Cape Cod;Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket Bike Tour

$1,030 per person

September 10-17

Trip Itinerary

Hyannis - Check-in and Welcome

Our bicycle trip begins on Friday in Hyannis — the Cape's busiest town.

You'll check-in throughout the day at The Heritage House Hotel located across the street from the transportation center and a five minute walk from the harbor.

If you arrive early, you can take a tour of the area or a spin on your bikes to visit the Kennedy Memorial and nearby Hyannisport-home of the Kennedy Compound. That evening, you'll meet your fellow cycling friends at a wonderful Welcome Dinner in our hotel's dining room.

Bicycle Tour of Nantucket

It's just a short walk to the Hyannis harbor where we catch the ferry to the historic island of Nantucket.

We'll enjoy a full day exploring the cobblestone streets of the preserved town center and learn the over 200 year history of a once great whaling center known worldwide.

Roger and Suzie will lead a 2 hour tour to show you the wonderful bike paths and beautiful beaches we feel are the true personality of Nantucket!

Days Three and & Four: Martha's Vineyard

Sunday morning, we enjoy a hearty breakfast and catch the ferry to Martha's Vineyard to begin our weekend on that beautiful island.

Suzie and Roger lead daily group rides, but cycling this beautiful island is also fun "at your leisure". M.V is a large island with lots to do and see.

You can choose your daily mileage from 10 to 70 miles-or leave the bicycle behind and enjoy sightseeing by trolley, a hike along the many beautiful beaches and trails, or a kayak tour.

Our weekend enjoys inviting accommodations at the Madison Inn, a gourmet dinner at the Ocean View Restaurant and "the best breakfasts on M.V." at Linda Jean's Restaurant-all in beautiful Oak Bluffs.

Orleans (28 or 43 miles)

On Day Five, Tuesday, we'll enjoy a scrumptious breakfast and meet the fast ferry heading back to the Cape mainland.

From the Hyannis harbor we head east along the quiet beaches skirting the Bass River into Yarmouth and historic Dennis.

Here we'll meet the Cape Cod Rail Trail where our cyclists can choose to pedal into Orleans or take a diversion to the lovely town of Chatham.

Those traveling to Orleans can enjoy it's beautiful Town Cove, small shops and even a 4 mile cycle to the spectacular Nauset Beach to catch seals playing in the water.

We'll enjoy the hospitality of the Olde Taverne Inn where they welcome us with wonderful treats after our day's ride.

Provincetown (35 miles)

Wednesday, we'll rejoin the Cape Cod Rail Trail and head to the tip of the National Seashore and one of the Cape's favorite destinations — Provincetown. On our way, we'll enjoy a private tour of the Nauset Light House enroute to Wellfleet, — where artists gaining inspiration from the shore landscapes, call home.

We'll also travel through Truro — known as the last vestige of "Old Cape Cod". Here we pass lots of restored lighthouses and cycle along expanses of pristine beach and dunes in the wildlife management areas.

We reach Provincetown via the incredible dunes of the Province Lands and check in at our beachfront lodging — Surfside Inn — with rooms overlooking the water.

You'll want to put away the bike and take to the streets walking to find out why Provincetown is such a popular and unique place. Visitors relish not only the artsy atmosphere of "Commercial Street", but the town's natural beauty, preserved architechture, remote beaches and famous Whale Watch Tours.

Dennisport(43 or 57 miles)

Thursday after breakfast we head back towards the "elbow" of the Cape and famous Ocean Drive into Orleans for lunch.

Today you have the opportunity to visit Chatham- a popular village now famous for its imposing lighthouse, isolated beaches and seaside charm. Our final miles pass historic homes and beautiful sandy beaches of the Harwiches and Bells Neck Nature Preserve.

We finish our day just a block from the pristine beaches of Dennisport. We'll celebrate tonight's farewell dinner at the Wee Packet Restaurant- an area favorite.

Karen and I wanted to thank you for the VIP treatment we received in Cape Cod. What a pleasure it has been traveling with you.

~ Gina Garcia and Karen VanDerhoof, New Jersey

Back to Hyannis(15 Miles)

A favorite end to our trip, we'll enjoy breakfast at the popular Breakfast Room on Saturday morning. Then it's just a short 15 miles through historic Yarmouth and back to Hyannis to say our good-byes to a great trip!

Trip Difficulty

The terrain in Cape Cod is gently rolling with a hill or two along the National Seashore towards Provincetown. We bike or give option to cycle as many miles as possible along Cape Cod's bicycle paths. However, many of the trip miles are cycled on public roadways shared by cars. We try and select quiet, picturesque routes with as little car traffic as possible and that provide at least a 2 foot shoulder for cycling.

For full enjoyment of the trip, you will want to come prepared to cycle the total tour mileage. However, we do offer shorter routes on some days, days off feature in Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of the Cape's excellent transportation system.

We advocate social touring and a "smell the roses" philosophy to bike travel.

Getting There

Cape Cod is easily accessible by car and plane-landing in Boston's Logan Airport with a direct bus shuttle to our hotel in Hyannis.

We offer free parking at our host hotel for those driving to Cape Cod. We are glad to receive your bikes if you ship them to the ride start and will store boxes until the end of the trip. We also offer a limited fleet of Fuji Absolute rental bikes on a first-come basis.

Additional Information

Please visit our Trip Information page for general trip information and registration information.

Upon registration we will send you a Welcome Letter full of pre-trip details including how to get you and bike to the trip start, bike rentals, suggestions on packing, trip area and contact information, cycling and travel websites to enhance your trip experience, etc.

We are always happy to receive your e-mails or calls if you have any questions!

See an engaging YouTube travelogue of our Cape 2009 trip by Lynette Chiang of Bike Friday.