We are honored to announce that Shape Magazine has named Trek Travel a 2018 Healthy Travel Award Winner and a Best Activity Outfitter.
“This bicycling outfitter offers custom trips or preplanned tours. Popular options include a 42-day cycle from Santa Barabara to Myrtle Beach and a multisport tour of Iceland. The boutique hotels along the way and the first-class bikes are the cherries on top.”
Like the hum of cicadas on a coffee farm at dusk, the buzz around Colombia has become almost deafening. Beat the crowds and hit the ground rolling on two wheels in this increasingly popular destination with luxury operator Trek Travel’s new six-day Colombia Bike Tour.
Calling the country “South American cycling heaven,” Trek takes riders through the Andes Mountains, the Cocora Valley, and the coffee region, tackling the kinds of long climbs that the pros train on, winding down quiet byways, breaking for day hikes, then perking up with coffee tastings. (Psst! You don’t have to bike to join. This trip welcomes non-riding friends and family of biking enthusiasts.) Scheduled departures leave in March and April, making this a great spring escape, but specialization is the name of the game with Trek: Contact them to arrange a trip on other dates. —From $3,899 per person, based on double occupancy, for six days.
These trips combine days of hiking, biking and other sports, featuring detailed all-inclusive itineraries with first rate lodging, special local experiences like museum and winery tours, and they are fully guided and supported – your luggage is moved for you, routes are meticulously planned, and guides accompany the group (or your private party, as all these companies offer a bespoke option).
They go all over the world, from Africa to the Arctic, Southeast Asia to the American Southwest. Trek Travel has a fascinating Cuba “People to People” cultural immersion trip that melds cycling, hiking and even snorkeling in the famed Bay of Pigs.
Type A Workouts: Most of the trips offered by top companies have options that can include daily routes up to 70 miles and some serious climbing, but a subset of more advanced recreational riders may find these trips not challenging enough. If you are training-oriented or your focus is more on the intensity of cycling than food, wine or museums, Trek Travel, a now independent spinoff of Wisconsin-based Trek Bicycles, has the answer.
While Trek Travel has the same full slate of more laid-back luxury trips to France, Italy and the like, that its peers do, it also offers unique 5 and 7-day Ride Camps, essentially training camps, where you are based in one spot, eat healthier food, and ride a lot. I previously wrote about one in Boulder hosted by thirteen-time Cyclocross World Cup Champion and the sole American female to ever take the title, Katie Compton (read it here), but these fitness focused camps are offered in several locations throughout the year, all of them road cycling hotspots: Solvang, CA; Greenville, SC; Tucson, AZ; and Mallorca and Girona, Spain.
After decades of civil war, a new peace deal has finally opened the country’s remote interior to handy travelers, making Colombia the hottest adventure destination on the planet. You can go fishing for peacock bass—arguably the world’s toughest fighting fish Opens a New Window. —which requires an adventure Opens a New Window. in its own right just to get to them, or prowl for payaras (vampire fish). And there are plenty of other exploits to be had—if you explore Colombia by some untraditional means. See what we mean.
1. Cycling: Coffee Country
For the past five seasons on the cycling circuit Opens a New Window. , Colombia has racked up more Grand Tour podiums (11) than any other country—which speaks not only to the caliber of Colombia’s riders but also to the world-class terrain they have for cycling. And though Colombia is best known for its monstrous climbs, including Letras Pass, the world’s longest road climb at 51.5 miles, there’s far easier terrain in the country’s Coffee Triangle, a rolling green landscape dotted with haciendas and chic guest-houses. The biking culture here is huge, and riding through it is like touring a coffee version of Napa. Even better, an increasing number of operators run tours, including Trek Travel, which launched a six-day trip through the area for 2018.
Location: Jasper, Alberta (Canada) to Antelope Wells, New Mexico
Why you should ride it: This epic 3,083-mile route, the longest off-pavement route in the world, crisscrosses the Continental Divide from Jasper in Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico with more than 200,000 feet of elevation gain.
While riding on the primarily dirt-roads and mountain passes, you may see an array of wildlife, including bears, deer, wild horses, pronghorn antelope, eagles, osprey, and sandhill cranes, says Trek Travel guide Terra James. The route also charts directly through or otherwise skirts several of the most popular National Parks, including Glacier in Montana, and Yellowstone and Grand Teton in Wyoming. Because of snow, the route is best tackled in the summer or early fall months.
Riding bikes in the great Smoky Mountains is a treat in itself. But finishing each day at Blackberry Farm, the best spot in the country for foothills (or Appalachian) cuisine, makes this trip worth the splurge. Blackberry Farm, located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, has expansive gardens, its own butcher, charcuterie kitchen, and on-site cheesemaker. It’s a glutton’s dream come true, and experiencing the place between bike rides is the ideal way to maximize your calorie intake while on the property. (Side note: I know the man who built the on-site mountain bike trails, and they’re a dream to ride.)
To fly with a bike or to rent one on the road is the money question, says Jim Potter, owner of Vecchio’s Bicicletteria in Boulder, Colo. The destination often dictates the decision. If you’re traveling to a place with a strong bike culture, you can probably rent a serious bike. Touring companies like Trek Travel usually have access to fancier bikes. “More often than not, standard bike shops rent recreational city bikes with a generic fit,” he says. “If you’re tall or short or looking for performance, you’ll probably be more comfortable with your own bike.”
Last year, RewardExpert released its 2017 ranking of the Best Destinations to Explore by Bike, comparing 53 of the largest cities in the country and evaluating them on 13 key metrics across four categories: biking infrastructure, city profile, bike-share index, and biking safety. Top of the list – Minneapolis, with 170 bike share stations and 130 miles of bike lanes through Nice Ride Minnesota. Topping RewardExpert’s Up & Coming Cities list was Memphis, with plans to implement a bike-share program this year to use in the city’s already-expanded bike lanes.
Below you’ll find a dozen bicycling routes and tours around the U.S. that will you get in the saddle and traveling on two wheels. Of course, this is just a sampling of places to ride – pretty much wherever you go, there’s likely a chance to hop on a bike.
Asheville (North Carolina): Riding along the Blue Ridge Parkway, you’ll pedal the mountains of western North Carolina where you’ll find the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. On the Asheville to Brevard trip with Trek Travel, pass rivers and waterfalls as you ride the scenic roadways and enjoy the indulgences between Asheville, “Beer City USA,” and the mountain town of Brevard.
Glacier National Park (Montana): Named one of the best bicycling routes by several cycling publications, Going-to-the-Sun Road is not to be missed when riding in Glacier National Park. Trek Travel, which features Trek Bikes and electric assist bikes, offers a tour that highlights various areas of the park, and even includes rafting on the Flathead River. Just 25 glaciers remain in the park, and seeing them by bike gives you more time to reflect upon them.
Trek Travel salutes the season’s “last hurrah” with their new Asheville to Brevard Bike Tour this Labor Day. Guests will summit the highest peak in the eastern US, enjoy Southern-inspired cuisine, bluegrass music, and the local microbrew scene, relaxing for a few days in modern forest lodges around Pisgah National Forest.
Bike the Blue Ridge Parkway by day, then soak up Brevard’s vibes by night equipped with a racy Trek Domane SL7 Di2 carbon road bike. Every roadie (and maybe mountain bikers too) should summit Mount Mitchell by bike – the highest point east of the Mississippi at 6684ft/2037m.
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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.
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.
These handpicked hotels provide relaxation and fun in a casual and comfortable environment. Delicious cuisine and great service mix perfectly for a memorable stay.
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).
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).
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).
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).
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.
Explore beautiful destinations by bike, enjoy extra inclusions, savor delicious local cuisine, and enjoy the perfect mix of accommodations.
Enjoy a casual cycling vacation with fantastic routes and comfortable accommodations.
Train like the pros in some of their favorite riding destinations.
See the pros in action at the biggest cycling events of the year.
Tackle an epic adventure that takes you point-to-point across mountains, countryside, and more.
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
