We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
VBT Tours: The Dalmatian Islands
1 / 14
VBT Tours 10-day ride through Croatia explores one of the world’s 10 most beautiful islands (according to Condé Nast Traveler, anyway), plus some funky asides, like a trip to observe the art of stonecutting; a jaunt to the Adriatic Sea; and even some Croatian cooking lessons from locals. Oh yeah: You’ll also ride bikes, a lot (with bonus swim time!). The route is fairly beginner-friendly, but there are additional challenges for riders looking for tougher stuff.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Ciclismo Classico’l Bike Across Belgium
2 / 14
Bikes? Check. Beer? Check. Cycle through the charming landscapes of the Flemish flatlands and the hills of Wallonia, all while taking in a wide range of Belgian beers. This tour offers access to more boutique breweries than any other in Europe, and that’s good news for cyclists who like their recovery drinks hoppy.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Ride & Seek’s Vietnam Untouched: Ha Giang
3 / 14
If you’re looking for some serious bragging rights and a chance to explore unridden terrain, Vietnam Untouched might be the tour for you. Even the tour directors warn that it’s “not for the faint of heart,” and as the first company to run a bike tour in the area, they would know. This is one of the “advanced riders recommended” tours on this list, with 96-160km a day of riding, including tons of climbing. (This might be the trip where you switch to a compact crank.) But the famed rice paddies and the gorgeous forests more than make up for the tough riding you’ll face on this badass adventure.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Great Explorations’ Morocco 10-Day Expedition
4 / 14
Riding through Morocco on bikes feels like being in an Indiana Jones movie, except it’s the real thing. This tour takes you on a camel safari into the desert, where Berber musicians entertain around bonfires, before you get to retire to your private tent with oil lanterns. You’ll ride along quiet roads with Mount Toubcal in the distance, hike up to remote villages to meet with locals, ride into Essaouira, and see Marrakech in all its splendor—snake charmers included.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Tours Camino de Santiago 14-Day Tour
5 / 14
On this 14 day tour, you’ll cycle 740 kilometres along the famous pilgrimage trail, from Pamplona to Santiago de Compostella, which certainly must rank as one of the most adventurous trips there is, according to Robbin McKinney of Randonnee Tours. She adds that this trip is only suitable to those up for a challenge, but the reward is luxurious: You stay in historic inns and Paradors each night as your luggage gets magically shuttled for you. Not into two weeks of riding? There’s an eight-day option as well, and both offer Classic and Luxe hotel options.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Blue Marble’s Mystery Tour
6 / 14
A trip without an itinerary? This isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s definitely a unique travel option. Every few years, Blue Marble offers a Mystery Trip somewhere in Europe. “That is, we ask for thousands of dollars and refuse to tell people where we are taking them,” the company explains. “Fortunately, we have a lot of faithful and trusting, not to say foolish, clients.” But pranks abound: “One year we actually got the station to put up a phony destination sign for the train as we ushered people aboard,” says trip organizer Nicolas Clifford.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Experience Plus’ 45-Day Saint Petersburg to Istanbul
7 / 14
The first trip that Experience Plus ran in 2006 was from St. Petersburg to Istanbul: 45 days of cycling. They have since run that trip—always changing some days here and there—four times. This year, the trek runs from Venice to Kalamata, Greece, across the eastern Adriatic, crossing from Italy to Croatia, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, and Greece. It’s a long ride, but each day is a new, fun adventure.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Summer Feet’s Maine Art Trail
8 / 14
This is our tour pick for the art lovers. Maine is famous for its Maine Art Trail, a curated exploration of eight museums, and Summer Feet has partnered with them on a bike tour that visits each one. In addition to great cycling, the trip visits marine life painter Winslow Homer’s studio and the Olson House: the setting for “Christina’s World,” the iconic Andrew Wyeth painting.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Duvine’s Chef on Wheels Costa Brava Tour
9 / 14
If you’re a fan of slightly more refined bike tours, this might be your best option. Imagine coming in from a hard day on the bike and sitting down to a gourmet meal. Now imagine you’re doing it in Spain, and the chef—NYC’s award-winning Seamus Mullen—is joining you on the ride. On this Catalonia-based trip, you’ll enjoy gorgeous scenery—mostly seaside—and even shop with Mullen at farmers markets for meal ingredients. You’ll also learn to cook, as Mullen shares his techniques during post-ride cooking classes. (There’s also a luxury schooner ride involved, so get ready to sip wine on the Mediterranean.)
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Adventure Travel Group’s Cycling the Best of Slovenia
10 / 14
In Slovenia, you’ll find the Julian Alps, crystal clear rivers, great wine, world-class Karst caverns, and the famous Lipizzaner horse farm, all while cycling some of the same roads pros like Jani Brajkovic trained on. If you like switchbacks and climbing, you’re in luck. In addition to some lovely, relaxed rides through scenic forests and over to a Skocjan cave, you get to climb the Vrsic pass (all 24 switchbacks, hooray!), plus Slovenia’s highest road, the Mangart. The best of Slovenia is pretty darn good, but be ready to climb.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Bike Tours’ Land of the Maharajas
11 / 14
India has its awe-inspiring Taj Mahal and its gritty-yet-fascinating Old Delhi (both of which you’ll visit on this bike tour), but it’s the country roads between these sites and cities that make India really special. This 10-night guided tour features rural Rajasthan, where brightly-clad women in saris walk along the roads to the nearest well for water. Camels trot slowly and stoically along rural streets, while cows are always idling here and there. The people are friendly and welcoming. The temples are colorful and hypnotic. And the cycling is fantastic. Tour highlights include the regular rickshaw ride through Old Delhi and a visit to the Taj Majal; the option to participate in an interesting Aarti (religious ceremony) at a Hindu temple in Karauli; seeing tigers in Ranthambore National Park; the historic towns of Pushkar and Jaipur; and the chance to cycle through rural Rajasthan.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Bike Tours’ A Taste of Israel
12 / 14
A country of modernity and antiquity, Israel is becoming a prime destination for mountain bikers around the world. This six-night guided tour features a diverse sampling of Israel’s beautiful landscapes, like mountain ranges and hidden streams in the north; beaches and cities; and what comes to mind when we think of Israel—the Negev desert. Really, it will feel like a few tours rolled into one! Routes include singletrack unfrequented by the average tourist, that take travellers to some of the most beautiful and interesting spots in the country. The tour features rides along the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, and—for those who miss the city—to Jerusalem for some urban cycling.
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Van Gogh Tours in the Netherlands
13 / 14
Cycling next to tulip fields is a wholly unique experience. You can only do it in the Netherlands, and that’s what makes Van Gogh Tours so special. You’ll visit the Keukenhof Tulip Exhibition Center—fantastic if you’re really into the many different breeds of the flower, but beautiful even if you’re not—and head to iconic cities like The Hague. Windmills, lambs, villages, and sand dunes all make this trip unique, and nights are, of course, spent in nice hotels (all three- and four-star).
We looked all over the world for the coolest bike tours—from art rides to brewery rides to 45-day expeditions. These are the rides that caught our eye. – By Molly Hurford
Limberlost in Oregon
14 / 14
Remote back roads, pristine singletrack, hearty meals, and premium support, make a Limberlost trip an adventure you’ll never forget. Whether you’re looking for a weekend of shuttle assisted mountain biking or a seven-day trip across the State of Oregon, each trip centers around the team’s best campsites, recipes, and local road and trail knowledge. There are four options varying in difficulty and length, so you can pick which is best for you.