Premiere Hotels*
Accommodations may vary based on departure date. Any difference from what is listed below can be found by clicking on your desired date on the View Scheduled Dates or Private Dates tabs.
Channel Lodge
La Conner (1 night)
* Casual Hotel
A comfortable hotel with private balconies and beautiful vistas of the boats and birdlife residing in Swinomish Channel.
Outlook Inn
Orcas Island (2 nights)
It's a short walk to the private beach and the shops and galleries of downtown from this retreat at the water's edge.
Friday Harbor House
San Juan Island (2 nights)
Described by Andrew Harper as an "appealing contemporary island lodge affording exceptional views of the San Juan Channel."
This Trip Is Rated Levels 2-4
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
Daily Route Options (drag to see full )
| Daily Route Options |
| 1 |
14 |
200 |
20 |
300 |
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| 2 |
9 |
600 |
21 |
1000 |
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| 16* |
400 |
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| 3 |
10 |
1000 |
12 |
2100 |
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| Mount Constitution Hike (4.5 Miles; 2,100' elevation gain) |
| Cascade Lake Hike (2 Miles; minimal elevation gain) |
| 4 |
11 |
1100 |
20 |
1700 |
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| Wildlife-Watching Cruise (4 Hours) |
| 5 |
10* |
700 |
20* |
1100 |
30 |
1900 |
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| Sea Kayaking in Roche Harbor (2 Hours) |
| 6 |
11 |
600 |
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Note:
The San Juan Islands' landscape is characterized by constant rises and valleys. The continuously rolling terrain can make the routes, which include sections of chip-sealed pavement, feel more challenging than the mileage may suggest.
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity level and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies and other external factors.
Meals
All breakfasts, 4 dinners, 6 lunches
Available Bike Options
The key to a stellar day’s ride is a bike that’s perfectly in tune with your cycling style… Backroads has you covered with the best bike fleet in the world! Read on for your available bike options for this trip.
Backroads Titanium Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Our custom-built titanium bikes are specially designed for you—and we offer different models for varied terrain so your bike is ideally suited to the region. Our custom-made bikes are included in your trip price.
Touring Bike (Included)
Performance Road Bike (Included)
Backroads Custom Electric-Assist Bike (Included in your trip price)
Wishing for a little extra assistance up those hills? Our custom Backroads Electric-Assist Bike lets you experience the thrill of exploring on two wheels while providing a boost when you want it. We've modified a selection of our great Titanium Bikes with the intuitive BionX "pedal-assist" system.
Backroads Custom Electric-Assist Bike (Included)
Specialized S-Works Roubaix & Ruby ($400 rental fee) – Available until 11/15/18
Ride like a pro with the new top-of-the-line S-Works bike featuring ultrasmooth Shimano Di2 electronic shifting. Faster and smoother than any other bike out there, this race-ready carbon machine delivers phenomenal acceleration and handling in an ultralight, ultrapowerful package—perfect for experienced riders. The Specialized S-Works Ruby is a light, agile speed machine precisely designed for women. You can upgrade to a Specialized S-Works Roubaix or Ruby on your trip.
Specialized S-Works Roubaix (Upgrade)
Specialized S-Works Ruby (Upgrade)
Co-Motion Torpedo Tandem ($400 rental fee)
Do you prefer to spin in tandem with your partner? You'll love the Co-Motion Periscope Torpedo tandem on your Backroads trip. You can upgrade to a Co-Motion Torpedo Tandem on your trip.
Co-Motion Torpedo Tandem (Upgrade)
Also Included
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers and porterage
Get the Straight Talk about This Trip
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
Air Conditioning
On this trip, we stay at The Outlook Inn, a Premiere Hotel set on the shore of Orcas Island. While the hotel offers outstanding service and amenities, please note that rooms are not equipped with air-conditioning. Despite the region's generally temperate climate and cool nights, guestrooms can occasionally become warm during peak temperatures.
Why Travel with Backroads in San Juan Islands
The Best Leaders in San Juan Islands
Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in San Juan Islands, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.
More Leaders to Support You
On our San Juan Islands trips we have an extra leader supporting you along the road—for a total of three, compared to the industry standard two. So we can be in more places at once, giving personal attention to guests traveling at their own pace. Here's more on our Trip Leaders.
A Second Van When You Need It
Backroads is the only active travel company providing two support vans in San Juan Islands—because we know it's essential to ensure a truly great travel experience. It doubles our ability to be there when you need us to offer hydration, lighten your load or give you a lift if it's time to take a break. Read more on why two vans make all the difference.
Your Trip Will Run. Period.
Under our Book with Confidence policy, your Backroads trip will run even for one or two people (or a family of three or four), subject to a nominal extra fee. Or transfer to another trip, and we'll give you a credit. It's all part of our trademark commitment to treating guests with integrity, transparency and total accountability. Read all the details.
Great Bikes Included
Our custom-designed titanium bikes are best in class. From avid cyclists to easygoing riders, we believe that everyone deserves a seriously great bike to match their riding style. Learn more about our bike fleet.
Navigate Your Way in San Juan Islands
Your ride comes equipped with a GPS device, preloaded with all the routes and route options for your trip. If you prefer to bring your own device, we also have downloadable GPS files and of course, our good old paper directions are always available. Read more on why our navigation options are the best.
Everyone at Their Own Pace
We design and support our San Juan Islands trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.
We've Set the Standard
For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by
Signature Backroads Picnics
Guests rave about our picnic spreads. Enjoy a welcome break in a scenic spot, or a quick refuel stop if you don't want to lose momentum. And because we have two vans, one can host lunch while the other is out providing support along the route.
Choose Your Fellow Travelers
With Backroads you won't end up with kids on what you thought was an adult trip; we have exclusive departures for families, so they're off having their own adventures. As you browse our unrivaled selection of trips and dates, you can count on finding a trip in San Juan Islands that's geared exclusively to your choice of traveling companions.
