Halkidiki Peninsula
Greece Bike Tours
Beautiful seaside resorts & exotic beaches of Northern Greece!
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Overview
On this supported bicycle tour in Greece, you will experience the lush green forests, secluded beaches, and serene turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea that make up this mythic region.
You will be challenged as well in the inland mountains as you pedal amid the towering coniferous woodlands, herds of goats, and panoramic views from the rugged cliffs overlooking the beaches.
This tour also encompasses unique archaeological sites and provides opportunities to discover the gastronomic and cultural heritage of the three peninsulas of Halkidiki: Kassandra, Sithonia, and Athos.
Highlights
- Kassandra- is one of the most visited regions of Halkidiki. It is known for its bustling nightlife, charming beaches, and verdant coniferous forests. Kassandra offers many places to dine and have a drink along the coastline as well as a spectacular panoramic view, especially at sunset.
- Sithonia- is located in the middle prong of the Halkidiki peninsula and offers picturesque beaches, beautifully varied landscapes, and abundant nature. It is a perfect place to taste the best of Greek cuisine as well as bask in the sun on one of the many secluded beaches.
- Athos- Is the most eastern and mountainous region of the peninsula. Athos is home to Mt. Athos or “Holy Mountain”, which reaches a sprawling altitude of 2000 meters and is covered with dense forests. Athos is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is famous for the many monasteries that populate the region.
- Ouranoupoli - the gateway to Mount Athos
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Itinerary
Day 1: Thessaloniki - Kassandra peninsula
Day 2: St. Nicholaos Chapel - Loutra Spa Village 19.3 mi. (31 km)
Day 3: Loutra - Possidi - Kassandreia - Neos Marmaras (Sithonia), 22 mi. (35 km)
Day 4: Partenonas Architectural Reserve - Coastal Roads - Porto Kofou 22 mi. (35 km)
Day 5: Porto Koufo - Kalamitsi - Sarti - Vourvourou, 33 mi. (53 km)
Day 6: Vourvourou - Pyrgadikia - Develiki - Ouranoupoli (Athos peninsula), 42 mi. (67 km)
Day 7: Free day in Ouranoupoli - transfer back to Thessaloniki
Day 8: DepartureAll distances are approximate. Due to circumstances beyond control, weather conditions, or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to changes before and/or during your holiday. This is a supported tour and your driver-guide will fully inform you in regards to each day's route.
Day 1: Thessaloniki - Kassandra peninsula
Individual arrival in Thessaloniki and included transfer (62 mi/100 km) to Pefkochori located on the Northern coast of the Kassandra peninsula.
Sample accommodation: Marabou Hotel, PefkochoriDay 2: St. Nicholaos Chapel - Loutra Spa Village, 19.3 mi (31 km) | Elevation: +340/-330
The cycle tour starts along the coast but then veers off on a village road leading to the chapel of St. Nicholas (+15 km and +310/-310 m). The ride backtracks a few kilometers and continues with an uphill ride in the hinterland of the peninsula, ending in the village of Loutra, renowned for its healing thermal waters.Sample accommodation: Rodon Loutra, Loutra
Day 3: Loutra - Possidi - Kassandreia - Neos Marmaras (Sithonia), 22 mi. (35 km) | Elevation: +240/-220m
The day starts with a flat road along the shore until the small resort town of Possidi, where you will have some time to spend on the beach. You then head to the town of Kassandreia where the biking for today ends. Transfer to the lively harbor Neos Marmaras in the Sithonia peninsula. Option for honey tasting in Nikiti area on the way.Sample accommodation: Regos Resort Hotel, Neos Marmaras
Day 4: Partenonas Architectural Reserve - Coastal Roads - Porto Kofou 22 mi (35 km) | Elevation: 330/630 m
Following a quick transfer to the mountain village of Parthenonas, an architectural reserve with marvelous stone houses, a scenic ride follows along the Western coast of Sithonia. From here there is a downhill mountain road, followed by a coastal road overlooking secluded small bays. The sparkling blue waters and golden sand beaches will beckon and tempt. The ride continues along the stunning rocky bay to Porto Kofou, a fishing village.Sample accommodation: Porto Kofu Hotel , Porto Koufo
Day 5: Porto Koufo - Kalamitsi - Sarti - Vourvourou, 33 mi. (53 km) | +1080/-1080 m
As you continue to explore Sithonia, the morning begins with a gorgeous ascent on a mountain road followed by a downhill ride to the East coast to the village of Kalamitsi. The route continues on a coastal road with a series of ascents and descents through forests of Mediterranean Pines and the through the lively town of Sarti, finishing in the Vourvourou region with spectacular views of Diaporos Island. Overnight in Vourvourou.Sample accommodation: Hotel Rema, Vourourou
Day 6: Vourvourou - Pyrgadikia - Develiki - Ouranoupoli (Athos peninsula), 42 mi. (67 km) | Elevation: 940/900 m
Today you will follow coastal roads, passing through the charming fishing town of Pyrgadikia. Just after leaving, there will be a few challenging ascents until the beach of Develiki. After that, you will follow a flat coastal road to the charming tourist town of Ouranopoli in the Athos peninsula.Sample accommodation: Princess Ouranoupoli, Ouranoupoli
Day 7: Free Day in Ouranoupoli. Transfer back to Thessaloniki
This is the perfect place for a day of rest. Oranoupoli is a fairytale place whose name translates as the "city of the heavens." Soak up sun on one of the pristine beaches with the backsplash of rolling green hills and the deepest blue sea as the forefront! Optional activities for the day will be provided in your tour information. Transfer back to Thessaloniki in the afternoon. Your support staff will be departing today. Possibility to remain in Ouranoupoli for another evening.Sample accommodation: Rotonda Hotel, Thessaloniki
Day 8: Departure
Departure is on your own. The preferred hotels usually offer airport transfers.Take time to peruse our full list of bike tours in Europe or view all our featured bicycle tours, specials, and news.
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Map
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Hotels & Bikes
Accommodations
You will be accommodated in family-run hotels and guest houses unique to this area. No chain hotels! In each day’s details, we provide you with the name of the preferred hotel, however, the final hotel list will be based on availability. You can request the list of available hotels for your preferred tour date if you would like. P
Bicycles
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Standard Bike
Drag Grand Canyon TE
- Lightweight alloy fram
- Shimano components
- Kenda 622x37 tires
- Cox speed saddle
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Electric Bike
Longwise Electric Bike
- Al Alloy city frame (step-through)
- 250 W Brushless Gear Motor
- 36 V 10 Ah lithium battery
- Roller brake
- Shimano 7 gears
- Rear rack
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Inclusions
What’s Included
- Accommodations for 7 nights
- Breakfast
- Airport transfer on arrival day
- Luggage transfer
- Support vehicle with English speaking driver
- Standard bike rental equipped with water bottle cages, rear rack on request, & repair kit. Pannier(s) must be requested. Supplement applies.
What’s Not Included
- Lunches & dinners
- Pannier (available for rental)
- Entrance fees
- Gratuities (suggested €5 per person/per day)
- Personal expenses
- Boat trips
- Departure airport transfer
- Bike Protection
- Travel Insurance
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Dates & Pricing
Dates
May 27, June 15, September 14, 2024
Departures require a minimum of 4 people to confirm. Less than four people will incur a supplement (see pricing).
Private tour dates are possible apart from the scheduled departures for a supplement. Please ask!
Please Note
- Rates are per person, based on double occupancy
- Tour prices are based on the fuel costs at time prices are set, often months or years in advance. In rare cases, additional fees may apply for fuel cost increases.
- Information to read before you book
- We recommend purchasing trip insurance
- Please see our FAQ
Pricing
2024
Twin/double $ 1683 £ 850 $ 1,522 € 1005 Ft 423381 kr 149148 ₪ 3899 ¥ 162637 Mex$ 21909 NZ$ 1845 kr 11977 zł 4373 S$ 1451 kr 11782 CHF 953 $ 1,083 Single supplement $ 424 £ 214 $ 383 € 253 Ft 106583 kr 37547 ₪ 982 ¥ 40943 Mex$ 5515 NZ$ 464 kr 3015 zł 1101 S$ 365 kr 2966 CHF 240 $ 273 Supplement for groups of 2-3 (single supplement also applies) $ 313 £ 158 $ 283 € 187 Ft 78778 kr 27752 ₪ 725 ¥ 30262 Mex$ 4077 NZ$ 343 kr 2229 zł 814 S$ 270 kr 2192 CHF 177 $ 202 Extra Options
Rental options
Pannier bag $ 17 £ 8 $ 15 € 10 Ft 4213 kr 1484 ₪ 39 ¥ 1618 Mex$ 218 NZ$ 18 kr 119 zł 44 S$ 14 kr 117 CHF 9 $ 11 Helmet on request E bike $ 176 £ 89 $ 159 € 105 Ft 44234 kr 15583 ₪ 407 ¥ 16992 Mex$ 2289 NZ$ 193 kr 1251 zł 457 S$ 152 kr 1231 CHF 100 $ 113 Road bike no additional cost Extra nights
On request
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Extra Info
Skill Level — Moderate
This is a “supported tour” in which there will be a van transferring luggage and stopping at certain points throughout the route. The guide does not ride with you but the support vehicle is literally your guide and never strays far from the group. To fully enjoy this tour, you should be in good physical condition. You will have to cope with some steep ascents and corresponding downhills and some are off-road! Mostly you will traverse good coastal asphalt roads, gravel, and macadam mountain roads (some bumpy sections are possible). All roads are quiet and calm with low traffic in the tour’s active season. Please note that it is required that you wear a helmet at all times while cycling. You may rent one but we strongly advise for many reasons to bring your own well-fitted helmet.
Airport Info
Fly to Thessaloniki Airport Makedonia (SKG), the country’s third largest airport after Athens and Heraklion airports. It is the main airport of the northern part of the country.
Local Travel
An arrival transfer is included in the tour price. For departure, the preferred hotels utilized generally offer airport transfers. Please inquire at the facility. You can also order a taxi. Travel time is about 30 minutes and costs around €20.
There are buses that connect the city center (Platia Aristotelous) and the main railway station of Thessaloniki (Neos Sidirodromikos Stathmos)to the airport. Line 1 X travels back and forth throughout the day. A single ticket costs €2. You can buy the ticket from the ticket machine on the bus, but keep in mind that the machine does not return spare change. Journey time is 40 - 50 minutes.Climate
The climate in Halkidiki is generally mild with limited rainfall whilst sunshine and warm summers are well known. It enjoys almost 300 days of sunshine on average annually. Check local conditions prior to arrival. Please check local conditions before your arrival.
Recommended
Visit to the sulfur springs in Agia Paraskevi
Athos MonasteriesRemarks
This is a supported tour in which the guide drives the support vehicle, transfers luggage, and stops at interesting sites along the way. Your guide will assist you with organizing breakfasts and lunches. The price for lunches is NOT included in your tour price but can be paid on the spot.
Important to know
Travel Documents
It is each traveler's responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance with the country or countries you plan to visit. This includes and is not limited to passport validity, visa requirements and acquisition, blank passport pages required for your destination (s), etc.
US citizens: A good website to research the requirements of the Schengen Agreement and entry into other countries is travel.state.gov.
Non-EU and EU residents: Please research the requirements of your country of residence for international travel and your destination country or countries.
*Important note: Please check on the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) status as once implemented, this will be required to visit any of the 26 Schengen-member countries for tourism, business, medical, or transit. This is an additional check on security rather than a visa.Helmet usage
All riders must wear a helmet at all times. It is preferable that you bring your own, but there are helmets for rent.
Extra Stay
Instead of returning to Thessaloniki in the afternoon of Day 7, you can opt to remain in Ouranoupoli for the night. There is no extra charge for this but you must specify at time of booking if this is what you prefer.
Tour Operator
This tour is run by Penguin Travel.
We value the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide.
We are not a broker.
We do not inflate tour prices.
We are simply travelers helping travelers.Would you like to learn more About Us? How about What Makes Us Different than other companies?
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Photos
![From bike to beach on Halkidiki, Greece. Flickr:Marco Verch]()
![Traditional Greek salad with feta. Flickr:Roger Salz]()
![Flying proud in Athens, Greece. Flickr:Ana Raquel Shernandes]()
![Greek Church in Thessalonika, Greece. Flickr:Louisa Thomson]()
![Starfish in the waters on Agia Paraskevi, Greece. Flickr:Dimitris Siskopoulos]()
![Goats in the way! Flickr:Bryan Ledgard]()
![Stavronikita Monastery, one of about 20 monasteries on Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Macedonia, Greece. Wikimedia Commons:Rumun999]()
![Sithonia, Chalkidiki, Greece. Flickr:constant progression]()
![Hot peppers on Halkidiki Peninsula, Greece. Flickr:Marcus]()
![Beach in Sithonia, Greece. Wikimedia Commons:Anton Lefterov]()
![Mount Athos, Greece. Wikimedia Commons:Dave Proffer]()
![Enjoying the view in Kassandra, Halkidiki, Greece. Flickr:Horiavarlan]()
![Octopus and calamari with a great local Greek beer. Flickr:Marijke Blazer]()
![Church in Agia Paraskevi, Chalkidiki, Greece. Flickr:Klearchos Kapoutsis]()
![Off the bike for a swim at Kalamitsi Beach, Halkidiki, Greece. Flickr:George Terezakis]()
![Tomato "keftes" on Kassandra Peninsula in Greece. Flickr:Marco Verch]()
![On Sithonia in Halkidiki, Greece. Flickr:Bernhard Wintersperger]()
![View from Nea Skiti on Mount Athos, Halkidiki, Greece. Wikimedia Commons:malenki]()
![Green figs in Greece! Flickr:Oleve Family Estate and Products]()
![St. Gregory's Monastery on Mt Athos, Halkidiki, Greece. Flickr:Marco Verch]()
![Falafel and fries in Greece. Flickr:Ben Ramirez]()
![Biking along the coast in Halkidiki, Greece. Flickr:Marco Verch]()
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