Thomson Bike Tours

Beyond the celebrated cycling culture, you’ll enjoy the breathtaking landscape, majestic mountains, charming Alpine villages, and that renowned Italian food and wine. The Dolomites never disappoint.

Made famous by the Giro d’Italia, the Stelvio, the Gavia, and the Mortirolo are just a few of the legendary climbs you’ll conquer on this magnificent route across the Dolomites and Italian Alps.

You’ll ride the Sella Ronda loop, one of the most famous and impressive bike rides in Europe. The Sella Ronda circles the Sella Mountain Range and includes 4 of the most stunning passes in the Dolomites: the Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella, Passo Gardena and the Passo Campolongo.

You’ll also bag a number of other Giro legendary climbs including the Passo Giau and Passo Fedaia.

Pack your climbing legs and join our ride leaders for a magnificent ride across the Dolomites and Italian Alps!

Conquer the legendary climbs of the Vuelta a España in this incredible week of cycling in the Cordillera Cantabrica. Includes Lagos de Covadonga and the Angliru, the toughest climb in pro cycling.

Thomson Bike Tours is uniquely qualified to introduce you to this mind-blowing Grand Tour terrain. Spain is our back-yard and the Cantabrian mountain chain is our favourite playground.
Home to the legendary climbs of the Vuelta a España, the Cordillera Cantabrica is a staggeringly beautiful mountain range that runs along the North Coast of Spain, from the Basque Country to Galicia. Highlights of the week include the opportunity to conquer the notorious Alto el Angliru, the toughest climb in professional cycling, and the spectacular Lagos de Covadonga, voted by many of our guests as their favourite climb ever.

The Cordillera Cantabrica mountain range, with it’s non-existent traffic and extreme geographic profile, is one of the best kept secrets in European cycling!

Take the high road across this quiet country’s wondrously diverse terrain. Enjoy the magnificent scenery, historic villages and traffic-free roads – and of course it wouldn’t be Thomson terrain without a few big climbs.

Portugal is one of Europe’s hidden cycling gems. The country has everything for the avid road cyclist: big climbs, magnificent scenery, historic villages (complete with cobbles!), and exceptional food and wine. Combine all of the above with the quietest, traffic-free roads you’ll find anywhere in Europe, super-friendly locals and impressive historical hotels and you’ll soon understand why Portugal is a firm favourite with repeat guests and staff alike.

And who would have thought that one of Europe’s toughest climbs would be in Portugal. 30km (19 miles) in length and with a total elevation gain of 1,765m (5,800ft), the climb to the Torre ski-station in the Serra Estrela is up there with the Col du Tourmalet and other Tour de France legends.

Bring your climbing legs and get ready for some of the best cycling to be found anywhere in Europe.

From the famous slopes of the Tourmalet to the infamous slopes of the legendary Angliru, passing through La Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine region.

Climb the quintessential “puertos”, witness 6 key stages including the summit finishes on the Angliru and the Tourmalet. Ride the course, and meet the pros and celebrities in the most accessible of all the Grand Tours.

Our Vuelta a España KOM Challenge provides a fantastic mix of LIVE race-viewing and challenging rides on the legendary routes and climbs of northern Spain.

Witness 6 key stages including the summit finishes on the Tourmalet and the Angliru. Revel in 3 remarkable days in La Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine region, where we’ll witness 3 spectacular stages of La Vuelta and maybe indulge in a few glasses of the local drink.

Test yourself on the battleground of the world’s greatest race. Includes the newest paved climb in the Alps, the massive Col de la Loze, first introduced at the 2020 Tour de France and now rated the toughest climb in the French Alps.

Alpe d’Huez, La Madeleine, Galibier, Col de la Loze, Glandon, Joux Plane, Colombiere – these are just a few of the iconic Tour de France climbs that you’ll conquer on this magnificent ride across the French Alps.

We’ve prepared an epic, awe-inspiring challenge that will test your limits and introduce you to the majesty and wonder of road cycling’s most celebrated terrain.

You’ll conquer the newest paved road in the Alps, the massive Col de la Loze, which is now rated the most challenging climb in the French Alps! You’ll be thrilled by the dramatic Col de Sarenne, the back-road to Alpe d’Huez, and a classic ride over the Lacets de Montvernier, the Col de Telegraphe, the Col du Galibier and Alpe d’Huez.

You can’t fit more Alps into one week!

Discover the natural beauty of one of Europe’s most celebrated cycling terrains. Cross the Pyrenees, conquering legendary Tour de France climbs every day. Includes Tourmalet, Aubisque, Aspin, Peyresourde, Port de Balès, Rocacorba and many more!

The Pyrenees conjure up images of famous Tour de France stages. This is your opportunity to transform these images into real life as you conquer the legendary Pyrenees climbs of the Tour de France.

Starting in the renowned cycling hub of Girona with the iconic Rocacorba climb, you’ll cross the Pyrenees from east to west, conquering iconic Tour de France climbs like the Tourmalet, Aubisque, Aspin, Peyresourde, Pailheres, Port de Balès and Portet d’Aspet. The full list of legendary climbs is impressive!

Throughout the entire ride you’ll be amazed with the sheer natural beauty of this incredible region.

Thomson Tour de France K/QOM Challenges are the trips of choice for avid cyclists of all abilities looking for a unique blend of LIVE race-viewing and challenging riding.

Be there to witness stage 20, the Final Mountain Stage of the 2023 Tour de France, in the Vosges mountains.

Our Final Mountain Stage race-viewing program includes:

• access to our VIP Tribune at the Finish Line in Le Markstein
• an official ride across the Finish Line before the arrival of the Tour de France peloton
• a memorable photo shoot on the Official Podium in Le Markstein

You’ll also witness Stage 17, LIVE on the mountain-side of the Col de la Loze, the most challenging climb in the Alps, and mingle with pro riders and Tour celebrities with our privileged VIP access to the Departure Village at the start of Stage 19 in Moirans-en-Montagne.

Riding is also a key feature of every Thomson Tour de France trip and on this trip you’ll conquer numerous famous climbs including the incredible Col de la Loze, the Col de la Croix de Fer, the spectacular Lacets de Montvernier, Mont Semnoz with its stunning views of Lake Annecy, and the final 2 spectacular climbs of the 2023 Tour de France in Les Vosges, the Col du Petit Ballon and the Col du Platzerwasel.

Each day you’ll have the choice of 3 different fully supported rides – Sport, Performance and Epic rides - from 25km to 150km (15 miles to 95 miles). No matter your fitness level, our extensive ride program has you covered. Perfect for couples who love to ride but have different fitness levels.

Tour de France viewing

• TDF Stage 17: access to our Private Race-Viewing Hospitality Marquee on the Col de la Loze
• TDF Stage 19: access to the VIP Departure Village in Moirans-en-Montagne
• TDF Stage 20: VIP ride across the Finish Line, Podium photo op, and access to the VIP Tribune at the Finish Line in Le Markstein

Paris Extension: extend your trip to continue on to Paris and witness the Final Stage on the Champs-Elysées. Our Paris Extension includes travel to Paris by high-speed TGV train, accommodation at the 5-star Hotel Intercontinental Opera, and entry to the Elysée Tribune directly opposite the Finish Line on the Champs-Elysées circuit.

Paris Extension VIP Upgrade: please contact us if you’d like to upgrade to the VIP Espace Rive Gauche Tribune (subject to availability).

From the Spanish border through the Monchique mountains and a spectacular conclusion on the cliffs high above the Atlantic Ocean, the Algarve, in the south of Portugal, has some of the best Beyond Tarmac riding in Europe.

Loosely based on the famous Via Algarviana cycling and hiking route, this 6 day traverse of the Algarve region in the south of Portugal is one of the favorites of the Thomson gravel staff. Spectacular views, perfect gravel, smiling people all around, excellent food and great hospitality make this a bucket-list trip that you should not miss!

Our East to West Beyond Tarmac pilgrimage starts in the town of Tavira near the Spanish border. Perfect gravel trails through dense pine and eucalyptus forests kick off the ride before we head into the Monchique mountains where we gradually start smelling the salty breeze of the Atlantic Ocean which will welcome us for the final stages.

Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast sets an astoundingly beautiful scene for our latest VIP destination.

We’ve enjoyed many beautiful destinations for our VIP trips over the past 10 years but few can compare to the sheer natural beauty of Croatia. The Dalmatian Coast has to be one of the world’s most beautiful regions – little wonder that it’s listed in the Top 10 destinations of just about every travel company.

Our trip combines the natural beauty of the Dalmatian Coast and our rides include several of the most picturesque sections of coastline. We ride two of the most beautiful islands in Croatia: Brač and Korčula. And of course, being Thomson, we couldn’t come to Croatia and not ride one of the toughest climbs in Europe, the 29km / 2000m (18 miles / 6,600ft) climb to Sveti Jure — an absolute epic climb both in terms of difficulty and incredible vistas.

Join Peter, and the usual team of the best staff in the business, for an epic week in one of the world’s most beautiful destinations!