Galibier to Ventoux Tour
The Ultimate Alps Cycling Holiday
Five enticing Galibier to Ventoux trip highlights.
- Ride the finest alpine climbs in the world including the Col du Galibier, Col d’izoard, Cime de la Bonette & Mont Ventoux.
- Experience the diversity of high mountain scenery, deep gorges and the amazing landscapes of Provence as you complete each stage.
- Climb Mont Ventoux from 1, 2 or all 3 sides on the final day.
- Ride with confidence each day benefiting from experienced guides, coaches and vehicle support.
- Stay in carefully selected hotels perfectly located for the ultimate French Alps itinerary.


Without a doubt the best cycling we have ever done, probably 3 or 4 days would each qualify as best ever day on a bike.
The Ultimate Alps Cycling Holiday: Col du Galibier To Ventoux
Ultimate Alps Cycling Holiday Summary:
This unique cycling challenge is the ultimate road cycling adventure through the French Alps. Our 7-night Alps cycling holiday features iconic cols, amazing alpine mountain passes and stunning gorges. Join us on our French alps cycling tours as we guide you over the renowned summits and show you the hidden gems and lesser known climbs on route to Provence and the legendary Mont Ventoux.
Our French alps cycling tours are a unique experience, fully supported by qualified cycling coaches, you will tick off many cols from your bucket list as the days pass by. This action-packed week features the Col du Galibier, Col D’Izoard, Vars and Col de la Bonette early in the week. The challenges and peaks don’t stop as we move through the picturesque Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region and the amazing Gorges du Verdon and then onto the legendary Mont Ventoux.
Our momentous and mountainous week is a combination of riding and relaxing. We handpick every hotel for each day to ensure it’s the perfect place to stay after a challenging day on our French Alps cycling tours. Every accommodation is unique and has an individual atmosphere, including a very special hotel at Bedoin at the foot of Mont Ventoux. Enjoy fantastically prepared food, massage facilities or unwind in the pool.
By the end of our Alps cycling holiday, we hope to have welcomed new members to the elite Club des Cingles du Mont-Ventoux, if that is your target, but we invite you to experience so much more; our French alps cycling tour passes by some of the most astounding landscapes and you’ll discover some of the finest vistas in Europe from the summits of this week’s cols.
Ultimate Alps Cycling - Galibier to Ventoux Itinerary:
Ultimate Alps Cycling Holiday Accommodation:
The Holiday Includes
Not Included
Galibier to Ventoux Tour FAQ's
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How does support work for a multi-stage Alps tour?
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You will always have vehicle support and guides with you on the road. We provide provide you with GPX or TCX files for your bike computers and a detailed day-book pack for every stage during this Galibier to Ventoux tour.
During our French alps cycing tours we are always on hand to help with any aspect of your riding. This could be pacing, nutritional advice or just about anything else to ensure your tour is a successful one. We never have more than 12 cyclists on a tour like this one with a staff to rider ratio of 1:4.
As this is a point to point cycling tour we also transfer your luggage between each hotel.
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What level of fitness do I need?
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This is a challenging multi stage cycling tour in the French Alps so it’s only natural that you will want to train for this alps cycling holiday to ensure you have the best possible experience and as much fun as possible! You’ll need to be riding regularly in the build up to the trip. We’d highly recommend following a structured training plan that gives plenty of variety and intensity so that you can really enjoy the experience.
Lots of previous guests have ridden sportive events in the UK (or other countries) when signing up for this trip so have an understanding of the role that a good pacing and nutritional strategy plays in having a great day on the bike. Cycling in the mountains of Europe is not a prerequisite and plenty of our riders have completed this week as their first experience of riding in the mountains as a result of having a good level of fitness gained from training or cross over fitness from other sports. If you’d like to have a chat about this we’re more than happy to help.
As qualified coaches we are always very happy to help you with any aspect of your cycling during your holiday. You could also benefit from one of our coaching packs with British Cycling Level 3 coach Ray Sells. Ray has helped many of our riders prepare for this trip to the Alps.
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Is the tour itinerary flexible?
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There's always some flexibility but as a point to point trip it's more limited on this trip than others. Having the support vehicle on the road every day in addition to guides & coaches does ensure that you never have to worry if you decide you need an easier afternoon.
The triple Ventoux challenge on the final day of the trip is optional so you can ride as much or as little as you like on the final day. The penultimate day can also be taken as a recovery day if you would like to ensure you’re well rested before your choice of climbs on Mont Ventoux on the final day.
We’ll always take individual your needs into account to ensure you have a great alps cyling holiday. You’ll never have to ride more or less than you want and you can have confidence that we are here to help you achieve your goals.
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Is the weather stable in the French Alps?
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We run the Galibier to Ventoux at the times of year when we feel you will have the best experience. The weather is usually good but the mountains (especially high summits like Galibier & Bonette) can always throw up a little surprise so it’s always best to come equipped with a selection of kit to cover different eventualities (remember this can all be carried in the support vehicle!). Temperatures in the French Alps as with all major mountain ranges vary from the valley floor to the summits of the climbs, typically we find this to be a decrease of around 1 degree for every 100 meters gained but it can vary considerably.
Each day during the ride briefing we always provide a detailed weather update for the day.
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What happens if I’m the fastest or slowest in the group?
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You should never worry about this, it's for us to take care of. We are very experienced in managing groups of riders of mixed ability during this point to point tour so all you need to think about is riding your bike, enjoying the stunning scenery and achieving your goals. Everyone in the group is always encouraged to ride at their own pace. Based on your personal ability there is always the possibility of making a day more or less challenging.
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Can I join this alps cycling holiday alone?
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Yes you most certainly can. You can either share a room with another guest (of the same sex) in the same situation or where available pay an additional supplement for sole occupancy of a room if it's available.
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How does this multi stage trip differ from a centre based trip?
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Point to point holidays like this Galibier to Ventoux tour differ from a centre based trip because there's always a fixed end point that you need to ride to each day. We transfer your luggage between each stage throughout the holiday leaving you to enjoy the ride and scenery. We always try to make the logistics as easy as possible for you.
The goal is to reach the end of the week and complete the challenge so sensible pacing and good nutrition throughout will help you to achieve this. There’s nothing worse than riding too hard on the first day and cycling with heavy legs in the mountains for the rest of the week!
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Can you provide more details?
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Yes we can. We are always here to help answer your questions about a trip. It’s important to us that you pick the right tour and have a great experience.