Name: Road Cycling the Peloponnese and the Saronic Islands
Brand: SpiceRoads
SKU: GRC-PER

Trip Profile

We ride a total of 442 km over 7 cycling days, averaging around 63 km per day. Daily elevation gain averages approximately 850 m, with several longer days that combine steady climbing and extended time in the saddle. The route stays on paved roads throughout, moving from quiet mountain roads and rolling inland terrain to smoother coastal sections. You encounter a mix of sustained climbs, gradual ascents, and long, flowing descents, with the challenge coming from accumulated effort rather than any single extreme day. Distances and climbing vary from day to day, creating a natural rhythm across the week. Your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain ensures you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of water and refreshments along the way.

Suitability: This is an Endurance-level road cycling tour designed for experienced riders who are comfortable spending multiple consecutive days in the saddle. Daily distances average around 63 km, with several longer days, and regular climbing that builds steadily across the week. Riders should be accustomed to sustained efforts and comfortable managing cumulative fatigue over seven cycling days. Elevation gains are consistent rather than extreme, but the combination of distance and climbing requires a solid base of road cycling fitness and regular riding at home. This tour is best suited to cyclists who enjoy long, steady rides at a controlled pace and who feel comfortable riding on varied terrain, including rolling inland roads and longer climbs. While the itinerary allows for recovery and progression, it is not suitable for beginners or riders new to multi-day road cycling.

Biking Conditions: We ride entirely on paved roads, with the vast majority on quiet countryside routes, mountain roads, and secondary coastal roads. Road surfaces are generally good, though they can vary, particularly on rural inland sections where pavement may be rougher in places. While much of the route follows roads with minimal traffic, we regularly share the road with other vehicles, including cars, motorbikes, and occasional buses, especially near towns and along coastal stretches. Riders should feel comfortable cycling in mixed traffic environments typical of southern Europe. The route includes rolling terrain, sustained climbs, and long descents. Gradients are generally manageable, but some climbs are steady and extended, requiring consistent effort rather than technical riding skills. We generally ride rain or shine, but based on the guide’s discretion or your level of comfort, modifications to the planned route can be made. It’s all part of the adventure.

Accommodation: We stay in a selection of comfortable, well-located hotels chosen for their character, location, and suitability for a week of road cycling. Accommodation includes well-located hotels in historic towns and seaside locations, offering a comfortable and practical base after each day’s ride. Rooms offer private bathrooms and a practical level of comfort that supports recovery after long days in the saddle. Several hotels are within easy walking distance of town centres, waterfronts, or local restaurants, making it simple to step out in the evening and enjoy your surroundings without needing transfers. Breakfast is included each morning. We choose hotels experienced with cycling groups, focusing on cleanliness, quiet nights, and convenient access rather than luxury for its own sake.

Nuts & Bolts

Bikes

Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section. If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a road bike in good mechanical order. A small number of e-bikes are available on request. Sizes are limited, so please contact us before booking to check suitability.

Bike Repairs

Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.

Guides

You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.

The Nitty Gritty

Passports and Visas

Greece is in the Schengen Area. Citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand travel without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Citizens of the EU, Switzerland and Norway enter on a valid national ID card or passport. Everyone else should check with their nearest Greek embassy, since the visa-free list is long and we sell to more nationalities than the obvious few. Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the date you leave and must have been issued within the last ten years, a rule that catches renewed passports carrying months over from the old one. The Entry/Exit System is in operation, so on your first entry to the Schengen Area you'll register a facial image and fingerprints at the border in place of a passport stamp. A separate travel authorisation, ETIAS, will apply to visa-exempt travellers once it starts. Check the official EU page for the current position before you travel: Travel to Europe. Use government sites only. Paid look-alike authorisation sites exist and charge for nothing.

Health & Insurance

No vaccinations are required to enter Greece. The CDC recommends every international traveller is up to date on MMR: see the CDC's Greece page. Travel insurance is essential and has to cover cycling and medical evacuation, which matters on mountain routes where the nearest well-equipped hospital can be a long drive from the road. EU citizens should carry a European Health Insurance Card and UK citizens a Global Health Insurance Card, both of which give access to state-provided healthcare on the same terms as a Greek resident. Neither replaces travel insurance: they don't cover repatriation, evacuation, or treatment in a private clinic.

Weather

We ride Greece in April, May, August, September and October. The climate is Mediterranean, but the north and the Pindus run considerably cooler and wetter than the islands. Spring and autumn bring daytime highs of roughly 18 to 26°C (64 to 79°F) at lower altitudes. August is the hottest month by a distance, regularly above 33°C (91°F) away from the coast, with the mountains giving the only real relief. Weather at altitude changes quickly, and even in late spring a mountain pass can be ten degrees colder than the valley you left an hour earlier.

Food

Greek cooking is the Mediterranean diet as it's actually eaten: olive oil, bread, pulses, vegetables and whatever's in season. Moussaka layers aubergine and spiced meat under béchamel. Horta is wild mountain greens boiled and dressed with lemon and oil, and it appears on every table in the north. Grilled octopus, gemista of stuffed tomatoes and peppers, slow-cooked goat and thick sheep's yoghurt are staples, and the salad arrives with a slab of feta on top rather than crumbled through. In the mountains of Epirus and Greek Macedonia the cooking turns heavier: pies with hand-rolled pastry, beans, and cheeses from the high pasture. Meals are served family-style to share. We cater for dietary requirements when you tell us at the time of booking.

Drink

Tap water is safe to drink across mainland Greece. Coffee is a serious business: order a freddo espresso or freddo cappuccino in summer, which is what everyone around you is drinking, or a slow-brewed Greek coffee in the older cafés. Greek wine has come a long way and the north is where the good reds are: Xinomavro from around Naoussa is the one to order, firm and long-lived. Ouzo and tsipouro are the anise and grape spirits poured after a ride or with a plate of small dishes. Alcohol isn't included in the tour price.

Solo Travellers

SpiceRoads welcomes solo adventurers and does not charge a mandatory single supplement. We arrange for you to share a room with another traveller of the same gender. If no match is available, you receive a single room at no additional cost. If you prefer to guarantee your own private room for the duration of the trip, a single supplement is available at the rate listed in the tour pricing.

Extra Expenses

Greece is better value than most of western Europe, particularly away from the islands. Budget cash for meals and drinks outside the itinerary, entry to archaeological sites, monasteries and museums, and anything you buy along the way. Riders tend to come home with olive oil, mountain tea, honey, olive wood and the ceramics sold in the hill towns.

Tipping is customary but modest. In restaurants, rounding up or leaving 5 to 10% is normal. Check the bill first, since a service charge is sometimes included. Round up taxi fares. Hotel porters and housekeeping are usually given a small note. In a village kafeneio, leaving the coins from your change is plenty and nothing more is expected.

Money

The currency is the euro (€). Cards are accepted almost everywhere: hotels, restaurants, shops and even small tavernas now take Visa and Mastercard, and contactless is standard. Cash machines are widely available in every town and take international cards. Carry a small amount of cash anyway for village tavernas, roadside stalls, small entry fees and mountain places where the connection drops and the terminal stops working.

General booking info

If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:

FLEXIBLE BOOKING CONDITIONS

Booking a SpiceRoads cycling adventure is easy and we try to do everything possible to make sure you have full flexibility and peace of mind. We do not require a deposit to hold your place on a tour and once full payment has been made your money is protected in our client account and you have the flexibility to cancel or change your booking if needed.

CONFIRMING YOUR BOOKING

Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.

You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.

TRIP STATUS

There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.

BOOKING ONLINE

From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).

If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.

BOOKING OFFLINE

Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.

DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS

We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.

The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.

In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.

In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.

The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.

FULL FLEXIBILITY FOR TOUR CANCELATIONS

If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).

If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).

Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.

If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.

Loyalty Riders Club

For those who have been on several long tours with us, we reward customer loyalty by offering repeat customers a special discount off the tour price (excludes single supplement and bike rental). If this is your fourth scheduled tour or more you will receive a 5% discount. If this is your eighth scheduled tour or more we will extend a 10% discount. The discount will be reflected in your online booking, but please contact us if any questions. Loyalty discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Note: Only tours of 7 days or more will be applicable for a loyalty discount.

International Flights

International flights, to and from the start and finish points are not included in the tour price. Once your tour is Guaranteed to Depart you can book your flight. Please contact us for advice before arranging flights for the best arrival and departure times. We would only cancel a trip for an extreme circumstance, but in that case, where we cancel your trip, we cannot be liable for losses incurred relating to any flight booking you have made. Please claim any losses from your travel insurance that you acquired when you booked your holiday.

Our adventure travel e-newsletter is full of travel news, trip information, interesting stories and contests. To avoid missing out on special offers and updates from SpiceRoads, be sure to subscribe.

Trip Profile

Day 1: Meet in Athens – Warm-up Ride in Arcadia

We recommend arriving in Athens the day before the tour begins, giving you time to settle in and enjoy the city at your own pace. On the morning of Day 1, we meet at your hotel in Athens and begin our journey into the Peloponnese. On the way toward Arcadia, we pause at the Corinth Canal, a striking landmark that marks the transition from mainland Greece into the Peloponnese. From here, we continue inland toward the Tripoli area. We prepare the bikes and head out for a relaxed warm-up ride on quiet country roads, an easy introduction to the terrain and rhythm of the week. A light lunch is included along the way, giving you time to refuel before finishing the ride. In the afternoon, we transfer to the mountain village of Vytina, our base for the coming nights. After checking in, we gather for dinner and settle into the journey ahead. Please let us know if you would like recommendations for pre-tour accommodation in Athens or assistance with arrival arrangements.

Art Mainalon or similar

Lunch, Dinner

Ride 50km

+298m

-298m

Day 2: Arcadian Villages Loop from Vytina

Today we set out on a loop ride from Vytina, riding deeper into the mountainous heart of Arcadia. The route links a series of traditional villages, connected by quiet roads and surrounded by fir forests and open mountain scenery. We ride first toward Dimitsana, a historic settlement built along a ridge, before continuing on to Stemnitsa, known for its well-preserved stone houses and compact village centre. We stop here for lunch, with time to enjoy the village before continuing the ride. From Stemnitsa, the route leads through forested sections to the small mountain village of Elati, before the final stretch back to Vytina. With steady climbs and flowing descents throughout the day, the ride offers a rewarding sense of Arcadia’s terrain and rhythm. By late afternoon, we return to Vytina. The evening is free, giving you the flexibility to choose where and how you’d like to dine.

Art Mainalon or similar

Breakfast, Lunch

Ride 61km

+1368m

-1369m

Day 3: From the Arcadian Highlands to Nafplio

Today’s ride marks a clear shift in landscape as we leave the Arcadian highlands and begin our journey toward the coast. Departing from Vytina, we descend through the central Peloponnese, trading mountain roads and open plateaus for gentler terrain as we head south. The route passes through the plains around Tripoli before continuing toward the coast via Paralio Astros, where we stop for lunch by the sea. Along the way, the scenery gradually opens up, with longer descents and changing views that signal the approach of the coast. By the afternoon, we arrive in Nafplio, one of Greece’s most attractive historic towns, set along the Argolic Gulf. After checking in, there is time to explore the old town or relax by the waterfront before gathering again in the evening for dinner.

Liberty Hotel or similar

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ride 109km

+1294m

-2320m

Day 4: Riding into Ancient Mycenae

After our first night in Nafplio, we set out inland on quieter roads for a rewarding morning ride through the Argolid countryside. The route links a series of secondary roads and rolling terrain, offering varied riding as we make our way toward Mycenae. At Mycenae, we stop to explore one of the foundations of European civilisation, a Bronze Age power centre linked to Agamemnon and the world of the Trojan War. After the visit and lunch in the village of Mycenae, we continue on inland roads back toward Nafplio, completing a satisfying first part of the day in the saddle. In the afternoon, the pace shifts, with time to enjoy Nafplio’s old town, waterfront, or nearby beaches. For riders who want more, an optional loop follows coastal roads toward Tolo and along the Argolic Gulf before returning to Nafplio. The evening is free, with dinner on your own.

Liberty Hotel or similar

Breakfast, Lunch

Ride 47-94km

+334m

-333m

Day 5: Epidaurus to Poros

The day begins with a short transfer to Epidaurus, where we visit the remarkably preserved ancient theatre, still used for performances today. After the visit, we begin riding, leaving the hills behind as the route follows the coast south. The ride traces quiet seaside roads toward Galatas, with long views over the water and a steady rhythm that contrasts with the inland riding of previous days. Across the channel, Poros comes into view, the small island where we’ll spend the night. From Galatas, we take a short ferry crossing with our bikes, arriving directly into Poros harbour. We stop for lunch in Poros before the afternoon opens up. Those who want more time in the saddle can continue with an optional loop around the island, riding through pine forests and along coastal roads with wide sea views. Others may choose to stop on arrival and enjoy a slower afternoon on Poros. We settle in for the night on the island, with dinner together at the hotel.

New Aegli Resort or similar

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ride 70km

+1076m

-1384m

Day 6: Riding the Coast to Spetses

We begin the day by crossing back to the mainland, starting with a short climb away from the coast before the route settles into a full day of coastal riding. Quiet roads trace the shoreline, with brief inland rises through pine-covered hills breaking up long seaside stretches. Riding south, we pass through Ermioni, where we stop for lunch, then follow the coast toward Porto Heli. The day is shaped more by distance than by difficulty, with a steady rhythm that rewards patience rather than power. By the afternoon, we reach Kosta, where we take a short ferry crossing to Spetses. After arriving on the island and settling in, we come together for a farewell dinner, marking our final night as a group.

Spetses Hotel or similar

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ride 80km

+985m

-994m

Day 7: Spetses Island Loop and Departure

We begin the day with a loop ride around Spetses, following quiet island roads that circle the coastline and pass through pine-covered hills. The ride offers a fitting final morning in the saddle, combining gentle climbs with long stretches close to the sea. After the ride, we board the ferry to Piraeus Port (Athens), marking the end of the tour. Please let us know if you would like assistance with onward travel arrangements.

Breakfast

Ride 25km

+601m

-599m

Disclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.

Nuts & Bolts