Bev Goodwin / Foter / CC BY

Maybe you’re looking for a vacation that’s going to get your heart rate up. Or you want to go on a road trip with some amazing sites, but can’t stomach leaving a carbon footprint. Perhaps you’re trying to find unique and fun ways to really feel the journey and immerse yourself in nature. One great way to accomplish all of these goals and have an experience you’ll never forget is to go on a cycling tour.

You may think that cycling tours are only for diehard fitness buffs, but there’s such a wide variety of routes out there that people of all levels of cycling expertise can find something that fits what they’re looking for. As long as you know how to ride and don’t mind breaking a sweat, you’re good to go.

Of course, there are lots of different tours out there, and almost as many websites catering to people interested in these kinds of adventures. How do you know where to start looking?

Everyone has something different in mind, but one of the best ways to start planning your tour is to check out the below sites. Not only are they well-respected, each of them have unique and unforgettable tours that help them to stand out from the pack.

Sojourn. Specializing in Eastern Canada and the U.S., Sojourn Bicycling & Active Vacations offers 22 different cycling tours, many of which are unique to their company. Want to bike across wine country? Stay in a remote log cabin? Dine on the best food a region has to offer? Sojourn is the place to find what you’re looking for. Just a few of their standout tours include the Texas Hill Country tour, the Columbia Gorge Tour in Oregon (with a path Bicycling magazine calls a “must ride”), and the Vermontreal tour, which includes the famed Tour de L’île in Montréal.

Backroads. Looking for a trip with a bit more of an international flair? While Backroads does offer some amazing tours of the Rockies, their bread and butter is a wide selection of amazing European and Asian cycling tours that will take your breath away while helping you to see the world. Imagine pedaling across Italy’s Adriatic Coast, riding through the Woodland of Germany and the wine valleys of France, traversing the Golden Land of Myanmar on two wheels, or taking in everything that New Zealand’s South Island has to offer. The guides at Backroads can not only show you the least-trafficked and most scenic trails, but also tell you where you’ll find the best places to stop.

Tour d’Afrique. Hardcore cyclists and adventure-seekers should take note of Tour d’Afrique, which specializes in cross-continental tours, many of which last several months and aren’t offered anywhere else. They have quite a few unique offerings here, but Tour d’Afrique is probably most well known for their 7 Epics – continent-spanning tours that allow cyclists to cover the globe and experience practically every culture, climate, and site known to man on their bike. All told, these tours cover six continents (sorry, Antarctica fans), 50 countries, and 72,000 kilometers!

Trek Travel. What makes Trek Travel special isn’t the fact that they offer tours around the globe or that you can find trips for avid cyclists, families, and everyone in-between. Lots of sites offer those things… at least individually. What’s amazing about Trek is that they do all of it and that you can easily search their well-designed site starting from any of those needs. And you won’t be skimping on the sights or experiences, either. Want rainforests and volcanoes? How about castles, cobblestones, and history? Or head to California and enjoy the sights of a Pacific Coast ride.

Adventure Cycling Association. If you really want to delve deeply into the cycling routes of the United States, this is the place to go. Based in Missoula, Montana, Adventure Cycling Association is the premiere website for cycling in America and incredibly well-respected for their in-depth routes and maps. They work with two separate systems – the Adventure Cycling Route Network, which covers North America and includes over 41,000 miles of official routes, and the U.S. Bicycle Route System, a proposed network of cycling routes that would link the entire continental United States. Basically, if you want to go on a bike tour anywhere in the U.S., this is a great resource. They also offer guided tours in the U.S. and Canada.

Of course, you shouldn’t just stop with these five sites. There are a number of great informational cycling sites out there that you need to check out before booking your tour.  BicycleTouringPro, BicycleTouring101, and Bicycle-Touring-Guide are just a few great places that are chock full of information and advice on tours, routes, and gear, as well as reviews to help you make your decision on each before booking.

..and if you don’t feel like cycling, check out MyDriveHoliday.

Author: Juliana Weiss-Roessler is a freelance writer living in Austin, TX. Together with her business partner and husband Josh, she has written and edited hundreds of articles, press releases, and other marketing materials for a variety of publications and businesses. Learn more about her work on WeissRoessler.com.