Itinerary

Day 1: Get oriented at the desert museum before cycling through colossal cacti in west Saguaro National Park.

Shuttle to the marvelous Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in time to see the Raptor Free Flight show while your guides prepare your bikes. Cycle quiet roads through West Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park from McCann Loop Rd to Gates Pass. Shake hands (metaphorically speaking!) with towering, some claim mystical, saguaro cacti – undisputed icons of the Sonoran Desert and a universal symbol of the American Southwest. Once in the city proper, we avoid the hectic streets by pedaling part of “The Loop” – Tucson’s delightful network of over 100 miles of urban shared-use paths. Cycle on The Loop to Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, or Hacienda del Sol, where we will spend the next three nights.
Meals: L, D. Distance: 49 miles, Elevation +2,336 ft / -2,207ft

Day 2: Cycle rural roads, paved paths and the “Cactus loop” in Saguaro National Park .

Today, we begin our ride at Le Buzz Café, a popular staging location and hangout for local cyclists. Follow rural roads on the outskirts of Tucson, stopping here and there to take in views of the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains to the north and east. Explore Saguaro National Park East on the 8-mile Cactus Forest Loop takes you on a cruise through the rare saguaro forests of this area. Some folks say they could do this loop all day long – and indeed, many take the time to ride it in both directions! Following a gloriously gourmet picnic lunch, ride back to Loews on The Loop, or hop in the van to shuttle if you wish. You may want to save time for a visit to the marvelous Tucson Day Spa, located onsite at Loews Resort or Hacienda del Sol. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Meals: B, L. Distance: 44 miles or less. Elevation +2027 ft /-1604 ft (or less)

Day 3: Spectacular Mt Lemmon.

Tackle all or part of the climb up Mt. Lemmon today. There are plenty of van support options if you don’t want to do the whole thing, and the mountain is worth a visit for a hike on your own even if you don’t plan to ride.

Rising almost 7000 feet from the valley floor, Mt. Lemmon is well-known as one of the premier bicycle climbs in the U.S. Tremendous views begin almost immediately as you ascend from cactus country on the valley floor up into the land of wildflowers, pines – and eventually – sub alpine forests. In terms of biological diversity, cycling up Mt. Lemmon is the equivalent of riding from Arizona to southern Canada. Suffice it to say, it’s a different world on top on Mt. Lemmon any day of the year. Keep an eye out for transitory waterfalls and hidden canyons with goblin-like hoodoo rock formations as you ascend. Spring visits may feature wildflowers in bloom and fall visits may feature colorful aspens and maples. We are confident you won’t see a more fascinating range of habitat and ecology on any other 30-mile bicycle ride. Mt. Lemmon is truly a one-of-a-kind gem!
Meals: B,L,D Distance: 26 miles (one way) with lots of support options. Elevation Mt. Lemmon climb (one way): +5,717 ft / -251 ft

Day 4: Visit Kartchner Caverns, a stunning limestone cavern system.

After breakfast we shuttle to Kartchner Caverns for a tour (admission included) of what lies beneath the desert. The world-class cave formations here are considered to be some of the best of their kind in the entire world. First discovered in the early 1970s, the cave was kept a secret for over a decade (to protect it) until, in 1985, Governor Bruce Babbitt secretly left the state capitol with two bodyguards and spent three hours crawling through tight passages to reach the cave’s showcase chambers, including the Big Room, Echo Passage and Cul-de-sac Passage. Kartchner Caverns finally gained official Arizona State Park status in 1999. Have lunch after the tour and then shuttle south to Hereford for a two-night stay at Casa de San Pedro, home to over 355 species of birds and hundreds of butterflies. Settle in at the hotel, enjoy the pool, chase birds and butterflies, or go for an easy ride in the area before enjoying a family-style Mexican dinner with us tonight.
Meals: B, L, D. Lodging: Casa de San Pedro Distance: variable Elevation: variable

Day 5: Cycle in the ” Sky Islands” to a mountain reservoir

Today holds plenty of surprises, as well as a total change of scenery! The first surprises are the vineyards of the Sonoita and Elgin areas of Arizona, south of Tucson. The rich soils of this region are almost a mirror image of those in Burgundy, France. The second surprise is the scenery of the “Sky Islands” high country. We say farewell to saguaros and hello to hillsides covered in manzanita, Gambel oaks, sycamore and yucca. Our route – a locals’ favorite – follows a twisting, traffic-free road to a refreshing mountain reservoir in Coronado National Forest. There is plenty of great riding here for you to enjoy as much or as little as you wish.
Meals: B, L, D. Lodging: Casa de San Pedro Distance: Distance: 48 miles. Elevation: +2,367 ft / 2,368ft (or less)

Day 6: A bicycle “brothel,” a border wall and bohemian bisbee

Shuttle to Naco – a tiny town cut in two by the USA/Mexico border for a look at “The Wall” – before we begin pedaling to artsy, bohemian Bisbee, home to the Copper Queen Mine, source of some of the world’s highest-grade copper ore. If copper isn’t your thing but vintage bikes are, you won’t want to miss going for a metaphorical spin down a memory lane of hand-made lugged frames and the simplistic elegance of friction shifting that is the “Bicycle Brothel” bicycle museum in Bisbee – otherwise known as “retro-grouch” heaven. And yes, we use the term affectionately. After all, some of us owned, rode, and loved these beauties when they were state-of-the-art! Spend more time in Bisbee (lunch is on your own) or make the 6-mile round trip to Mule Pass before we load up and shuttle back to Tucson.
Meals Breakfast Distance: 12 -18 miles Elevation +1,721 ft / -996 ft or …+1,021 ft / -296 ft

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Lodging

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort,
Casa de San Pedro

The hotels, Inns, and B&B’s we use are always among the finest the area has to offer. Our smaller group sizes(max. 13) allow us to stay at some award-winning places that can’t handle groups of 25 or more. We work closely with the innkeepers to make sure they understand your needs and ours, whether that is having a place to store your bike, an early morning breakfast or a convenient place to park the van, they are as committed to your vacation experience as we are.
Lodging is based upon two people to a room with a private bath. If you’re traveling solo on any of our trips, we’ll assign you a roommate of the same gender and often of the same age bracket. There is no extra charge if we can’t find you a roommate, even if you sign up the day before the trip starts. You can guarantee yourself a private room and bath if you pay the Single Room Fee. Occasionally a room with two beds consists of one bed plus a roll away bed or sofa bed.

Included:

• Lodging
• Included: All breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners.
• Included wine tasting, Kartchner Caverns tour.
• Road /hybrid bike, (E-bike rent possible)
• Luggage transfer.

Not included:

• Night before and after the tour.
• Flights to and from the tour
• Gratuities guides

Pricing / Tour dates

Tour price 2023: $ 3400.-pp. single fee $ 918.-
You can avoid a single supplement by sharing a room with another rider.
Option Extra $200.-pp for an E-bike
Tour dates 2023:
01 Oct – 06 Oct
08 Oct – 13 Oct
15 Oct – 20 Oct Guaranteed
22 Oct – 24 Oct
29 Oct – 03 Nov
05 Nov – 10 Nov guaranteed
12 Nov – 17 Nov
Tour dates 2024:
18 Feb – 23 Feb
25 Feb – 01 Mar
03 Mar – 08 Mar
10 Mar – 15 Mar
17 Mar – 22 Mar
24 Mar – 29 Mar
31 Mar – 05 April
07 April – 12 April
06 Oct – 11 Oct
13 Oct – 18 Oct
20 Oct – 25 Oct
27 Oct – 01 Nov
03 Nov – 08 Nov
10 Nov – 15 Nov

Conditions

Deposit 25%
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price

Information

Meals and dining:
We know how important breakfast is to make sure your day starts off right. Most breakfasts are served at the inn where we spend the night and are either a set menu or a continental breakfast buffet. But if there is a local restaurant with a reputation for a great breakfast, w2024-02-18/2024-02-23
2024-02-30/2024-03-01e can guarantee we will find it and you will be treated to a nutritious meal to start the day.

Lunch is provided at a state park or similar scenic setting midway during the day’s ride. Guests are always surprised at the variety and quality of lunches we prepare. Besides sandwich fixings and cold drinks, we offer fresh fruits and vegetables and hot lunches such as tortellini with pesto or veggie burritos. If you prefer a certain item of food or drink, just let your tour guide know and we will be sure to prepare just the right lunch to keep your energy up for the rest of the day.

During the day water, fruit juices, soft drinks, energy bars, fruit, and snacks are available from the van. A cold beer from our cooler waits at the end of the day, and you can relive the day’s highlights at our wine and cheese party before dinner.

Dinner is eaten together at the best restaurant in the area. At most restaurants, you order what you want from the menu. Except for alcohol, everything is included, even appetizers, salad, soup, and dessert. If we have to shuttle everyone a short distance to get to that special place, we do it. We like to eat well.

If you have any special dietary requests, please let us know in advance. We regularly accommodate vegetarians and other restricted diets. All of our meals are carefully selected to provide you with the unusually high nutritional and caloric needs of your body on an outdoor adventure.