Welcome to an epic week of cycling. Meet your guides in Chambery and before you know it we’ll be in Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, ready to head out across the Alps. There is no honeymoon ride: start the week with a steady climb up the Col du Télégraphe, which may not have star power but will get you in your granny gear nonetheless. From here we enter the realm of high mountain passes, and few are more mythical than the Col du Galibier to begin our week with a bang. On the way down, we’ll catch the Col du Lautaret for some stunning views of Le Trois Vallèes. Ride the rest of the way to the Alpine town of Les Deux Alpes to reach Chalet Mounier, a family-owned hotel since 1933, and rest up for tomorrow’s big day on Alpe d’Huez.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, Valloire, La Grave
Accomplished: 50 miles / 80 km, elevation gain: 9,728 feet / 2,947 meters
Shorter Option: 43 miles / 69 km, elevation gain: 7,778 feet / 2,371 meters
Accommodations: Chalet Mounier

Yesterday we climbed some hills; today we climb some mountains. Descend into the Oisans valley and arrive at the Alpe d’Huez: this bucket-list classic is perhaps the most famous of them all, with some 14 kilometers at an average of 8%. The pros have tackled her 21 hairpin switchbacks 32 times in race history—the leftover graffiti scrawled on the asphalt at Dutch corner is proof. Refuel at an iconic cycling café in town before moving on to the Col de Sarenne, frankly a tiny bump after our big morning. Today’s effort is duly rewarded with dinner at Chalet Mounier’s Michelin-star restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Alpe D’Huez, Mizoën
Accomplished: 41 miles / 66 km, elevation gain: 7,545 feet / 2,300 meters
Accommodations: Chalet Mounier

After a breakfast fit for a professional cyclist, we set our sights on the Col de la Croix de Fer. It may not be the most well-known road in the Rhône-Alpes but this HC climb is our personal favorite, full of ups and downs that keep you guessing. The push to the top is tough: with two kilometers to go, you’ll catch a glimpse of neighboring Col du Glandon, and then comes sweet relief the entire way down. End right at our hotel and spend the rest of the day in Les Deux Alpes. Walk it off with a stroll around town and eat whatever you’re craving at dinner on your own tonight.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Oz, Col du Glandon
Accomplished: 75 miles / 120 km, elevation gain: 10,262 feet / 3,130 meters
Accommodations: Chalet Mounier

Starting the day on the Col du Lautaret might as well be considered a warmup. Get your extra miles in while you’re still fresh or transfer to the top and begin with the descent into Briançon. You’ll want all the momentum you can get by the time we approach the Col d’Izoard: this pass was the battleground for the epic rivalry between the legendary Italian, Fausto Coppi, and the French great, Louison Bobet, in the 1950s; it’s also one of the highest points of the week at 2,360 meters. The scenery starts to shift once we enter the stark, lunar landscapes of the Casse Déserte, then again as we head south into the Maritime Alps. Here, the roads aren’t household names but the riding is out of this world: no cars, just ribbons of pavement winding through pines and mountain pastures—which is exactly what you’ll get on the Col de Vars. Roll into our next villa hotel for a relaxing afternoon by the pool (or a much-needed massage) and an easy dinner right on the property.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Briançon, Guillestre
Accomplished: 72 miles / 117 km, elevation gain: 8,950 feet / 2,728 meters
Longer Option: 95 miles / 153 km, elevation gain: 13,241 feet / 4,036 meters
Accommodations: Villa Morelia

We’d like to introduce you to the Col d’Allos: the average grade can reach a steep 7.8%, and it may surprise you that this climb has been featured in the TDF more times than the Alpe d’Huez. After a quick coffee stop, move on to the Col des Champs, where our only companions are grazing cows. One more climb stands between us our celebrations—by the time we reach the last refuge on top of the Col de la Cayolle at 2,326 meters, you’ll be itching for the 29 miles directly downhill to Barcelonnette. Take a victory lap back to Villa Morelia where a glass of champagne awaits, followed by a dinner that’s a culinary reflection of all the ground we’ve covered along the way.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Barcelonnette, Saint-Martin-d’Entraunes
Accomplished: 84 miles / 136 km, elevation gain: 10,826 feet / 3,300 meters
Shorter Option: 67 miles / 108 km, elevation gain: 7,831 feet / 2,387 meters
Accommodations: Villa Morelia

If your legs are begging for rest, there’s no shame in sleeping in and sipping coffee with a side of mountain views this morning. But if you want to squeeze in one last ride, get an early start up the Col de la Bonette, billed as the highest pass in all of Europe. As they say, it’s less of a climb and more of a lunar landing: the gradient hits 15% at its steepest, but it’s easy to distract yourself with the extraordinary views all around. We’ll get you back in time for a shower before your guides transfer you to the train station at Gap.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Col de la Bonette
Accomplished:27 miles / 44 km, elevation gain: 5,085 feet / 1,550 meters