CYCLE CYCLADES

The Cycle Cyclades tour is operated by our exclusive cycling division, our sister company, CycleGreece.

Trip Duration 8 days

Start & End Points 
Start: Arrive to Athens at least one day in advance to fit and test ride your bike.  Day one is an early morning departure from Piraeus port on a ferry to Syros island.
End:  The tour ends on Naxos island.  From here you either continue on to another island, such as Santorini, if you take our hiking add-on tour (see the Extras tab) or back to Athens by sea or air.

Minimum / Maximum   A minimum of 8 riders is needed for a tour to be a “go.”  A maximum of 16 riders per tour.

Rating   This road cycling tour is for moderate cyclists accustomed to some climbing.  The daily rides average 30 miles (48 kilometers).   The tour’s highest elevation is 1600 feet (487 meters).

BOOKING AGREEMENT Participants are required to sign our company Booking Agreement as a condition of the tour.

WAIVER Participants are required to sign our company Waiver as a condition of the tour

Day 1: Syros
Welcome to sunny Greece! The capital of the Cyclades islands is Syros known for its many beaches and elegant capital, Ermoupoli which means “trading city.” After settling in to our hotel, we hike up to medieval Ano Mera to visit the rebetiko museum — a genre of music born in Syros in the 1920s and likened to the Blues. Evening engagement is a Greek cooking class.

Day 2: Syros
Today’s ride makes a big loop in the southern half of Syros’ countryside. The ride bascially goes from beautiful beach to another beautiful beach to yet another beautiful beach. If you are so inclined in the evening you can drop by the only casino in the Cyclades.

Day 3: Paros + Mykonos
Heading south from Syros to Paros, we make a detour to Mykonos for several hours of free time on this world-class cosmopolitan island. Depending on boat schedules, you can visit sacred Delos island. By the afternoon we are on another ferry to Paros where we meet up with our bikes to cycle to our hotel in Naoussa village.

Day 4: Paros
Our main destination is adorable Antiparos island, a 10 minute boat ride from Paros. We make several pit stops en route, including Valley of the Butterflies and an ancient cemetery, continuously used from the 8th century BC to the 2nd century AD. In Antiparos we descend into the famous cave.

Day 5: Paros
Today’s bike loop takes us to Lefkes, the highest town on the island and the capital of Paros during the Byzantine Empire. A very special treat en route — the ancient Marathi marble quarries where we descend into the mines.

Day 6: Naxos
In the morning a splendid bike & hike to the lighthouse before making a quick ferry crossing to to Naxos, the largest Cyclades island. At Naxos we linger in its harbor town, Hora. Here you find an endearing cluster of whitewashed houses, narrow winding medieval alleys, and the distinguished Apollonian Portara gateway which captures everyone’s imagination.

Day 7:  Naxos
Today is the tour’s highest cycling day, up to 1633 feet. En route we stop at a marble kouros (ancient Greek male statue) left unfinished in its quarry. At Halki, the owners of a kitron distillery give a demonstration and tasting of their famous liqueur made from lemon leaves. For the more ambitious, we cycle to Aria Springs, fill up the water bottles, and take a hike up to Za Cave where Zeus was said to be born.

Day 8: morning in Naxos then depart for Piraeus or Santorini
Morning cycling to Dimitra Temple on Naxos which is a nicely reconstructed site with a meticulously laid stone walkway. The ride is quick enough to return to the hotel, shower and check-in time to catch an afternoon ferry. The cycling tour is now over. Opt for the Santorini Hiking Add-On package (see Extras tab) to reach Thira (as the Greeks call the island) in time for a sunset wine tasting overlooking the caldera.

TOUR COST

2950 euros per person based on double occupancy.  900 euros single supplement

TOUR INCLUSIONS

Accommodations: 3-4 star hotels, primarily family owned and operated, ranging from boutique hotels to seaside upscale hotels.   See Accommodations tab

Ferry transfers:  4 one-way:  Piraeus to Syros to Mykonos to Paros to Naxos.  2 round trip: Delos and Antiparos.

Bikes:   Specialized road bike or hybrid bike.  Your choice. Triple chain ring, 27 gears. Road bike has carbon fiber fork. Hybrids have front suspension.

Bike gear: odometer, 2 water bottles, handlebar pouch, helmet

Support vehicle:  (“sag wagon”) with bilingual driver who is also a bike mechanic.  Vehicle carries spare parts, spare fully pumped wheels, floor pump, ice cooler, water, nutritious snacks, bike tools, first aid kit, day packs, luggage and gives you a lift if you get tired.

Tour Leader / Bike Guide:  the Tour Leader handles all the tour logistics and cycles with the group.

All Meals:  Breakfasts are included at each hotel.  You choose your lunch from the menu.  Dinners eaten at trusted establishments within walking distance of the hotel.  Dinner consists of 2-3 appetizers and a salad shared by the group and chosen by us.  You choose the entrée from a choice of meat, fish or vegetarian.  Dessert, house wine, water or a beverage for those who don’t drink wine.

Cue sheets

Trip packet with useful and interesting information, such as what to see and do, recommended places to eat, packing tips, etc.

Entrance fees:  Entrance fees to Delos island, Antiparos Cave, Naxos Venetian Museum,

Bike jersey  short sleeved, blue and white, pockets in back, CycleGreece logo

Gratuities, tips and VAT taxes

TOUR EXCLUSIONS

Airfare to/from Greece

Transfers to/from airport, see Extras tab

Departure transfer from Naxos

Alcoholic beverages (other than house wine)

Travel insurance (see Extras tab)

An indicative hotel for Aegean Adventures tour is St. Andrea in Naoussa on Paros island (left photo).  Located only 20 minutes walk from the harbor, its location is serene and quiet in a rural area in front of the sea.

We select the accommodations for guided tours based on quality, comfort, cleanliness, hospitality, location and charm. Most of the hotels on this tour are family owned and operated. They all have wi-fi and all but one has a swimming pool. They are all near the sea and within walking or biking distance to a beach.

Hotels are included in the tour cost based on double occupancy. A single room entails an additional cost. Standard double rooms are provided but upgrade options are available.

All hotels are dependent on availability. In the event of no occupancy, we patronize comparable accommodations in the same location.

Travel Insurance  For U.S. citizens, we are official agents of Travel Guard travel insurance and can book your trip insurance or provide you a policy quote.

Airport transfer   A company driver transfers your party from Athens Airport to your Athens hotel.  170 euros per group for up to 8 passengers.

Athens hotel   We can book your pre- and post-tour accommodations in Athens with a choice of fine hotels we patronize in the Plaka or Psirri neighborhood.

Santorini Hiking add-on  You can’t miss Santorini!  It’s the gem of the Aegean.  You see it intimately on this four-night, five-day walking tour that includes Thirasia island and the center of the caldera.  See Santorini Hiking tour for full details.

Athens one-day biking tours:

Historic Central Athens Bike Tour, 3 hours, 90% traffic free, 25 points of interest including Socrates’ Prison and the Pnyx where democracy was born.

Attica Winery Tour, 8 hours, wine tasting at four wineries in region east of Athens that has produced wine for centuries, visit Temple of Artemis, lunch along the sea.

Temple of Poseidon Excursion, 8 hours, cycle along the coast to the tip of Attica peninsula, roam the magnificent Temple of Poseidon, lunch at a seaside fish taverna, swimming

Battle of Marathon, 9 hours, bike to the site of where the Greeks defeated the Persians in 490 BC, the tomb where the Greek soliders were buried, the archaeology museum and the Marathon runners museum, Schinias wetlands, lunch at the sea.

Click map to open in Google Maps

Overnight destinations and points of interest

This tour is also available for groups of more than eight persons. You can take the tour with the itinerary as listed or we can customize the tour’s destinations and activities to suit your party.

A group of eight participants travel in a company vehicle with staff driver who also acts as your guide. A group of 10-16 participants travel in either two company vehicles with staff driver/guides or one mini-coach. Groups larger than 16 participants travel in coaches or mini-coaches, led by a company tour leader who handles all logistics.

We offer innovative tours to large groups attending a congress, conference or corporate event.

See more information on the Groups page

Contact us directly for price quotes and itineraries for your party’s special stay in Greece.