We cover the globe in adventure, exotic experiences and first-class memories. We’ve been to every corner of the world, from the back roads of Chile to the riverbanks of the Danube to the singletrack of Iceland, and we’ve tested the thread-count of practically every hotel along the way. So what’s the best of our best? Drum roll, please…
Ojai Valley Inn and Spa
Transformed from former military barracks to a country club hosting Hollywood’s most glamorous elite, the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa is our favorite new source of inspiration, rest and relaxation. Here, five stars is only the start. This impeccable resort has won a host of awards including Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List and Top 100 Resort Spas in the US, Travel and Leisure’s World’s Best Awards, and AAA’s Five Diamond Resort Award nine years in a row! With over 200 acres of beautifully manicured grounds, seven restaurants, four pools, a lavish spa and one expertly designed golf course, it’s no wonder the Ojai Resort is where we’d choose to stay if we had one night away. And to think, the Spanish-colonial-style escape is only 90 minutes from L.A.
Join us on our Ojai to Santa Barbara vacation
to rest your head in world-class style.
“Lesic Dimitri Palace was incredible. We could have
gone swimming in our bathtub!”
– Mary Sue, Trek Travel Guest
Lesic Dimitri Palace
If it’s an undiscovered hotel gem you want, look no further. A masterclass in first-class accommodations, Lesic Dimitri is a recently renovated 18th century Bishop’s palace tucked away in the winding alleyways of old town Korcula. Designed by an Asian-Croatian team of architects and inspired by Korčula’s famous resident, Marco Polo, and his travels along the Silk Road, every aspect of this luxury hotel was thoughtfully planned to celebrate the rich culture and exquisite beauty of the area. Best of all, this Relais & Chateaux retreat is comprised of six luxurious apartments and five medieval cottages, striking a perfect balance of intimate yet unobtrusive service.
We’ve stayed in hundreds of hotels.
Join us in Croatia to discover our favorite.
Two years ago I began training for the Trek Travel 2015 Cross Country USA trip from Portland to Portland to commemorate turning 60 when I discovered I have a heart arrhythmia. All is well, but a ride that strenuous is not in the cards. So I booked the May 2016 Croatia and Dalmatian Coast trip instead. Six months before the ride I tore my MCL and was off the bike for four months. I went on the trip knowing I wasn’t in peak shape for the route profile, but thought I’d be okay with simply riding as much as I could.
As it turns out, I wasn’t ok with it at all. My internal “script” says I must ride every mile, even if it’s killing me. So I had three options:
Option 1: Continue to be miserable.
Option 2: Ride in the van to the top of each climb. No way, not me.
Option 3: Ask if one of the e-bikes was available. Heck no, that’s cheating!
Consequently, I was so stressed it was ruining my cycling vacation of a lifetime. One morning, our awesome guide informed me that an e-bike was available, so I decided to grow up and take advantage of the gift being offered. Whoo weee, what a blast! These bikes are amazing! You still get a great workout using your own pedal power, but the boost is available when you just need that extra oomph. And to think I almost let my pride get in the way of a fantastic experience.
I had to have one of my own, so I used the Trek Travel discount coupon and purchased the Trek XM700+. It’s a game changer for me and I absolutely LOVE it. I can now comfortably do climbs that I would otherwise struggle with and also use it to commute to work at 27 mph.
You’ve eaten Thanksgiving leftovers before. But have you tried Tania’s world-famous turkey tacos?
Thanksgiving is the favorite holiday of Trek Travel’s guide-in-chief, Tania Burke. And this year, she’s got the perfect solution to your leftovers crisis: Tania’s Turkey Tacos. It’s always a big winner at Trek Travel Worldwide Headquarters. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Like everything we do, it’s guaranteed to be the World’s Best. Just follow her simple recipe below to turn your Thanksgiving leftovers into a delicious day-old meal.
12 oz. Cranberries
½ Cup Chopped Cilantro
½ Cup Diced Green Onion
1 Diced Jalapeno Pepper
1 Lime Juiced
¼ Cup Sugar
Start by preparing the cranberry salsa. Either finely dice the ingredients and stir together, or mix them in a food processor. Warm the leftover turkey and potatoes in an oven or microwave. Dice the turkey into small cubes. Grill the corn tortillas individually until they puff and turn slightly brown in spots. Note: Tortillas are best grilled over the open flame on a gas stove, but can also be warmed in a skillet. Build the tacos to your desired taste using cheese, potatoes, turkey, avocado and cranberry salsa. Sprinkle cilantro on top and enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Trek Travel.
Every year, Travel + Leisure asks readers to vote on the top hotels, destinations, airlines, and tour operators around the globe. Known as the World’s Best Awards, travelers rated tour operators on their staff and guides, itineraries and destinations, activities, accommodations, food, and overall value. We are thrilled to announce that, with a score of 96.97, Trek Travel was in the Top 10 as one of the World’s Best Tour Operators in 2016. Will you help us get to number one this year?
“There are few spots in the western mountain lands about which there hangs so much frontier romance.”
– William Maillie-Grohman, English Mountaineer 1882
No foothills. Steep coniferous forest. Solitary sub-alpine meadows bursting with wildflowers: paintbrush, lupine, sticky geranium, forget-me-not. Above it all, bare granite pinnacles. Moran, Buck, Middle, South, Owen, Teewinot. The Grand. Below, the braided channels of the Snake River. Banks carpeted by sagebrush, gatherings of aspen and cottonwood. Native Snake River cutthroat, beaver, geese, elk, moose, deer, pronghorn antelope and bison are here. Your flight makes its final approach from the north to the only commercial airport in the US located within a National Park. If you find yourself seated on the left side of the plane, gaze down at Blacktail Butte, the Gros Ventre River, Sleeping Indian, Flat Creek, Jackson Peak and the National Elk Refuge. On the right: Leigh Lake, Jenny Lake, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. And towering above (even your plane), the Tetons.
Summer, 1871. Hot. Humid. Sweating and anxious, Ferdinand Hayden walked the streets of Washington D.C. He scrambled in and out of government office buildings. Up and down stairs. On and off street cars. He met with everyone who gave him a minute. Senators, Congressmen, Department of Interior officials. He schlepped large-format photographs taken by his friend William Henry Jackson, small oil paintings and sketches by Thomas Moran, and a giant report that bore his name: “The Hayden Geological Survey.” On December 18th of that same year, thanks to Hayden’s gargantuan efforts, a bill was simultaneously introduced to both the US Senate and the House of Representatives calling for the creation of a public park at the headwaters of the Yellowstone River, “…For all to enjoy.” On March 1st of 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Act of Dedication into law, effectively creating the world’s first National Park. It was named “Yellowstone.”
It was the spring of 2003. I took a break from college in Florida and got a job working on a guest ranch a few miles down the road from Allenspark, Colorado. During that time on the ranch, I learned most of the basic, Florida-boy-in-the-mountains lessons: horses are heavy, lightning above tree-line is scary, it can (and will) snow in July, bears can smell you cooking, wet cotton pants are cold, etc. etc. I made fantastic friends, cleaned horse stalls, slept outside, worked long hours and ultimately made my first journey north to Jackson, Wyoming and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. My fate was sealed.
I returned that fall to Gainesville, Florida to complete my senior year. Surfing magazine posters and neon beer signs were replaced on my walls with photos by Ansel Adams, Bradford Washburn, Galen Rowel and Tom Mangelsen. I bought my first “Sibley Guide to Birds” and “Plants of the Rocky Mountains.” I read John McPhee’s Rising from the Plains, Annie Proulx’s Close Range, Owen Wister’s The Virginian, and Gretel Erlich’s The Solace of Open Spaces. I sent out resumes by the dozen. I was in love.
After finishing my last exam and turning in the final “Blue Book” of my college days, I packed my truck and headed west again. My destination this time: a tiny basement bedroom on Millward St. in downtown Jackson. The 20 million-acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Jackson Hole Valley had called me back, and corny as it sounds, I was home. Fast forward to today, over 12 years later: I’m still in Wyoming. Weekend explorations of the canyons and ridgelines of the Tetons have kept me here. Floating and fishing the Snake River Canyon has kept me here. Riding bikes on lonesome ranch roads and dark timber-lined singletrack has kept me here. Pizza and beer with friends on the deck at Dornan’s has kept me here. Skiing quiet winter glades has kept me here. The bear and elk and moose and antelope have kept me here. This fantastic, eternal landscape has kept me here.
I now live in a town just a few hours southeast of Jackson, on the east side of the Wind River Mountains, but every time I crest the top of Togwotee Pass on Highway 26, heading north, and catch that first glimpse of the Tetons…the hair still stands up on the back of my neck. I’m not joking. Staring up from the road, sometimes I cross the yellow line. Rumble strips snap me back to reality. The fantastical mountains and steep canyons, sweeping valleys and winding rivers of Grand Teton National Park; the bubbling mud-pots and steaming geysers, ghost-like lodgepole pine stands and sweeping grasslands of Yellowstone National Park; they belong to us all. Go see them. Take a deep breath of sulfury air in Norris Geyser Basin, pause and listen to the leaves of a quaking aspen stand on Signal Mountain. Watch wolves lope across Lamar Valley and eagles perched in a dead snag above Jenny Lake. Catch the sunrise over Sleeping Indian. Feel the nip on a cool summer evening in Teton Village. Just scratch the surface. You’re home.
Spring and summer are the seasons of rosé. Served chilled and ranging from pale blush to bright ruby in color, these light fruity wines are dangerously easy to enjoy on a hot sunny day.
While any red grape could technically be used to craft these wines, there are a few that have developed a pedigree to make exceptional rosé. Rosés account for vast majority of Provence’s wine production, and the Grenache-based rosés of Côtes de Provence are an absolute classic.
The often pale rosé wines of Provence are blends of at least two different grapes, with Grenache usually being the protagonist. They aren’t overtly fruity on the nose, but rather exhibit aromas that are reminiscent of the sun-kissed flora that grows around the Mediterranean, which the French call garrigue. The palate offers notes of white and golden raspberry moving toward orange fruits, like peach, the longer you savor it.
I indeed had the chance to savor this special varietal many times on my trip to Provence, as sunshine and high temperatures meant that my glass was always full. To kick off the trip, we toasted to new friends before a beautiful dinner on the terrace of Chateau de Mazan. Day two brought a great ride to a traditional market filled with spices, cured meats, olives, fresh bouquets, lavender soaps, and handmade table cloths. After getting lost in the colors, smells, and local conversations on this magnificent Monday morning, we capped off the experience with a chilled glass and laughter. The following day was one for the books: 22 kilometers up Mont Ventoux followed by a stop for gelato in the charming town of Beaumes de Venis. We of course clinked our glasses at the end of the day to celebrate those that conquered the Giant of Provence. I’ll drink to that.
Day four was the most gorge(ous) ride through Gorge de la Nesque, and we ended the day with a wine tasting at Hotel Le Mas de Gordes, overlooking one of the most picturesque villages in France. And finally, on the last day, we cooled off with a refreshing dip in the pool and a taste of ‘rosé piscine’, because only in Provence do they have a particular type of wine to drink by the pool. That evening we upgraded to a 1.5 liter bottle of rosé at dinner, because what better way to cap off the vacation of a lifetime than with a glass of the good stuff.
There’s a reason the common Provencal saying is, “Life is Good Here.” The French countryside is incredibly charming, and together with fabulous wine, its a combination that makes you never want to leave.
These words are written next to a fireplace in Girona – our European base – where I am now spending my days. The writing began when I opened a bottle of Barbera, a gift from my lovely co-guide Terra, that I have been carefully saving for many months. Naturally the memories travel with the wine, and I’m now anxious to find myself back on Trek Travel’s most undiscovered Italian vacation.
This year I fell in love again.
Last August I was assigned to work in Piedmont. If you are trying to find that on a map, look towards the foothills of the Italian Alps, just east of the French Alps. And if you’re worried about the hills, don’t be. Its location in the foothills provides a perfect combination of flat riding and alpine views.
But what, in all my years of guiding, makes Piedmont stand out? Picture waking up our one and only hotel for the week with big windows overlooking the valley below Monforte d’Alba. The vineyards of Barolo, king of Italian reds, spread as far as the eye can see. On the horizon you can see clearly the white tips of the proud Alps reflecting every ray of sun. At sunrise the peaks are colored with shades of purple, pink and orange until the sky finally turns blue and we are off to explore this new playground by bike.
We might be off to a tasting of the best Italian wines, out to watch the hazelnut harvest take place, or on a truffle hunt discovering the white gold that grows in the Piedmontese land. Every day is an adventure, and every night is a celebration filled with playful jazz sounds and full glasses of vino. Che dolce è la vita!
In retrospect, how could I not fall in love with this place?
There’s no other sport that allows you this close to the pros, and no other tour company that gets you this close to the races. That’s why we’re bringing you a front-row seat to the suffering, delivered right to your screen. So sit back, relax, and let the drama play out before your eyes.
The Lac d’Annecy isn’t such a beautiful place from a windowless conference room. I was locked in with a few dozen bikes and the same fluorescent lights that make a summer day indoors as miserable in Cleveland as it is in the French Alps. The room was stuffed with hot, lathered air from hours of wrenching on bikes. I was dialing in every spoke and screw before the Etape du Tour, a 90-mile sufferfest for thousands of riders tackling the hardest stage of the Tour de France. This is not the most glamorous part of the job.
DanF, my co-guide, is the Obi Wan of Trek Travel. He was delivering lunch, and found me working away in my shop apron and underwear. Guide life is textured by a range of magical moments: summer night swims in the lake, a shared bottle of wine in an alleyway bar. It’s a job (a lifestyle) that enters a dream state easily. These moments happen upon you like a tide that, before you realize it, sweeps you into a surreal world of sapphire sea views and castle-top parties.
This was not one of those moments. DanF’s lunch was a batard served with tins of greasy fish in mustard sauce: Exactly the kind of thing you want to crack open in a warm, confined room. This was an absolutely dog’s breath meal. The fish are neither liquid nor solid, rather a kind of oily gelatin that never leaves your fingers. We ate while watching an illegal broadcast of the NBA Finals on my laptop, and DanF dripped mustard sauce on the keyboard.
That meal lifts higher into the echelon of my favorite guiding meals despite the many moments of instagram fodder from years of guiding. Those yellow, pungent fish remind me that this was the same trip when DanF taught me the essence of guiding: how to discover spontaneity in a trip, how to unveil the nooks and crannies that hide France’s subtle delights. It was the trip when we camped on the lakeshore with a van full of Czech paragliders; when we ate troughs of pain au raisin.
Not everything about guiding is poignant or romantic. And not everything you love about travel has to be beautiful.
If word gets out about the hidden gems of the Rio Grande Rift Valley stretching north from Santa Fe through Ojo Caliente and Abiquiu to Taos, it might just be quartered off as a National Park.
Before that happens, get here.
The spotlight this year in North American travel has been largely on National Parks like Glacier or Zion and on the newish rising-star towns of Bend, OR and Asheville, NC. Indeed, these are all fabulous places to travel, eat, drink, explore and, of course, ride bikes and I love guiding in all of these destinations. But there is a region, very appropriately known as the “Land of Enchantment”, that has recently slipped under the radar despite being a hot-bed destination for over 1,000 years. And truth be told, that is just fine by me!
Why would I say that? Because this is one national treasure you don’t have to share with the crowds. This is a land where the history doesn’t need to be recreated in taxidermy dioramas or CGI animation because it lives in the people, the architecture, the art, the landscape and the amazing cuisine. In fact, if word gets out about the hidden gems of the Rio Grande Rift Valley stretching north from Santa Fe through Ojo Caliente and Abiquiu to Taos, it might just be quartered off as a National Park. Before that happens, get here.
Truth be told I fell in love twice in the “Land of Enchantment.” The first time was with the place itself. To escape the Texas summers in college I picked up work as a counselor at a wonderful camp on the Pecos River in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Situated just outside of Santa Fe, my days off were spent cramming in as much adventure and exploration as I could. On these days there was little sleep and a lot of biking, hiking and outdoor activity in the endless playground of northern New Mexico.
I investigated pueblo ruins, discovered natural springs and Ancestral Puebloan petroglyphs. I met Native American elders and artisans in places like Taos, Nambé, and Jemez Pueblo. I tested my tolerance with an array of roasted chiles from Carlito Medina at his chile shop and art gallery in Chimayó and learned that females are by far the spiciest. I found creative inspiration in conversations with the famous Taos artist Ed Sandoval and Jemez Pueblo sculptors Andrea and Bill Fragua. I roamed the 400-year-old adobe lined streets of Santa Fe, feeling as if I had been transported to another country in another time, all the while marveling at the colors, the textures, the forms, and best of all the light. After four summers there was no doubt why northern New Mexico was referred to as the “Land of Enchantment.”
In the spring of 2011 I was back in New Mexico assigned to guide the trip I had designed for Trek Travel. My co-guide was a “rockstar” second year guide who had proved herself through all manner of trips and challenges in her first year. She was eloquent, graceful under fire, intelligent, a strong rider and a savvy problem solver. She was also incredibly photogenic. As we prepared for the first trip of the season, it became clear that this place was not simply enchanting to me, she was hooked on it too. It’s not difficult to fall in love with the New Mexican landscape, but it is actually incredibly difficult to fall in love with a co-guide with whom you spend 24 hours a day for 6 weeks straight. Despite the odds, this was the second time I fell in love in New Mexico, and nearly five years later Elizabeth and I married.
It’s not difficult to fall in love with the New Mexican landscape, but it is actually incredibly difficult to fall in love with a co-guide with whom you spend 24 hours a day for 6 weeks straight.
Over the years we have guided in many destinations both together and independently, in North, Central and South America as well as Europe. We have designed trips in various regions and it turns out we make a great design and guide team. Cycling, travel and living well are our passion and it’s how we spend our free time as well as make our living. This spring Elizabeth and I were asked to return to New Mexico to re-design the old itinerary. We were given free reign with only two parameters: 1) Make the trip comfortable for riders of both modest and avid ability and 2) Make it awesome. Naturally we jumped at the opportunity.
In the spring we made our way back to the Rio Grande Valley to begin our trip design. The blossoms were on fire and the aspens were just starting to pop their quaking neon green. The 70 degree air was crystal clear and intoxicating with the sweet smells of ponderosa pine and piñon fires from rustic kiva fireplaces. The enchantment was indeed still there if not stronger than ever. Over the course of our research it was not difficult to create quite possibly one of the most ideal cycling trips in North America.
Fantastic hotels in Santa Fe, Ojo Caliente and Taos as well as gourmet and homestyle Southwest cuisine are of course standard. Days are filled with quiet bike routes that can be mellow with a shuttle or fulfilling for the avid rider, linking every mile from Santa Fe to Taos. Secret hiking opportunities reveal sublime and inspiring landscapes as well as artifacts of ancient civilizations. Mineral hot springs at Ojo Caliente offer serenity and recovery from activity filled days. Personal interactions with Native Americans and 10th generation Spanish Colonial settlers add authentic exposure to unique cultures. The majesty of both the desert–that inspired generations of artists including Georgia O’Keefe–and the towering southern tip of the Rockies that soar to 13,000 feet will leave you speechless and truly enchanted. Best of all this cruise from Santa Fe to Taos offers the kind of peace and that you simply cannot find elsewhere in North America. There is no better way to experience Northern New Mexico than on bike and foot, and we are so excited for the incredible experience we have created for you in the Land of Enchantment. We hope to see you there.
If a date is marked as Private, it is reserved for a private group.
Don’t see exactly what you are looking for or looking for a custom date? Call our trip consultants at 866-464-8735
What is the Difference?
Ultimate Luxury:
Savor some of the most spectacular, 5-star properties in the world. Exuding luxury and elegance, these one-of-a-kind accommodations offer the chance to rejuvenate at award-winning spas, dine at Michelin-starred restaurants, and more.
Luxury:
Enjoy luxurious accommodations handpicked for a refined experience. From signature spa treatments to delicious local cuisine, you’ll be more than provided for; you’ll be pampered.
Explorer:
These handpicked hotels provide relaxation and fun in a casual and comfortable environment. Delicious cuisine and great service mix perfectly for a memorable stay.
Combined:
On select cycling vacations, you’ll stay at a mix of Explorer and Luxury hotels. Rest assured, no matter which hotel level you’re at, our trip designers carefully select every accommodation.
Road: 1-3 hours of riding. Up to 25 mi (40 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).
Gravel: 1-3 hours of riding. Up to 20 mi (35 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).
Hiking: 1-3 hours of hiking. Up to 5 mi (8 km). Up to 1,000 ft (300 m).
Level 2:
Road: 2-4 hours of riding. 20-35 mi (35-60 km). Up to 2,500 ft (750 m).
Gravel: 2-4 hours of riding. 15-30 mi (25-45 km). Up to 2,000 ft (300 m).
Hiking: 2-4 hours of hiking. 4-8 mi (6-12 km). Up to 1,500 ft (450 m).
Level 3:
Road: 3-5 hours of riding. 25-55 mi (40-85 km). Up to 4,500 ft (1,500 m).
Gravel: 3-5 hours of riding. 20-40 mi (35-60 km). Up to 3,000 ft (900 m).
Hiking: 3-5 hours of hiking. 6-10 mi (9-16 km). Up to 2,000 ft (600 m).
Level 4:
Road: 4+ hours of riding. 40-70 mi (60-110 km). Up to 8,000 ft (2,400 m).
Gravel: 4+ hours of riding. 30-50 mi (45-80 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).
Hiking: 4+ hours of hiking. 7-15 mi (11-24 km). Up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).
What are your trip styles?
Classic - Reserve:
Savor the finer things as you relax in luxurious 5-star accommodations and wine, dine, and ride in some of the most unforgettable destinations around the world.
Classic - Signature:
Explore beautiful destinations by bike, enjoy extra inclusions, savor delicious local cuisine, and enjoy the perfect mix of accommodations.
Classic - Discover:
Enjoy a casual cycling vacation with fantastic routes and comfortable accommodations.
Ride Camp:
Train like the pros in some of their favorite riding destinations.
Pro Race:
See the pros in action at the biggest cycling events of the year.
Cross Country:
Tackle an epic adventure that takes you point-to-point across mountains, countryside, and more.
Self-Guided
Enjoy a bike tour on your schedule with just your chosen travel companions.
Sometimes it’s more convenient and comfortable to have your own room while on vacation. We understand and that’s why we offer a Single Occupancy option. The additional price guarantees a private room all to yourself
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