Best Bicycle Vacations for Foodies

Best Bicycle Vacations for Foodies

Let’s be honest: Cycling vacations are as much about the bike riding as they are about the food. The food on all of our bike tours is delicious (especially after a long day of cycling), but these few are real stand-outs. Some of the trips are awesome because of their high ratings and premiere dining experiences. Others are known for their funky and festive street food. All are known to leave you and your taste buds happy.

Santa Fe New Mexico Bike Tour (s)

Here’s a cycling vacation in one of America’s most distinctive cities. You’ll see centuries-old adobe buildings, bright red strings of chiles hanging from portals, distinctive public art and gorgeous high desert views. Consider yourself a foodie? Santa Fe is a food lover’s paradise. Innovative Southwestern fare created by award-winning chefs and hearty New Mexico dishes such as breakfast burritos and green chile stew are reason enough for Santa Fe to have earned a prominent place on the world’s culinary map. You will get up close and personal with the local fare on our Hub and Spoke tour as we spend an afternoon at the Santa Fe School of Cooking.

New Mexicans love their chile and it isn’t the kind with beans that cowboys eatǃ New Mexican chile is spicy, delicious and unlike   anything you’ve ever tasted. When you come to Santa Fe and your server asks if you want “red or green?” this refers to the kind of chile you’d like served over enchiladas, chile rellenos or other staples of New Mexican fare. When in doubt, you can always answer “Christmas” and you’ll get to try bothǃ

Learn more about the Taos and Santa Fe Tour, and the   Hub and Spoke Santa Fe Bike Tour

Washington San Juan Islands

Washington’s fetching San Juan Island archipelago consists of more than 100 islands and islets nested at the northwest corner of the state. Along with some of the most scenic vistas in the state, the San Juan Islands are known for their fertile farmlands, vibrant culinary scene, and active artist community. Local sourcing rules the scene here. After all, the islands are smack in the middle of some serious bounty, from fertile island farms to the nearby Skagit Valley to an abundance of waterborne delights like oysters and halibut. This gourmet archipelago has everything a foodie could possibly want — coffee shops, innovative dinners with ingredients from land and sea, wineries, breweries and bakeries. (Every fall, there’s a seven-week food festival here called Savor the San Juans!)

Learn more about Cycling the San Juans

Cuba Clasico Bike Tour

Visit Cuba to get a taste of the vibrant local cuisine — a blend of Spanish, African, Native Taino, and Caribbean ingredients and cooking styles. Typical Cuban dishes are highly seasoned and not spicy. The cuisine is often centered around cuts of meat that have marinated for hours or even the day before cooking. While many cultures add sauce after the meat is cooked, Cubans let the flavors soak in by slowly cooking and heavily marinating chicken, pork, and beef for extra depth and complexity. From ropa vieja (tender shredded beef cooked in tomatoes and served over fluffy white rice) to simple arroz con frijoles (rice and beans), you’re sure to find yourself a new favorite Cuban dish on this tour. And don’t forget the drinks! Try a fresh coconut, or enjoy a mojito with local rum to cool down after your ride.

PS: The most popular food in the US bearing the Cuban name is the Cuban sandwich. It was not, in fact, created in Cuba. It’s a Cuban-American sandwich that was created in Tampa and popularized in Miami.

Learn more about Cycling Cuba

Gettysburg and the Civil War

You’re probably not counting Gettysburg, Pennsylvania as a foodie paradise. But this bike tour through Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia has world-class dining opportunities. On the second night of the tour, we visit the historic Antrim 1844 and dine at the Smokehouse Restaurant. (Named Best Historic Restaurant in America by Historic Hotels of America and USA Today Best Readers’ Choice Winner for Best Hotel Restaurant in 2020).

Executive Chef, Ilhan Erkek uses the freshest and finest ingredients to masterfully create French American cuisine to the delight of novice diners. Additionally, they have one of the largest wine cellars on the East Coast with over 17,000 bottles of wine representing 2,400 renowned selections from famed wine regions around the world.

Learn more about Cycling Gettysburg & the Civil War

Cycling Florida’s Suncoast

With a combination of traditional favorites—the Tampa area is legendary for its smoked fish and Cuban fare—and the offerings of edgy young chefs who have moved to the relatively inexpensive city to hone their crafts, St. Pete is tailor-made for food-loving travelers.

Of course, seafood is a must on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Plenty of restaurants here serve exquisite seafood dishes like fresh oysters, coconut shrimp, tuna tartare and crispy calamari. And if you’re not a fan of fishy food, there’s plenty else in the city to eat as well. Beach Drive and Central Avenue feature alfresco dining; one of the most highly praised restaurants located on Beach Drive is The Moon Under Water. Visitors love the scrumptious curry dishes, chicken pot pie and fish and chips at this eclectic restaurant. You can also get the best Cuban sandwich in Florida at Bodega Comida Cantina Cafe.

Learn more about Cycling Florida’s Suncoast

New York Finger Lakes

If you’re looking for the best of the best in an upscale dining experience there are a number of great options in the Finger Lakes region. On our tour through the Finger Lakes, we have dinner at Veraisons Restaurant at Glenora Wine Cellars. This refined restaurant, with a sweeping view of the vineyards and lake, is a wonderful fine dining experience. Veraisons is a from-scratch kitchen. All of its meats, produce, and cheese come from local farms, and the fish is sustainably sourced as well. They pickle, preserve, and put away local fruits and vegetables for the coming months, as well as make their own condiments, sauces, and dressings.  The bread is sourced from several local bakers and the desserts are designed and made in-house, including pastries and custards. Pair that with a glass or two of Finger Lakes wine, and you’re set to have a delightful evening.

On this tour, we also have the chance to visit Ithaca, the bustling small town that’s home to Cornell University. We crunched the numbers and it’s true: Ithaca, NY has more restaurants per capita than New York City! It’s a delicious statistic that hints at the variety of local restaurants and tells us something fundamental in the Ithaca psyche–Ithacans are passionate about food. Ithaca features an incredibly diverse line up of restaurants, including Mediterranian, Ethiopian, and Asian inspired options.

Explore Four Days in the Finger Lakes or extend your vacation to Six Days

Kentucky Bike & Bourbon Tour

Kentucky was farm-to-table before farm-to-table was cool. You can definitely get your southern classics out in the country, you’ll also get the chance to visit Lexington. In the city, try re-imagined Southern staples coupled with inventive bourbon-infused creations that lend a unique Kentucky quality to Lexington’s cuisine that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

Want more bourbon with your bourbon? There’s a lot of bourbon in Kentucky, and lots of people who love it. So folks there have become pretty dang good at infusing things with America’s native spirit. Try out bourbon-glazed meats, bourbon ice cream, bourbon bread pudding, bourbon barrel-brewed beer, bourbon balls, bourbon vinaigrettes, bourbon-soaked cherries… Some might call it an obsession. But here in the heart of Bourbon Country, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Learn more about Kentucky Bike & Bourbon

Whatever your taste for food or adventure, you definitely won’t go hungry on any of our fully-supported bike tours! We focus on local food that’s delicious, healthy and filling. Remember, you’re free to request whatever you like, and we’ll do our best to get it!