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VBT Bicycling Vacations

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Vbt bicycling vacations reviews & ratings, the best vacation ever.

This was the first organized tour my husband and I have ever joined, so we were not sure what to expect , but it turned out to be the best vacation we've ever had. T...

Spectacular, Cycling the Dolomite Valleys

This trip is unbelievably fantastic. Two of the best rides of my life, were on this tour. The guides were very good and this was just the start, when we met them, at...

DonaandConnie

Absolutely stunning scenery with relatively easy cycling.

This tour was one of our favorites. The tour leaders (Claudio and Tiziana) were great. The Dolomites and Italian Alps were breathtaking and the bike paths and towns ...

Venice Extension for Dolomites trip

We really enjoyed the VBT restaurant & activity suggestions our VBT host gave us for our Venice extension. Dinner at the Baereto (sp?) was excellent and the Alla...

Freewheelin

Fantastic intro to a bike vacation!

VBT came highly recommended by several friends and family so we took the plunge and did our first guided bike trip. We were never disappointed. Guides, hotels, bikes...

See all VBT Bicycling Vacations reviews

Editoral Review of VBT Bicycling Vacations

VBT Bicycling Vacations offers active adventures around the world. The company was established over 50 years ago, so has lots of experience serving active travelers. It is based in Vermont, USA. Most everything is included in the price, except for a few meals—and that includes use of a customized bike on cycling tours and special packages including international airfare.

What Makes Them Stand Out?

When you travel with VBT, you’re not just another tourist. You get to experience a destination with the help of a local, bilingual leader who is passionate about sharing their community with you. You’ll eat in local restaurants, stay in accommodations that have been family-owned for generations, and visit local homes.

Who Travels With Them?

VBT attracts active adult travelers of all ages but tends to focus on guests over 50. Located in the US, their groups are frequently comprised of American travelers. You will likely travel with a group of like-minded companions who are more concerned with experiencing the destination and breaking a bit of a sweat than dining at the fanciest restaurants.

Where Do They Operate?

VBT sells tours that explore five continents. Some of their most well-known and sought after destinations include Italy, New Zealand, and Croatia. More exotic cycling tours can be found in South Africa and Vietnam.

Why Travel with Them?

Cyclists travel at their own pace during the day, but local trip leaders, turn-by-turn GPS directions, and support vans are always available—and immersive cultural experiences are included. Trips are rated easy to moderate (nothing too strenuous) and biking is usually limited to two to six hours a day. Routes and custom maps are all planned out. Another great feature is the use of E-bikes—bikes with an electronic assist to help you power up any hills you might encounter on the route. Overall, VBT has been doing these types of tours for more than 50 years, and they seem to have it down to a science.

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About the company.

Since 1971, VBT has crafted immersive and authentic biking vacations for active travelers. When you travel with VBT, you’re not just another tourist—you’re a traveler. With us, you’ll experience your destination with the help of a local, bilingual trip leader with a passion for sharing their home with you. You’ll eat in local restaurants, stay in accommodations that have been family-owned for generations and cycle through vineyards, olive groves, and medieval villages. 

With VBT, you won’t just visit a place—you’ll immerse yourself in it. You might follow a centuries-old pasta recipe while taking a cooking class in Rome—or learn a folk dance in Croatia, followed by sharing a bottle of locally-produced Grk wine with your new friends. Exploring the world on two wheels lets you experience your surroundings on a deeper level.

VBT offers exceptional value without compromising on quality. Simply put, no other US-based active travel company offers an experience this rich for such a reasonable price. On our tours, you can see more sights, have more local experiences, and enjoy more delicious, authentic meals—all while staying in high-quality, boutique hotels and charming, family-run inns.

All you have to do is show up at the airport—we’ll handle the rest! From tour consultants who help you find the perfect vacation to expert local trip leaders who show you the best place for gelato, we take care of all the little details that make your trip memorable. We book your flights, arrange all your transportation and accommodations, and move your luggage between hotels. Our support vans are available to give you a lift up a hill or quickly fix a flat tire. VBT takes care of your travel details and creates unique itineraries so you can relax and enjoy your small-group vacation from start to finish.

Friendly camaraderie, cultural immersion, and casual comforts are the hallmarks of our vacations. Discover delightful people, beautiful hotels, foreign cultures, and fascinating lifestyles that will enrich your life and provide memories for years to come.

VBT Bicycling Vacations Trips & Specials

Want a tailor-made trip instead, your trip, your way, planned by an expert:.

• You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
• Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics

Top VBT Bicycling Vacations Trip Categories

Vbt bicycling vacations company ranking by category, similar companies, associations, united states tour operators association.

USTOA is a nonprofit professional association representing the tour operator industry.Its members are made up of companies who provide services worldwide but who conduct business in the U.S.

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Itineraries

Specialty tours & events, new 2024 tours from vbt bicycling, country walkers.

by Mary Melnick

Photo © VBT Bicycling Vacations

VBT Bicycling Vacations and Country Walkers recently released an exciting lineup of tours and itineraries for 2024. The new offerings are available for booking now and include VBT Bicycling Vacations ’ Italy: Tuscany, Chianti & Marina di Castagneto and Country Walkers’ Croatia: Brač, Korčula & Mljet National Park .

New tours offer something for every type of traveler:

Photo © Country Walkers

For Drinks Lovers

Sip your way around the world with biking and walking tours. Each tour includes time for sampling local beer, hard cider, wine and nonalcoholic beverages, along with tours of world-famous wineries and wine regions.

For Foodies

From authentic meals prepared at family-owned estates to elegant fine-dining experiences in fairytale castles and local cuisine featuring the freshest ingredients, foodies will experience the best dining options each destination has to offer.

For Art and History Buffs

Travelers will hike and bike epic landscapes, ancient ruins, impressive theaters and forums, UNESCO World Heritage sites and more, all while learning about local practices, arts and crafts.

For Adventurers

Different tours offer moderate and challenging biking and walking itineraries, each leading to rewarding scenery and hearty meals.

For Non-Bikers/Walkers

Some tours allow for ample free time where guests can relax and do non-riding and -walking activities for a more laid-back experience.

For Coast Lovers

From quaint fishing harbors to scenic shorelines, guests can live the coast life while on a walking and biking tour.

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VBT – Active travel tours, cycling, bike & barge, walking tours

VBT —  

VBT specializes in deluxe small-group active travel tours , including cycling tours ,   bike & barge tours , and walking tours —at a variety of different fitness levels and paces worldwide, including Europe , Costa Rica , New Zealand , Vietnam , Peru , South Africa , China , and the United States .

VBT’s Bike & Barge tours combine river cruising and cycling. With a group of only 20-24 passengers , you’ll unpack just once and for a week, feel as if you’re on a floating hotel. You’ll see more of your destination than on your bicycle alone, and your barge provides a fascinating perspective. Cycle along riverside paths, immersing yourself in local culture with the guidance of  experienced, bilingual Trip Leaders , and return to the barge for relaxation, with the assistance of a full-service crew.

On VBT’s walking vacations,  you can hike ancient footpaths through terraced hillsides, stroll along winding cobblestone streets, while immersing yourself in local culture as your Trip Leader guides you through a walking tour designed just for you. No matter what your speed or activity level, there’s something for experienced walkers and enthusiastic beginners to enjoy.

VBT promises lower prices than other active-travel companies and include nearly everything for one low price : roundtrip international airfare, all transfers to and from the airport, all accommodations and most meals, use of a customized VBT bicycle (your choice of design), two local, expert VBT Trip Leaders, guided sightseeing, cultural activities , and support vehicles .

Spend your nights in 4-star historic hotels , from  country villas  and châteaux to unique accommodations like an Austrian shipmaster’s house or a self-sustaining eco-lodge.  On your journey enjoy VBT extras like an Italian language lesson, a lecture by a local art historian, or a wine tasting, as well as numerous sightseeing and cultural activities .

Their cycling tours are designed to meet the wide variety of fitness levels with each day offering multiple mileage options .

The 12 best places to visit in Tyumen (the oldest siberian city)

It is the oldest city in siberia and has many points of interest. find out about the best places to visit in tyumen, russia..

The first Siberian city was founded in 1586. Tyumen has been unofficially titled the oil and gas capital of Russia. The city’s population is 707 000 people, which continues to increase. According to RBC Holding, Tyumen is one of ten the most quick-growing towns in Russia. Don’t let the mention of oil-hungry businesspeople leave you thinking this is a dull, money-focused city, though. The city has a buzzing street life in summer and a couple of worthwhile sights that, taken together, will keep you entertained for a day or so.

Tyumen is also the stepping stone to the gorgeous old town of Tobolsk, a few hours’ bus or train ride away. Tyumen is a cultural, business, educational and administrative center of the Tyumen region. Most of the city’s population comprises young people under 35.

Here are always places to go in the evening and to see during weekends. Cozy cafes, luxurious restaurants, the best theatres and philharmonic concert hall, and museums reminding about the rich history of the city — all that is Tyumen. These are the best places to see in Tyumen, Russia.

1. Tyumen’s Holy Trinity Monastery

Tyumen’s Holy Trinity Monastery is located in the historical center of Tyumen. It is just a few minutes walk from the Tura Embankment. The monastery was founded on the picturesque bank of the Tura River in 1616. Almost a century later, in 1708, the old wooden monastery was rebuilt with stone. Shortly after, the monastery was named Holy Trinity. The building process was conducted under the leadership of metropolitan Philophey Leschinsky. Later, he took monastic vows and lived in seclusion for the rest of his life. After he died in 1727, he was buried at the monastery’s entrance.

During the Soviet period, the monastery was used as a dormitory for a military platoon and the headquarters of the city’s water control system. The monastery was returned to the Tyumen diocese in 1995, but the first service was not held there until 2003. In 2005 the relic of prelate Philophey was uncovered and is now kept in the Peter and Paul Cathedral monastery. In 2007 a square was dedicated to Philophey near the monastery. Today Holy Trinity Monastery is open for everyone to see and tour while it continues to hold regular liturgical services.

2. Znamensky Cathedral

The history of Znamensky Cathedral found its roots in the first half of the 17th century, when a small wooden chapel was first erected at the site of the current Cathedral. The old wooden chapel was replaced with the construction of a stone church which began on September 1st, 1768. The church’s previous name was given in honor of Mary, the Mother of God, and her icon within the church. The building was dedicated only 33 years later, in 1801. The church’s first stone building was painted white and consisted of the main chapel, a bell tower, a refectory, and a porch.

After the Revolution of 1917, the Cathedral was used as a transit prison. Still, between 1933 and 1941, the church was returned to the diocese. With the beginning of World War II, however, it was again taken over and used to house dislocated army forces. Finally, the Cathedral was returned to the eparchy. On June 19th, 1994, the clergy held a liturgical service for the first time. Today Znamensky Cathedral is a functioning church and one of the most beautiful symbols of Tyumen.

3. Tyumen Bolshoi Drama Theater

In 2008, The Tyumen Bolshoi Drama Theater got a new building built in record time for one year and eight months. With a 158-year history, the theater is the most prominent Drama Theater in Russia. The history of the Tyumen theater began even before the first building. It is known that in 1858 the St. Petersburg guest expressed his admiration for Amateur performances.

This fact was recorded, and the city’s theatrical history was reckoned from it. History tells us that in 1890, the first Guild merchant, an honorary citizen of the municipality Tekut’ev Andrei Ivanovich, founded a permanent theatre, which entered the town history called Tekut’evsky. Andrei Ivanovich, in love with the spectacle of dramatic scenes, supported theatre for 26 years.

In 1916, before his death, he bequeathed the theatre to the city. The City Council accepted the gift, and newspaper announcements began to inform about the performances not in the Tekut’ev’s theater but in the city theatre named Tekut’ev. After the October revolution, the theatre received the name of V. I. Lenin.

Under the leadership of the Petrograd director Valmar, it was staged such performances as “Idiot”, “the Power of Darkness”, “the Living corpse”, and “the Day”. In subsequent years the core of the repertoire included Russian and foreign classics, the best works of modern drama.

4. Saint George Ascension church

Through the parishioners’ efforts, this church was erected on the Tura River’s left bank. The church began as a stone two-storied building with a bell tower and two thrones: one is on the first floor in honor of Saint George and the other in honor of the Ascension of God is on the second.

After the October Revolution in 1929, the church was closed, and a workshop of tanners and chemists used its building. In 1934-35 the church became a dormitory for driving school students and combined operators. Later the building was under the governance of Tuymen’s fur coat fabric company.

Only in 1996 was the building returned to the diocese of Tobolsk and Tyumen. Two years later, services were resumed there. Step by step, in 2005, the bell tower was restored. In 2006, the church participated in the government program entitled “Cultural memorials restoration.” Now it is a functioning church that adorns the historical center of Tyumen.

5. Church of the Saviour

The Church of the Saviour, also known as the Church of the Image of “The Saviour Not Made by Hands” or shorter Spasskaya Church, is a church in Tyumen, Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at Lenin Street, 43, at a crossroad between the Chelyuskintsev Street. Built-in a late 18th-century Siberian Baroque and early 20th-century neorussian style, the building is one of Siberia’s oldest and most expressive churches, under monument protection.

It is believed that the early wooden church was raised in 1586 and reconstructed after several fires into a stable stone building in the late 17th century. The Church of the Saviour saw another two rebuildings in the late 19th century. However, after the 1917 October Revolution, the church was subject to confiscations of its property in 1922, and in 1930 was closed and became a momentary prison.

After the failed attempt to destroy the church two years later, it has been used as an archive and a library. The building storage material for the Tyumen Local Historical Museum is expected to be returned to the local eparchy in 2019.

6. Tura Embankment

The only thing in the Russian four-level structure of this kind and one of the favorite holiday destinations among residents and visitors alike. Here, close to each other is full of the city’s attractions: Lover’s Bridge, historical area, the museum “City Council” Architecture and Construction University, and Holy Trinity Monastery. Embankment and bridge of lovers – the city card is depicted on the magnets, postcards, and other souvenirs tourists bring from Tyumen.

Construction of the promenade continues today, and it planned its expansion on both sides of the river Tura. Throughout the embankment, scattered monuments of famous people, life, and activity were somehow linked to Tyumen. Summer, early Fall, and spring – are the best time for walking and spending time on the waterfront.

It is always noisy: many people are playing songs with a guitar, working fountains, flash mobs, and holding various events, to the bridge of lovers traditionally come to the newlyweds. In the summer promenade Tours – the most popular holiday destination for residents.

7. The Lovers’ Bridge

The Lovers’ Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the Tura River in the Central District of Tyumen. The bridge was built in 1987 – five years after the collapse of an old wooden bridge in the exact location. The last name of the bridge was Peshehodniy (Pedestrian). Still, in 2003 local DJs Maria Kondratovich and Timur Shkval arranged an unusual contest called “The most unusual kiss”.

After this event, the city mayor Stepan Kirichuk offered to rename the bridge the Lovers’ Bridge. Then, on July 26th, newly married couples, the director of the Red Army Radio Station V. Bogodelov, and the city’s mayor performed an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the bridge.

8. Kolokolnikovs Estate Museum

The Kolokolnikovs Estate Museum is the only remaining classical merchant’s estate in Tyumen. The building’s facade combines classical and baroque architecture elements and traditional Siberian carving. The doors open to a luxurious, brightly lit hall with lofted ceilings and walls decorated with vivid paintings of the Kolokolnikovs family.

One painting depicts an old trade shop, representing the collective image of the city’s shops. Stepping through the doors of the Kolokolnikovs Estate transports one back to the unique atmosphere of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The permanent exhibit of the Kolokolnikovs Estate Museum is called “The History of the House”. It is dedicated to the history of the merchant families, such as the Ikonnikovs and the Kolokolnikovs. The exhibit will also explain the historical events in this house, one of which was the monumental meeting between the future Emperor Alexander II and the great Russian poet V. Zhukovsky in 1837. In 1919 the estate was used as the headquarters of Marshal V. Blyukher.

9. Gorodskaya Duma Museum

The building of the Tyumen regional Museum of Local Lore Gorodskaya Duma was built in the second half of the XIX century. It is a magnificent example of Russian provincial architecture. The high ladder and a stepped attic give the museum its slenderness, combined with a Corinthian portico and massive columns — the traditional buildings of public institutions and architectural elements.

The Window into the nature constant exhibition introduces the variety of Flora and Fauna of the Tyumen region and its ancient inhabitants. An integral part of the museum is a small paleontological Museum. The skeleton’s collection of mammoth, fossil bison, woolly rhinoceros, and cave bears is presented at the museum. In addition, visitors can get acquainted with the Botanical, Zoological, and entomological collections.

10. House Masharova Museum

The House Masharova Museum is an old house built in the neoclassical style and previously belonged to N. Masharov, a famous manufacturer and one of the founders of the iron industry in Tyumen. The museum is a monument to late 19th and early 20th-century Siberian architecture and is renowned for its luxurious décor.

Traditional musical events and temporary exhibitions are regularly organized in the House Masharova Museum. They take place in the chamber-like atmosphere of the welcoming hall of the merchant’s house.

The permanent exhibition called the Family Book tells the tale of the family’s life at the end of the 19th century. During a tour of the house built, you will see many authentic items of a past era and discover the etiquette of a traditional family from Tyumen.

11. Alexandrovsky Garden

The original name of the Alexandrovsky Garden is the Country Garden. The garden appeared on a vacant plot of land in 1851 when thousands of linden, birch, spruce, and pine trees were planted in the area of about 100 acres (40 000 m²) with the money of the merchant Ivan Ikonnikov.

The garden was named after the crown prince Alexander, the future Tsar Alexander II, who visited Tyumen on May 31st, 1837, during his journey through Siberia. After the October Revolution of 1917, the garden was abandoned until 1948, when a small portion of it was restored through the employees’ efforts of a ship-building plant.

The landscape of the garden was adorned with a pond, a small bridge built traversing the ravine, a shooting range, and a restaurant with a terrace. In the 1960s, it was abandoned again, and by the 1970s, it fell into disrepair. Later a development effort began on the garden’s premises with the construction of houses, a kindergarten, and garages. A road to the Profsoyuzny Bridge was also built through the park.

However, the renewal of the garden did not begin until 2007. Although ten times smaller than the original garden, the grounds were restored, and the Alexandrovsky Garden became its official name. The fountain was rebuilt as well as sculptures of citizens styled after the 19th century. Some statues include the Hussar, Ladies on a Walk, A Girl at Rest, and the Boy.

12. Rasputin Museum

Grigory Rasputin was a friend of the last Russian emperor Nikolay II and his family. Rasputin is one of the most mysterious and exciting personalities of the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. In the 1900s, among Saint Petersburg’s high society, he had the reputation of the Tsar’s family friend, a religious elder, a seer, and a healer.

The exposition includes a cosmetic mirror, broken down in the middle that symbolizes the broken life of its owner, an icon of St. Simeon Verhotursky the Righteous, who is highly honored in Siberia, and the plate of the famous Kuznetsovky porcelain factory with the monogram of the empress, which Rasputin gave to his god-daughter Iraida Kolesnikova during her christening, an old Viennese chair from the Rasputin’s house. There is an authentic platband from the famous home of Rasputin, and the only thing remained of the building.

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The bourgeois charm of Siberia's oil capital

If you’re driving west across Russia from the Pacific Ocean, the first thing that you notice upon entering the city of Tyumen is the McDonalds. Tyumen has long been one of the only Siberian cities with a McDonalds restaurant. Although the fast-food giant has plans to open locations in nearby Novosibirsk and other regional cities, Siberia still contains one of the longest distances on earth outside of Africa where you can remain on a major highway and not see a McDonalds. Until you reach Tyumen, that is.

A stop in Tyumen provides an interesting glimpse into how modern Russia’s oil revenue has influenced Siberia’s oldest Russian city. Tyumen is a great stopover point on the Trans-Siberian Railroad and a short ride from Yekaterinburg (five hours) or Tobolsk (four hours).

In the 16th century, Russia started expanding eastward into parts of Central Asia ruled by the Tatars, an Islamic people who still live thoughout Russia. A band of Cossacks wrested control of Tyumen from the Tatars in 1580. Six years later, Russians established a fort in Tyumen on the Tura River.

For centuries, Tyumen vied with the nearby city of Tobolsk—once the official capital of Siberia—for the prestige of the region’s most important city. Tyumen won in the end, when the Trans-Siberian Railroad bypassed Tobolsk and was routed through this now oil-rich city.

Tyumen played an important role in Russian history during times of war. At the beginning of the Russian Civil War, the Bolshevik Red Army slowly pushed the White Army, commanded by Admiral Alexander Kolchak, into Siberia. Kolchak and his anti-Bolshevik forces holed up in Tyumen until the Red Army overtook them in January of 1918.

During the Second World War, many Russian industries were moved away from the front to Siberian cities. Tyumen had already become an industrial capital during the early Soviet era, and the city became an ideal spot to relocate Russia’s western factories. As Nazi forces approached Russia in 1941, the embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin was sent from the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow’s Red Square by train to the Tyumen State Agricultural Academy for safekeeping. In 1945, Lenin’s body was shipped back to Moscow.

Some of the factories relocated to Tyumen during wartime remained in the city. The discovery of oil in the region catapulted Siberia’s oldest Russian settlement to further prosperity. Modern Tyumen is a vibrant city with a number of universities and a revamped center well-suited for exploration by foot.

Start your walking tour around central Tyumen on Ulitsa Respubliki. The city’s main drag has fine pedestrian walkways and leads wanderers past an impressive collection of tsarist-era buildings that recall Tyumen’s importance in the beginning of Russia’s colonization of Siberia.

From the southeastern end of Ul. Respubliki, head north toward the Tura River and take a brief side trip onto Ul. Ordzhonikidze to visit the Fine Arts Museum (47 Ul. Ordzhonikidze) which houses exhibits of classical Russian and Soviet art as well as traditional bone carving and works produced by the native people who live in the far north of Tyumen Oblast.

Back on Ul. Respubliki, you’ll soon see the city’s requisite Lenin statue by the local government buildings. A block away, opposite Lenin, is Tyumen’s city park, a delightful place to walk or hop on one of its amusement rides.

Most Siberian cities developed under the watchful eyes of the atheist Soviet regime and churches are usually not Siberia’s strongpoint. But this isn’t true in four-centuries-old Tyumen. Strolling up Ul. Respubliki, you’ll soon come to the Church of the Saviour (41 Ul. Lenina) and the Znamensky Cathedral (13 Ul. Semakova). Each of these stunning Baroque-influenced churches are located right off Ul. Respubliki and were built in the late 18th century.

Tyumen is also famous for its historic wooden houses. Heading further up Ul. Respubliki, stop to wander around some of the side streets and snap photos of these ornate wooden structures which provide a glimpse back in time. Near the Tura River, you’ll pass a civil war monument in remembrance of the Tyumen natives who died fighting the White Army and the Tyumen State Agricultural Academy (7 Ul. Respubliki) an impressive building in its own right where Lenin was stored during the Second World War.

Near the end of Ul. Respubliki, take a walk over the Tura River on the Lover’s Bridge, a suspension bridge open to foot traffic only that has become one of Tyumen’s iconic sights. The other side of the river is a great place to see more of Tyumen’s signature wooden houses as well as take in the churches scattered around the city center.

Save the best for last and visit the Trinity Monastery (10 Ul. Kommunisticheskaya) at the end of Ul. Respubliki. A white wall surrounds the monastery, giving it the appearance of a mini-kremlin, and the golden onion domes of the 18th century churches within should not be missed.

Although navigating Tyumen is straightforward enough, the St. Petersburg-based travel company OSTWEST can arrange a city tour in Tyumen and the surrounding countryside.

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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