 100% online waiver form.

Once you've made your booking, you'll receive an email from us with a link to the online waiver form. We kindly ask that you complete the form before your scheduled tour.

Cancellation Policy

Customers can cancel their booking without incurring any charges up to 24 hours prior to the tour start time. Cancellations made within this specified period will receive a full refund, less a booking processing fee.

If a cancellation is made after the allowed cancellation period, a cancellation fee will be applicable. The cancellation fee will be 50% of the total booking amount.

Customers who cancel within the permitted cancellation period will be eligible for a full refund of the total booking amount, less a booking processing fee. The refund will be processed within 7 business days after the cancellation request is received.

Customers may request modifications to their booking, such as changing the date, without incurring any fees, subject to availability. However, such modifications must be requested at least 24 hours before the scheduled tour start time.

In the case of delays or unforeseen emergencies, we understand that plans can be disrupted. We will make every effort to accommodate changes to your schedule under these circumstances. Please contact our office as soon as possible to discuss any necessary adjustments.

If a customer fails to show up for the tour without prior notice, it will be considered a no-show. No-shows are not eligible for a refund, and the full booking amount will be charged.

To cancel a booking, customers must contact our customer support team via phone or email. Please provide your booking details and the reason for cancellation.