Luxury Vermont to Quebec Cycle 6D5N (Northeast Kingdom To French Canada), Fully Guided

THREE BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 1, Approx. 29km (18 miles), Elevation gain: 274m (900 ft)
Level 2, Approx. 42km (26 miles),  Elevation gain: 396m (1300 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 51km (32 miles), Elevation gain: 640m (2100 ft)

Meet your tour leaders at 9:30 am at Hotel Vermont. Please endeavour to arrive dressed in your biking clothes, come with your luggage and a daypack containing your rain gear and anything else you may want for the day's ride (your luggage will be transported to our first night's accommodations).

Welcome to Vermont! After meeting in Burlington, we shuttle to the small town of Richmond, where your tour leaders fit your bike and educate you briefly on biking techniques and safety. Following that, go for a warm-up ride along the winding Winooski River, on hard-packed gravel. Pass lush mountains, maple sugar shacks, and charming country houses as you make your way through the beautiful town of Waterbury and then we stop for lunch.

After that, we go for a quick drive to the hotel or choose to continue biking along the quiet country roads toward Stowe's bike-friendly greenway. Drink in the picturesque scenery of the surrounding area as you journey through a landscape of wooded mountains, stunning rural neighbourhoods, and the ruffling West Branch River. Our afternoon route hits some hilly terrain, but the views of the beautiful Green Mountains make it worth it.

Topnotch Resort & Spa is our last stop for the day and our home for the next two nights. A picturesque 120-acre hotel perched on a sprawl and has received accolades from the esteemed Travel + Leisure.

Once you are settled in your room, you can choose to relax with a rejuvenating spa treatment or go for a calming swim in the indoor pool.

Tonight, we gather for a welcome reception, toast to the start of our adventures, and enjoy dinner at the hotel’s cosy restaurant. Enjoy organic, fresh food in one of Stowe’s best.

TWO BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 34km (21 miles), Elevation gain: 457m (1500 ft)
Level 4, Approx. 66km (41 miles), Elevation gain: 701m (2300 ft)

After we have breakfast, we go for a spin through the Green Mountain foothills and river valleys. Rolling country roads take you along a rustic scenery of family-owned farms and hills covered in ephemeral forest. Bike past local breweries and feel free to pop in for a taste of Vermont's craft beer.

Soon after, stop to enjoy a picnic lunch along the shoreline of immaculate Lake Elmore before riding back to the beautiful downtown of Stowe on serene rural roads. It is a good day to peruse the local shops, cideries, and coffee shops of Stowe, or its popular brewery, the Alchemist, before riding back to the hotel.

Getting back to the resort, you may like to pamper yourself with a spa treatment, take a dip in the pool or cosy with a drink in hand by the fireplace.

For dinner, we enjoy locally sourced and European-inspired cuisine by the award-winning chef/owner of Michael's on the Hill served in a charming 19th-century hilltop farmhouse.

FOUR BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 43km (27 miles), Elevation gain: 396m (1300 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 63km (39 miles), Elevation gain: 579m (1900 ft)
Level 4, Approx. 77km (48 miles), Elevation gain: 1128m (3700 ft)
Level 5, Approx. 92km (57 miles), Elevation gain: 1524 m (5000 ft)

In preparation for today's ride to Jay Peak, we start with a filling breakfast. Then, we shuttle for a smooth drive over "the Notch", where we commence our ride toward the Northeast Kingdom. You also have the option of biking there, but you have to get an early start; if you choose this option you'll get to Cambridge on two wheels, first climbing over Smuggler's Notch—the steep terrain between Spruce Peak to the east and Mount Mansfield to the west. The area was named for the infamous smugglers who used its caves and dense forest cover to transport illegal merchandise across the Canadian border.

From Cambridge, we pass through the town of Jeffersonville, where you can make your taste buds dance by visiting the local bakeries, indulging in maple syrup tastings and maple "creemees" (Vermont's version of a soft-serve) before continuing northward. Then, we follow the legendary Long Trail, which runs the length of the state and claims the title as the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the country. Bike through forested Pleasant Valley and the rustic Northeast Kingdom towns of Waterville, Belvidere, and Montgomery.

After lunch, go on to a nice café in Montgomery Centre, where you can hop in the van for a quick drive to Jay Peak Resort, our home for the night. Or if you're still up for it, you could tackle the final climb to the hotel.

We will be resting at the beautiful and modern lodge, Jay Peak Resort. Unwind by the pool or if the weather permits, you can take the hotel's ski tram to the third tallest peak in Vermont to enjoy the stunning panoramas before gathering tonight for a delicious and casual meal.

THREE BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 48km (30 miles), Elevation gain: 488m (1600 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 68km (42 miles), Elevation gain: 640m (2100 ft)
Level 4, Approx. 82km (51 miles), Elevation gain: 853m (2800 ft

Make sure you have your passports as we're about to cross the border into Canada! We enter a quaint portion of southern Quebec known as the Eastern Townships, this area was historically inhabited by Abenaki Indians and fought over by French and British colonial forces. Pedal north on the tranquil roads with vistas of 27-mile-long Lac Memphremagog, a freshwater glacial lake that's rumoured to have its own Loch Ness Monster, known locally as Memphre. The farther you go up the verdant glacier-carved valley, the larger Mont Orford towers above you.

Consider taking a short break at any of the towns or artisanal shops along the route, you can even practice your French! Then, enjoy lunch at the Abbaye de St-Benoît-du-Lac where you can also sample the Ermite blue cheese made by Benedictine monks. After our visit, you can take advantage of the van support or pedal through the historic city of Magog. On our way to North Hatley, a beautiful town that has attracted different kinds of people, ranging from artists to vacationers for more than a century, we are greeted with well-groomed farms.

Our accommodation for the next two nights is Manoir Hovey, a Relais & Chateaux lakeside Georgian inn. An elegant 35-acre, 5-star hotel offering stunning views of the pristine Lake Massawippi.

Bask in the serenity with a dip in the saltwater pool, stroll amongst the natural lake or unwind in teh quaint lakeside garden before dinner at your leisure at the manor's formal gourmet restaurant. With about 900 available labels, you may choose to sample a vintage from the award-winning wine list. Treat your palates to delightful French-Canadian cuisine and exquisite wine.

TWO BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 48km (30 miles), Elevation gain: 579m (1900 ft)
Level 4, Approx. 68km(42 miles), Elevation gain: 610m (2000 ft)

Today is for discovering more of this beautiful lake-dappled region. Go for a spin along the east side of Lac Massawipi, then, go south on the serene lanes past farms and craftsmen's shops. You are to go on this trip at your pace as you stop to admire the nature of the rolling hills and even what the local artisans are showing. Take a short break at the acclaimed organic cheese farm, Fromagerie La Station, for a tour and tasting. This is also a golden opportunity to taste Canadian "liquid gold" and other samples of Canadian maple syrup.

Following that, we head back toward North Hatley where you can choose to try out dishes at a local cafe ride back to Manoir Hovey for lunch at your own leisure. After lunch, walk or bike along a beautiful and secluded rail-to-trails bike path along the Massawippi River to the legendary Capelton Mine.

If you have had enough of the adventures and would prefer to relax you could stay back at North Hatley and relax by the lake or explore Main Street's antique shop and art galleries. For a refreshing view, you can kayak or paddleboard and enjoy the sweeping vistas of the spectacular farmland and countryside of Quebec's Eastern Townships. As a form of relaxation, the inn staff can arrange a massage for you.

Level 2, Approx. 29km (18 miles), Elevation gain: 396m (1300 ft)

After eating breakfast, you can pedal to Lac Magog one last time, past farmland, and vacation cottages before returning to the inn to enjoy a rich picnic lunch. You also have the option of sleeping in and lingering over breakfast instead.

If your trip destination is Montreal, in awe of your adventure, bid farewell to your tour leaders as you'll board a private shuttle. But if you're headed back to Burlington, your tour leaders will shuttle you to Hotel Vermont.