Road Cycling the Peloponnese and the Saronic Islands

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.

Hotels: 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.

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.

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

FLEXIBLE BOOKING CONDITIONS

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.

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