Biking Europe in Greece in Peloponissos with best local team

SACRED SITES

Guided Bike Tour with Vehicle Support

Sacred Sites is our most popular tour, and no wonder — it traverses the Peloponnese peninsula where Greek mythology was practically born. The antiquities in this region are incomparable. Visit Mycenae where King Agamemnon is buried, the ruler who launched the Trojan War. There’s Epidavros Theater with its impeccable acoustics and millennia later is still in use, now by modern Greeks staging ancient Greek dramas. The beauty of this tour is that you will cycle directly to all these precious sites. .

DESCRIPTION

Nafplio. Dimitsana. Olympia. Lampei. Kalavrita.

Lonely Planet named the Peloponnese peninsula the #1 European destination in 2016. No one comes to Greece without paying homage to at least one ancient ruin, and some of Greece’s most legendary sacred sites lie right in the Peloponnese. Outside magazine named our Sacred Sites tour one of the “6 best cycling tours in Europe.“

Extensive biking enables you to visit a series of archaeology sites. You bike to the 3rd century BC Epidavros Theatre which once was the largest healing center in the ancient world. You also bike to Mycenae where King Agamemnon ruled who launched the Trojan War. It’s a thrill for the inner athlete in every cyclist to bike to Olympia home of the original Olympic Games.

Nature predominates on this tour that crosses the Arcadian Mountains where traditional villages steeped in local culture abound. Many say the Peloponnese is the true Greece. Come judge for yourself!

DETAILS

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

Trip Duration : 8 days

Start & End Points
Start: The day before the tour, meet in Athens to test ride and fit your bike. On Day 1 of the tour we transfer to the Peloponnese by vehicle or ferry depending on schedules.
End: The tour finishes in Corinth-Loutraki with a vehicle transfer to central Athens or Athens Airport

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 primarily for cyclists accustomed climbing mountains and daily rides that average 50 miles (80 kilometers). The tour’s highest elevation is 2165 feet (660 meters). Yet, moderate cyclists can join the tour, too, by vehicle transfers past steep climbs and minimize the daily mileage.
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

ITINERARY

Bike mileage listed for each day is for that day’s full route. With vehicle transfers, the tour can also accommodate cyclists desiring shorter distances.

Day 1: Nafplio

A World Heritage Site on your first cycling day in Greece! Bike to 3rd century BC Epidavros Theatre, Greece largest ancient theater seating 15,000 with impeccable acoustics. Coast down to elegant Nafplio, modern Greece’s first capita and the prettiest city in the Peloponnese. 45.60 km, 28 miles

Day 2: Nafplio

Your second biking day in Greece takes you to a second sacred site. Bike directly to Ancient Mycenae, home of King Agamemnon who launched the Trojan War. In Nafplio, experience the famous Nemean wine varieties, climbing 999 steps to Palamidi Fortress, visit local artesan shops. 43 km, 26 miles

Day 3: Dimitsana

Nafplio to Dimitsana is the hardest cycling route of the entire tour. It is also the most rewarding as you climb into the Arcadia Mountains and experience traditional local mountain villages, such as, in the little town of Dimitsana with its red tiled roofs seated along the Lousios Gorge. 103 km, 64.50 miles

Day 4: Olympia

From Dimitsana to Olympia there’s a thrilling descent hugging the Lousios Gorge. You are now leaving the Arcadia Mountains to lower elevations. The biking route is flatter but with several hills too. At the end, before you know it, you are cycling past the ancient Olympic Stadium. 76 km, 50 miles

Day 5: Lampei

Morning tour of ancient Olympic. A professional guide makes the site come alive. Its Temple of Zeus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Afternoon biking returns to the mountains, traditional villages, goat herds, gushing water sources. 42.25 km, 26 miles

Day 6: Kalavrita

Deep cycling in mountain territory, mostly following a ridge with 1-2 steep ascents and descents to make the ride entertaining. The day’s highlight is Cave of the Lakes, a series of subterranean lakes inside a huge cave. Enjoy Kalavrita, a charming mountain village full of tradition. 74.50 km, 46 miles

Day 7: Athens

The last cycling day has many miles, but the route is mostly downhill and flat hugging the Corinth Gulf coast. We end up at Loutraki Bay at the sea for swimming and a farewell dinner at fresh fish taverna. Vehicle transfer to Athens or Athens Airport for those flights. 118 km, 73 miles

Day 8: Departure

EXTRAS

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.

One-Day Bike Tours in Athens and the Attica region

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 By Bike, 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.

MAP

Click map to open in Google Maps

BLUE Sacred Sites overnight destinations

PURPLE Important historical sites

RED Athens Add-on destinations

ACCOMMODATIONS

An indicative hotel for the Sacred Sites tour is in Dimitsana, the Theonimifi Pension, operated by two young ladies with lots of style. (link lands on hotel’s photo gallery)

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.

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.

Request Links to Accommodations for Sacred Sites

COST & INCLUSIONS

COST

2850 euros per person based on double occupancy. Single Supplement 750 euros

TOUR INCLUSIONS

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

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.

Archaeology tours: Private one hour archaeology tour with professional licensed guides at Epidavros, Mycenae and Olympia.

Entrance fees: Entrance fees to Epidavros. Mycenae and Olympia.

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

• Alcoholic beverages (other than house wine)

• Travel insurance (see Extras tab)

GROUPS

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.