Cardrona High Country Pub Trail Horse Riding Trek (adventurous)

Name: Cardrona High Country Pub Trail Horse Riding Trek (adventurous)
Brand: The Cardrona
SKU: 8706P2
Price: 325.65 USD
Rating: 5.0 (241 reviews)

Queenstown, New Zealand

3 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Saddle up and explore New Zealand’s rugged wilderness on this 3.5-hour Cardrona High Country pub trail horse-riding trek. Head on horseback into the New Zealand countryside with your guide. Discover points of historical interest along the winding mountain trails, and gain insight into the 19th-century gold rush that brought wealth to the area. Pass through a working cattle farm, traverse choppy rivers and enjoy panoramic views over the rugged scenery. Stop at the historic Cardrona Hotel for a complimentary drink, then return to base along the mighty Cardrona River.

Small group ensures personal service
Perfect for all ages and skill level
Informative, friendly and professional guide
Step back in time on a history tour
Free drinks included

What's Included

Beverage
Professional guide
Use of helmet

Souvenir photos (available to purchase)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

2125 Cardrona Valley Road, Cardrona 9382, New Zealand
20 minutes self drive from Wanaka, 50-55 minute self drive from Queenstown. Look for "THE CARDRONA HORSE TREKS & QUAD TOURS" and the famous 'Bra Fence'

Start time

12:30 PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Not wheelchair accessible
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
**PLEASE SPECIFY YOUR HORSE RIDING ABILITY UPON BOOKING SO THE APPROPRIATE HORSES ARE SELECTED FOR YOUR RIDE**
THIS RIDE IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR SMALL CHILDREN - see "The Gold Discovery Trail"
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 7 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

David_P

Amazing experience!! Great views all along the way! Kelly was informative on the tour while riding, but we also did a decent amount of trotting and cantering. Would definitely recommend this tour!

Reviews

5.0

241 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 241 reviews

Lovely healthy horses and beautiful scenery.

DawnMarie_K, Apr 2024

We had a great day riding in the Cardrona Valley. Great staff, and beautiful horses. We are beginner riders and the staff was really helpful in picking out the right horses for us.

Superb ride

Beverly_P, Mar 2024

Superb ride through the high country around Cardrona. Horses were well-behaved but lively, easy to ride. Great fun to canter through the fields, great views, past cattle and deer. Fun stop at the historic Cardrona Hotel for a beer or beverage.

Emily. equestrian Instructor

maryanne_s, Feb 2024

I was surprised that we were going to ride in the drizzle and was a little nervous but Emily was great. She offered me some waterproof clothes, helmet and off we went. She was a great equestrian and excellent communicator. Took a real interest in us and I was very grateful because I hadn't been on a horse in years!

Great experience

Catina_K, Dec 2023

This was such a great trip! My daughter’s (20 and 11) and I did this trek and it was great. My 11 yr old and I have never been on a horse, Emily was so helpful and careful with my daughter. She was scared to keep going after the first time we started trotting, Emily got off her horse and help my daughter feel more comfortable and ran her back and forth twice so that she felt more confident and we continued the trek. I definitely recommend 10/10!

Amazing Horse ride

Bradley_D, Nov 2023

Never expected to ride horses In New Zealand but my wife and I were in Queenstown looking for things to do and came across this trip. Easily one of our top highlights of New Zealand. The weather was great and the views were absolutely stunning. The group wasn’t large which made it really nice just getting to enjoy the ride. Our guide was Summer and she did a great job making sure we all had a good time and she was very knowledgeable of the surrounding areas. We rode Pete and Pat and we fell in love with them. They were so well trained and made it extremely easy to ride even though we hadn’t ridden horses in over 10 years. If you’re near Queenstown and want an unforgettable experience then definitely do this ride. They’ll pick your horses based on your experience, so there’s no need to be nervous if you have never ridden or haven’t ridden in awhile.

Very good

Grant_S, Sep 2023

Well behaved horses. Beautiful scenery. Good guide. High country tracks. Not for feint hearted. Nice beer at pub.

Best horseback riding we’ve done!

David_P, Mar 2023

Amazing experience!! Great views all along the way! Kelly was informative on the tour while riding, but we also did a decent amount of trotting and cantering. Would definitely recommend this tour!

Scenic Invigorating Horseback Trek

CarolJean_S, Feb 2023

Had an absolute blast on this trek! My husband and I enjoy horse rides every now and again, and this is the top of the list. It was a significant and beautiful trek around a mountain and we got to do a little trotting and cantering on the horses. Emily was a great guide and made sure we were all had fun and were safe!

Most amazing horse trek experience

Sophie_B, May 2022

Such an amazing trek. The views were absolutely stunning and the horse riding was amazing. It’s so good for all skill levels, Kelly who guided us made those of us with minimal skill feel compete and safe and those on the trek who were quite experienced had so much fun too! It was such a great experience being able to tie up your horse outside the pub and go for a drink, I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to do that again! Highly recommend this trip to everyone!!

Great horse ride

Caitlin_M, Feb 2022

Lovely horse ride together. Loved the place they went as each rider had different riding experience. I loved the horses eating willow tree on the way home. John the horse likes to get your feet wet in the river with his high stepping. Great tour guide too Sam and I enjoyed this on our honeymoon

Horse Trekking

Steven_H, Feb 2020

Guide was excellent and made sure we had the appropriate horse for our level of experience! The route we rode on was lovely and had good views of the Cadrona Valley!

Really nice tour with interesting...

Brian_S, Apr 2018

Really nice tour with interesting info about the history of the area. Ally was great at talking to everyone and making them feel comfortable and matching them with a horse. There were 4 in our group: one had never been on a horse, one had only ridden twice, and the last two of us had a little bit of experience. Ally gave great instructions and made everyone feel comfortable and confident. We had a nice ride up into the hills with her giving us some interesting details about the area and history. The stop at the historic hotel was a nice break the cider was very refreshing, and then we finished with a canter back to the stables. Tip: There isn't any shade along the ride, so make sure to put on sun lotion!