Cycling Bucket List: 8 of the World's Greatest Rides
Every cycling bucket list should have at least one ride that changes how you see a country. There's something about travelling at bike speed - fast enough to cover real ground, slow enough to smell the bakeries - that no car or train journey can match. You notice the gradient of a valley, the way the light shifts over a coastline, the exact moment the accent of the next village changes. Whether you're a lycra-clad climber chasing legendary mountain passes or someone who just wants a flat path, a pastry, and a view, these eight routes deliver.
Here are the rides worth planning a whole trip around - with practical detail on distance, difficulty, and the best time to visit each one.
Shimanami Kaido, Japan
The Shimanami Kaido is the ride that converts non-cyclists. This 70km route hops across six islands in Japan's Seto Inland Sea via a chain of vast suspension bridges, each with a dedicated cycling ramp that spirals you gently up to deck level. The infrastructure is almost comically good: a blue line painted on the road tells you exactly where to go, rental bikes can be dropped at any terminal along the way, and the gradients never exceed about 3%. Break it over two days, stay on Omishima island, and eat your body weight in citrus soft-serve and Onomichi ramen. Ride it in late October or April to dodge the humid, sticky heat of a Japanese summer.
La Loire à Vélo, France
If your idea of a perfect day involves châteaux, vineyards and a long lunch, the Loire Valley is your route. La Loire à Vélo runs roughly 900km from Nevers to the Atlantic, but the must-see 200km stretch between Blois and Saumur packs in the best of it - Chambord's fairytale rooflines, Chenonceau arching over the river, and Villandry's geometric gardens. It's overwhelmingly flat, well signposted, and largely traffic-free on dedicated paths and quiet farm lanes. Villages are close enough together that you can ride without any real plan and still find a boulangerie by 10am. May to early June is the sweet spot: everything is green, and the school-holiday crowds haven't arrived.
The Danube Cycle Path, Austria
The Passau to Vienna section of the Danube Cycle Path is the most popular long-distance bike route in Europe, and once you've ridden it you'll understand why. It's around 320km, almost entirely flat, and gently downhill in the direction of the current - you can genuinely do it on a heavy hire bike with panniers and a picnic. The highlight is the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO-listed stretch of terraced vineyards, apricot orchards and hilltop ruins where you should stop for a glass of Grüner Veltliner at a roadside Heuriger. Ferries hop you between banks whenever the better path is on the other side. Go between May and September, and book guesthouses ahead in July and August.
Otago Central Rail Trail, New Zealand
New Zealand's original great ride follows a decommissioned railway line 152km through Central Otago's golden, wide-open interior. Because it's a rail trail, the gradient never gets steeper than a train could climb, which means you get big-country scenery - schist tors, gorges, river viaducts and long dark tunnels - without the suffering. The old gold-rush towns along the way are the real charm: stop for a pint in Ophir, a night in Naseby, and a soak in the astonishingly good pies at Wedderburn. It's a hidden gem in a country better known for its hiking. Best time to visit is October to April; winter here is genuinely freezing.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana, USA
For pure drama, few climbs beat Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. The 80km road carves along a cliff face to Logan Pass at 2,025m, with waterfalls spilling onto the tarmac and glacial valleys opening up below. The magic trick is timing: in the spring window between the road being ploughed and it opening to cars - usually a few weeks in May and early June - cyclists get the whole thing to themselves. Outside that window, vehicle restrictions mean you'll want to be past Logan Creek before 11am. Pack layers; it can be 25°C at the lake and near freezing at the pass.
Serra de Tramuntana, Mallorca
Mallorca is where professional teams spend their winters, and the Serra de Tramuntana mountains on the island's northwest coast are the reason. The signature ride is Sa Calobra: a 9.4km climb with 26 hairpins, a road that loops under itself in a full 270-degree spiral, and a descent to a sea cove that feels like flying. Link it with Cap de Formentor and the Coll de Sóller for a week of climbing on smooth tarmac with almost no traffic. Base yourself in Port de Pollença for easy access to everything. February to April is peak season for a reason - warm enough for shorts, cool enough to climb hard.
Carretera Austral, Chile
This is the big one - the ride you plan for years. The Carretera Austral runs about 1,240km through Chilean Patagonia, much of it unsealed gravel, past hanging glaciers, turquoise rivers and temperate rainforest that feels prehistoric. You'll need a sturdy touring or gravel bike, camping gear, and a tolerance for headwinds that can stop you dead. The rewards are enormous: the marble caves at Puerto Río Tranquilo, the Queulat hanging glacier, and stretches of road where you'll see more condors than cars. Ride north to south from December to February, and carry more food than you think you need.
The Dutch Coast and Canals, Netherlands
Sometimes the best cycling holiday isn't about suffering at all. The Netherlands has 35,000km of dedicated bike paths and a national numbered junction system that lets you build a route on the fly - just follow the knooppunt signs. Ride the LF Kustroute along the North Sea coast for dunes and empty beaches, or loop through the polders and windmills at Kinderdijk, then finish with a night in Amsterdam or Utrecht. In April, detour via the Keukenhof bulb fields for tulip rows that stretch to the horizon. Nowhere on earth makes cycling feel this normal, this safe, or this easy.
Start Your Bucket List with Söka
Ready to turn these rides into an actual plan? Söka is a free iOS app that helps you discover, plan and track your travel goals - with AI-powered suggestions to find the routes you'd never think to search for. Download it today and start ticking off the world's greatest rides, one climb at a time.