Bike Tour Reviews: Greece The Peloponnese Peninsula
Self guided from EUR € 996
Description:
This is a fascinating bike trip for the admirers of Greek Archaeology and cultural experiences. It is unique as you start biking high in the mountains but end up cycling next to the sea for a couple of days. It combines the magnificent fir trees of…
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★★★★★ Julane June 26, 20185 Stars!
5 Stars! We highly recommend Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula for its incredibly beautiful and spectacular landscapes, ancient history, significant archeological sites, and charming hotels in charming towns. Every Greek we met was friendly and helpful; the food was fresh and tasty; the culture was interesting. We were fortunate to be on this tour during Easter week and were able to observe several traditional practices including a religious procession and a community concert. The services offered by the local tour company, Arcas Travel, were top-notch: GPS routes along the coast, up and down mountains, through olive and citrus groves; well-maintained bikes; transfers to the start and finish of the tour; assistance a phone call away. It was a perfect cycling holiday!
- What was the date of your tour?
- March 31, 2018
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Ann Hippe 6 months ago
Great way to experience rural Greece
We really enjoyed the tour. The small towns we stayed in were a delight to explore and the hotels were in good locations and had great character. When we had questions about the bikes or other issues, the tour company was very responsive and helpful. I would definitely recommend this bike tour to anyone. Most of us had e-bikes which were very much appreciated as there were climbs that were a bit challenging
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ James Krause May 10, 2023
Greek hospitality and history combine to make this an unforgettable experience
How better to learn than while enjoying something so good for the body? This trip, our third biking adventure, feeds the muscles and mind. The hospitality enjoyed was, without question, some of the best enjoyed anywhere. This all leaves an enduring impression.
Stories are told as new ones are created. Over the course of this adventure, the Greek philosophers remind you of the value of a healthy body, healthy mind. History has a way of reminding us of our roots and progress. The journey was refreshing.
It was a tour of contrasts, high in the mountains, down to the sea. We experienced life in villages and larger centers. We felt safe throughout and the tour operators responded immediately to all questions or concerns. For us, little things matter much and we were satisfied by those enjoyed.
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★★★★★ James Krause May 10, 2023
Greek hospitality and history combine to make this an unforgettable experience
How better to learn than while enjoying something so good for the body? This trip, our third biking adventure, feeds the muscles and mind. The hospitality enjoyed was, without question, some of the best enjoyed anywhere. This all leaves an enduring impression.
Stories are told as new ones are created. Over the course of this adventure, the Greek philosophers remind you of the value of a healthy body, healthy mind. History has a way of reminding us of our roots and progress. The journey was refreshing.
It was a tour of contrasts, high in the mountains, down to the sea. We experienced life in villages and larger centers. We felt safe throughout and the tour operators responded immediately to all questions or concerns. For us, little things matter much and we were satisfied by those enjoyed.
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★★★★★ Beth Gray November 7, 2022
The best part of Greece!!!
We spent a couple of weeks touring Greece before heading to the Peloponnese Peninsula. What a great way to end our trip! The roads were beautiful, the hills manageable, accommodations were great except for one night where the location was fabulous, the hotel not so much. We met some great people who may be international friends from Amsterdam and Australia now!
Thank you Bike tours for another incredible ride and looking forward to the next. -
★★★★★ Peter Bachman October 26, 2022
Fabulous trip
There were eight of us on E bikes on a self guided trip. The bikes were great. The routing was excellent on small, mostly very low traffic roads. We rode about 30 miles a day and had plenty of time for sightseeing. We loved the food, wine and friendly people. The only downside was that we had several flat tires and the tool kits we were given were incomplete. So check them before you leave to make sure you have what you need. We would highly recommend this trip!
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★★★★★ Michelle Franks August 8, 2022
Absolutely fantastic!
We are so so impressed with everything about this trip! The planning, attention to detail, the hotels, the local guides, etc. Everyone was so helpful and the trip went off flawlessly. We did it in July during a heatwave and ended up switching to e-bikes halfway through, which was a great decision. ARCAS, the local bike company that took care of us in Greece, was absolutely wonderful and extremely accommodating. I did this trip with my 16 year old daughter, and it was perfect. This trip was a resounding 10/10!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- just this one!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Wendy Sigler August 3, 2022
Perfect explanation of trip. Could sound a little more magical.
The staff from the bike company was stellar and very responsive to any assistance we needed. The bikes provided were ok, they were a little grungy like they could use a tune up, but serviceable and once we got used to the battery configuration they were fins. The routes and stops were fabulous! The locals made the experience so enjoyable and special. My Only complain t was that one of our days fell on a country holiday which meant we couldn’t go to the cave, it was closed. We had no idea of this until the day the tour started and would t have known if it hadn’t come up in conversation, we would have ridden all that way to see the cave and been let down. It would be nice if the company provided a list of holidays and better indication of how it could affect the trip. There was a brief mention somewhere, but that would t have helped us, the actual holiday fell on a Sunday so got celebrated on Monday instead so it was unlikely we would have discovered it in our own.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Giro June 22, 2017
Great ride and amazing archaeology
The routes have nice variety and excellent scenery. The hills are moderate. There are nice opportunities to swim on a couple of the stages. The cave at Kapsia and The sites at Mycenae and Epidavros are really great. The hotels were the best we have had on a bike tour. The Greek people are remarkably friendly. Finally, the Arcas company is great. The bikes were Treks, the nicest we have had on a tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Purple Sneakers August 17, 2017
The Peloponnese
we were drawn into the sumptuous landscape of the Peloponnese from the first kilometers of our ride around Tripoli, as were taken (by GPS) intimately through a wonderful and beautiful landcape. the second day was largely a continuation of the first, until the farmland gave way to the coast. the following day was perhaps the most beautiful as we climbed along the coast reminiscent of Big Sur, though the water below was utterly, and achingly the turquoise color only found along the Aegean. the route eventually took us inland to the archaeological site of Argos on the Plain, and finally Nafplio, a small seaside village with a Byzantine past. it was a glorious day. while the remainder of the our riding revolved around the nearby archaeological sites—Mycenae and Epidaurus—the landscape remained the draw. an exceptional countryside, highly recommended.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 24 June - 1 July
- How many tours have you completed?
- many
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Brittanyatbiketoursdotcom October 19, 2017
The best of the mountains and the sea!
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member. The varied scenery on this tour continuously amazed me. Each day, we were cycling through orange, lemon, and olive groves. The fresh food was endless from fruit to cheese to lamb to seafood with olive oil at the center.
This is a well-rated level 3 tour with its rewarding daily hills. While cycling, we had a perfect view of the sea for miles traveling toward it while still in the mountains.The region is rich in culture and this tour opened my eyes to the ancient history of Greece. Some of the known archeological sites have been excavated and preserved while so many other sites are still buried under our feet. The people of Greece are as kind as I've met anywhere. They are lively, community-centered, and certainly welcoming to travelers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 7, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ LewB November 16, 2017
October Must Be Best
My wife and I totally enjoyed our first bike tour together with the very pleasant Peloponnese itinerary. We had beautiful views on quiet roads through villages and hills. Every effort biking uphill was rewarded on the downhill, and with nice flat stretches in-between. The four nights based in Nafplio gave us the time to enjoy the special charms of that town. The local operator was great and BikeTour's guidance is reliable.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 28 - Nov 4
- How many tours have you completed?
- None
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ KBogg June 20, 2018
Great itinerary
Well planned tour with excellent hotels
Local bike tour staff were amazing- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/24
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ kdorman June 21, 2018
Amazing Trip!!!
This was my first cycling tour - and it completely converted me - this is the best way to see/experience a country. Love the fact that you use local biking companies - they really know their country and how best to see it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 20-27th
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was my first!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ musicmama44 May 17, 2022
See the real Greece!
Our tour was the perfect blend of Ancient sites, beautiful nature and authentic Greek culture. The hotels we were put up at were all run by the nicest people and generally in great locations with easy walking to the center of the towns we were in. We especially enjoyed our stay in Nafplio. The local company helping us, Arcas, was easy to communicate with on the road. We experienced a broken chain on day 1 and they had someone out to rescue us in 30 minutes and a new bike by that evening. We did hit a national holiday 1 day and so the sites we were supposed to see were not going to be open, it happened to rain a bunch that day as well and we probably wouldn't have wanted to ride out there if it was open, so it worked out, but it would have been nice to have some pre trip notice or an alternative plan for a ride that day. Both companies, Arcas, and bike tours were great with answering our questions and helping us prepare for the trip. We had some specifics we needed help with like bed requests and we decided to bring our own saddles, and everyone got back to us with answers to our questions within 24 hours each time. The phone app used by the company does not require internet and gave easy turn-by-turn directions as well as historical info and all kinds of other trip info like where the hills were and far you had to go.
I have a little feedback about this particular trip if you need some particulars or aren't sure it is right for you. We are E bikers here in the US, we ride several times a week 9 months out of the year, mostly on a greenbelt system (10-25 miles range per trip). We are in our late 40's, in good health, could be in better shape and I have a knee injury that affects my riding. This trip was a 2 out of 4 difficulties, in my mind, this seemed more like what I thought a 3 would be, maybe a 2.5. While the riding was doable, it was definitely more challenging in spots than we anticipated. The batteries provided did not hold a charge as long as we expected so we were really having to push ourselves on the uphills more than we anticipated to ration the battery. Definitely download the manual for the control panel, there were all sorts of ways to customize its use as well as instructions about how to get it to recharge in the downhills, not a lot, but it did help. With the exception of the very first ascent which was very long, most of them were shorter, but the places to stop and recharge were far and few so you had to really watch your charge. The roads for the most part were back roads and/or unused older highways and that was wonderful, little to no traffic and wide open spaces and beautiful scenery. When you did have to be on a highway, however, there was a lot more traffic, and they were moving pretty fast, so it was a little intimidating at times.I'd say you were on main highways about 10% of the time, the rest was more remote. We don't do much highway riding here, I would absolutely do it again, this is just info that I would have found helpful. I think the difference in expectation on the difficulty of the trip had more to do with us and our vision than what was communicated to us, we are kinda wimpy, in other words! SHOW MORE
We would absolutely recommend a bike tour to our friends and family, we plan to do more and this trip was unforgettable and a great learning experience for us as well. If you want to see the real Greece (we met so many nice locals and ate SOOOO well), this is the way to do it.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- May1-8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Jim n Anne July 5, 2018
Follow In the Footsteps of the Ancient Greeks
This tour was scenic, engaging, varied, enjoyable, rewarding. The route was well planned; we would arrive at the highlight of each day's ride just at noon when the big groups had left for lunch so we didn't have to contend with crowds. The Greek people are friendly, happy, and agreeable. The routes were scenic and just challenging enough. The rental bikes were well suited for the terrain and conditions, and the available GPS was a valuable aid. We loved the accommodations, and the luggage service was flawless.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several dozen
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Tim and Lisa September 26, 2018
Wonderful trip
The route was fantastic, with gorgeous scenery, some amazing long downhill stretches, and major archaeological sites. Roads usually had little to no traffic and uphills were never overwhelming (I didn't ever wear the reflective vest I brought or have to walk). All of the accommodations, staff, and breakfasts were very nice and sometimes great. We enjoyed all of the suggested stops and towns we stayed in. It would have been impossible to come up with a comparable route on our own. The Trek bikes were in good shape. The only problem we had was that one day we encountered burrs or thorns which caused repeated punctures (apparently a seasonal hazard).
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/8/2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Darrell8 November 14, 2019
Beautiful Scenery
Excellent service that was provided by the local bike company, the gentleman was very friendly and gave us great information when asked. The bikes were excellent and all hotels were very nice with great breakfasts that was included in the rates. GPS were included so finding the right route was seamless.
There were lot of great sites to see along the way and the scenery was amazing.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 5,2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Tony123 October 27, 2019
Excellent itinerary
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 12-19
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ GRL3 October 21, 2019
Fantastic trip thru Greek Peloponnese
This is a must do trip. One of our best ever. The scenery, accommodations, rental company and everyone we interacted with were 5 star in every way. Bikes were great, GPS systems worked fine, and the routes were as expected. They really focus on keeping you off the main roads as much as possible, but even when you were on the main roads, ALL drivers were very courteous and gave lots of room. Absolutely no issues with anything, and we would definitely recommend it to anyone wishing to see the beautiful Peloponnese Peninsula the right way (by bike). Yes, there were some hills to climb, but nothing insurmountable, and it was always rewarding to come down!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
