The Col du Peyresourde with a winding road, mountains, forests, and a lake in the distance in the Pyrenees, France

Pyrenees Journey Bike Tour

Traverse France’s Untamed Frontier from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic

8 days / 7 nights Level: 4Price From: $5,295Collection: Challenge

Tour Highlights

  • Ride from the sunny shores of the Mediterranean to the lush hills of the Atlantic Ocean across the breadth of the untamed Pyrenees
  • Experience local culture and cuisine—refueling with plenty of beer—as you make your way through the wildly gorgeous Pyrenean Range
  • Cross the mighty summits of the Col du Tourmalet, Col du Peyresourde, Col d’Aubisque, and other climbs made famous by the TDF
  • Traverse dramatically distinct landscapes and diverse climatic conditions, from the French countryside to the hills bordering Basque country
  • Clip into world-class Colnago V4 road bikes with Dura-Ace Di2 shifting and Vision carbon wheels and kit up in custom Rapha x DuVine jersey and bibs

Eat

Nourishing and satisfying Pyrenean fare to fuel our epic rides, including Roquefort and Rocamadour cheeses, rustic pain de campagne, Piment d’Espelette, and Spanish ham

Drink

Fine French wines from Bordeaux to Cahors, chestnut liqueur, and mountain varietals like Madiran, Irouléguy, and Jurançon

Ride Profile

As featured in:
A DuVine cyclist finishing a switchback on the Col du Tourmalet pass in the French Pyrenees
Print Itinerary
  • Pre-tour

    Pyrenees Pre-Night

    Arrive in Collioure and make your way to one of our pre-tour hotels for the evening. Located between Narbonne and Barcelona, the seaside town of Collioure is yours to explore before the start of your cycling adventure tomorrow. In the morning, enjoy an included breakfast before meeting your DuVine guides. The amount listed is the starting price and is subject to availability.

    Inclusions: Hotel, Breakfast
    Accommodations: Contact your Tour Coordinator
    Price per person in double occupancy: $230
    Price in single occupancy: $430

    To reserve call +1 888 396 5383 or email your Tour Coordinator

  • Day 1

    Med to Mountains

    Your guides will meet you in Collioure where our bikes are waiting for the week’s journey. After we’re all fitted, start cycling across the Pyrenees: you’ll have a chance to dip your wheel in the Mediterranean, or sacrifice a white bull to the gods before we climb 991 meters above sea level to the Col d’Aussières. This ride puts us well into the mountains where plenty of higher passes await. Rest and refuel at our peaceful mountain hotel to prepare for another big day tomorrow.

    Meals: Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Collioure, Sournia, Gincla
    Accomplished: 77 miles / 124 km, elevation gain: 8,608 feet / 2,624 meters
    Accommodations: Hostellerie du Grand Duc

  • Day 2

    Camurac and Luzenac

    Wake up and enjoy the tranquility of the French countryside. We still haven’t hit the big mountains just yet, and there probably aren’t a lot of 20-kilometer climbs like the one up to Col du Portet in your backyard. It’s only a 5% average grade, but no one will think you’re a hero for staying in your biggest chain ring, so save your legs. Enjoying the scenic castles, mountain villages, and 12,000-year-old cave paintings in Tarascon along the way is permitted. We are 100 kilometers closer to the Atlantic, but the High Pyrenees are looming.

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Puilaurens, Axat, Tarascon-sur-Ariège
    Accomplished: 60 miles / 97 km, elevation gain: 5,937 feet / 1,810 meters
    Accommodations: Manoir Agnes

  • Day 3

    The Three Cols

    Add three major climbs to your col-lection. Today, the elevation profile says it all: three big climbs followed by a long descent to Saint Lary. First up is the Col de Port (16 kilometers at a respectable 5%), then Col du Saraillé (9 kilometers at 3.8%). It may not be one you’ll brag about at home, but we refuse to overlook the middle child. These roads are unreal, and you’ll have plenty of time to reflect on why you never want to go home on the epic descent to our bed and breakfast.

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Seix, Castillon-en-Couserans
    Accomplished: 59 miles / 95 km, elevation gain: 7,997 feet / 2,438 meters
    Accommodations: Bed in Bellongue or Auberge de l’Isard

  • Day 4

    Port de Balès

    For the 2007 TDF, the tour organizers paved the last five kilometers of an old trail on the south side of Port de Balès to create this HC (beyond category) climb. Don’t let the easier grades at the beginning lull you into a false sense of security; this climb is 19 kilometers at an average grade of 6%, but the 12% ramps near the top are the real kicker. Be sure to refuel here because we still have the Col de Peyresourde to tackle. Tonight we’ll stay in Arreau, a quintessential French mountain town on the banks of the Louron.

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Saint Larry, Arreau
    Accomplished: 68 miles / 109 km, elevation gain: 10,680 feet / 3,256 meters
    Accommodations: L’Hotel d’Angleterre

  • Day 5

    The King Stage—Tourmalet and Hautacam

    The Tourmalet needs no introduction. Both feared and loved by cyclists, it’s the most frequented climb in TDF history. First up is the Col d’Aspin before hitting the approaches to the Tourmalet. If this isn’t enough, from Argelès-Gazost, at the bottom of the descent, you can add on the Hautacam, another HC climb, considered by many to be the toughest in the Pyrenees. Or you can drink a beer in town and rest your legs. (We won’t tell anyone. What happens on a journey, stays on a journey.)

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Arreau, Argelès-Gazost
    Accomplished: 50 miles / 80 km, elevation gain: 7,449 feet / 2,271 meters
    Longer Option: 69 miles / 112 km, elevation gain: 13,399 feet / 4,085 meters (Hautacam)
    Accommodations: Le Viscos or Hotel Gallia

  • Day 6

    Goodbye to All That

    Our last day cycling across the Pyrenees begins with the Col d’Aubisque. The Aubisque was part of the famous 1910 stage where Octav Lapize called the race organizers “assassins”. The Aubisque has been featured in the Tour de France 70 times since. It’s not exactly all downhill from here; the last two days of riding are tough (tougher than the first two). Rest up and enjoy some country hospitality on your free night in preparation for the final ride to the sea.

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
    Destinations: Laruns, Barcus
    Accomplished: 69 miles / 112 km, elevation gain: 9,374 feet / 2,858 meters
    Shorter Option: 60 miles / 97 km, elevation gain: 4,238 feet / 1,292 meters (without the Col d’Aubisque)
    Accommodations: Hotel Chilo

  • Day 7

    Ride to the Sea

    The nice thing about leaving the High Pyrenees is that there are no more famous climbs, so you may have a chance to rule the Strava segments here. Here we’ll ride on narrow farm tracks through the green hills of Basque country, reminiscent of the rolling hills of Ireland or France. We’ll make our re-acquaintance with sea level in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a French fishing village on the Atlantic Coast. If you brought your own bike, you can throw it in the sea to celebrate. Congratulations, your cycling friends have all stopped following your updates. But beer tastes better than jealousy, so enjoy it. You’ve earned it.

    Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
    Destinations: Barcus, Mauléon-Licharre, Saint-Jean-De-Luz
    Accomplished: 63 miles / 101 km, elevation gain: 5,366 feet / 1,636 meters
    Accommodations: Hotel Madison

  • Day 8

    Farewell

    You biked across the Pyrenees of France, why not enjoy one more croissant? Later in the day, catch a train on to your next destination.

    Meals: Breakfast

DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications.



Arrival Details

Airport City: Barcelona, Spain; Marseille, France; or Paris, France Pick-Up Location: Les Roches Brunes or Le Relais des Trois Mas in Collioure Pick-Up Time: 8:00 am
Departure Details

Airport City: Bordeaux, France; Biarritz, France; Paris, France Drop-Off Location: St. Jean de Luz Train Station Drop-Off Time: 10:00 am

Arrival and departure details for alternate itineraries and future year departures may be subject to change.

Travelers Take Note

Our Journey tours are designed to reach small towns where hotel options are often limited and/or seasonal. Due to availability and routes, groups may sometimes be split between different properties, which are of the highest standard available in the area.

Upon booking this tour, you will be asked to complete a short form. We use this information to ensure all Level 4 trip participants are adequately prepared for our most difficult riding and have proximate cycling experience to the rest of the group.

Due to altitude, weather can change quickly. Expect anything from peak summer heat to hail and snow in a single day, and pack accordingly. Helpful hints about dressing for all climates can be found on our blog.

Please note that e-bikes cannot be reserved for this tour.

Any scheduled tour can be made private. Your group, your dates. Go Private

2025Single Supplement From: $700

See our cancellation policy

Weather by Month
Average Temperature + Precipitation

Average Temperature + Precipitation

Month
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
High (°F)
49°
50°
54°
60°
65°
71°
75°
76°
71°
65°
54°
50°
Low (°F)
33°
34°
37°
40°
48°
53°
57°
58°
52°
45°
38°
32°
Rain (in)
251
251
251
251
376
376
251
125
125
251
251
376

Accommodations

  • Thoughtfully selected accommodations that reveal the true character of the region in ideal riding locations
  • Gratuities for baggage, porters, and hotel service
  • Luggage transfers

Meals

  • Daily breakfasts, all lunches, and 6 cyclist-friendly dinners at our favorite local restaurants and renowned culinary establishments
  • Nutritious energy snacks, hydration, and shakes to support endurance and recovery
  • Local wines and beer with every meal

Gear

  • Colnago V4 carbon road bike with Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and Vision carbon wheelset
  • Custom Rapha x DuVine kit
  • DuVine Challenge t-shirt, water bottle, and drawstring bag
  • GPS with pre-programmed route maps

Support

  • Expert bilingual guide with extensive cycling experience and local knowledge
  • SAG vehicle that follows the day’s route, offers support as needed, and carries spare gear and snacks
  • Pick-up and drop-off before and after your tour from predetermined meeting points
  • Laundry service for cycling apparel provided mid-week
  • Daily bike maintenance to ensure optimal performance
NOT INCLUDED:
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

See our FAQs page for answers to common questions.

See FAQs

Manufacturer:
Colnago

Type:
Road

Frame:
Carbon monocoque

Wheels:
Vision 45 Carbon

Tires:
28mm

Shifter:
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2

Crankset:
50/34

Cassette:
11/34

Read more

For technical riding and Europe's classic climbs, only one bike will do: the Colnago V4. This best-in-class bike includes Dura-Ace Di2 shifting and a custom Vision carbon wheelset for a ride that's light, responsive, and unbelievably fun to ride—with design sensibility that looks just as good as it feels on the road. Colnago invested serious research hours and conducted aerodynamic studies to realize the V4's monocoque carbon frame. It's solid yet reactive, with a shorter head tube and longer fork for enhanced rideability—yet it retains the soul of a racing bike. Together, these features make our custom V4s equally well-suited to flat terrain and grueling grades. The Colnago V4 is exclusively available to cyclists on our Challenge tours.

COMPARE OUR CHALLENGE TOURS

guide image
DOWNLOAD THE CHART

CHALLENGE TRAINING GUIDE

guide image
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE