Bike Odyssey is a boutique tour operator specializing in epic cycling adventures. We run five to seven itineraries a year in locations across the world. All tours are expertly guided and based on historical journeys or figures. Bike Odyssey was conceived in 2009 by archaeologist, historian, and television personality Sam Wood, who designs all the routes and has led tours around the world for the last decade. Sam worked for the British Museum as well as directed archaeological excavations around the world from the ruins of Pompeii, to uncovering tombs in Cyprus, to mapping the lost ships of the Bermuda Triangle. However, he is best known for presenting the popular BBC documentary series “On Hannibal’s Trail.” Combining both academia and adventure, he is a real live Indiana Jones! The tours reflect Sam’s love of history and a passion for seeing the world by bike. He believes there is no better way to experience a country and built the company to share his passion with guests.
Unlike other cycling tour operators, which offer a smorgasbord of tours often subcontracted to other operators, we put full focus on five to seven tours a year, resulting in well-researched and perfectly executed journeys. Features you can expect on every tour:
Riding that will exhilarate and challenge, taking you across countries and continents on the smallest and safest roads for maximum pleasure.
Exceptional History
We love a good story and we believe adding historical and cultural context only enhances the journey. You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy our trips; guests are always pleasantly surprised at how our guides present the history in such fun and relevant ways. We have historians, authors, archaeologists, local experts and historical adventurers, all bringing the history alive for guests on tour to add depth, appreciation, and understanding of the areas we explore.
Exceptional Food and Wine
During a challenge, you need good food to sustain you and why shouldn’t this be as much pleasure as the ride? There is no better functional and enjoyable window into a culture than through its local gastronomy. Each day our guides source food from fromageries, panaderias and souks, to create sumptuous picnics which guests love. Riders eat, enjoy, and pedal on. Dinners are for serious eating, exquisite three-course experiences, whether at family-run or Michelin-star restaurants carefully selected by our knowledgeable staff who know the best places along our routes.
Exceptional Accommodations
High-end, unique, and memorable. A huge amount of research and thought goes into our lodgings because every evening experience and night’s sleep should set you up for another great day. We search for accommodation of a high standard, but also places which are intriguing, historical, and an experience in themselves, such as castles, monasteries, paradores, riads, and treehouses (yes, we know of five-star treehouses!). Pair this with a fantastic meal and a massage from our on tour soigneur and you will never feel more rested and ready for adventure.
Exceptional Tour Leaders
We design our routes with our tour Leaders and create a journey which they love and know intimately, so they can give you the best experience possible. Soigneurs, historians, sommeliers, bike mechanics, linguists—they cover all bases to make your trip smooth and unforgettable.
A ‘typical’ guide team (ratio 1 guide to 6 guests)
•Sam Wood - Archaeologist, historian, BBC TV presenter, and long-distance cyclist.
•Bruno Ramain - Sommelier, France Specialist, linguist, and 20-year tour guide veteran.
•Carla Doyle - Soigneur and national level triathlete.
•Max Hofman - Linguist, Mechanic, South American specialist, and exceptional motivator.
Bike OdysseyExceptional. Cycling. Adventures.
Exceptional Challenge
We don’t sit in the vineyards of Burgundy for a week—we travel from one point to another, having a rest day every four to five days. The trip is a journey, and you’ll learn not only about the areas you travel through but about yourself—new challenges, new interests, new friends, and new limits. Our guides are huge enthusiasts and motivators—they will bend over backwards to help you achieve more than you ever dreamed of. They will happily help you plan your day’s ride, bike fit your bike to you, give you riding tips along the way, change a tyre, give you a lift, or even push you up a hill now and then! Testimonials range from “it was the journey of a lifetime”, “to “it changed me forever”, to “Bike Odyssey is my family from here on in”. We have had guests who have never ridden a bike before to proficient riders who are up for a new challenge. Whatever the journey the guests want to be on, our guides will help them achieve their goals and more. Guests become our friends and achieve so much more than expected in their journey and return to us year after year.
Non-Riding Partners
Non-riding partners can present an obstacle to cyclists who want to take a long biking vacation but don’t necessarily want to travel without that partner. We have a non-riding option, allowing couples to travel along the route together. The non-riding partners have their own guide and van and do activities such as wine tastings, visits to museums, and exploring historical sites. Regrouping in the evening they share their days’ adventures over aperitifs and dinner. This combination makes for happy couples and brings interesting experiences of the route from two very different angles.
Tour Structure and Difficulty
Tours are between 14 days (Venetians) and 32 days (Lionheart) and can be ridden in sections (1 or 2 weeks). We ride 4 to 5 days before having a rest day or interlude day in a beautiful location. Tours range in difficulty averaging from 30 mile/50km a day to 70 mile/110km a day. On the road, we provide guides to help you achieve your goals for the day, as well as support vehicles for when you need a lift up the hill or an extra loop. We support riders to cycle as much or as little as you like each day.
