Sea, sand, sun-dappled scrub pine forests, and ferry rides fill our days on the Cape and its nearby islands. Early September, after the crowds are gone and the traffic has subsided, is the perfect time to see it. We visit the ports in Hyannis, Provincetown and Falmouth and ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. Our trip to Martha’s Vineyard includes time to bike some of the island’s trails, beaches, or visit the Gingerbread Houses in Oak Bluffs.

We'll bike the entire Cape Cod Rail Trail between West Yarmouth and Wellfleet, exploring the Cape Cod National Seashore. The next day we wind through quaint Wellfleet and quiet Truro, lunch at the Truro Vineyard and then do some optional road riding to reach the tip of the Cape at Provincetown. While in P’town many riders elect an optional ride to marvel at the extensive dunes on the ocean side of the area. A climb to the top of the Pilgrim Monument puts all of P’town, Massachusetts Bay and the Atlantic Ocean at your feet. Back at the western end of the Cape we ride the bikeway along the Cape Cod Canal, which canal connects Massachusetts Bay on the east with Buzzards Bay on the west. We combine the Canal trail with a ride on the Shining Sea Bikeway that takes us along the west shore of Buzzards Bay through Falmouth to the village of Woods Hole, home to the famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. 

 We'll meet at 5:00 pm at our hotel, the Hampton Inn West Yarmouth, to introduce ourselves and discuss what the week of cycling and sightseeing will look like. Then we'll hop in the van to go to dinner at restaurant near Hyannis Harbor. 

Today we'll ride north right from our hotel to connect to the Cape Cod Rail Trail in West Yarmouth. We'll follow the trail east, stopping in downtown Orleans for lunch, then continue on, diverging from the trail for a visit to the Natinal Park Service's Cape Cod National Seashore Visitors Center, then head out to the shore itself at Coast Guard beach.  We'll ride north along the water to Nauset Light and then head back west/inland to get back on the trail for a short stretch before arriving at our night's lodging, right across from the Marconi Beach area. We'll have dinner down at Wellfleet Harbor tonight, hoping to catch a gorgeous sunset.

Today we'll visit the mystical White Cedar Swamp, complete the Cape Code Rail Trail and the Marconi Wireless Historic site, then take in more views of the National Seashore from the seat of our bikes before heading inland to visit quaint downtown Wellfleet for a snack break and some window shopping. Then we'll cycle along quiet backroads through the lowland coastal forest of Truro to Pamet Harbor on the bay side, then pedal over to the Truro Vineyard where we'll have lunch and taste some wine. Finally it's a six mile stretch along the coastal road (Rt. 6A) with the sun glistening off the water and Provincetown beckoning you in the distance. Relax by the pool and settle into your waterfront room, we're here for two nights!

On your own / activity day in Provincetown. Tour leaders will lead an optional morning ride to the dunes of Province Lands, where a 5.45-mile loop trail loops around the Province Lands, passing through pine forests, sandy dunes, and low-lying cranberry bogs with spurs to both Herring Cove and Race Point beaches. Riders will finish by coming back into Provincetown from the west end along Commercial St. 

For the remainder of the day, a whale watching tour to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is just one of many options; ascending the 252 ft, 116 step Pilgrim Monument, browsing art galleries and people watching, or a sunset sail on the bay are others. The day is yours!

Up to 31 miles – We'll load into the van and drive the length of the Cape, from Provincetown to Sandwich, to bike the Sagamore-to-Bourne side of the Canal Bike Path. After lunch at a waterfront seafood restaurant, there is a bit of road riding and then we finish the day on the Shining Sea Bikeway, then on to our night’s lodging in Falmouth. Tonight we'll enjoy a pizza party together in our relaxed Inn. 

You'll bring your bike as we ride the ferry from Falmouth to Martha’s Vineyard. Later in the day we will ferry back to Falmouth for our last night together. This iconic island is one of the most scenic places we visit on any tour!

After breakfast at our hotel in Falmouth we will drive back to our opening hotel, just a 45 minute ride. You've got time to explore the area a little more or make your way to Boston or Providence to catch your flight. It's been a great tour of Cape Cod!