Our Northern Shenandoah Valley Biking Tour begins in Strasburg and works south to Mount Jackson and ends in Harrisonburg. Scenic country roads through rolling hills, farmlands, apple orchards and civil war battle sites are just some of what you will experience each day on our tour through the northern Shenandoah Valley. This Virginia cycling tour is rated easy to moderate; easy because of many long, flat stretches, and moderate because of some climbs, a few of which are steep as well as stretches of country roads over rolling terrain.

Day 1

Arrive in Strasburg and settle into your accommodations. Relax and contemplate the week's rides or explore the village. It is a delightful place to simply stroll the main street shops and restaurants or the surrounding neighborhood to view the period architecture. Close the evening with a relaxing dinner at the Strasburg Hotel.

Day 2

After breakfast, you will meet at your B&B with the Virginia Bicycling Adventures representative for a tour orientation. After the orientation or on you own time schedule, you can venture off on the day's ride which will take you out of Strasburg and along the base line of the Allegheny Mountains. You will pedal through pleasant countryside with views of both the Allegheny Mountains to the west and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. The route starts with a short steep ascent and then levels out to rolling country roads typical of the Shenandoah Valley. Coming into Woodstock, you will have an opportunity for a diversion to visit the local shops. Your route continues back towards Strasburg over pleasant country roads through farms that fed the Army of Virginia and areas where many skirmishes occurred throughout the Civil War. Your arrival back in Strasburg is through the villages of Toms Brook and Fishers Hill. The ride is 39 miles and is in the easy to moderate category.

Day 3

Today's ride is through gently rolling countryside between the Massanutten and Allegheny mountains. It is an easy ride that will allow time afterwards to visit nearby caverns, towns and civil war battlefields and sites. You leave Mount Jackson heading north to Edinburg where you will enjoy an excellent lunch at an Italian restaurant in the center of the village. You will also have time to walk the main street and visit several antique shops. Your return trip to Mount Jackson is a leisurely ride along pleasant country roads with excellent views of the surrounding mountains. Ride distance is 20 miles and is rated easy.

Day 4

You leave Mount Jackson heading towards the Allegheny Mountains with a gradual climb into the foothills where you will be rewarded with spectacular views of the Valley and mountain ranges on both sides. Leaving the ridge, you will experience one of the reasons you climb hills as the down hill run into Timberville is long and fast. The remainder of the day's ride meanders along the North Fork of the Shenandoah River over typical Virginia rural roads with small rolling grades and very low traffic. You will end your ride going through the Meems Bottom Bridge which is the longest covered bridge in Virginia and at one time was destroyed by Stonewall Jackson's troops as they marched through the Valley. Ride distance is 36 miles and is moderate.

Day 5

After breakfast you will drive a short distance to Bridgewater where today's ride begins. This ride will take you through the center of the Shenandoah Valley along farmlands that once supported the Confederate Armies and over hills and ridges that provide spectacular views of the Shenandoah Valley and Allegheny mountains. Initially, the terrain is rolling but flattens out to very sparsely traveled country roads. An excellent detour of a few miles will take you into Natural Chimneys National Park. The chimneys are natural limestone towers reaching over 120 feet. The ride also offers the opportunity of a challenging 9 mile detour with 2.5 miles of climbing to Todd Lake in the George Washington National Forest. The last 10 miles provide a number of climbs, none very steep but some are long. The rewards are awesome picture opportunities and a terrific decent back into Bridgewater. This is a moderate ride of 38 miles or 47, if the Todd Lake option is taken.

Day 6

After a leisurely breakfast you can leave on your own schedule.

The cost of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Tour as described is $635 per person/double occupancy; the single supplement is $260.
This tour is rated easy to moderate because of rolling country roads and some climbs, a few of which are steep.
Your accommodations will be in excellent B&Bs or equivalent hotels due to availability. After booking accommodations, we can furnish links. Your package includes five full breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners. You will have arrival orientation, comprehensive route instructions, supporting maps, and emergency support.
This tour can be booked between March 30 and October 31 and is generally scheduled to start Sunday evening and end Friday morning; however other start and end days are workable as well, but at certain times of the seasons and on most weekends, room accommodations can be difficult and can carry a premium. With adequate lead time, these can often be overcome.
This tour can be extended one or two days to allow more biking. If this is of interest, please contact us to discuss options.