UK bike tours are having a quiet renaissance. From dramatic coast-to-coast rides and mountain landscapes to more gentle e-bike journeys through national parks, cycling holidays in Britain now offer a depth and variety that many riders once looked abroad to find.
Travelling by bike in the UK means immersive scenery, rich local history, heritage sites, and (if you pick well!) routes that feel genuinely earned rather than rushed.
At Epic Road Rides, we have lots of experience with some of the best cycling holidays and routes in the UK (one of my favourites is the Hebridean Way, take a look at my write-up here!). To choose our top four picks here, we’ve researched the trips mentioned, spoken directly with the people who design and run them, and drawn on our wider knowledge of what makes a great multi-day ride.
These UK cycling tours aren’t meant to be a definitive list. Instead, they’re a curated selection of four UK bike tours we’d use ourselves and suggest to friends. Time to find out just how good cycling holidays at home can be!
Looking for the best cycling holidays in Europe? Don’t miss this dedicated article where you will find our pick of the best bike tours in the Netherlands, France and beyond!
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.
We’ve worked with all of the bike tour operators featured in this article over the years (there are links to our interviews with them in the relevant section). We have chosen to include them in this article because the UK cycling holidays they offer are ones we’d suggest to a friend, or book ourselves, if we were planning a UK bike tour
1. LEJOG with Pedal Britain
The icon sign at Land’s End
The riding
LEJOG is the UK’s ultimate end-to-end road ride and for good reason! It spans 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometres), climbing 55,000 ft (16,764 feet). That’s almost twice Mount Everest!
Over fourteen days, Pedal Britain’s route links Land’s End to John O’Groats on mainly quiet lanes and country roads, with the big landscapes you hope for on a ride of this scale.
You start with Cornwall’s short, sharp climbs and coastal roads near Lizard Point, then cross Dartmoor, the Somerset Levels, the Wye Valley and the Lake District before heading deep into Scotland. Highlights include the King Harry Ferry over the River Fal, cycle paths along Loch Lomond, Glencoe, the Caledonian Canal and long, empty Highland roads heading towards the north coast. Expect long days and serious climbing.
What we love
This is a classic, but it still feels personal. Pedal Britain has refined this fourteen-day route over years of recce rides and client feedback, and it shows in the way it avoids stressful roads and strings together great sections into a truly memorable cycle tour.
We also like the rhythm of the trip. With regular brew stops and a supportive group dynamic, Pedal Britain make the challenge feels manageable, even if you are nervous about the distance. The finish at John O’Groats is emotional for good reason. You earn it together.
What else they offer
Pedal Britain runs fully supported end-to-end rides with a strong focus on preparation and customer care. Group sizes are kept social but manageable. Despite the name, they do not just ride Britain. Alongside LEJOG, Britain tour options include Wales end to end and the North Coast 500, plus they offer tours in Ireland, France, Portugal and Italy.
More information
- LEJOG, for an in-depth interview with Pedal Britain about their Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle route.
- Pedal Britain’s website for more information.
2. C2C with UK Bike Tours
Dramatic open moorland on the C2C (photo credit: Rhys Beddoe via UK Bike Tours)
The riding
The C2C Cycle Challenge is a brilliant way to cross Northern England under your own steam, riding from Whitehaven on the Irish Sea to Tynemouth on the North Sea. UK Bike Tours’ seven-day itinerary (five days of cycling) uses a mix of quiet lanes and traffic-free sections of National Cycle Network Route 7, including old railway lines such as the Waskerley Way and riverside paths along the Tyne.
Early on, you roll into the Lake District via Ennerdale and Loweswater, then climb over Whinlatter towards Keswick. The middle days bring tougher hills, including the long pull to Hartside Summit at 580 metres and remote moorland riding through remote, former mining villages such as Nenthead and Allenheads. The finale is gentler and celebratory, following the Tyne into Newcastle before finishing close to the iconic Tynemouth Priory.
What we love
This route packs in variety without feeling messy. One minute you’re riding on open moors in Cumbria and Northumberland with big skies and long views, the next quiet, forested valleys.
The finish is also spot on. Rolling along the River Tyne, past Newcastle’s bridges, gives you a real sense of arrival after the wilder middle section. The finish by the Headland Priory in Tynemouth offers a picturesque end to a famous challenge.
What else they offer
UK Bike Tours specialises exclusively in self-guided cycle holidays within the UK. Alongside this seven-day C2C tour, they also offer a shorter six-day (four days cycling) itinerary.
Their range covers classic routes and gentler options, with tours suited to hybrid bikes and e-bikes. Riders can search by theme or comfort level to find the right fit. Trips include handpicked, family-run accommodation, daily luggage transfers and an easy-to-use GPS navigation app.
More information
- Guide to the UK’s Coast to Coast cycling route, for an in-depth interview with UK Bike Tours.
- UK Bike Tours’ website, for more details.
3. MizMal (Mizen Head to Malin Head) with Wild Atlantic Cycling Tours
The Sheeffry Pass, County Mayo (photo credit: Wild Atlantic Cycling Tours)
The riding
MizMal is Ireland’s end-to-end ride, taking you from Mizen Head in the far south-west to Malin Head on the Inishowen Peninsula. So yes, technically most of this route falls outside of UK cycling holidays, but the finish in Northern Ireland means we’re including it here!
It’s designed as a week-long alternative to riding the full Wild Atlantic Way (one of Europe’s great coastal cycling routes), but it still delivers a huge sense of journey. The route meanders inland rather than hugging the jagged coastline like the full Wild Atlantic Way. Expect quieter roads and incredible riding!
Highlights include the Mizen Peninsula’s empty lanes, the Black Valley and the Gap of Dunloe, the Burren’s distinctive limestone landscape and the pull over the Sheeffry Pass above Killary Fjord. It is a hilly ride in the best sense, with either 9,708 metres or 8,534 metres of elevation gain to tackle (depending on the tour you choose). Long days in the saddle finish in lively towns such as Killarney, Galway and Westport.
What we love
MizMal has a clear identity. It is not the shortest way north, and that is the point. Paul Kennedy, founder of Wild Atlantic Cycling Tours, designed it to capture the best of Ireland’s west coast in the kind of timeframes most people have for a holiday (compared with the weeks required for the longer Wild Atlantic Way).
The riding feels remote, but the evenings are full of warmth, great food and the kind of local pub atmosphere that makes you want to linger. We also like that riders can choose a format that suits them. The ‘Active’ option spreads the distance out with an average distance of 87 kilometres per day, while the tougher ‘Avid’ version keeps the pressure on with an average daily riding distance of 145 kilometres.
What else they offer
Wild Atlantic Cycling Tours runs fully supported, point-to-point road cycling holidays across Ireland and further afield, including Spain, Croatia, Scotland, Portugal and the Balkans. Tours offer a support van, with luggage moved between stopovers and riders free to ride at their own pace. Group sizes are typically around 12–24 riders.
More information
- Cycling the Wild Atlantic Way + MizMal, Ireland, for an in-depth interview with Wild Atlantic Cycling Tours.
- Wild Atlantic Cycling Tours’ website, for more details.
- How to pick a Croatia bike and boat tour, with insights from Wild Atlantic Cycling Tours.
- Cycling the Balkans, for an in-depth interview with Fiona from Wild Atlantic Cycling Tours, who cycled from Dubrovnik to Istanbul.
4. Heart of the Lake District with E-bike Safaris
Descending into Langdale (photo credit: E-Bike Safaris)
The riding
Heart of the Lakes is a relaxed, five-night e-bike tour (including four days of cycling, no planned cycling on the first and last days) that strings together some of the Lake District’s best scenery on quieter lanes, valley roads and classic passes. Days average around 30 miles (48 kilometres), with options to shorten or add distance. Highlights include crossing Windermere on the cable ferry, rolling through Hawkshead and Coniston, and then a big centrepiece day over Wrynose Pass and down into Langdale.
From there, you head north for two nights near Keswick, with a standout loop around the Skiddaw and Blencathra massif on peaceful fell lanes via Caldbeck and Mungrisdale. The final day takes you past Ullswater, then up and over Kirkstone Pass for a grand, view-heavy finish.
What we love
This is the Lake District made accessible, without removing some of the best climbs in the region. The e-bikes take the sting out of the steep gradients (some extreme parts of Wrynose reach over 20%), so you can tick off the iconic climbs, actually enjoy the beautiful landscapes – and still stop for cafés, short walks and lake-side detours.
We also like the thoughtful logistics. The vehicle transfer that skips the busy main road between the central and north Lakes makes the trip feel calmer and gives you more time where it counts. Add in flexible routing, good local route notes and the satisfaction of riding Wrynose and Kirkstone in one trip, and it is a tour that could be suitable to many.
What else they offer
E-Bike Safaris specialises in e-bike holidays in the Lake District, with three multi-day options to suit different schedules.
As well as Heart of the Lakes, there is a shorter three-day South Lakes tour and a longer eight-day ‘E-Bike the Lake District’ itinerary.
Prefer to plan your own adventure? They also offer e-bike hire, with the option to ride independently and build your own Lake District trip.
More information
- Cycling in the Lake District for an in-depth interview on the Lake District with E-Bike Safaris.
- Self-guided cycling tours in the Lake District with tips from E-Bike Safaris if you prefer to plot your own course.
- E-bike Safaris’ website for more details about this UK bike tour.
What’s next?
- Long-distance cycling routes in the UK and Ireland, offering even more options for longer UK bike tours
- Family cycle routes in the UK for anyone looking for UK cycling holidays suited to kids as well as adults.
- Cycling holidays in the UK and Ireland, including tips on the best cycling routes for each region.
- Cycling holidays in Europe for our pick of the best bike tours on the continent.
- Spain cycling tours, with some of the best options for a warm-weather cycling tour.
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Looking for an organised cycling trip?
If you want someone to help you plan and book your cycling holiday, fill out this form. We aren’t a tour operator/agent but we work with lots of people who are and will do our best to put you in touch with someone that can help (within 24 hours where possible)!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.
First Published: 16 February 2026
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