Quad · No licence needed
Above The Skyline Quad Tour
The standard climb to the Wakatipu lookout.
| Adult or youth | NZ$299.00 |
|---|
Editorial spotlight · Queenstown
2026 Southern Cross Awards nomineeBest Off-Road Adventure
Off Road Adventures
Private high-country land five minutes from the centre of Queenstown, climbing to lookouts over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. Quads, dirt bikes and side-by-side buggies, with guides who have been doing this since 1989. No licence needed for the quad tours, and a learn-to-ride option if you have never been on a dirt bike.
- Above The Skyline quad
- NZ$299
- Dirt bike tours
- NZ$398
- Tripadvisor
- 5.0
- Reviews
- 1,802
Editorial spotlight. Off Road Adventures is a nominee in the 2026 Southern Cross Awards. They did not pay for this page and had no say in it. We earn a commission when you book through the links here; your price is the same.
The operation
Thirty-five years on the same hill
The company calls itself an industry pioneer and dates itself to 1989, which makes it one of the older adventure operators in a town full of them. The land is private, the terrain runs from farm track to proper four-wheel-drive climbing, and the payoff is the lookout: Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables and Cecil Peak from above, five minutes after leaving the centre of Queenstown.
There are three ways to do it. Quads are the volume product and need no licence or experience, with Above The Skyline the standard ride and Beyond The Skyline a longer, harder one for people who can already ride. Dirt bikes split into Learn 2 Ride for beginners and Let’s Ride for riders, both NZ$398, with private and one-on-one options above that. The buggies are side-by-sides you drive yourself, priced for the vehicle with two people included.
“Industry pioneers since 1989.”
- S
Guide
Snowy
- S
Guide
Sam
- D
Guide
Diego
- L
Guide
Loki
Guides named repeatedly by reviewers. The company has not yet confirmed which names and roles it wants printed.
The one to book
Above The Skyline Quad Tour
The standard ride and the one most people take: up the private track to the lookout over the lake and the Remarkables, no licence and no experience required. Youth riders pay the same NZ$299.
If you can already ride, Beyond The Skyline goes further and harder for NZ$399, or NZ$699 one-on-one with a guide. The Best Value combo at NZ$349 puts two activities together and is the cheapest way to try more than one machine.
| Adult, regular ride | NZ$299.00 |
|---|---|
| Youth, regular ride | NZ$299.00 |
| Best Value combo | NZ$349.00 |
Checked against FareHarbor on October 2, 2026.
Check AvailabilityThe machines
Three ways up the same hill
Quad and buggy tours need no licence. Dirt bike tours have a beginner version.
Quad bikes
- Experience
- None needed
- From
- NZ$299 per rider
Dirt bikes
- Beginner
- Learn 2 Ride, NZ$398
- Riders
- Let’s Ride, NZ$398
Buggies
- Priced
- Per vehicle, 2 included
- From
- NZ$495 self-drive
Book it
Tours
Per rider unless the row says otherwise. Checked against FareHarbor on October 2, 2026.
Combo · Two activities
Best Value OFFROAD Combo
Two machines in one booking, children cheaper.
| Adult or youth | NZ$349.00 |
|---|---|
| Child | NZ$249.00 |
Dirt bike · Beginners
Learn 2 Ride
For people who have never ridden a dirt bike.
| Adult or youth | NZ$398.00 |
|---|---|
| Private 1-on-1 | NZ$698.00 |
Dirt bike · Riders
Let’s Ride
For people who can already ride one.
| Adult or youth | NZ$398.00 |
|---|---|
| Private group | NZ$498.00 |
Quad · Experienced
Beyond The Skyline 4x4 Quad Tour
Longer and harder, for riders with experience.
| Regular group | NZ$399.00 |
|---|---|
| Private 1-on-1 | NZ$699.00 |
Buggy · Guide drives
Mountain Express Ride-Along Buggy Tour
You ride, the guide drives. Scenic or rapid.
| Honda Pioneer, up to 5 | NZ$598.00 |
|---|---|
| Yamaha RMAX, up to 3 | NZ$598.00 |
Self-drive guided buggy tours are priced for the vehicle with two people included: NZ$495 for the Yamaha Wolverine and NZ$690 for the 1000cc RMAX, with extra passengers at NZ$50. Full-suspension e-bike hire runs from NZ$248 a day.
Before you go
Know before you go
It is Queenstown, not Taupo
The land is five minutes from the centre of Queenstown. The company’s multi-day brand, Dirt Bike Tours NZ, runs from the same base.
The NZ$50 figure is not a tour
On the self-drive buggy listing, NZ$50 buys an extra passenger seat or a ride-along with the guide. The buggy itself starts at NZ$495 for two people.
No licence for the quads
Quad and buggy tours take complete beginners. Only the Beyond The Skyline quad tour asks for existing experience.
Youth pay adult rates
On most tours the youth rate equals the adult rate. Only the Best Value combo has a cheaper child price.
Reviews
What guests say
- 5.0Tripadvisor1,802 reviews as of October 2, 2026
- 1989Operating sinceThirty-five years
- 5 minFrom townPrivate high-country land
Reviewers praise the guides by name, the safety briefing and the scenery from the lookout, and describe the operation as well run for mixed abilities and families. There is no recurring complaint across a large review base, which at 1,802 reviews and a 5.0 average is unusual and worth noting.
Questions
Good to know
Where does it leave from?
Private land five minutes from the centre of Queenstown.
What does it cost?
NZ$299 per rider for the Above The Skyline quad tour. Checked October 2, 2026.
Do I need a licence or experience?
Not for the quad tours or the buggies. Dirt bikes have a beginner tour, Learn 2 Ride, at the same NZ$398 as the riders’ tour.
Why do I see NZ$50 quoted?
That is an extra passenger seat on a self-drive buggy, not a tour. The buggy starts at NZ$495 with two people included.
Five minutes from town, straight up the hill
Quads from NZ$299 a rider, dirt bikes from NZ$398, buggies from NZ$495 for two.
Check Availability