Vermont Fall Foliage Bike Tours – Lake Champlain Valley to Stowe
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Tour Overview
Vermont's Lake Champlain Valley and Stowe Fall Foliage
Fall Foliage | Smuggler’s Notch | Red Barns | Covered Bridges
This fall foliage bike tour in Vermont, is considered by Frommer’s to be one of the “World’s 10 Best Bike Tours” and has been named a Forbes Travel Guide “Top 5 US Bike Tour,” and showcases the state’s renowned foliage. Ride through small towns and iconic covered bridges in the Lake Champlain Valley, then through the Green Mountains to Stowe. After exploring Vergennes and hiking to a lake-view waterfall, go to majestic Shelburne Farms, a sprawling lakeside estate and working agricultural farm. Tour a nearby orchard for warm cider and freshly made cider donuts.
Depart the Lake Champlain Valley and bike east through the Green Mountains to Richmond, where you’ll visit a brewery next to the historic Old Round Church before continuing to a world-class spa resort for the next two nights. Ride the classic route over Smuggler’s Notch, a rocky corridor through the mountains, which is a favorite of cycling enthusiasts. Choose from several loop options around picturesque Stowe, including covered bridges, the Stowe Rec Path, and the Village of Stowe. Visit with a talented glassblower or tour the Vermont Ski Museum before returning to Burlington.
Accommodations on this fall foliage bike tour feature award-winning quintessentially Vermont inns and a luxury mountain resort. This fall foliage bicycle tour offers an exclusive and exquisite stay and dinner at The Inn at Shelburne Farms. Unwind in the casual comfort of a historical Vermont treasure and luxuriate in an intimate hillside oasis. One of the top locations in the world for bicycling and foliage is in Vermont – right outside the door of Sojourn’s headquarters in the Lake Champlain Valley. Fly into Burlington, frequently listed as one of the top places to live in the US, and we’ll transport you the short distance to the start of the tour and return you to the airport after the trip.
Lodging Information
Distinctive lodging, carefully selected to complement your tour.
Waybury Inn, East Middlebury
This quintessential Vermont country inn sits at the base of the Green Mountains across from a beautiful stream. For years, the Bob Newhart show featured the inn. Restaurant and cozy pub on site. (1 night)
Inn at Shelburne Farms
The property was the 19th-century country home of Dr. William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. The Inn was opened as Shelburne Farms’ guest house in 1987, following the gift of the land and historic buildings at Shelburne Farms to the nonprofit that owns it today. (2 nights)
Topnotch Resort
Nestled in the heart of one of America’s best-loved ski towns and summer mountain destinations, Topnotch Resort is a smart, sophisticated, and cosmopolitan destination for both urban nomads and outdoor adventurers.(2 nights)
Date and Pricing
Start Location: Burlington, Vermont | End Location: Burlington, Vermont
Limited E-Bikes Available - Request Early
Rating: Intermediate Trips
- 2025
- Make it Private
What's Included
- Support of experienced tour leaders from start to finish
- Full van support for a variety of route options
- Custom Sojourn jersey and water bottles – yours to keep
- Observe a renowned glassblower right outside of Stowe
- Ride under Vermont’s iconic covered bridges
- Stunning foliage sightseeing
- 5 nights at luxurious and quintessentially Vermont inns and resorts
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Baggage transfers and porterage
- All breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners
- Complimentary use of Sojourn’s equipment and bikes: Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105, Customized Fuji Absolute 2.0
- Tandem Custom Built Cannondales or Co-Motions options at an added cost of $300
- Limited number of Electric Assist or E-bikes are also available on a first come, first serve basis. (Learn More)
- Daily route directions, maps, and a downloadable GPS
- 5% Past Traveler Discount to use on your next Sojourn Tour
FAQs
- Start & End: The tour starts at 10 AM at Sojourn HQ. Shuttles from Hotel Vermont pick up guests at 9:30 AM. Shuttles after the tour arrive in Burlington around 4 PM.
- Meals: All breakfasts, as well as most dinners and lunches are covered. We leave a few evenings and afternoons open for you to explore the variety of restaurants in the area. We strongly recommend a reservation for the restaurants you pick.
- Shuttle: In order to offer you the best of the area on a trip, we sometimes have to make liberal use of shuttles. On this trip, there is a 1 hour shuttle back to Burlington upon concluding the trip.
- E-Bike: Limited number of E-bikes are offered on a first come first serve basis.
- Van support: There are a few longer ride days and you can choose to ride as much or as little as you want. Our vans are always there to offer you a break.
- Flexibility: Our trips are designed to be flexible, giving you the freedom to experience it the way YOU want. So if you want some downtime or to do things on your own, our leaders will work to find you the best days to do it.
- Level of Riding: This is rated as an intermediate trip with consistent hills. Riding distances and difficulties vary per day, but Smugglers Notch stands out as the hardest (optional) effort of the trip at 1700 ft of climbing.
- Foliage Expectations: While guests often ask about the elusive peak foliage, this is largely a subjective term. Some trees might be close to their “peak” during one point of the trip, but others might differ. Regardless, since there are so many different types of trees in Vermont combined with so many different climate factors, you end up with a melange of colors no matter which tour you are on.
- Routing and Scheduling: The itinerary we provide can change on a certain day in terms of restaurant time, road closures, and weather conditions. Our leaders are fully trained at offering alternate plans and solutions. We seek your cooperation and promise to deliver the best vacation experience regardless.
Guest Reviews
“When others have asked us about our trip we can’t stop talking about the experience and praising Sojourn. Being outside, traveling through the colors, beautiful inns, quaint towns, incredible food, were all remarkable, but experiencing it through Sojourn put the adventure in a different class! We didn’t want it to end. “
Mary Gaukel Forster
“It was a perfect trip, showing us a great overview of the area! The colors were peaking, the weather was gorgeous, the guides were knowledgeable and personable, the fellow bikers were interesting and fun, the accommodations overall excellent, and it was a great peek into the Vermont countryside with appropriate challenges for everyone. “
Nan Brown
DAY BY DAY
Vermont Fall Foliage Bike Tours – Stowe
Kick-off your Vermont Fall Foliage bicycle tour with a picnic lunch in Vergennes which features a picturesque village green perched above a waterfall. Pass through one of Vermont’s signature covered bridges en route to the Waybury Inn where a warm toddy or cold pint awaits in the pub.
18, 38
Waybury Inn
L, DRide through one of the longest covered bridges in Vermont and visit a small country town. Enjoy a short hike to waterfalls overlooking a lake whose shores are lined with colorful foliage.
23, 30, 37, 54 Inn at Shelburne Farms B, DEnjoy an exclusive stay at the majestic Inn at Shelburne Farms. This sprawling lakeside estate is a working agricultural farm featuring spectacular views over Lake Champlain. A guided property tour follows a visit to a nearby orchard for warm cider and freshly made cider donuts.
30, 48, 59 Inn at Shelburne Farms B, DLeave the Lake Champlain Valley behind as the route winds east into the Green Mountains. Stop for lunch next to a historic round church before arriving in Waterbury, also known as one of the best towns for beer in the US. We head to the glamorous Topnotch Resort and Spa at Stowe for the next two nights.
35, 49 Topnotch Resort BToday’s ride features the classic loop over Smuggler’s Notch — a rocky cliff-like passage through the mountains used by Canadian smugglers during Prohibition.
18, 40, 46 Topnotch Resort B, DA choice of loop rides around Stowe includes covered bridges, the Stowe Rec Path, and the village of Stowe. Visit a talented glassblower or the Vermont Ski Museum before a picnic lunch along the river — all with the spectacular backdrop of Vermont’s colorful fall foliage.
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