The ocean permeates every scene. Harbors dappled with sunlight, sailboats flitting across the deep blue water of the Salish Sea. Off the ferry and onto a new island. Biking the country roads, each day is an adventure. But you're never far from the water. What's around the next corner? Time to find out.
Day 1 Kick off your journey in La Conner, a charming little town with beautiful boutiques and a relaxed country feel on the Swinomish Channel | Bike through the fertile Skagit Valley, noted for its tulip and daffodil cultivation, with Mount Baker crowning the route.
Day 2 Island-hop by ferry, and pedal through stunningly diverse scenery, from conifer forests to farmlands to seaports | After biking to Anacortes, set sail for hilly Orcas Island, a tapestry of rural landscapes | Stop by artisan shops, where one-of-a-kind pieces are displayed among Douglas fir and western red cedar.
Day 3 On foot or two wheels in Moran State Park, make your way up Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juans—it’s worth the climb! | Once at the top, enjoy the breathtaking panorama of islands, snow-covered Mount Baker, the Cascades and the Olympic Peninsula.
Days 4-5 Join a wildlife cruise with a naturalist—you may spot an orca! | Spin past secluded bays and driftwood beaches | Swap pedals for paddles on an optional sea-kayaking excursion near Roche Harbor, and watch for otters and soaring eagles.
Day 6 Pedal along quiet roads on Lopez Island—a bicyclist’s paradise | An easygoing route leads past farms and pastures, along the waterfront and through a forest—a great finale to the week.
This was more than a fantastic bicycling trip. We had the added bonus adventures of sea kayaking, hiking, and orca whale, bald eagle, and harbor seal sightings! The trip leaders were helpful, fun, and informative, and really tipped the scales toward a totally positive experience.- Cincinnati, Ohio
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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 Dates & Prices tab.
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A comfortable inn with private balconies and beautiful vistas of the boats and birdlife residing in Swinomish Channel.
It's a short walk to the private beach and the shops and galleries of downtown from this retreat at the water's edge.
Described by Andrew Harper as an "appealing contemporary island lodge affording exceptional views of the San Juan Channel."
There's no better way to find out about Backroads than by hearing it from the people who have traveled with us. For more about the Backroads Experience, read our Guest Testimonials.
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REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 8 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Reviewed by 8 customers
Displaying reviews 1-8
Comments about San Juan Islands Bike Tour:
This was more than a fantastic bicycling trip. We had the added bonus adventures of sea kayaking, hiking, and orca whale, bald eagle, and harbor seal sightings! The trip leaders were helpful, fun, and informative, and really tipped the scales toward a totally positive experience.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Comments about San Juan Islands Bike Tour:
I went on the camping version with my wife and 3 children. My kids proclaimed "this was the best vacation ever!" at the conclusion of the trip, and I couldn't agree more. The islands are a magical place, and a truly fantastic place to bike ride with new or less experienced cyclists, as the locals are friendly, and the roads virtually car free. The leaders were also incredible with the children (pretty sure they're my kids new heroes), the food fantastic, and the campsites that were selected were wonderful. Backroads does an incredible job of planning activities for parents and kids alike, so there was something for everyone, and just the right amount of family together time, and time away from the kids. I'll be booking another family trip soon!
Comments about San Juan Islands Bike Tour:
We had a great trip biking in the San Juan islands. Our guides were very knowledgeable and fun to be with. The hotels and restaurants were all places we would return to another time. We have already signed up for our next Backroads vacation.
Comments about San Juan Islands Bike Tour:
This trip was awesome. It had all the "normal" (read: amazing) aspects of a Backroads trip: great hotels, food, bike rides. But I also felt totally immersed in the San Juan Islands style of "island living". I loved the small town vibe of Friday Harbor, the quiet roads of Orcas Island, and the "Lopez Wave". The peaceful vibe was totally enchanting, and I envision myself living on a farm on Orcas Island now. And the whale watching - incredible! Backroads and their expert leaders once again did an amazing job facilitating an exceptional trip for my family and me. Can't wait to be back for our next adventure!
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Comments about San Juan Islands Bike Tour:
Wow! This trip was spectacular! I think you'd be hard-pressed to find another outfitter that can match what Backroads offers here. The trip is so well designed I'd have a difficult time trying to find any flaw in the design. It's no small feat to piece together the logistics of fine dining, amazing accommodations, and fun daily activities with the island hopping and shear distance covered on this trip. I felt like I truly experienced as much as humanly possible and was able to dive in to the culture and heart of the area, but I never once felt rushed or hurried. I don't know how they did it, but it really was a trip of a lifetime!
Comments about San Juan Islands Bike Tour:
Interesting, lots of variation with activities, great leaders. Only downsize was we did not see any whales, but hey, they cannot be programmed
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Comments about San Juan Islands Bike Tour:
San Juan Islands were a beautiful place to be on a bike. A great place to escape DC heat.
Comments about San Juan Islands Bike Tour:
Incredible experience! Biking the beautiful San Juan Islands, the views, the ferry boat rides from island to island, the Orcas Island Pottery store and the quaint village of Eastsound, the hike to the top of Mount Constitution, the farm-to-table dinner, the incredible nature tour aboard a private boat to see Orcas and wildlife, kayaking the islands of Roche Harbor and watching a seaplane land nearby. First class accommodations, excellent meals, very friendly, conscientious attentive guides, 21 new, like-minded, adventurous friends. Don't hesitate to take this trip!
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Pausing to watch a seaplane lane
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Orcas Island Ferry Terminal
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Displaying reviews 1-8
The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind—you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due.
Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
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AVAILABLE TO BOOKi GOING FASTi CONTACT USi PRIVATE TRIP - RESERVEDi
Interested in a Private Trip? Check out the Make It Private tab for private dates available, or call us at 800-462-2848.
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.
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| Daily Route Options | ||||||||||
| Day | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | ||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | |
| 1 | 14 | 150 | 22 | 200 | ||||||
| 2 | 9 | 600 | 21 | 1000 | ||||||
| 25 | 1400 | |||||||||
| 3 | 10 | 1000 | 15 | 1400 | 22* | 1800 | ||||
| 11 | 2100 | 16 | 1500 | |||||||
| Mount Constitution Hike (4.5 Miles; 2,100' elevation gain) | ||||||||||
| Cascade Lake Hike (3 Miles; minimal elevation gain) | ||||||||||
| 4 | 11 | 1100 | 20 | 1700 | ||||||
| San Juan Island Wildlife-Watching Cruise (4 Hours) | ||||||||||
| 5 | 10 | 700 | 30 | 1900 | ||||||
| 19 | 1300 | |||||||||
| 20* | 1050 | |||||||||
| Sea Kayaking in Roche Harbor (3 Hours) | ||||||||||
| 6 | 13 | 1000 | 20 | 900 | ||||||
| 23 | 1000 | |||||||||
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 levels and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources (such as Map My Ride and Garmin devices) may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies. Readings from a Garmin or a smart phone are influenced by other factors such as air pressure.
We've biked in the San Juans since the earliest days of Backroads and know every inch of the great routes we've linked together with help from island-hopping ferries and an amazing network of local friends. We're constantly fine-tuning our itineraries, keeping what's great, revisiting what's changed and making sure you enjoy the best of the San Juans – whether it's an ideal picnic spot, an interesting regional artist or a feast of perfectly prepared fresh salmon.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Choose a Backroads Custom Titanium or Custom Electric Assist bike—both are included in your trip price. Maybe a Specialized carbon-fiber pro model is more your speed or go for double fun on a tandem. Our fleet is the best in active travel, so you don't have to roll the dice on this vital trip component. Learn why our titanium bikes are ideal for most riders. See the bike options for this trip.
Your ride comes equipped with a Garmin Edge Explore 1000, the best bike-touring GPS device on the market. This is a Backroads exclusive, and it's included with your bike in San Juan Islands. 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from the selection of dates below for your group of 16 or more. If your party has fewer than 16 guests, or your preferred date is not available, call or email us and we'll work together to find a trip just for you.
Click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
8 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 8 OR MORE GUESTS 16 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 16 OR MORE GUESTS RESERVED
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Invite your family and friends on an adventure that's entirely your own - for your group of 8 or more. Find out more
I simply can't imagine a better way to immerse yourself in the life of a region, to explore hidden corners and appreciate nuances while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. Sure, Backroads provides amazing leaders, superb accommodations and meals, and opportunities you could never arrange on your own. But all of our comprehensive planning and support is aimed at something far simpler: bringing you the immediate, highly personal satisfaction of discovering a new world on your own terms.
— Tom Hale, Founder & President
