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North Hero House / Champlain Islands

Road Cycling in Vermont with Bike Vermont, Inc.

Highlights

  • Cycle through Vermont's picturesque hills, valleys, farms and small villages
  • Stay at North Hero House, a century-old historic lakeside inn
  • Explore the Isle La Motte, site of a French fort built in 1666 and join a wine tasting at Snow Farm Vineyard

Full Description

Enjoy the unique beauty of riding the easy roads that wander the shores of Lake Champlain while immersing yourself in the rural Vermont countryside with prosperous farms, apple orchards and small historic villages.

It seems almost unfair that Vermont, so spectacular with its hills, valleys, farms and small villages, should also have, as its westerly boundary, one of the most lovely lakes in the country. Lake Champlain is the sixth largest in the U.S., but what really makes it so special is the unspoiled natural beauty of its shoreline, and the unsurpassed views across the lake to the Green and Adirondack mountains.

Our tour of the Champlain Islands takes full advantage of this wealth of beauty. Connected by bridges and causeways to the rest of Vermont, these islands are blessed with a unique combination of exceptional rural scenery and farmland that you enjoy while cycling along quiet lakeshore roads that wander along the water's edge. Our easy cycling includes exploring Isle La Motte, the site of a French fort built in 1666, an optional ride into Canada, a wine tasting at Snow Farm Vineyard, and, sometime during your stay, a fun stop at Hero's Welcome General Store, the local community gathering spot full of fresh baked goods, local arts, and rugged necessities.

We stay at the historic North Hero House. Built over a century ago, this lakeside inn has long been a local favorite. Recently redecorated, the inn provides comfortable rooms and excellent dining while still maintaining its essential old-fashioned character and charm.

Includes:

  • 4 nights of lodging (double occupancy)
  • 4 breakfasts and 4 dinners
  • Detailed maps and itineraries
  • 2 experienced guides
  • Full van support
  • Cycling at your own pace along routes that we have carefully selected and continually improve

Excludes:

  • Airfare
  • Trip cancellation insurance
  • Bicycle rental (rental bikes available for $60)
  • Guide gratuities

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Tuesday

Arrival Day

Day 2: Wednesday

36 or 46 mi (58 or 75 km) Easier

Day 3: Thursday

24 or 30 mi (39 or 49 km) Easier

Day 4: Friday

26 mi (42 km) Easier

About The Operator:

Bike Vermont, Inc.

Headquarters:

Woodstock, Vermont

On a Bike Vermont bicycle tour, you ride at your own pace from inn to inn and enjoy fine food and great lodging. You are pampered by engaging leaders and supported by a van that moves your luggage and serves as your traveling snack bar and bike repair shop. This is our 34th year of leading bicycle tours in Vermont and we take great pride in showing you the most beautiful and least traveled corners of our special world.

Your adventure is made up of a number of special experiences, both large and small. You will be enthralled with the handsome churches, spectacular views, historic sites, and quaint towns.

Equal to these larger sensations will be your memory of the bright taste of an apple you just picked; the friendliness of the owner of a general store; visiting a sugarhouse and sampling pure maple syrup; getting to know folks in your group; enjoying iced tea on the porch of your inn; riding a ferry across Lake Champlain; hiking on a forested trail; seeing deer on the edge of a pasture in the evening; listening to the clatter of your bicycle as you cross the hardwood flooring of a covered bridge; soothing your feet in the flow of a brook; feeling satisfied at the end of the day's ride; or taking an evening stroll along a quiet dirt road.

Part of the experience is also in the absence of things such as cell phones, billboards, decisions, cars, and bustle. The cycling is all at your own pace, but so is everything else. We do the organizing, the planning and the lugging. You enjoy yourself.

So while the cycling is an important part of the adventure, it is really just one perfect part of a total experience. You are engaged in a bicycle tour- and in a whole range of places, sounds, smells, and perceptions.