Arizona Sonora Bicycle Tour

Enjoy miles of bike-friendly paths, ancient Saguaro cactus, and fascinating flora and fauna.

Destination

Arizona

Activity

Biking

Level

Intermediate

Duration

6 days/5 nights

From $2,998 PP

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Southern Arizona: Azure skies, endless vistas hemmed with 10,000-foot peaks. This is the land of Geronimo, Cochise and 250-year-old saguaro cacti, where the sweet scent of desert creosote flowers fills the air. Wildlife is prolific, from coyote to javelina, desert tortoise and rare birds. Ride sun-drenched bike paths and quiet side roads or try your legs and lungs on Mt. Lemmon. Hike through heart-stealing landscapes. Explore the fascinating Sonora Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park (East and West), the “Sky Islands,” Coronado National Forest, Tombstone, Kartchner Caverns and plenty more!

This tour is operated under special use permit/s with the Coronado National Forest and Saguaro National Park. Ciclismo Classico is an equal opportunity provider.

Tour Essence

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – Learn about the desert ecosystem as you walk the meandering paths of this beautiful outdoor museum.
The 8-mile Cactus Forest Loop in Saguaro National Park East – This loop is so delightful many guests do it twice!
Mt. Lemmon – You have the option to tackle one of the best (and biggest) road climbs in the US. Enjoy the dramatically changing scenery and the amazing views the whole way up.
Casa de San Pedro – one of our favorite accommodations of all our trips! In one of the best birdwatching areas in the states, see how many bird species you can spot.
Kartchner Caverns – Learn about these amazing caves and why they were kept secret for almost 2 decades after being discovered.

What to Expect

Start Location

Tucson, Arizona

End Location

Tucson, Arizona

Mileage

Average Daily: 37-47 Total: 223 - 283

Once you have a trip confirmed, we will feed you a steady diet of additional pre-departure information that includes: How to train, prepare, pack and all the wonderful, inspirational and practical things you want and need to know before you go! Our Travel Advisors will be available to help plan your pre- and post-tour travel.

All accommodations
All breakfasts, 5 lunch, 4 dinners
Van support
2 experienced guides
Bikes
Sonora Desert Museum
Kartchner Caverns
Hiking optional day on day 3

Road – Giant Defy Advanced 3 (Included)
Hybrid – Giant Fast Road SL1 (Included)
E-Bike Giant Fast Road E+ EX Pro (Not included. $200.)

All accommodations
All breakfasts, 5 lunch, 4 dinners

Sonora Desert Museum
Kartchner Caverns
Hiking optional day on day 3

Dates

2020

Nov 8-13

Available

Nov 15-20

Available

From $2,998 PP

$809 Optional Single Supplement

Book Now

Schedule A Call

Download Itinerary

Any of our tours can be made private. Contact us to learn more.

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Itinerary

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Start Location

Tucson, Arizona

Fly Into

Tucson, AZ

End Location

Tucson, Arizona

Fly Out Of

Tucson, AZ

Download Itinerary

STYLED MAP

Day1

Marvel At The Raptor Free Flight Show At The Sonora Desert Museum. Cycle Through Colossal Cacti In West Saguaro National Park.

Shuttle to the marvelous Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in time to see the Raptor Free Flight show while your guides prepare your bikes. Cycle quiet roads through West Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park from McCann Loop Rd to Gates Pass. Shake hands (metaphorically speaking!) with towering, some claim mystical, saguaro cacti – undisputed icons of the Sonoran Desert and a universal symbol of the American Southwest. Once in the city proper, we avoid the hectic streets by pedaling part of “The Loop” – Tucson’s delightful network of over 100 miles of urban shared-use paths. Cycle on The Loop all the way to the acclaimed Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, where we will spend the next three nights.

Meals Provided

Lunch, Dinner

Average Mileage

49 miles

Elevation Gain

2,400 ft

Meals Provided

Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

Relax and recharge at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, a top choice among Arizona luxury resorts. Whether you explore the best of Tucson or enjoy the stunning Catalina Mountain range, you can consider us your desert oasis.

Luxury Level

Day2

Cycle Rural Roads, Paved Paths And The "Cactus Loop" In Saguaro National Park East.

Today, we begin our ride at Le Buzz Café, a popular staging location and hangout for local cyclists. Follow rural roads on the outskirts of Tucson, stopping here and there to take in views of the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains to the north and east. Explore Saguaro National Park East on the 8-mile Cactus Forest Loop takes you on a cruise through the rare saguaro forests of this area. Some folks say they could do this loop all day long – and indeed, many take the time to ride it in both directions! Following a gloriously gourmet picnic lunch, ride back to Loews on The Loop, or hop in the van to shuttle if you wish. You may want to save time for a visit to the marvelous Tucson Day Spa, located onsite at Loews Resort.

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Average Mileage

44 miles

Elevation Gain

2,000 ft

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

Luxury Level

Day3

Choose Between A Hike Into Ventana Canyon Or A Challenging Ride Up Mt. Lemmon.

You have a hard choice to make today – a hike into Ventana Canyon, or a challenging ride up Mt Lemmon…? (Lunch and dinner are on your own.) Ventana Canyon’s accessible-but-untouched state is something of a rarity. For years it had few visitors because one had to get permission from private landowners to reach it; only recently has an easement for the general public been acquired. So, today, hike into the Catalina Mountains – through hillsides forested with saguaro, ocotillo, prickly pear and fragrant mesquite trees, high into this gorgeous canyon with its magnificent views. Watch for hummingbirds and bighorn sheep! If you prefer the cycling challenge, ride all or part-way up Mt. Lemmon – one of the biggest mountain-climbs you can tackle on a road bicycle. The good news is you don’t need to go all the way to the top for great vistas. Some of the best viewpoints occur after just a few miles of the climb. The round trip tallies some 60 miles with over 6800’ of climbing.

Meals Provided

Breakfast

Average Mileage

60 miles

Elevation Gain

6,250 feet

Meals Provided

Breakfast

Accommodations

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

Luxury Level

Day4

Cycle The "Sky Islands" To A Mountain Reservoir. Stay At An Inn Known For Its Diversity Of Birds And Butterflies.

Today holds plenty of surprises, as well as a total change of scenery! The first surprises are the vineyards of the Sonoita and Elgin areas of Arizona, south of Tucson. The rich soils of this region are almost a mirror image of those in Burgundy, France. The second surprise is the scenery of the “Sky Islands” high country. We say farewell to saguaros and hello to hillsides covered in manzanita, Gambel oaks, sycamore and yucca. Our route – a locals’ favorite – follows a twisting, traffic-free road to a refreshing mountain reservoir in Coronado National Forest. There is plenty of great riding here for you to enjoy as much or as little as you wish. Relax for two nights at Casa de San Pedro, home to over 355 species of birds and hundreds of butterflies. Enjoy a family-style Mexican dinner tonight.

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Average Mileage

49 miles (or less)

Elevation Gain

3,900 ft

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations

Casa de San Pedro Bed and Breakfast

An enchanting oasis surrounded by the beauty of Southern Arizona

Enjoy fine cuisine, comfortable accommodations and breathtaking scenery… Casa de San Pedro – A Naturalists Haven in SE Arizona.

Luxury Level

Day5

A Bicycle "Brothel," A Border Wall, And Bohemian Bisbee.

Shuttle to Naco – a tiny town cut in two by the USA/Mexico border for a look at “The Wall” before we begin pedaling north into the hills. Stop in artsy, bohemian Bisbee, home to the Copper Queen Mine, source of some of the world’s highest-grade copper ore. If copper isn’t your thing but vintage bikes are, you won’t want to miss chatting up the proprietor of the “Bicycle Brothel” bicycle museum, otherwise known as “retro-grouch” heaven. Yes, we use the term affectionately – after all, some of us owned, rode and loved these beauties when they were state-of-the-art! Don’t get too caught-up in the memory lane of hand-made lugged frames and the elegance of friction shifting though, there’s more beautiful riding this afternoon as we continue over Mule Pass and return to Hereford for another night at tranquil Casa de San Pedro.

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Average Mileage

48 miles (or less)

Elevation Gain

2,400 ft

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations

Casa de San Pedro Bed and Breakfast

An enchanting oasis surrounded by the beauty of Southern Arizona

Enjoy fine cuisine, comfortable accommodations and breathtaking scenery… Casa de San Pedro – A Naturalists Haven in SE Arizona.

Luxury Level

Day6

Pedal To Historic Tombstone. Visit Kartchner Caverns, A Stunning Limestone Cavern System.

Bicycle side roads to the Old Wild West in Tombstone. Once you’ve had your fill of this frontier boom-town, continue on to Kartchner Caverns, which boast world-class cave formations considered to be the best of their kind in the entire world. This cave was kept a secret for 14 years to protect it. In 1985, Governor Bruce Babbitt secretly left the state capitol with two bodyguards and spent three hours crawling through the cave’s tight passages to reach the cave’s showcase chambers, including the Big Room, Echo Passage, and Cul-de-sac Passage. Open only since 1988, it is now a fascinating state park. Explore the caves, then head back to Tucson for your re-entry into the “real world.”

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch

Average Mileage

30 miles

Elevation Gain

1,100 ft

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodations

Arizona Sonora Bicycle Tour

Luxury Level

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Arizona Sonora Bicycle Tour

Enjoy miles of bike-friendly paths, ancient Saguaro cactus, and fascinating flora and fauna.

Download a Detailed Itinerary

Destination

Activity

Level

Duration

Tour Essence

What to Expect

Start Location

End Location

Mileage

What's Included

Dates

2020

Itinerary

Start Location

Fly Into

End Location

Fly Out Of

Marvel At The Raptor Free Flight Show At The Sonora Desert Museum. Cycle Through Colossal Cacti In West Saguaro National Park.

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

Cycle Rural Roads, Paved Paths And The "Cactus Loop" In Saguaro National Park East.

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

Choose Between A Hike Into Ventana Canyon Or A Challenging Ride Up Mt. Lemmon.

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

Cycle The "Sky Islands" To A Mountain Reservoir. Stay At An Inn Known For Its Diversity Of Birds And Butterflies.

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

Casa de San Pedro Bed and Breakfast

A Bicycle "Brothel," A Border Wall, And Bohemian Bisbee.

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

Casa de San Pedro Bed and Breakfast

Pedal To Historic Tombstone. Visit Kartchner Caverns, A Stunning Limestone Cavern System.

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

Arizona Sonora Bicycle Tour

Meet Our Guides

From the Blog