San Juan Islands Bike Tour
Bicycle Adventures provides an opportunity to explore the beauty and wonder of the San Juan Islands. The trip brings a small group of cyclists of all levels together to enjoy the rolling hills and stunning views, with robust support of caring guides and simple, but ample accommodations and quaint local restaurants.
Exceptional guides have knowledge of the area and provide the best experience possible. If you want a true cycling vacation, sign up, have fun, and go with the flow!
A fantastic tour with wonderful scenery, good meals, great guides and super van support. The kayaking day was a definite plus. The frosting on the cake was the float plane flight from Friday Harbor to Seattle.
Every need was anticipated and met. The group was amazing and guides were excellent. I was nervous about managing the mileage but it was broken up to manageable intervals. This was my first trip and I can’t wait to go again.
Amazing guides and perfect rides! Wonderfully pampered and physically challenged, I feel like I picked the perfect company and location!
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
- A 6-day, all-levels bicycle tour of Fidalgo, Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands.
- We pick you up and return you to Seattle, Washington.
- Pedal on pastoral Lopez – the “cyclist’s island.”
- Bike or hike to the summit of Mt. Constitution for panoramic views of Puget Sound.
- Take a wildlife cruise between islands and go kayaking with naturalist guides.
- From Friday Harbor, cycle around San Juan Island – famous for whale watching, lighthouses, and historic Roche Harbor.
- Return to Seattle via float plane to beat the city traffic!
Come see where Bicycle Adventures began! Over 40 years ago, this was the first (and only) tour we offered, and we are happy to report that the islands have withstood the test of time! You can still cycle on pastoral roads beside sparkling waters, enjoy amazing vistas, hike through an ancient forest, and see whales and other wildlife. To get you out on the water – an essential part of any San Juan Islands experience! – we spend a half-day kayaking coastal waters with naturalist guides and take a wildlife cruise (both are included in the tour price). Spend three nights in charming Friday Harbor with plenty of time to visit the Whale Museum (entry included). In short, experience the very best of life on the Salish Sea and top it off with some award-winning lodging and fresh island cuisine! At the end of your tour, we get you back to Seattle without additional shuttles or battling Friday afternoon traffic. Just hop aboard our chartered float plane (also included with your trip) for a spectacular flight over the islands straight back to Seattle!
COMPARE! First, get picked up and returned to Seattle! (Most companies don’t do either.) We offer more inclusions on this tour than any of our other offerings. In addition to cycling and hiking, we also include Kayaking, Wildlife Cruise, Whale Museum entry, and a Float Plane Ride!
National Parks on this tour: San Juan Islands National Historic Park
Itinerary
Day 01
Explore Fidalgo Island, then hop aboard a ferry to sail away to Lopez Island.
Meals
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Edenwild Inn
Distance
30 miles
Elevation
+1316 ft / -1145 ft
Meet us in Seattle for a complimentary van shuttle north to Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island. Ride along the shores of Padilla Bay. Contemplate nature’s horizons against the skyline of industry as flocks of birds from the wildlife refuge circle a neighboring oil refinery. Our first ferry of the day takes us to Lopez Island. Ride to Spencer Spit State Park, Fisherman Bay and Lopez Village, the heart of Lopez. Spend two nights in pampered luxury at the historic Edenwild Boutique Inn. Their fresh, gourmet breakfasts and convenient location make it a top choice for an island getaway!
You can read more about the Washington Ferry System here: http://www.wsdot.com/ferries/
Day 02
Ride around Lopez Island. Enjoy stops at Agate Beach and Watmough Bay.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Edenwild Inn
Distance
38 miles (or less, or more)
Elevation
+2,171 ft / -2,174 ft (or less, or more)
Explore Lopez Island today with no ferries to catch! Lopez is the least hilly, most rural, and least populated of the three main San Juan Islands. It’s also considered the ‘bicyclist’s island’ for its quiet roads, gentle terrain, spectacular marine vistas, and friendly residents who wave as you bicycle past. Ride counter-clockwise around the island. Listen to the sound of the waves gently stirring the rocks on the shore at Agate Beach before continuing on to Watmough Bay (watch for seals!). This is a great day for views of the Olympic Mountains and looking ahead to some of the places you will explore this week.
Day 03
Hike or bike to the summit of Mt. Constitution, highest point in the islands, followed by a wildlife excursion to Friday Harbor.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Lodging
Friday Harbor Suites
Distance & Elevation
Mt. Constitution hike – Short and easy or up to 4.3 mi · +2300 ft
Mt. Constitution ride – 11.1 mi · +/- 2,001 ft
Take a short Washington State Ferry cruise to Orcas Island, the largest and most mountainous of the San Juans. Shuttle (or pedal) to Cascade Lake at Moran State Park. Hike through the last remaining old-growth forest in the islands up to the summit of Mt. Constitution, the literal high-point of the San Juans! Prefer to ride? Challenge the switchbacks on the road to the top of “Mt. C” instead of hiking the trail. It’s one for the books! Either way, your reward at the top is a marvelous view of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges with the emerald archipelago flung out wide below. Instead of taking the ferry to San Juan Island in the afternoon, we hop on a 3-hour wildlife tour (included). After the excursion, the boat will drop you off in Friday Harbor where Friday Harbor Suites will be our home for the next three nights. Enjoy dinner on your own in Friday Harbor.
Day 04
Kayak to Turn Island with San Juan Kayak Expeditions.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Friday Harbor Suites
Distance / Elevation
10 miles · +762 ft / -773 ft
Kayak the calm waters of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea today. Our sister company, San Juan Kayak Expeditions, will provide two-person kayaks, guides and instruction. Spend today watching and learning about the abundant bird and marine life along the rocky, tree-lined shore of San Juan Island. Stop at charming and diminutive Turn Island for a picnic lunch and the opportunity for a nice 1-mile walk around the circumference of the island. After kayaking, we hop on our bikes for an easy 10-mile pedal around nearby Pear Point – a route so charming we do the prettiest part of the loop twice!
Day 05
Cycle San Juan Island via Cattle Point, American Camp, Lime Kiln State Park and Roche Harbor.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Friday Harbor Suites
Distance
43 miles (or less)
Elevation
+2999 ft / -3001 ft (or less)
Bicycle the serene shores of San Juan Island today, enjoying open farmland and marine vistas from quiet country roads. Savor views of the Olympic Mountains across the Strait of Juan de Fuca on your way to Cattle Point Lighthouse. On a clear day you can see all the way to Mt. Rainier as well – 125 miles! Have lunch at Lime Kiln State Park, one of the best orca (‘killer’) whale watching spots in the country. Visit a national historic park that was once part of the “Pig War” between England and the United States and stop by historic Roche Harbor on your way back to Friday Harbor.
Day 06
Visit English Camp for a hike or head to the Whale Museum before enjoying a traffic-free, float plane ride back to Seattle!
Meals
– Breakfast
Choose between visiting the Whale Museum (included) or joining us on an outing to English Camp this morning for a 2-mile hike to a viewpoint, or an easy stroll along the water. Afterward, have lunch on your own in Friday Harbor before we bypass the infamous Seattle gridlock – on a Friday afternoon, no less! – and return to the “big city” in style via a chartered float plane. Marvel at birds-eye views of Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountains, and Olympics as you soar over and past the traffic. The van will meet you in Seattle to take you to your flight or your hotel.
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Bikes (See our Guest Info Packet for specific bike make and model.)
Plan a fun pre- or post-tour escape to Washington’s national parks.
Our Sister company, Evergreen Escapes, offers small-group day tours to Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park, and Mt. St. Helens that provide a great way to see a little bit more of the Evergreen state before your bike tour begins, or after you’re out of the saddle.
Escape your every day and explore the wonders of the PNW!