10 Perfect Bike Tours For Gastronomes Slideshow
Ireland
Ireland is a feast for the eyes before tucking into the many foods the country is famous for. Lush green hillsides, bright blue ocean, and rocky cliffs make a most beautiful background for DuVine Adventure's Ireland by Bike tour. Known for its farmhouse cheeses, smoked salmon, oysters, mussels, crab, and (of course) stout, the country welcomes food-lovers with open arms. DuVine's itinerary starts in Connemara at Ballynahinch Castle — where you'll spend the night. Stopping for high tea along the route, you'll also hit the quaint town of Clifden, stop for fresh fish and chips, and partake in an Irish whiskey tasting.
Activity level: Moderate
California’s Wine Country
A bike tour of Northern California's wine country offers beautiful coastline on one side, rolling green vineyards on the other, and the promise of wine tastings as you go. Trek Travel's California Wine Country tour journeys from Sonoma to Napa Valley to the Russian River with stops at Benziger Family Winery, antique shopping in Yountville, mouth-watering picnic lunches, and stays at MacArthur Place and the Madrona Manor.
Activity level: "Rider type 2," which means a social cyclist with an active lifestyle.
Tuscan Seaside, Italy
Biking to the castle where you'll stay for the evening seems like a perfect start to any holiday. When it comes with learning to cook Italian food, tasting wines on a vineyard in Tuscany, sampling locally made gelato, and taking a picnic on your ride to a local olive oil mill, it seems like a fantasy. VBT Vacations' Tuscany by the Sea tour is an eight-night feast for every sense — from the first night at Tenuta La Parrina to cycling along the Tuscan coast and from exploring Pitigliano to cooking demonstrations on how to make traditional Tuscan pastries.
Activity level: Easy/Moderate
Argentina to Chile
Any wine lover searching for an adventure should set their sights on REI Adventures' Wine Roads of the Andes bike tour. Starting in Buenos Aires, you'll tour the city's neighborhoods by bike stopping at fine restaurants and wine bars before learning to tango. By morning, you'll be en route to Mendoza to sample a Malbec or two and from there, through the Andes, you'll cross the border into Chile. Sampling the country's famous seafood dishes, you'll also get a hands-on tour of Chile's wine country.
Activity level: "Type 2," described as "great for newcomers to active travel."
Maine
The beaches of Maine conjure images of colonial houses, lobster fishing, and a bright blue sky. With a rugged coastline sure to accompany you through most of the route, Backroads' Bike Riders' Maine Biking tour will show you the rustic luxury of Maine starting at the Bar Harbor Inn and Spa. From there, you'll bike through Acadia National Park, stop for a tasting from local vineyards, stay in Penobscot Bay, and dine on French cuisine on Lake Megunticook.
Activity level: "1 – 3"
Basque Country, Spain
Starting in Bilbao, Velo Classic's tour of the Basque Country and Clasica San Sebastian focuses on the beautiful vistas and delectable foods native to the region. Riding through the Western Pyrenees, you'll sample Iroleguy wine, Iratu cheese, Espelette peppers, gateau basque, salt cod, and Iberian ham to start along the route. Stops on the way include up-close-and-personal talks with celebrated chefs from the region as well as sommeliers and while you're riding, you'll see the spectacular views from Monte Jaizkibel, Col Bagargui, and Collado Arichelegui, to name a few.
Activity level: They require a fitness level that allows for a 4-5 hour/day ride (multiple days in a row) for all itineraries.
Bordeaux to Dordogne, France
Alongside Northern California and Tuscany, there are few regions that lend themselves so well to biking, dining, and drinking than the regions of Bordeaux and Dordogne in France. Riding along historic routes, Butterfield and Robinson's tour will have you staying in crumbling castles (like Le Vieux Logis and the Chateau Cordeillan-Bages), exploring vineyards, and tasting the best local cuisine available. They'll even guide cyclists to Font de Gaume — the only Cro-Magnon painted cave still open to the public.
Activity level: Moderate
South Africa
South Africa boasts an incredibly picturesque wine country, pristine beaches, and ragged mountain ranges — and that's just between Stellenbosch and Cape Town. DuVine's South Africa Bike Tour showcases the region by starting in the Cape Winelands where you'll cycle through Stellenbosch, stopping for a taste at JC Le Roux Estate, before dining at De Volkskombius on traditional Cape cuisine. Pressing on, this tour will then highlight locally made cheeses, various wineries, and teach guests how to make freshly baked bread.
Trek Travel also hosts a tour in South Africa and Zambia that includes a focus on the foods of the region, as well as a safari mid-trip.
Activity level (for both): Moderate
Virginia Wine Country
Virginia may not be as well-known as a wine region, particularly with the competition it has in the United States alone, but Tour d'Epicure is here to showcase not only the beauty of the area, but the fine wines it produces. After stopping at Rappahannock Cellars and Sharp Rock Vineyards, the tour will then highlight the local food scene with a lavish breakfast at the Foster House Inn and lunches served en route overlooking that day's winery.
Activity level: Moderate
Prague to Vienna
There are so many reasons to visit Prague and Vienna from the food to the medieval architecture and from the rich cultural history to the scenic countryside. Butterfield and Robinson's tour of the region, perhaps more than any of the others thus far, visits some of the most storied crumbling castles in Europe. Kost Castle starts your trip in St. George's Forest in the Czech Republic. Lunches in chateaux will follow, dinners surrounded by vineyards as well, and a visit to the baroque Melk monastery precedes an unforgettable wine tasting. Don't object to the common occurrence of after-dinner schnapps as you lounge in your castle's living room — it will help you prep for the next day of idyllic cycling through the country.
Activity level: Easy to Moderate