Maine Bike Tours!

6-Day / 5-Night Bike Tours

Inns

• The Claremont Hotel, Southwest Harbor
• The Manor House Inn, Bar Harbor

Dates

• Jun 15-20, 22-27, 29-Jul 4
• Jul 6-11, 13-18, 20-25, 27-Aug 1
• Aug 3-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-29, 31-Sep 5
• Sep 7-12, 14-19, 21-26, 28-Oct 3
• Oct 5-10

Itinerary / Distances

• Sun: Arrival Day
• Mon: 22 or 26 mi (35 or 42 km)
• Tues: 21 or 27 mi (34 or 43 km)
• Wed: 20 or 25 mi (32 or 40 km)
• Thurs: 14 or 27 mi (22 or 43 km)
• Fri: 18 mi (29 km)

Rates

• Tour Cost: $1595

Deposit

$300 per person. Final payment due 60 days prior to your tour (personal check, Visa or MasterCard)

Bike Rental

$100

Single Supplement Fee

$500

What's Included

5 nights of lodging (double occupancy); 5 breakfasts and 4 dinners; detailed maps and itineraries; 2 experienced guides; full van support; transfers during the tour; and the cost of all ferries and excursions and most entry fees. Airfare is not included.

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel...
(a) at least 61 days prior to your tour we will return 100% of your tour payments;
(b) 60 days or less from the date of the tour you must pay the full tour price.

Should Bike Vermont have to cancel your tour we will refund all your tour payments immediately as full settlement.

We strongly recommend you purchase Trip Cancellation Insurance and will send you an application form with your Confirmation.

We strongly recommend you purchase Trip Cancellation Insurance as soon as possible. A detailed comparison of trip cancellation insurance policies and prices is available online and links for these sites are available at the end of the reservation page. We recommend CSA Travel Protection based on their rating by Consumer Reports. We will also send you an application form with your Confirmation.

Terrain

Easier to Intermediate

• Average Daily Mileage: 19 mi (30 km)
• Average Daily Mileage with Options: 25 mi (40 km)

Lobster boats, peaceful fishing villages, quiet harbors, dramatic crashing seas, whitewashed lighthouses perched on rocky shores, evergreen forests and open meadows, fresh seafood, artist galleries, whales and seals - these are images of a Coast of Maine that does, in fact, exist, and our tour takes you there.

Our Coast of Maine tour is based on the island of Mount Desert, the third largest island on the eastern seaboard (connected to the mainland by a bridge) and surely the best place for gentle cycling in all of Maine. We spend our first two days cycling the island's "quiet side" enjoying breathtaking ocean scenery and exploring villages such as the boatbuilding center of Southwest Harbor, the yachting mecca of Northeast Harbor, and the commercial fishing village at Bass Harbor. We visit Bass Head Harbor Lighthouse, and take our bikes by ferry to Swans Island where we cycle past picturesque Burntcoat Harbor on our way to a picnic at Hockamock Head Lighthouse. In the evening we treat you to a real Maine lobster feast while you enjoy a grand view of yachts, sailboats, and fishing boats out on their moorings.

We next ride into Acadia National Park, truly a cyclist's paradise. Over fifty miles of carriage roads wind gently through pine scented forests and lovely stands of beech and maple, curving around sparkling freshwater lakes, secluded ponds, meadows and marshes, and offer us spectacular views of the surrounding granite peaks and cliffs. Our cycling also takes us past miles of seascapes and shoreline, past Thunder Hole, and around Otter Point, and Hunter's Head. We visit deep quiet coves and rocky points with pounding surf, see all sorts of ducks, geese, and puffin while in the distance seagulls dive along the wake of fishing boats heading back to port. In addition to all the superb cycling, we also include an afternoon of professionally guided kayaking along the islands and quiet inlets of Pretty Marsh Harbor.

For many, a highlight of the tour will be the town of Bar Harbor. Situated on the shores of Frenchman's Bay, "downtown" Bar Harbor is brimming with stores, craft shops, museums and galleries, including the famous Robert Abbe Museum with its fine collection of local Native American artifacts. One of your nights you are "on your own" to select from the wide variety of excellent restaurants and after dinner you may be treated to a band concert on the town green, take in the varied nightlife, or enjoy an evening stroll along mile-long Shore Path while looking at the boats, the ocean vistas, and the handsome estates that border the ocean.

Finally, we enjoy all this while staying at two superb inns. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday we are guests at the renowned Claremont Hotel, located on a lovely harbor on Sommes Sound. Wednesday and Thursday we stay in the town of Bar Harbor at the Manor House Inn, a former 22-room mansion perfectly situated on a quiet tree-lined street that is within easy walking distance of all that Bar Harbor has to offer.