An adventure from the Emerald City to the Vancouver Islands—
Diverse outdoor opportunities, natural wonders, and unspoiled forestlands.
The Pacific Northwest is like no other place in America. Surrounded by water and anchored by the magnificent Olympic Mountains, this area encompasses three distinctly different eco systems: rugged glacier-capped mountains, wild Pacific coastlines and majestic stands of old-growth rain forests.
Bring your passport as we’ll be including the best of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Victoria offers a vibrant culture along with a treasure trove of cycling opportunities.
This tour also includes the San Juan islands, and several passages on the Washington State Ferry system. After all getting there is half the fun. So come visit and explore the lakes, waterfalls, rivers, mountains, beaches and rain forest with us!
View notes and highlights from our most recent Pacific Northwest trip.
Itinerary:
A typical Pacific Northwest schedule:
Please check back with us for our 2023 schedule
Arriving in Seattle, Saturday
Departing from Seattle, Saturday
Arrival Day 1 — Saturday Complimentary transportation will be arranged for you from the airport to the hotel in Anacortes, WA where we’ll spend two nights. When making your travel plans, please take into consideration it will take approximately two hours to get to Anacortes from Seattle.
Day 2 — Sunday: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll begin our cycling tour with passage via ferry to Lopez Island, located in the San Juan island chain. Lopez Island has a very low population of full time residents, so traffic is never an issue and life moves at a much slower pace here. Our tour takes us around the island on mostly flat terrain surrounded by forest, farmland and beautiful views of the bay.
Day 3 — Monday: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll drive our motor coach to Deception Pass, the most visited state park in Washington State. The landscape consists of rolling hills, beautiful views of the island, and a surprising amount of farmland. We’ll set out on foot across the twin bridge, set high above a dramatic seascape. From this vantage point we’ll see the ebb and flow of the currents that make passage for boats treacherous at times. Before we begin our bike tour we’ll take a short hike along the bluffs and forest to one of the mysterious coves below. The Deception Pass Bridge connects Fidalgo Island with Whidbey Island, home to an active Naval Air Station, where jets often conduct training missions. The jets are noisy, but very worth seeing. We’ll end the day exploring the quaint seaside town of Coupeville.
Day 4 — Tuesday: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll begin with a short bike tour of Fort Casey, with sweeping views of the Admiralty Inlet. There are three fortresses on our agenda, each built in the late 1800’s and considered very strategic to the defense of the Puget Sound area. We’ll take a short ferry passage to the quaint Victorian seaside town of Port Townsend, where we’ll cycle through a shipyard that restores many different types of large boats. Our tour continues through a state park that was once a U.S. Army base built to protect the original settlers. The terrain today is quite varied as we travel on bike trails along the shoreline, in and out of old growth, dense forests and along county roads. Our accommodations for the next three nights is in Port Townsend where we’ve chosen a unique, historic hotel for our stay in this charming city.
Day 5 — Wednesday: Today, we cycle to the second of the three fortresses, Fort Flager located on Marrowstone Island. As we cycle around the island we’ll be surrounded by saltwater shoreline with eagles and osprey fishing the waters of Kilisut Harbor. The Olympic and Cascade Mountains are in plain view and depending on the weather, there’s a possibility of viewing Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker in the distance. If possible we’ll arrange for a guided tour of the military hospital built in 1905. Lunch on the island offers menu items made from seafood harvested from the clear, saltwater bay and local artisan cheese from nearby dairies.
Day 6 — Thursday: Today is a casual day of cycling through town and into Fort Worden State Park, the third military installation built to protect the Puget Sound from a sea invasion. We’ll have a little time to hike around the bunkers and visit a small museum in the park. In the afternoon we’ll explore the shoreline of Port Townsend and the beautiful views of the Admiralty Inlet while enjoying a half day kayak tour.
Day 7 — Friday: Today begins with a short drive in the motor coach to the outskirts of the town of Sequim. We’ll begin our bike tour on one of the most scenic trails we’ve ever traveled. The scenery consists of farmland, old growth Fir trees, railroad trestles that cross over creeks and roaring rivers, and miles of paved trail into state parks and along the shoreline. We’ll then drive to the Olympic National Park for a one-night stay inside the park that include entry into the Sol Duc Hot Springs.
Day 8 — Saturday: Today, after breakfast we will spend some time in the Olympic National Park. We’ll cycle through the park and onto a beautiful paved bike trail through the forest. We will then take a three-mile hike through lush forests and along the shores of the beautiful and pristine Lake Crescent. The hike ends at a popular swimming hole where dare devils jump from rock cliffs into the lake. Feel free to join in the “fun” or take a quick dip if you’d like. Later, we’ll return to Victoria, Canada via ferry, where we will stay for the next three nights.
Day 9 — Sunday: After a complimentary breakfast, we’ll begin cycling to the seaside town of Sooke, through long stretches of forest and along side a lake shoreline. Be sure to pack your swimsuit, as our final destination is at the Sooke Potholes, a unique area of deep, polished rock pools that have been carved naturally into the bedrock of the Sooke River. We’ll have lunch in a local restaurant on the bay before we return to Victoria.Tonight we’ll enjoy the vibrant harbor scene located just outside our hotel.
Day 10 — Monday: Today, we take a day off from cycling to spend time exploring the beautiful city of Victoria. We always enjoy spending time near the harbor with its circus-like atmosphere and plethora of dining and entertainment opportunities to choose from.
Day 11 — Tuesday: Today, after a complimentary breakfast we’ll get back on our bikes and head to Butchart Gardens located a few miles outside the city of Victoria. We’ll cycle on a beautiful tree-lined, paved trail through varied terrain that is often so dense it feels like a jungle canopy. Today’s tour includes a half day at beautiful Butchart Gardens. Our day ends with a few additional miles of cycling before we arrive in the seaside town of Sidney.
Day 12 — Wednesday: Today, we’ll journey back to Seattle via ferry. Our Seattle tour includes the Seattle CityPass card that provides free entrance into many of Seattle’s best attractions.
Day 13 — Thursday: We’ll start the day with a tour of Seattle’s secret underground city that burned in 1889. We’ll then spend time near the waterfront enjoying Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium or ride The Seattle Great Wheel, the tallest Ferris wheel on the Pacific coast. Feel free to stay with the group or wander off and explore the city on your own.
Day 14 — Friday: Today, your CityPass card will get lots of use as we spend the day at Seattle Center with visits to the Space Needle and two unique museums, the Museum of Pop Culture (earlier known as the EMP Museum), and the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum. You may also opt to visit the Seattle Science Center as well.
Day 15 — Saturday: Today, it’s time to say goodbye, as our adventure comes to a close. We’ll provide transportation to the airport for your journey back home.
Fees:
ALL PRICING UPDATED AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE!
Tour Pricing:
Single Supplement:
e-Bike:
INCLUDED IN THE PRICE: Transportation to and from the airport in Seattle; All transportation within the scheduled tour, including transportation to Anacortes, and all ferry travel; All hotel accommodations while on the tour; 21-speed bike and helmet rental; Breakfast as listed on the itinerary (note breakfast is not included on a daily basis); All guides listed in the tour; Park fees in Butchart Gardens and The Olympic National Park; The Seattle CityPass Card.
NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE: Air travel, meals and beverages (other than what is listed above), and any additional tours or entertainment not scheduled on the itinerary.
If you are interested in this trip please let us know!