The Spectacular Finger Lakes

Enjoy World-Class Vineyards, Stunning Natural Beauty and Charming Small Towns

Mighty waterfalls, rolling vineyards, farmland and historic villages: The Finger Lakes of Upstate New York has it all and more!

Destination

New York

Activity

Biking

Level

Intermediate

Duration

6 days / 5 nights

If you are a food and wine lover and have ridden in Napa, Tuscany, or the South of France, add the Finger Lakes to the top of your Bike Tour Bucket List. If you love big open views, silky smooth roads, and rolling farmland along stunning lakes, then this is the ride for you! Wine Connoisseurs take note: you will visit the Konstantine Frank vineyard whose founder, Dr. Konstantin Frank introduced vinifera to the region starting a winemaking renaissance in the region.

From $2,895 PP 6 days / 5 nights

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Explore the spectacular Finger Lakes and see why it’s earned the distinction as one of Travel and Leisure’s Top Travel Destinations! Home to almost 100 wineries and breweries, our bike tour weaves between three of the largest and deepest of the Finger Lakes–Cayuga, Seneca, and Keuka. You’ll visit unique and world class wineries, ride along the shores of lakes, view stunning waterfalls and visit fascinating sites including the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, the spell-binding Watkins Glen State Park, and Taughannock Falls State Park, home of the highest waterfall in the eastern US. The Finger Lakes Wine Country has a rich cultural history with ties to glassmaking, winemaking and viticulture, aviation and motorcycle history, literary history, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War. In addition to smooth and quiet cycling, this history provides unique cultural experiences. Foodies will be in heaven as food producers in the Finger Lakes make some of the freshest meats, cheeses, and shelf products to be found anywhere. We will visit area craft breweries and ice cream makers, plus wine tastings and an exclusive visit to the Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard on Keuka Lake, where the Finger Lakes wine revolution started. Bring your camera, your curiosity, and your taste buds!

Tour Essence

Daily rides along silky smooth roads that follow the shores of Cayuga, Seneca, and Keuka Lakes
Wine tasting at the world-class Dr. Konstantin Frank vineyard
Two-night stay at the Inn at Glenora Winery overlooking Seneca Lake
Visit the unique Three Brothers Winery, microbrewery, and cafe
Visit the village of Seneca Falls, where the women’s rights movement in the United States started
Ride across George Bailey’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” bridge
Ride the scenic Black Diamond Trail to visit 215-foot Taughannock Falls, the tallest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains.
Explore Watkins Glen State Park and its cascading waterfalls and breathtaking gorges
Visit the beautiful village of Hammondsport and its world-class museum dedicated to home-town boy Glenn Curtiss, a pioneer in aviation and bicycle frame building
Explore the vibrant college-town scene on the Commons in downtown Ithaca
Enjoy the Top Photos of the Finger Lakes

What to Expect

Terrain

Rolling Vineyards and Lake views

Start Location

Ithaca, NY

End Location

Ithaca, NY

Mileage

Average Daily: 45 Miles

Elevation

Average Daily: 1,750 Feet

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.

Van Support
The services of 2-3 bike tour guides
Accommodations for 5 nights
2 lunches, 4 dinners
Wine tasting at the world-class Dr. Konstantin Frank vineyard
Abundant Snacks
Ciclismo Classico Jersey
Cultural visits and tours

*Alcoholic beverages are NOT included

Bring your own! Bikes are not included for this specific trip.

Call us if you need a rental bike!

All accommodations, 5 breakfasts
2 lunches
4 dinners
Daily Support Stops in addition to lunch stops with snacks and hydration mix
Wine tasting at the world class Dr. Konstantin Frank vineyard

Wine tasting at the world class Dr. Konstantin Frank vineyard, plus stops at other Finger Lakes vineyards.
Visit to women’s rights crusade landmarks in Seneca Falls
Ride across the George Bailey “It’s a Wonderful Life” bridge in Seneca Falls
Visit to the Glenn Curtiss Aviation Museum in Hammondsport
Ride through the beautiful Cornell University campus in Ithaca
Visit to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
Visit to Watkins Glen State Park, with its spectacular gorge and Rainbow Falls
Visit Taughannock Falls, the highest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains.

Dates

2023

Jul 22-27

Available

Aug 6-11

Available

Sep 3-8

Available

Sep 10-15

Available

Oct 12-16

Private

Oct 15-20

Available

From $2,895 PP 6 days / 5 nights

$ 575 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

Download Itinerary

Start Location

Ithaca, NY

Fly Into

Ithaca, NY (ITH)

End Location

Ithaca, NY

Fly Out Of

Ithaca, NY (ITH)

Download Itinerary

STYLED MAP

Day1

Welcome to the Finger Lakes! Ride from Ithaca to Glenora.

Meet the group at 9 am in Ithaca, ready to ride! Today we will start our tour with a ride through Ithaca, then up and away from Cayuga Lake on the Black Diamond Trail, then overland through the southern part of the Finger Lakes region to Glenora winery and Inn north of Watkins Glen. The quiet roads and low traffic will let you relax and warm up for the wonderful week to come! We will enjoy lunch beside the impressive Shequaga Falls in Montour Falls, then pedal north to Watkins Glen State Park, the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks. Within two miles, the Glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. It's truly gorgeous! We'll walk through the refreshingly cool gorge to visit Rainbow Falls, known to be the most scenic of all the glens in the Finger Lakes region. Tonight, we will be staying at the Glenora Wine Cellars hotel, where your room will have a breathtaking view of Seneca Lake! Time to pour some wine and relax!

Meals Provided

Lunch, Dinner

Average Mileage

47 miles

Elevation Gain

2500 feet

Riding Terrain

Climbing at the beginning and end of the ride.

Meals Provided

Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations

Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars

Escape to one of 30 spacious and inviting guest rooms at The Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars, each beautifully appointed with Stickley furniture and brand new pillow top mattresses and box springs. Every room features a private balcony or patio with a view of the vineyard and Seneca Lake.

Luxury Level3 stars

Day2

Keuka Lake Loop

On today’s ride, we get a taste of the rolling farmland that makes this region such a perfect area to ride. The rolling ups lead to an incredible downhill to meet our third Finger Lake as we ride along the lovely shores of Keuka Lake. We stop in the tiny village of Hammondsport with its traditional Town Square surrounded by local lunch spots. Hammondsport was voted the “Coolest Small Town in America.” It’s also called "The Cradle of Aviation" and is home to The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, dedicated to the memory of the Hammondsport native, pioneer aviator, and housing such exhibits as a full-scale replica of the first naval aircraft and many original planes developed by Curtiss, who began his career as a bicycle messenger, racer, and bike-shop owner. After lunch, we head north on the west side of Keuka Lake through the heart of the Finger Lakes wine country to a very special visit to the Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard, one of the most prestigious and beloved wineries in the Finger Lakes and named one of the top 100 vineyards in the world! Dr. Frank introduced vinifera (classic European grape varieties) to the Eastern United States which ignited a winemaking renaissance in the region. Without the contributions of Dr. Frank, the Finger Lakes wine region would not be where it is today. The winery was established in 1962 and is now in its fourth generation of Frank family ownership. The winery's tasting room overlooks beautiful Keuka Lake and some of the oldest vinifera vineyards in America. In the afternoon we circle the north end of Keuka Lake and through the town of Penn Yan, then through verdant farmland and past Amish farmhouses before returning to the Inn at Glenora.

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Average Mileage

62 miles

Elevation Gain

2,650 ft

Riding Terrain

Flat to rolling, with one challenging climb.

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations

Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars

Luxury Level3 stars

Day3

Glenora to Geneva

Today we head north, enjoying views that alternate between open fields and vineyards with beautiful Seneca Lake in the background. Once north of Dresden, we take a turn, the lake disappears, and fields full of corn and other crops will remind you of the Great Plains. Then we’ll arrive in Geneva at the northern outlet of Seneca Lake with its beautiful lakefront park. Like Keuka Lake yesterday, the western shore of Seneca plays host to numerous wineries, and who knows where we may stop for some refreshment. (The Finger Lakes Region is home to over 100 different wineries!) After a lunch stop in Geneva, we ride on the scenic Cayuga-Seneca Rail Trail east to the historic community of Seneca Falls, where the Women’s Rights movement in America began with the first women’s rights convention. This meeting held in July of 1848 launched the women's suffrage movement that resulted in women winning the right to vote more than seven decades later. During our stay here you will have a chance to explore the Women’s Rights National Historical Park which pays tribute to our country’s history of women’s rights advocacy. Seneca Falls is also reputed to be the inspiration for the village of Bedford Falls in the iconic holiday movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” We ride right across the famous “George Bailey Bridge!”

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Dinner

Average Mileage

30 miles

Elevation Gain

1,100 ft

Riding Terrain

Gentle rolling and mostly flat

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodations

The Gould Hotel

In the heart of America’s Best Wine Region and adjacent to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, the Gould Hotel in Seneca Falls builds upon the building’s rich history of social importance in the Finger Lakes Region with a unique and fresh feel. This modern boutique hotel and its exceptional restaurant have again become a vibrant social center and premier destination for guests in the quaint village of Seneca Falls.

Luxury Level3 stars

Day4

Land Between the Lakes

Today we will enjoy a leisurely, straightforward cruise along the quiet roads in the “land between the lakes” – Seneca and Cayuga. This area is home to flat roads, beautiful views, and (surprise) several more of the wineries that make the region famous, including Ventosa, Zugibe, and Swedish Hill Vineyards. We will stop at the charming Three Brothers Winery – a distinctive culinary destination that houses three wineries, the War Horse brewery, and a cafe. Its vintage decor will delight you and we dare you to leave without some of its exclusive wine, beer, and distinctive Finger Lakes souvenirs. Don’t worry, we have plenty of space in the van for your purchases!

Meals Provided

Breakfast

Average Mileage

43 miles

Elevation Gain

1100 ft

Riding Terrain

Flat, flat, and more flat!

Meals Provided

Breakfast

Accommodations

The Gould Hotel

Luxury Level3 stars

Day5

Geneva to Ithaca

After breakfast today we will pedal out of Seneca Falls and around the north end of Cayuga Lake before turning south to head back to Ithaca along the eastern shore of the lake. At a length of 40 miles, Cayuga is the longest of all the Finger Lakes. We’ll make a rest stop in the small college town of Aurora, the current home of Wells College and the former site of Chonodote, an 18th-century village of the Cayuga Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. During the 19th century, Aurora developed as a minor center for manufacturing and was a stopping point for canal boats. As the area's economy expended it became a port, shipping produce from farmers in the region up Cayuga Lake, then by the Erie Canal to other major markets. After a stop in Ludlowville at the beautiful Salmon Creek Falls, we finish our ride back to Ithaca, with its distinctive, cosmopolitan college town atmosphere. Our comfy lodgings close to the vibrant downtown commons will let you fully experience all that Ithaca has to offer.

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Dinner

Average Mileage

56 miles

Elevation Gain

2,400 ft

Riding Terrain

Flat and gently rolling, with one challenging climb

Meals Provided

Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodations

The Hotel Ithaca

The beautiful, renovated Hotel Ithaca is in the heart of downtown Ithaca, adjacent to the Ithaca Commons and only steps away from an array of eclectic shopping and dining from around the world. The hotel’s Ithaca Social Pub & Grille offers gourmet dining onsite, while deluxe rooms and suites, an indoor heated pool, and a large state-of-the-art fitness center complete the services that make this the perfect place to start and end our tour.

Luxury Level3 star

Day6

Taughannock Falls Loop

For the final day of our Finger lakes tour, we will ride the gentle grade of the beautiful Black Diamond Rail Trail to Taughannock State Park. This trail was once the flagship passenger line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Black Diamond Express, a luxury passenger service that ran from New York to Buffalo. Experience a range of natural landscapes – from a towering canopy of mature maple, hemlock, oak, and hickory to views of pastoral agricultural lands, and dozens of ravines with the sounds of cascading waters all heading down to the picturesque Cayuga Lake. At the end of the 9-mile trail, we will bike to the top of Taughannock Falls, one of the outstanding natural attractions of the Northeast that plunges 215 feet past rocky cliffs that tower nearly 400 feet above the gorge. Then we’ll return to our starting point in Ithaca to conclude a tour you will remember for years and want to bring your friends to experience with you again.

Meals Provided

Breakfast

Average Mileage

29 miles

Elevation Gain

1,100 ft

Riding Terrain

Gentle incline, then downhill

Meals Provided

Breakfast

Accommodations

The Spectacular Finger Lakes

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The Spectacular Finger Lakes

Enjoy World-Class Vineyards, Stunning Natural Beauty and Charming Small Towns

Download a Detailed Itinerary

Destination

Activity

Level

Duration

Tour Essence

What to Expect

Terrain

Start Location

End Location

Mileage

Elevation

What's Included

Dates

2023

Itinerary

Start Location

Fly Into

End Location

Fly Out Of

Welcome to the Finger Lakes! Ride from Ithaca to Glenora.

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Riding Terrain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars

Keuka Lake Loop

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Riding Terrain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars

Glenora to Geneva

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Riding Terrain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

The Gould Hotel

Land Between the Lakes

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Riding Terrain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

The Gould Hotel

Geneva to Ithaca

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Riding Terrain

Meals Provided

Accommodations

The Hotel Ithaca

Taughannock Falls Loop

Meals Provided

Average Mileage

Elevation Gain

Riding Terrain

Meals Provided

Dramatic mountain views and fairytale towns