Cycle the Myth - Tour of the Peloponnese

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $150 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

                                                           CYCLE THE MYTH

                                  Road Cycling Tour of the Peloponnese, Greece

Embark on an unforgettable journey through the land of legends — the Peloponnese, where every mountain, village, and coastline whispers tales of ancient gods and heroes. Our Cycle the Myth tour invites you to experience authentic Greece at its finest — a captivating blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Ride through breathtaking coastal and mountain landscapes, explore ancient sites like Mycenae and Olympia, and immerse yourself in the warm “filoxenia” — the legendary Greek hospitality that makes every stop feel like home. You’ll pedal along nearly the entire Peloponnesiancoastline, discovering romantic Nafplio, the medieval fortress of Monemvasia, tranquil seaside villages, and hidden natural gems such as cave lakes and cascading waterfalls. Expect a rewarding challenge with varied terrain, stunning views, and exceptional local cuisine. This isn’t just a cycling holiday — it’s a journey into the mythical heart of Greece, where every climb and descent connects you to the spirit of the ancient world.

It’s not every day you get to cycle a myth — so make this the one you’ll never forget.

 ARRIVAL DAY Thursday April 15, 2027  Our first night's hotel is the Holiday Inn Athens Airport, which has a shuttle service from the airport to the hotel.

Day 1 – Friday April 16, 2027: First day of the official ride -  Loutraki Welcome  No cycling today. Enjoy a private transfer to Loutraki, meet the GCH team, and unwind with a spa session in natural thermal waters plus a rejuvenating massage. After a tour briefing and bike setup, enjoy dinner together — the perfect start to your journey. Meals: Dinner

Day 2 – Saturday April 17: Loutraki → Mycenae → Nafplio 60 km / 37 mi – 590 m / 1,935 ft  Ease into the tour with a scenic coastal ride to Mycenae, where a licensed guide will reveal the secrets of this ancient citadel. Continue on to Nafplio, Greece’s first capital and one of its most romantic towns. Explore its cobbled streets before a delicious group dinner. Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 3 – Sunday April 18: Nafplio → Agios Ioannis 52 km / 32 mi – 1,109 m / 3,638 ft  Climb into the mountains through olive groves and rugged terrain to the peaceful village of Agios Ioannis. Experience true Greek hospitality, staying in charming stone guesthouses and dining in a traditional family home Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Day 4 – Monday April 19: Agios Ioannis → Leonidio  67 km / 42 mi – 836 m / 2,742 ft  Descend through dramatic mountain landscapes to Leonidio, a vibrant coastal town famed for its red cliffs and climbing routes. Enjoy a relaxed evening and a hearty meal — you’ll be staying here for two nights. Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Day 5 – Tuesday April 20: Leonidio → Panagia Elona Monastery Kosmas 31 km / 35 mi – 605 m / 1876 ft  An optional ride, but an unforgettable ride to the stunning Panagia Elona Monastery clinging to the cliffs, then descend back to Leonidio for a second night. Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Day 6 – Wednesday April 21: Leonidio → Kyparissi 51 km / 32 mi – 1,276 m / 4,198 ft   A challenging climb rewards you with magnificent views from 1,800 m before you descend to the secluded seaside village of Kyparissi. End the day with a refreshing swim in the Aegean —pure bliss! Meals: Breakfast / Light lunch / Dinner

Day 7 – Thursday April 22 : Kyparissi → Monemvasia 56 km / 35 mi – 1,209 m / 3,966 ft  Ride south to the legendary Byzantine fortress town of Monemvasia, a fairytale citadel rising from the sea. Enjoy a sunset walk through its cobbled lanes and a well-earned dinner. Meals: Breakfast / light Lunch / Dinner

Day 8 – Friday April 23: Monemvasia (Rest Day) Rest your legs and soak in Monemvasia’s magic. Take a guided morning tour, then spend the afternoon exploring, swimming, or simply relaxing at a café overlooking the sea. Meals: Breakfast

Day 09 – Saturday April 24: Monemvasia → Gythio70 km / 43.5 mi – 481 m / 1,578 ft A flatter coastal ride takes you west to Gythio, a lively harbor town. Stop at Valtaki Beach to see the haunting “Dimitris” shipwreck — and maybe take another dip in the sea. Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Day 10 – Sunday April 25: Gythio → Stoupa 62 km / 38.5 mi – 1,109 m / 3,638 ft  A spectacular day combining cycling and exploration! Visit the Diros Caves for a boat tour through their underground rivers, then continue to Stoupa, one of the Peloponnese’s most charming seaside villages. Sample world-famous Kalamon olives and local olive oil en route. Meals: Breakfast / light Lunch / Dinner

Day 11 – Monday April 26: Stoupa → Kalamata 41 km / 25.5 mi – 687 m / 2,253 ft  Ride north along the coast to Kalamata, home of Greece’s most famous olives. Enjoy a swim and lunch by the sea, followed by a taste of the local specialty — roast pork. Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Day 12 – Tuesday April 27: Kalamata → Pylos55 km / 35 mi – 784 m / 2,572 ft  Your final full ride takes you west to the beautiful harbor town of Pylos, with a refreshing stop at the enchanting Polilimnio Waterfalls — the perfect place to cool off before your dinner. Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Day 13 – Wednesday April 28: Pylos → Ancient Olympia 107km 67m / 784m 2551 ft  A flat but longer ride today to Ancient Olympia, home of the Olympic Games. Here you will have the chance of a guided tour of the ancient site before our final dinner together.

Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Day 14 – April 29 :Departure After breakfast, transfer to Athens Airport or continue your Greek adventure by staying and experience the Greek orthodox Easter.  We will arrive back to the Athens airport with enough time for early afternoon flights.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Vaccinations for Covid are recommended, but not required. Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Should someone’s health become compromised and the group’s health and safety placed in jeopardy, a plan will be developed by the ride leaders and communicated to all individuals. The expectation is for the group to work together to mitigate any spread of infection or illness as a means to ensure the tour can continue as planned.

RIDE RATING: This ride is rated 3B! with an average daily mileage of 36 miles and average daily climbing of 2,840 feet on mandatory riding days. Please note the riding days vary greatly in difficulty and the average may not fully communicate the challenge. There are 4 days where the elevation gain exceeds 3,500'.   Riders are expected to be comfortable riding on a multitude of surfaces (including cobblestone, compact dirt, and bike paths) and gradients along with riding in city traffic.  

CUE SHEETS, MAPS, GPS FILES: The ride leader will provide RWGPS routes prior to the start of the tour.  Participants will receive an email containing a link to the EVENT, which will include all routes for the tour.  Participants will need to have downloaded (at the minimum) the free version of the RWGPS app to receive voice turn by turn directions.  Participants wanting cue sheets will need to print their own from the files provided.  The routes in RWGPS are easily loaded to GPS devices.

WEATHER: Riders should plan on warmer temperatures with lows from 53F to highs of 69F. Average rainfall for May is 6/10"' - 1".

LODGING & MEALS: Lodging will be in everything from family-owned hotels to 3 and 4-star hotels. All breakfasts and Twelve dinners are included in the cost of the tour. Happy hours will be at the hotel's bar, which will include a glass of house wine or a local beer before each night’s dinner.

LOGISTICS: Fly into Athens International airport (ATH).  Arrival day is Saturday April 15, 2027. Our hotel is the Holiday Inn Athens Airport, and we will meet at the hotel’s bar at 5:30pm for happy hour and our first meeting.  We will be transported back to Athens Airport April 29, 2027 in time for early afternoon flights.

ETIAS is to start the last quarter of 2026.  This will require Americans and Canadians to obtain their ETIAS visa, which last 3 years.  Riders will need to read and acknowledge the ETIAS requiremnts.

VAN SUPPORT: The luggage van will transport the luggage. The Holiday Inn should be able to store your bike boxes.  Participants are expected to ride the entire route and will be transported only in the case of injury or illness. Riders should be able to handle their own bike repairs - at a minimum how to change a tire.  If you have a major equipment failure, we will assist or direct you to the nearest town with a bike shop.  

LUGGAGE LIMITATIONS:  We request that each rider limit their luggage to one medium sized suitcase/duffel (25lb. max) and a small backpack.  You will primarily be responsible for moving your own luggage to the luggage van, but others may also have to move your luggage from time to time, so please be considerate.  If you cannot fit your belongings in one medium suitcase under (25 lb. max), considering using a medium suit case and a duffel bag or carry-on size bags.

BICYCLES: We recommend your bicycle has tires that are 28mm or larger in size.  You will be riding on all types of surfaces – everything from nice smooth paved bike paths to cobblestone, compact dirt paths, and farm roads, to busy city streets with varying gradients. Tandems and e-bikes are welcome. However, E-bike riders should be experienced riders prior to riding their e-bikes along with knowing the "rules of the road"!   We recommend rental bikes be arranged as soon as possible so you rent the bike type they are looking for (E-bikes, gravel bikes, etc.). For rental bikes contact Steven Frost the owner of Greek Cycle Holidays (steven@greekcycleholidays.com).  Rental bikes are €350 and E-Bikes are €540.  The ride leader DOES NOT get involved with bike rentals!

COST & ADMINISTRATION: The cost estimate is $4,950.  The tour operator's charge is €3,300 or $4,290.   Estimated cost is based on an exchange rate of 1 Euro = $1.30, which is 10% above the current exchange rate of $1.18. The cost includes 14 nights lodging, 13 breakfasts, 12 dinners, happy hour drinks, and RWGPS daily route maps with full RWGPS voice navigation features for downloading to your GPS devices or phones. The initial deposit of $2,000 does not include the BAC registration fee of $150 and both will be due upon acceptance to the ride. Solo supplements are due with the third payment.  See below.  The second payment of $2,000 is due November 25, 2026 and the final payment of $950 is due January 20, 2027. Riders will be informed prior to the final payment if there are any adjustments.  The ride cost does not include other types of entertainment – museums, trams or gondola rides. However, if 15 riders join the ride, the ride cost will decrease by €100 per rider.  

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY:  We recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own. However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until March 1, 2027 to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC fee and payment processing fee or pay the $1602 solo supplement and stay on the ride.  If a single pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary.  The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride.  Solo supplement payments need to be sent to the BAC office when the 3rd payment is due by check or Zelle. Make checks payable to “BAC” and mail to Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193. Send Zelle payments to treasurer@bicycleadventureclub.org. Indicate the ride name when using either method.

CANCELLATION POLICY:  The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled because the number of participants is less than the minimum established for the tour. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped, the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  In addition to the BAC cancellation policy, if a participant cannot be replaced, the commercial operator (Greek Cycle Holidays) has the following cancellation policy based on the tour start date. Cancellations must be made by email to the ride leader and steven@greekcycleholidays.com

·       90-to-76-day notification has a 10% penalty.

·       75-to-59-day notification has a 30% penalty.

·       58-to-45-day notification has a 40% penalty.

·       44-to-15-day motivation has a 80% penalty.

·       15 days or less notification has a 100% penalty.

BAC encourages members to purchase travel insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT POLICY: Please remember that BAC ride leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the tour well trained, in good health, and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the ride leaders. While on the tour, support your ride leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere the tour by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the tour. Please keep the ride leader(s) informed of any special request you may have and respect the ride leader’s decisions.

Commercial Operator Insurance: Greek Cycle Holidays carries 300K of general liability insurance.  The insurance policy for the tour is attached under Ride Leader Docs.  Additional information can be obtained by contacting the ride coordinator.

INSURANCE STATEMENT: BAC maintains two insurance policies: a) United States, and b) Foreign (all other countries). Both the U.S. and Foreign policies are considered secondary policies to your personal medical insurance policy. They are subject to a $1000 deductible and may not cover all expenses related to an accident. Copies of the current policies are located under the “Docs” tab on the BAC website.

Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. While touring in the U.S, the BAC insurance includes coverage for injuries due to accidents during the bike trip. Members’ personal insurance will need to cover medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected illness (i.e. treatment for unexpected illnesses, including Covid, are not covered).

While touring internationally, i.e., outside of the U.S., BAC maintains Foreign accident insurance to assist with expenses related to accidents, medical emergencies (including sudden and unexpected sickness), and repatriation. Insurance will apply door-to-door for treatment and travel for a maximum of 90 days overall. Coverage extends to a limited period spanning the published BAC trip dates, allowing for side trips occurring before and after the BAC ride; the limitation period is 7 days before or after the published BAC trip dates. The policy covers the cost of treatment for Covid and other unexpected illnesses, but not quarantine.

SIGN-UP: To register for this tour, use the sign-up link displayed just above this Ride Description.  After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC website to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL) and pay the non-refundable $150 BAC ride registration fee and tour deposit by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List.  BAC members with questions may contact the ride leader(s) by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.