5 of the best cycling tours to take with a non-cycling partner

1. Bike And Barge: The Waterways of Venice with Girolibero

Best for couples wanting easy cycling alongside sightseeing, sailing and plenty of shared time off the bike.

Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore on Venice’s waterfront

Key information

Route: An eight-day linear bike-and-barge tour from Mantua to Venice, travelling through the Po Valley, Po Delta and Venetian Lagoon.

Terrain: Predominantly flat riding on paved cycle paths beside rivers and canals, plus quiet country roads.

Difficulty: Easy, with cycling days of 25 to 50 kilometres and very little elevation gain.

Highlights: Renaissance Mantua, Ferrara, the wetlands and flamingos of the Po Delta, Chioggia, Pellestrina, Murano and Venice.

Logistics: Available guided or self-guided, with seven nights aboard a riverboat, some meals, guided visits and sailing sections included.

Best time to visit: Departures run from March to October, giving you plenty of choice from spring through to autumn.

Tour page: Bike And Barge: The Waterways of Venice with Girolibero

The riding

This is cycling at a wonderfully unhurried pace. Starting in Mantua, the route follows rivers, canals and quiet roads across the Po Valley. Daily rides cover up to 50 kilometres, with very little climbing.

Along the way, you cycle through farmland to Ferrara, explore the wetlands of the Po Delta and reach colourful Chioggia before island-hopping through the Venetian Lagoon. The final riding day takes you across Pellestrina and the Lido, with a visit to a Murano glass factory before you make a memorable arrival into Venice by boat.

The barge is a big part of the experience rather than simply somewhere to sleep. It moves between sections of the route while you’re cycling and is waiting for you afterwards. This means no packing up every morning or carrying luggage between hotels. You can also choose between guided riding with the group or following the route independently.

What we love

Girolibero‘s bike-and-barge trips make a lot of sense when one half of a couple loves cycling considerably more than the other. The cyclist gets several days of easy riding through northern Italy, but the sailing, sightseeing and relatively short distances mean the holiday never feels completely dominated by time in the saddle.

There’s plenty here to enjoy together away from the bikes too, including Renaissance Mantua, Ferrara, colourful Chioggia, Murano’s glassmaking heritage and the islands of the Venetian Lagoon. The full free day in Venice is a particularly big plus, giving both partners time to explore one of Italy’s great cities without cycling being part of the plan.

What else they offer

Girolibero specialises in organised cycling holidays and bike-and-barge tours, primarily across Italy and France, with additional cycling trips elsewhere in Europe. They are masters at helping guests uncover the unexpected sights, from quiet paths to pink flamingoes, ancient architecture and quirky museums.

More information

• Cycling from Pisa to Florence, our article on another Girolibero tour that may suit couples where both people want a more traditional point-to-point cycling holiday.
• Our pick of the best self-guided tours in Italy, including details of where to ride, where to stay and how to book.
• Cycling Northern Italy, our guide to planning a cycling holiday in the region.
• Girolibero’s website including details of the Waterways of Venice tour.

2. The Land of Coffee with Beyond the Ride

Best for cyclists who want a serious riding challenge while their partner enjoys a dedicated cultural itinerary of their own.

Murillo (Tolima), included in the UNESCO-recognised Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, exemplifies the region’s living agricultural heritage. This is the last refuelling place before entering high mountain terrain. (Photo credit: Beyond the Ride)

Key information

Route: A seven-day guided tour combining three road cycling days through Bogotá, Alto de Letras and Colombia’s Coffee Region with shared cultural experiences and a parallel companion programme.

Terrain: Fully paved mountain roads through tropical valleys, coffee-growing hills and high-altitude Andean landscapes, with long climbs and fast descents.

Difficulty: Moderate to challenging, with rides of around 76 to 89 kilometres and the option to tackle the demanding 80-kilometre Alto de Letras climb.

Highlights: Alto de Letras, UNESCO-listed coffee landscapes, Salento, Filandia, Valle del Cocora, Manizales and Colombia’s distinctive cycling culture.

Logistics: Fully guided tour with premium bike hire, boutique accommodation, most meals, airport transfers, support vehicles, mechanical assistance, nutrition and daily sports massage included.

Best time to visit: December to March and June to August generally bring drier conditions, although the changing altitude means riders should be prepared for very different temperatures and weather within a single day.

Tour page: The Land of Coffee with Beyond the Ride

The riding

This tour combines one of Colombia’s great cycling challenges with the rolling roads of its famous Coffee Region. The opening ride drops from the cooler highlands towards the Magdalena Valley before the headline challenge: Alto de Letras, an extraordinary climb of roughly 80 kilometres that rises from tropical Mariquita to more than 3,600 metres in the Andes.

After a recovery day, the riding shifts into the Eje Cafetero, where coffee plantations, colourful towns and deep green hills replace the higher mountain landscapes. The Pereira to Montenegro loop passes through Filandia and Circasia, offering a more flowing ride while still delivering plenty of climbing.

Importantly, the tour isn’t simply about accumulating kilometres. Support vehicles, mechanics, nutrition and daily sports massage take care of much of the practical side, while an e-bike can also be requested. That lets riders concentrate on experiencing Colombia’s dramatic changes in landscape, altitude and culture rather than worrying about the logistics.

What we love

Of all the tours we share in this article, this is arguably the most naturally suited to couples where only one person rides.

Beyond the Ride runs two parallel itineraries, so while the cyclist tackles mountain roads, their companion can have a genuinely substantial holiday of their own with a separate guide rather than simply waiting around for the riding to finish.

Activities include coffee-farm visits, exploring Manizales and time in Valle del Cocora, Salento and Filandia, while several days bring everyone back together for shared experiences such as hiking and Parque del Café. It means both partners get a trip designed around their interests, with plenty to talk about when they reunite later.

What else they offer

Beyond The Ride specialises in premium, all-inclusive cycling tours across Latin America, currently focused on Colombia, with more destinations in development. Their small-group cycling trips combine iconic climbs with boutique accommodation, premium bikes, support vehicles, bilingual guides and daily sports massage, while parallel companion programmes make them especially well suited to couples with different interests.

More information

• Cycling Alto de Letras, Colombia, our ultimate guide to this amazing region.
• Cycling Colombia, our hub page for the country.
• Beyond the Ride’s website including booking details and more information.

3. Tour De Bükk with WireDonkey

Best for couples who want to mix moderate cycling with spas, wine, sightseeing and shared rest days.

Eger city is a great starting point to explore the nearby mountains (photo credit: Wiredonkey Cycling Tours)

Key information

Route: A seven-day guided journey from Eger through the Bükk Mountains to Lillafüred, combining cycling days with cultural visits, spa time and active rest days.

Terrain: A mix of quiet paved roads, cycle paths and gravel forest tracks, with rolling terrain and several sustained climbs.

Difficulty: Moderate, covering around 152 kilometres with approximately 2,420 metres of climbing across four main riding days.

Highlights: Eger, local wine tasting, the Bükk Mountains, Szalajka Valley, Egerszalók thermal baths, cave houses, Diósgyőr Castle and Lillafüred.

Logistics: Fully guided tour with bike hire, accommodation, meals, luggage transfers, support vehicle and cultural activities included.

Best time to visit: Late spring and early autumn, when temperatures are comfortable for riding and the forests and wine regions are at their best.

Tour page: Tour De Bükk with WireDonkey

The riding

This tour packs a surprising amount into a relatively short distance. Starting in Eger, the riding quickly leaves the city behind for vineyards, quiet backroads and the wooded landscapes of the Bükk Mountains, with enough climbing to keep things interesting without turning every day into a test of endurance.

The route deliberately alternates tougher cycling days with easier ones. You might spend one day tackling forest roads and rolling climbs towards Szilvásvárad, then follow it with a gentler ride to a thermal spa or a day exploring the Szalajka Valley by narrow-gauge railway. The final riding stage cuts back through the forest before a long descent towards Lillafüred.

That pacing is one of the tour’s strengths. With daily distances averaging around 38 kilometres, there is room to enjoy the places you pass rather than simply ticking them off, while the support vehicle and included luggage transfers remove much of the practical burden.

What we love

WireDonkey Cycling Tours‘ bike tour feels particularly well suited to mixed-interest couples because the cycling is only one part of the week.

A non-riding partner can still enjoy Eger’s historic centre, wine tasting, thermal baths, Szalajka Valley, Lillafüred and Diósgyőr Castle without feeling like they are tagging along on someone else’s cycling holiday.

We also like the built-in flow of harder and easier days. It creates more opportunities to spend time together, especially around the spa day, cultural visits and shared evenings, while still giving the cyclist enough climbing and variety to make the riding feel worthwhile.

What else they offer

WireDonkey Cycling Tours runs small-group, fully supported cycling holidays across Hungary and Romania, alongside day rides from Budapest and bespoke tours for private groups, clubs and families. Trips range from relaxed riding around Lake Balaton to hillier routes through the Bükk and longer tours of western Hungary, with road, gravel and e-bike options available. Their focus is firmly local, combining cycling with family-run accommodation, regional food and wine, thermal spas and cultural experiences.

More information

• Cycling in Hungary, our guide to biking holidays in the country.
• Cycling Budapest, for the best routes and tours
• Guide to bike tours on the Danube cycling path, with tips on Europe’s must-ride river route.
• WireDonkey’s website including information on this and other tours.

4. Burgundy – Highlights Around Beaune with French Bike Tours

Best for cyclists who want flexible vineyard rides while their partner enjoys Beaune’s food, wine and culture.

The stunning autumnal colours of Burgundy’s vineyards (photo credit: French Bike Tours)

Key information

Route: A four-day self-guided, centre-based tour from Beaune, with three loop rides through the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and the countryside around Bouilland.

Terrain: Gently rolling paved roads through vineyards, hilltop villages and forest, with moderate climbing on each ride.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate, with daily rides of around 43 to 58 kilometres and roughly 380 to 590 metres of climbing.

Highlights: Beaune, the vineyards of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, Château du Clos de Vougeot, Pommard, Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet and Sainte Marguerite Abbey.

Logistics: Self-guided tour based in one hotel in Beaune, with breakfast, route information and optional hybrid or e-bike hire.

Best time to visit: Spring through autumn, when the vineyards are at their most attractive and the weather is generally well suited to relaxed riding.

Tour page: Burgundy – Highlights Around Beaune with French Bike Tours

The riding

This is a wonderfully easy-going way to experience one of France’s most famous wine regions by bike. Rather than moving from hotel to hotel, you stay in Beaune throughout and head out each day on a different loop, making the whole trip feel flexible from the outset.

Two of the rides explore Burgundy’s best-known vineyard areas. One heads north into the Côte de Nuits, past Château du Clos de Vougeot and some of the world’s most celebrated Pinot Noir vineyards, while another takes you south through the Côte de Beaune and villages such as Pommard, Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet.

The final loop changes the scenery, heading through forest and along the River Rhoin before returning via the Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune. None of the days is especially long or mountainous, so there is plenty of time to stop in villages, visit a château or enjoy a carefully planned wine tasting without feeling that you need to rush back onto the bike.

What we love

French Bike Tours‘ single-base format makes this a particularly strong choice for couples with different ideas of what a holiday should involve. The cyclist gets three varied rides through world-famous wine country, but a non-cycling partner can stay in Beaune and enjoy the Hospices de Beaune, a historic former hospital and one of the city’s best-known sights, as well as the wine museum, covered market, shops and excellent food without having to follow the cycling itinerary.

It also gives you much more freedom than a point-to-point tour. If one of you wants a day off, there is no logistical problem to solve, and you can simply spend more time together exploring Burgundy’s food, wine and history instead.

What else they offer

French Bike Tours specialises in self-guided cycling holidays across France, with more than 50 itineraries for different ages and ability levels. They arrange accommodation, bike hire, routes and luggage transfers, with cycling trips designed around slow travel and discovering regional food, culture and local communities rather than simply covering distance.

More information

• Best cycling routes in France, with tips on routes that are good for easy cycling holidays.
• Our pick of the best bike and wine tours in the world, ideal for combining cycling with wine experiences
• French Bike Tours’ website with information on all the tours they offer.

5. Lush Gurage Adventures with Ride the Rift

Best for adventurous couples who want mountain biking alongside hiking, rafting and immersive cultural experiences.

Idyllic Gurage (photo credit: Ride the Rift)

Key information

Route: A short mountain biking adventure through Ethiopia’s Gurage Highlands, linking remote villages, river valleys and camps, with routes adapted to the group.

Terrain: Predominantly dirt tracks, gravel roads and grassy Jafoure paths, with river crossings, steep climbs and descents through mountainous countryside.

Difficulty: Moderate to challenging, with varied off-road surfaces and plenty of climbing, although routes can be adjusted and bikes transported for some tougher sections.

Highlights: The Gurage Highlands, remote village tracks, local communities, camping in the mountains, the Wabe River, hiking and rafting.

Logistics: A supported mountain biking trip with local guides, accommodation or camping, meals, day-to-day transfers and bike hire available; exact itineraries can vary between departures.

Best time to visit: October to May is generally the best period for cycling in Ethiopia, with drier conditions, while Ride the Rift also runs a special Gurage departure around the Meskel celebrations in September.

Tour page: Lush Gurage Adventures with Ride the Rift

The riding

This is the most adventurous tour in our selection, taking riders onto the dirt tracks and grassy Jafoure roads that connect communities across Ethiopia’s Gurage Highlands. Rather than following a rigid point-to-point route, the riding can be adapted to the group, opening up an area where visiting cyclists remain a genuine novelty.

Expect a real mixture of terrain. Example days range from around 30 to 55 kilometres, with wooded valleys, river crossings and climbs of up to around 1,000 metres, while some steeper sections can involve walking or transporting the bikes. One potential finale includes an asphalt descent dropping roughly 1,000 metres in just 10 kilometres.

The landscapes are only part of the appeal. These routes pass through villages and countryside well away from Ethiopia’s busier trunk roads, with local encounters woven naturally into the days. It’s mountain biking with a strong sense of exploration rather than a polished trail-centre experience.

What we love

This is one of those cycling trips where the wider adventure matters just as much as the time spent pedalling. Ride the Rift combines the biking with hiking, rafting on the Wabe River, remote camps and opportunities to spend time with Gurage communities, so there is plenty happening beyond the trails themselves.

That could make it an intriguing choice for a cyclist travelling with someone more interested in hiking, culture and outdoor adventure than riding every kilometre. However, unlike some of the tours in this guide, Ride the Rift doesn’t currently describe a dedicated parallel programme for non-cyclists, so we’d suggest discussing exactly how a mixed-interest trip could work before booking.

What else they offer

Ride the Rift runs cycling, hiking and running adventures across lesser-visited parts of Ethiopia, drawing on decades of local tourism experience from the operators behind the collaboration. Their cycling trips focus on opening up new destinations, supporting local communities and combining outdoor adventure with deeper cultural experiences.

More information

• Cycling in Ethiopia, our inside guide on why it’s such a good option for cycling breaks.
• Our pick of the best bike tours in Africa, including Ethiopia and three other excellent routes.
• Ride the Rift’s website with more details of the tour and how to book.

What’s next?

• Our pick of the best luxury cycling tours for anyone interested in a premium cycling getaway.
• Winter cycling holidays, our look at the top places for cycling breaks in the winter months.
• Cycling holidays in summer, with destinations well-suited to May, June, July and August breaks.
• Our selection of the best affordable bike tours in Europe (and beyond), if you’re looking for cycling breaks on a budget.
• Mallorca cycling holidays, our guide to organised cycling trips on the island.

Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels - and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they're there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.

Want to connect with Clare? Find her over on LinkedIn.