Rioja Self Guided Cycling Holiday
Basque Flag Spanish FlagSpain

RIOJA VINEYARDS

Self-Guided Cycling Holiday

Basque Flag Spanish FlagSpain

Rioja Vineyards
Self-Guided Cycling Tour
Length: 7 Days
Level: Difficulty Easy to Medium
Price: from €1,570 EUR
On this self-guided cycling holiday in Northern Spain you explore the wine province of Rioja. You cycle through vineyards and picturesque scenery, and discover the best of this charming region.

Starting in the Medieval town of Laguardia, you ride between charming villages and historic towns, while visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites and some of the region's best wineries. You also stay in incredible boutique hotels, housed in stunning historic buildings, as you become immersed in the local culture.

This is a leisurely cycling holiday and is suitable for riders of all levels, with different route options depending on how far you wish to ride. Below you can find a detailed itinerary, and click on the tabs to see more highlights, as well as all the practical information about the holiday.

We also run a guided tour in the Rioja region.
Rioja Self-Guided Cycling Tour Map


Tour Availability


J F M A M J J A S O N D



Day 1 - Laguardia

We pick you up from Logroño airport, train or bus station and transfer you to your boutique hotel in the small town of Laguardia. Perched on top of a hill, overlooking the surrounding vineyards, Laguardia has a beautiful Medieval center, packed with fine historic buildings.

Here we do the bike fitting and, depending on your arrival time, there is the possibility of doing a short circular ride around the town. In the evening you can visit one of several excellent tapas bars housed within the city walls.
Laguardia
Laguardia Castle

Day 2 - Haro

The first full day in the saddle crosses the rolling vineyards that are so characteristic of Rioja. On the route you pass an imposing 13th century castle and ride along the banks of the impressive Ebro River.

The day finishes in the charming town of Haro - the wine capital of the province. Many of the best vineyards are based in the town and you can visit them for a tasting of the local produce!

Cycle Routes:


Shorter Route: 35km (20 miles)

Longer Route: 54km (33 miles)
San Vicente Castle
San Vicente Castle

Day 3 - Santo Domingo de la Calzada

The ride today begins by crossing a well preserved Roman bridge before riding through scenic open farmland. Rioja was one of the first regions of Spain to be conquered by the Romans, who, unsurprisingly used the area to plant a lot of vineyards! The route continues through vineyards and open scenery as you follow quiet country lanes through the picturesque landscape of the Sierra Demanda Natural Park.

The destination is the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Dating to the 12th century, Santo Domingo was originally built as a stopping point for pilgrims who were walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Today the narrow streets of the old town are fun to explore, and you stay in one of the town's most impressive buildings - a hotel housed in a former 16th century convent.

Cycle Routes:


Shorter Route: 29km (18 miles)

Longer Route: 47km (30 miles)
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Day 4 - San Millán de la Cogolla

You leave Santo Domingo riding through rolling countryside on the edge of the Sierra Demanda Natural Park. The destination for today is the village of San Millán de la Cogolla.

San Millán is home to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Yuso and Suso monasteries. These are superb examples of Medieval and Visigothic architecture, which were constructed between the 6th and 11th centuries.

You will have plenty of time to look around the monasteries, because your impressive hotel for the night is housed inside one of them.

Cycle Routes:


Shorter Route: 28km (17 miles)

Longer Route: 48km (31 miles)
Empuries
The picturesque Ebro Valley

Day 5 - Eguren Ugarte Winery

The day begins with a long and gentle downhill, as you ride along a short section of the Camino de Santiago route. The route crosses the River Ebro and continue along quiet lanes through the vineyards, until reaching the small village of Paganos.

This is an excellent place to stop for lunch, before continuing the short distance to the hotel, which is housed in a winery amidst spectacular surroundings. Here you can enjoy a wine tasting and tour of the charming wine cellars underneath the hotel, and relax in its impressive gardens.

Cycle Routes:


Shorter Route: 31km (19 miles)

Longer Route: 43km (27 miles)
Desserts on Tasting Menu
Rioja is home to some of the finest gastronomy in Spain

Day 6 - Logroño

On the final day in the saddle you follow a rolling route on narrow lanes through the heart of the vineyards. The scenery is beautiful here and there is almost no traffic throughout most of the route.

The destination is the city of Logroño, the capital of the Rioja region, and one of the most historic cities in northern Spain.

LogroƱo also has a fine gastronomic tradition, and is famous for its pintxos and tapas bars. Of course, as you would expect from the capital of Rioja, there are also many delightful bodegas where you can sample the local wine!

Cycle Route:


Shorter Route: 27km (17 miles)

Longer Route: 50km (32 miles)
Riding through the vineyards
Riding through the Vineyards

Day 7 - Departure / Extensions

After breakfast, the cycling holiday comes to an end. We can help to arrange extra nights for you to stay in Rioja to discover even more about this great region.

If you prefer not to extend your stay, we will transfer you to Logroño airport, train or bus station in time for your onward journey.

To find out more information about this holiday; including practical information, prices, dates and more tour highlights; return to the top of the page and click on the various tabs.

Wine tour and tasting
Extend your stay in the Rioja region or elsewhere

This tour explores the best of the Rioja wine region. You ride through beautiful scenery on quiet country lanes; surrounded by vineyards and picturesque farmland.

On the routes we ride through delightful villages, we ride past ancient monuments and we explore the history and culture of the region. We stay in hotels housed in stunning historic buildings, and we sample some of the finest wine and gastronomy in this charming part of Spain.

Included
  • 6 Nights Accommodation (see the Hotels section for more details)
  • Continental breakfast each day
  • Bicycle Hire (Hybrid, road or e-bike)
  • Transfers to and from the arrival and departure points (see below for details)
  • Luggage transferred between hotels
  • Wine tasting and tour on Day 5
  • GPS routes and mobile app to easily follow the routes
  • Detailed information pack
Not Included:

Bicycles
Bicycle hire is included in the cost of the holiday. We recommend our lightweight hybrid bikes or e-bikes for this tour. If you prefer we can also provide road bikes, although the routes do change slightly for these to avoid a couple of gravel sections.

More details about our bikes can be found on our bicycles page. All of our bikes come with helmets and handlebar bags if required, as well as a Cycle Fiesta water bottle.
Hybrid Bicycle Our lightweight hybrid bikes

Difficulty Level & Roads
We rate this tour as mostly easy level if you ride the shorter routes. They are gently rolling with no long or very steep climbs. The ride on day 4 is slightly longer and is closer to medium level, but is still not overly strenuous.

The longer routes have a few more hills and we classify these as being a medium level. You can choose whether to do the shorter or longer ride on any given day.

This is a leisurely tour, designed for you to stop frequently at cafes, or to check out places of interest. If you would prefer to do something more sporty, please let us know and we can provide more challenging routes.

We hate cycling alongside traffic, and so ride on a combination of quiet paved roads and cycling greenways. The majority of the route is paved, but there are some light gravel sections. These can be avoided if you are on a road bike or prefer to stay entirely on paved roads.

Find out more about our tour difficulty levels.

Arrival and Departure
The arrival and departure points are Logroño, which is the capital of the Rioja region and has very good train and bus connections to both Madrid and Bilbao. It also has a small airport, with mostly domestic flights (Madrid and Barcelona).

We can pick you up from the airport or train station. If you would prefer to be transferred from Bilbao, please let us know and we can arrange that for you.

Also contact us if you would like any advice or more information regarding getting to and from the region.
Girona Arrivals and Departure Map

Frequently Asked Questions


Please browse through some of the frequently asked questions about this cycling tour. If you have any further questions, or would like any more information, please contact us and we will answer by email.


Should I do the longer or shorter routes?

This depends entirely on you! The longer and shorter routes all start and finish at the same place, and so you can decide on any given day which you would prefer to do. There is no need to commit until the day of the ride itself.

On the longer routes you see more and are able to visit more places, while the shorter routes are more relaxing and ideal if you like to take your time and go at a slower pace.

If you would like to visit the extra towns and monuments on the longer routes, but are worried about the distances, then we recommend hiring an e-bike, which will give you more flexibility.

When is the best time of year to go on this holiday?

We recommend going on this holiday from April to the end of June and from September to November. The weather then tends to be dry and sunny, with pleasant temperatures for cycling, and the vineyards are also at their most picturesque.

It is also possible to do this trip in July and August, but it can often be very hot (above 30°C (85°F), and so this is only recommended if you are used to riding in the heat.

In the winter and early spring it can be quite cool and wet in the Rioja region, so it's not the ideal time to visit.

Can I change or customize this tour?

Yes, absolutely. The itinerary is very flexible and we would be happy to customize it however you wish. If for example, you would like to stay in a particular town or hotel we can arrange this.

Likewise, if you would prefer to do longer or shorter rides, including evening meals, or stay somewhere for extra nights, please let us know and we can adjust the itinerary accordingly.

Another possibility is to do more of the riding on gravel routes instead of paved roads. Rioja is a great region for gravel riding, and you can find out more information in our guide to Gravel Riding in Rioja.

Can I extend the tour?

Yes, we would be happy to arrange any tour extensions for you. If you would like to spend more time in Rioja, the Basque Country, or elsewhere in Spain, we can help you with the bookings and transport.

Do you run this as a guided tour?

Yes, for more details, check out the guided version of this holiday.

Why book with us?

We are a small and independent company who are locally based, which offers several advantages:

- We have a lot personal experience of all of our tours, which have been refined over many years. We believe we are genuine experts in the regions where we run tours, and we are also close at hand to offer support and a personalized service.

- We are flexible and can tailor our itineraries to suit your requirements.

- We have low overheads. We don't spend money on advertising and don't use third party agents. We only sell our tours through this website.

By cutting out the middle man, you can be sure that more of what you pay is being spent on the important things: like hotels, equipment and other services.

- We are a registered and fully bonded tour operator in accordance with EU regulations.

What is your cancellation policy?

The full cancellation policy can be found in our terms and conditions.

Where can I find more information about the region?

We have plenty more detailed information on the website.

Check out our pages on Bilbao

And we also have some more indpeth articles looking at the fascinating history and culture of Rioja:



Hotel Mayor de Migueloa
Hotel Mayor de Migueloa
This boutique hotel is right in the heart of Laguardia, inside the Medieval walls. It is housed in a 17th century palace that is a listed monument. It has elegant rooms and its own wine cellars that you can explore beneath the building.
Los Agustinos
Hotel Agustinos - Haro
In Haro we stay in this **** hotel, housed in a beautiful former 14th century convent in the town center. The rooms are set around a large central cloister that oozes with history and charm.
Hotel Parador Santo Domingo
Parador Hotel - Santo Domingo
Another beautiful hotel housed in a historic building. This Parador hotel is housed in a former 16th century convent in Santo Domingo, just a short walk from the historic center. It has large rooms and is a nice building to explore.
San Millán Monastery Hotel
Hotel Monasterio - San millan
This **** hotel is housed within the Yuso Monastery - a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that is famed for being the home of the Spanish language. The large rooms combine modern comforts with the rich history of the building.
Eguren Ugarte
Eguren Ugarte
This boutique hotel is part of a local winery. The large rooms look out over the expansive vineyards and the hotel is housed in a stylish modern building. On the tour of the vineyard you can explore the unique cellars and tasting rooms of this charming hotel.
Hotel Calle Mayor
Hotel Calle Mayor
A **** hotel in the historic center of Logroño. It is housed in a 16th century mansion and is just a short walk from the city's cathedral and lively calle Laurel district. The large rooms are beautifully decorated.
To find out more about how we select our hotels, please see our accommodation page.


Starting Date Price (per person)¹ Single Supplement Bike Hire
15th July - 30th August €1,720 EUR €520 EUR Included
Any other date €1,570 EUR €480 EUR Included


¹Price is based on two people sharing a double or twin room. If you would prefer to stay in a single room, the single supplement is applicable.

To reserve a place on the tour, click the button above and complete the reservation form. We will then get back to you within 24 hours to confirm the reservation, and to arrange for payment of the deposit.

For more details on the booking process, please check out our Reservations page.


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