Best Tours for Beginners

Whether you're looking to embark on your first cycle tour, you're looking to get back into touring, or you're an experienced traveler looking to take a different type of adventure than you're used to, our Best Tours for Beginners are a great place to start. These tours typically fall in the Physical Difficulty Adventure Level of Levels 1 and 2. Check out the options below.

“I enjoyed the total experience. It was my first-ever Adventure Cycling holiday so I had no preconception of what to expect and it just blew me away, it was so good.” — Rebecca H.

“The route and terrain were fantastic, offering many miles of solitude and quiet. I also really enjoyed the group — all very friendly and quite collaborative as a newfound travel family.” — Mark B.

Photo by Charles Englefield

Acadia and Mt. Desert Island: Inn to Inn. Spend a long weekend riding the scenic roads that bring you through Maine’s only National Park - Acadia. Relax by the rocky Otter Cliffs, listen to Thunder Hole, and maybe even take a trip on the famous Carriage Roads.

C&O Canal/GAP: Fully Supported. This fall you won’t need to worry about traffic as you ride your hybrid or mountain bike 330 miles on gently graded gravel and dirt trails from the heart of the nation’s capital north into Pennsylvania.

Cape Cod & The Islands: Self Contained. Spend a week cycling along the beautiful Atlantic Ocean shoreline. On this tour, we'll view the seaports, glacially formed kettle ponds, and lighthouses of southeastern Massachusetts, visit historic sites from the days of colonial America, and explore quaint shops on Cape Cod, Nantucket Island, and Martha's Vineyard.

Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania: Self Contained. Immerse yourself in a long weekend of cycling and camping in the spectacular Pine Creek Gorge of central Pennsylvania. Come join the challenge and fun of pedaling on an entirely car-free trail through the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, and gain a new natural perspective of this beautiful part of our country.

Great Lakes: Inn to Inn. Enjoy incredible scenery and some of the best riding you can imagine on this inn-to-inn adventure. You’ll enjoy great riding with minimal gear and the added luxury of a roof over your head and a warm bed each night. Coupled with the route’s moderate terrain and manageable daily distances, this trip makes an excellent choice for beginners or for those wishing to enjoy more time out of the saddle during their vacation.

Great Lakes Relaxed: Fully Supported. We’ve incorporated the quiet roads and pleasurable riding of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula into our popular relaxed tour format.

Idaho Trails: Inn to Inn. This incredible bike tour takes in a pair of the most spectacular trails in the U.S., featuring easy riding through wetlands, lakes, and meadows, along with some fascinating regional history.

Idaho Trails Family Adventure: Fully Supported. With its gentle terrain, short daily distances, and gorgeous scenery, this trip is a great choice whether you’re a beginner seeking a great introduction to supported bicycle touring or a cycling veteran craving a mellow, traffic-free adventure.

Idaho Trails Relaxed: Fully Supported. This incredible bike tour takes in a pair of the most spectacular trails in the U.S., featuring easy riding through wetlands, lakes, and meadows, along with some fascinating regional history.

Intro to Gravel Touring & Bikepacking - Montana: Self Contained. As the experts on self-contained bicycle travel, we’d like to share our knowledge by offering our Introduction to Gravel Touring & Bikepacking course. Two days of open-air, informal campground discussions will be followed by a fun, four-day tour of the Whitefish, MT area.

Intro to Road Touring - Florida: Self Contained. As the experts on self-contained bicycle travel, we'd like to share our knowledge by offering our Introduction to Road Touring (IRT) course. Two days of open-air, informal campground discussions will be followed by a fun, four-day tour of the Florida Panhandle area.

Intro to Road Touring - Oregon: Self Contained. As the experts on self-contained bicycle travel, we'd like to share our knowledge by offering our Introduction to Road Touring (IRT) course. Two days of open-air, informal campground discussions will be followed by a fun, four-day tour of the Oregon coastal area.

Intro to Road Touring - Virginia: Self Contained. As the experts on self-contained bicycle travel, we'd like to share our knowledge by offering our Introduction to Road Touring (IRT) course. Two days of open-air, informal campground discussions will be followed by a fun, four-day tour of the Williamsburg, VA area.

Intro to Road Touring - Wisconsin: Self Contained. As the experts on self-contained bicycle travel, we'd like to share our knowledge by offering our Introduction to Road Touring (IRT) course. Two days of open-air, informal campground discussions will be followed by a fun, four-day tour of the West Bend, WI area.

Katy Trail: Inn to Inn. There might not be a trail in the U.S. better suited for a relaxed ride than Missouri's popular Katy Trail. Car-free, virtually flat, and featuring a crushed-limestone surface, the trail dishes up plenty of towns and attractions (and ice cream stands) along the way to keep things interesting. This tour is perfect for any wanderer who enjoys meandering through small towns and stopping to smell the roses.

Lake Champlain: Self Contained. Lake Champlain and the picturesque views that it offers is the perfect spot for a relaxed, long-weekend getaway. By bike and boat, we'll loop around the lake, catching views and creating memories from both Vermont and New York.

Olympic Discovery Trail: Van Supported. Traverse the Olympic Peninsula and be immersed in the landscape so unique to Washington State: rocky coastlines, snow capped mountains, marine wildlife, and temperate rainforests combine to make cycling across the peninsula a truly one-of-a-kind bike touring experience.

Tour Team Top Picks

Utah Parks: Inn to Inn. This eight-day tour through the glorious red-rock country of southern Utah offers an irresistible mix for the traveler who enjoys riding self-supported but to prefers to sleep indoors and eat meals in restaurants.

Texas Hill Country: Fully Supported. If you’ve been led to believe the Lone Star State is pancake flat, this weeklong bike tour through the rolling Texas Hill Country will prove otherwise. Plus, you’ll love the dazzling displays of spring wildflowers and Texas barbecue.

Lake Tahoe: Inn to Inn. Crisp mountain air, stunning vistas, and a pristine alpine lake — what more could you want out of an epic weekend on two wheels? On this long weekend tour, we’ll enjoy the altitude of the Sierra Nevada as we circumnavigate the stunning Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America!