10 great bike tours in lesser known locations

Come and join us. We welcome people of all religions and political persuasions; Christian, Jew, Muslim and atheist. From teens to 70 year old veterans. We are a truly mixed bag of cyclists. We ride to experience and educate ourselves in this little understood region.

Bike Palestine will offer the chance to experience the cultural and religious diversity of this fascinating country. Secure and easy cycling in an enchanted landscape rich in history. We will collect you from Jerusalem, a short bus ride from Tel Aviv airport, and take you to your hotel in Jenin.

The hospitality, laid on by my colleagues at the Siraj Center, is second to none. 3 enticing meals a day of outstanding Middle-Eastern fare- and you’ll get to stay in the very best hotels. Your bike, helmet and high-visibility jacket will be provided- although you can bring any of these items with you if you wish. There is always a support vehicle ready to take you on board should you flag- and a plentiful supply of bottled water.

This is an adventure holiday in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. You’ll enjoy the cycling, the food, the guided tours, the hospitality of the people and the warm Palestinian Sun.

In the evenings you’ll have a chance to chill-out in your hotel or at a nearby coffee shop or bar. You’ll get a chance to shop in one the many souks- picking up local fabrics or exotic Palestinian spices. Each day there will be guided tour of the historic city-centres we visit and a lecture from one of the local historians.

Highlights

• Nablus
• Taybeh
• Nabi Musa and Jericho
• The Jerusalem Wilderness
• Monastery of Mar Saba
• Bethlehem

The tour brings in a little money for cash-strapped Palestine; not just the cost of the tour but what the riders spend in shops and cafes. The guides, the hotels, the restaurants all benefit.

Dubai also hosts many top sporting events and offers attractions for passionate athletes. The United Emirates is an excellent destination for cycling, with everything from 200 km hilly routes to very long and challenging climbs. Here you can ride safely on wide cycle paths designed for road cycling training. Local cycling community organizes weekly races as well as Gran Fondos. Cycling in the Arab Emirates will surprise and delight you, and the beautiful beaches of this area are the perfect the place to relax after training. And after that? You will be in Dubai, a city that offers many entertainments! So this winter let's train in the warm United Emirates!

Highlights

• Ride among dunes and antelopes in Al Qudra
• Climb for more than 40 km to reach the 1.600 meter asl in Jebel Al Jais
• Ride your bicycle in the Yas Marina Abu Dhabi Formula 1 circuit

To ride along Canelones coast, makes it pleasant and enjoyable.

Departing from Montevideo up to El Pinar, you ride along a wide walking pane and cycle path. This way makes your journey accessible and safe to the beaches that are found along the coast.

Montevideo to the East is a proposal of easy access and with multiple benefits. Gorgeous landscapes, enjoyable stops with a combination of historical places and the opportunity to take plenty of snapshots that you will keep as memorable moments.

During your time in this mesmerizing country you’ll marvel at its iconic Crusader Castles, be taken back to biblical times with tales of the ‘Promised Land’, spend time learning about Bedouin culture and their traditional hospitality and enjoy some of the tastiest food on the planet.

We have invested significant time in identifying a local team that shares our desire to deliver a high quality, sustainable and spectacular holiday experience. Our guides' passion for the highlights of Jordan is contagious and ensures that your time there will be incredibly rewarding.

The accommodation includes characterful forest lodges, perfectly placed small hotels (close to the major sites) and Bedouin camps where you’ll be able to star gaze to your hearts content. During your time on the bike you’ll enjoy a variety of terrain (none of which is too daunting) from well-packed 4x4 tracks and dirt roads to smooth asphalt. All these have been woven together to provide fun days in the saddle that are interspersed with historic sites and breathtaking views.

After time in the Jordanian capital of Amman, with its stunning ancient Citadel and Roman Amphitheatre, colonnaded streets and temples, our cycling starts at Aljoun. Here amongst its peaceful surroundings we enjoy an afternoon exploring the woodland trails of the Forest Reserve.

From the spiritual site of Mount Nebo with its views across to the ‘Promised Land' our cycling continues across the Madaba Plateau to a superb viewpoint overlooking the Dead Sea before a fun road descent to the earth’s lowest point. Our day ends with time floating in its salty waters where we can also cover ourselves in rejuvenating mud for a do-it-yourself spa treatment. From Karak with its imposing Crusader Castle, the next day is an undulating off-road route via Tanour Dam that ends at Wadi Hasa affording superb views of its impressive castle.

From Shobak our cycling route is one to really savour as we follow the King’s Highway - an ancient route linking Madaba with Petra to Siq Al Barid (Little Petra). Thought to have served as a re-supply post for camel caravans visiting Petra, it’s a great place to wander around at the end the day.

Set amongst huge red rock formations our accommodation is a few pedal strokes away at a Bedouin Camp where in the evening we’ll be treated to a real Bedouin feast cooked the traditional way. Next day we have a fully guided day at one of Modern Seven Wonders of the World - the Red Rose City of Petra. As well as the Treasury and other popular sites we also have time to take in some hidden treasures, such as the monastery which is reached by way of around 800 steps.

Highlights

• Exploring Petra – The Rose Red City
• Cycling Jordan’s forests, deserts & dramatic canyons
• Desert star gazing in the dramatic Wadi Rum
• Dead Sea dipping and your very own DIY spa treatment
• Bedouin hospitality and feasting on delicious local food
• Crusader Castles & the historic cities of Amman & Jersah

The majority of cycling on this trip is on 4×4 width dirt roads or tarmac roads (with little traffic).

This incredible cycling adventure will take riders across Central America, from Costa Rica through Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and on into Mexico. They will marvel at the remarkable Mayan ruins in Copan Ruinas, Tikal, Lamanai and Tulum, pedal through small rural villages, wander through colourful local markets and spin past verdant rainforests and roaring waterfalls. Cyclists will gaze up in wonder at the region’s towering volcanoes and laze away on sun-drenched beaches. Central America’s Spanish history is evident in the beautiful colonial architecture of Granada, Nicaragua while the area’s biodiversity is spectacular and the riders can even try their luck at spotting the most beautiful of birds, the Quetzal, Guatemala’s national symbol.

The hilly terrain of Central America means that the cycling will be very challenging with many gorgeous climbs and, thankfully, an equal number of stunning descents. The 3200 km expedition features 32 cycling days broken up by 8 well-allocated rest days, ensuring that the adventurers make the most of their cycling trip. The overall ride is actually downhill as the cyclists drop over 1000m from beginning to end. There is, however, the small matter of the terrain in-between. Over 32 riding days the cyclists will climb over 45,000 m, an average of 1500m per riding day. The route almost completely avoids major highways. Instead cyclists will spend their days pedaling along quiet rural roads, many of them unpaved, passing by isolated settlements and deserted mining towns.

Highlights

• Colonial cities
• Ancient Mayan cities
• Volcanoes and jungles
• Off the beaten path Central America

This adventure takes us through solitary rainforests, fertile fields of crop and through wild, dry acacia rich savannah, which is the home of the Maasai. The tracks around the cloud shrouded, snow-capped roof of Africa are mainly dusty, sometimes rocky, with a few asphalt roads. We spend a night in a Maasai cultural village to get to know their customs, songs and dishes.

Highlights:

• Amazing scenery,
• Maasai culture,
• wildlife can be seen

Total Distance: 370km. Path: Off road & paved road

Uzbekistan was until quite recently, thought of in roughly the same mental space as pariah states where only the most intrepid might venture. Now, the country has flung open its doors, not only to economic development but also to international visitors. This tour is your chance to get off the path that is in the process of being beaten and experience the true essence of Uzbekistan, not for what we wish it was, but for what it is.

The magnificent mosques and madrassas with their towering minarets are worthy of your time and the rich history of cities like Samarkand and Bukhara will be revealed to you during your journey, but you will go beyond these recognized highlights and venture into the more remote areas of natural beauty where small subsistence communities rarely see international visitors.

You will visit places as obscure as an abandoned Soviet-era space research center, a popular local ski resort and a radio telescope that has been under construction for 40 years and has only just become operational. This will be contrasted by a visit to a winery (yes, Uzbek wine is quite drinkable) and memorable nights in yurts with camels roaming the desert plains outside.

Uzbekistan will surprise you, delight you and puzzle you, all at the same time. It's an experience like no other and there is no better way to see it than from handlebar height.

Highlights

• Explore the rich history of Samarkand and Bukhara, visiting the stunning blue topped mosques and madrasas and hearing the stories of conquests and great trading empires past.
• Explore the bazaars of Bukhara where artisans and craftspeople pedal their wares.
• Visit the Chervak area where wine is grown and where an abandoned space research center decays.
• Challenge yourself on a ride up to the ski resort of Beldersoy and enjoy the thrilling descent.
• Trek the remote Zaamin National Park and visit the nearby, recently opened, radio telescope.
• Explore the rustic landscape near the Ortacheku Rocks and stay overnight in a yurt camp.
• Visit the 3000-year-old Petroglyphs of Sarmysh

It might be a small country but it’s full of surprises, and the landscapes are spectacular. The irresistibly cool climate, nature, and hospitality make everything even brighter. The 12-day western loop is an interesting one for those that love to combine watching wildlife with beautiful mountain landscapes. Explore Fort Portal and the crater lakes, Queen Elizabeth National Park and the tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, Lake Mburo National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – home to half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas.

Highlights

• Ride with the zebras
• Ride through the villages
• Interact with the local people
• Visit the Equator
• Boat safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Game safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Wildlife encounter while riding
• Chimp trekking
• Gorilla trekking
• Tree climbing lions game safari

Starting in the Jewel of the Balkan Crown’ City of Dubrovnik we head south to the world famous Kotor Bay in Montenegro and onwards to Shkoder, known as the ‘Cycle City’ in Northern Albania. When you arrive you’ll know why! The bells ring here like the bicycles in Beijing! You have a day off and we miss cycling through the bustle of Tirana although you can opt to stop here for a few hours to explore the sights of Albania’s capital city. We stay over in Elbasan and you cycle across the border to the breath-taking beauty of Ohrid in North Macedonia. TWe head east through Bitola and Veles where you spend the night. In the morning it’s a short bus ride to Kochani to cycle over the mountain across the border at Delchevo into Bulgaria. From the University city of Blagoevgrad we then take you to the ski resort of Bansko at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. We breathe out here then head south freewheeling to the beach in Greece with a worthwhile detour to a ‘tour within a tour’ trip round the island of Thassos … from whence we make our last ride east across the Nestos Delta via Komotini and Alexandroupoli into Turkey and down the western side of the Dardanelles Strait ferrying to Cannakale then heading east to Can before taking a bus to bandirma to cross the Sea of Marmara by ferry to Istanbul, the historical bustling ‘gateway to the east’.

It is an exciting journey in this enthralling part of the world. Much of which is emerging slowly enough as tourist destinations so as to continue to retain much of the natural beauty, uniqueness and charm of the countryside and villages.

Highlights

• Kotor Bay and The Serpentine Climb in Montenegro
• Views from hotel in Shkoder and the hills in the north of Albania
• The beautiful Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia
• The Ciflik Winery in Bitola
• The Climb from Delchevo to the Bulgarian Border crossing
• The mountain town of Bansko in Bulgaria
• The freewheel down the River Mesta towards the Greek Border and into Gotse Delchev
• Thassos Island
• The ride through the Nestos Delta in Thrace national Park in Northeastern Greece
• Crossing the Turkish Border
• The Ancient City of Troy in Canakkale
• Crossing from ;The East' to 'The West' then 'West' to 'East' by ferry on our final day in Gelibolu (Gallipoli)
• Our hotel with its terrace overlooking Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

The first 6 days are the toughest from Dubrovnik to Ohrid with an average of 90 km and 1,652 metres of climbing per day.
The 11 days from Ohrid to Istanbul (Bus and ferry transfer to Istanbul from Gelibolu) average 95 km and 962 metres of climbing per day