Our Piedmont Tour, a Virginia wine country bicycle tour, begins in Warrenton and works south to Charlottesville. Scenic country roads through rolling hills, horse farms, vineyards and civil war battle sites are just some of what you will experience each day on our tour through Virginia's Piedmont region. This backroads bicycle 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 Warrenton and settle in at your accommodations. Relax and contemplate the week's rides or explore the town, enjoying the specialty shops and many restaurants. Tomorrow you will start your tour of the Piedmont Area with a ride through the northern end of the Piedmont through Virginia's famous horse and wine country as well as many well-preserved villages from the early 1800s.

Day 2

After breakfast, you will meet at your B&B with the Virginia Bicycling Adventures representative for a tour orientation. As you pedal over the rolling countryside you will experience magnificent views, grazing horses, and beautifully fenced and maintained horse farms, some of which are owned by the rich and famous. There are opportunities to take some short detours to visit wineries. This ride traverses some of Virginia's premier bicycling roads. At 54 miles, the ride is long but is without any significant hills with pleasant level stretches between the climbs. It is rated moderate due more so to its length rather than climbing difficulty.

Day 3

After a short drive from Warrenton to Culpeper, today's ride begins with a series of hills, but about halfway into the ride you will be on rolling country roads through woods and farms that comprise the Piedmont below the Blue Ridge Mountains. The area is rich in Civil War history with over 150 engagements having occurred, many of which were of strategic importance, large scale and hard fought. Ride distance is 40 miles and is rated moderate.

At day's end, relax and explore the village of Culpeper which was laid out by George Washington in the 1750s. It is a delightful place to simply stroll the main streets which are lined with shops and restaurants or the surrounding neighborhood to view the period architecture. The Culpepper Museum provides a wealth of revolutionary and civil war history, and the visitor's center is a good place to gather additional information on the area. Close the evening with a relaxing dinner in one of several restaurants in town.

Day 4

Today's ride is through scenic countryside below the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west and Clarks Mountain to the north. You will ride through Rapidan, a village that changed hands fifteen or more times during the Civil War, where you have several interesting photo opportunities of period buildings. The terrain is quite level as your road winds through farmlands and open fields. You should plan a very pleasant picnic lunch stop along the shore of Lake Orange. After returning to Orange you can visit Montpelier, which was the lifelong estate of James and Dolley Madison. This ride is 35 miles and is rated easy. After your ride, you will make the short drive to Charlottesville for the evening which is rich in history associated with Thomas Jefferson including the beautifully designed campus of the University of Virginia and Monticello, considered by many to be an "architectural masterpiece".

Day 5

This ride will take you through some of the best bicycling areas in Virginia. Although somewhat hilly, the sheer beauty of the ride is well worth the effort. A few miles out of Charlottesville, you will pass an award-winning winery as you ride towards the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Turning away from the mountains, you will pass many of the mansions for which this region is well noted as your route leads you back to Charlottesville. The ride is 46 miles and is moderate due to the rolling terrain, a few hills and some stretches with heavy traffic.

Day 6

After a leisurely breakfast and a relaxing walk through historic Charlottesville, visiting the campus of the University of Virginia, visiting Monticello, or just contemplating the past week, you can leave on your own schedule.

The cost of the Piedmont Tour as described is $635 per person/double occupancy; the single supplement is $260.
This tour is rated moderate because of rolling country roads and the length of the rides.
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.