city bike tours for families

Why City Bike Tours for Families are Great

Walking tours are too long, bus tours are too boring.  What’s a family to do if they want to get a feel of the city while keeping it interesting for the kids?  Try City bike tours.

City bike tours for families are great because they allow you to move and stay active while getting to know the new city you are visiting and learning a ton of information.

City bike tours are a great option for seeing the city with kids because it feels less like a school field trip and more like an adventure.  *But they still learn a lot, without really realizing it.*  Kinda like when you sneak extra chopped-up veggies into stuff like spaghetti sauce.  They love spaghetti, you feel accomplished that you got them to eat veggies without World War III breaking out.  Win-win all around.  Yeah, bike tours with kids are kinda like that.

Note: This post on Why City Bike Tours for Families are Great has affiliate links from trusted partners and websites such as Amazon, and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).

Who are city bike tours for?

All ages.  City bike tours are great for everyone.  Ok, I would exclude babies; take the bus tour or walking guide if you have little baby babies.  But for toddlers on up, bike tours work.  Why?  Because most bike tour companies will offer bike trailers.  Here’s what one looks like in case you’re interested in buying one yourself:

These fun, attachable, stroller-like compartments allow children, who are too little or too young to cycle themselves, a sweet ride to explore the city.

When we visited Washington D.C. as a family, we took a bike tour and our then 3 year old had a blast cycling with Daddy.  She had her own little trailer seat and chatted happily to Daddy while he trucked her up and down the Mall.

trailer, city bike tours for families

Once children become proficient cyclists, bike companies will also have a range of bicycle sizes.  In London, our bike tour company had a kid sized bike just perfect for a 6 year old.

City bike tours are also great for multigenerational family groups and seniors too.  Today, many companies offer electric bikes for tour groups.  These electric bikes work with your pedaling to offer a little bit of help to make cycling easier.

Are city cycling tours safe?

The short answer is yes.  The long answer is probably (Mainly with the disclaimer that there is risk involved in any type of travel, and that you must use good judgement with cycling, always follow the rules of the road, and listen carefully to instructions from your guide).  Major cities do have lots of traffic, but most large cities also have a high cycling population as well, which will allow for bike lanes, etc.

guide, city bike tours for families

Cycling guides are trained to help you navigate through the busy city.  If you book a family cycling tour, companies will usually take even less trafficked roads and go through more parks so as to accommodate children.

Will a city cycling tour be too intense?

Big Ben, city bike tours for families

City cycling tours are meant to be fun, enjoyable, and educational.  This means guides will take you on mostly flat surfaces, and will include lots of stops to fill you in on interesting facts about the city.  Usually there are 1 or 2 stops where you can use the restrooms and get a snack!  In London we had an ice cream break in Covent Gardens.

There are even only downhill cycling tours, like in Hawaii.  Bike companies will drive you to the top of

Haleakala, at the top of the volcano, and let you cycle down the mountain at your own pace.  The wind in my hair and no up hill pedaling sounds like just the thing for me.

Are city bike tours worth the money?

City bike tours are an economical option when traveling with family.  Here’s why: city bike tours are usually 2-3 hours and cost at or below $50.  With this price you get a bike rental, helmet, a knowledgable guide, and sometimes they throw in a water bottle too.

During your 3 hour tour you get to cover more ground than a walking tour, so you get to see and learn about more places than on a walking tour.  You pay less than a bus tour because you don’t have the gas charges they pass along to the customers.

You also get your exercise in for the day, and you wear out the kiddos so they are not bouncing off the walls in your hotel room.  Win-win, again!

Washington Monument, city bike tours for families

What are the different types of city bike tours?

I’m glad you asked.  There is plenty of variety when it comes to pedaling your way around a city.

  • Standard bicycles– Not super sexy, but affordable and dependable.  You can rent bikes on your own in almost every city in the world!
  • Electric bicycles– Helps you go farther for longer.  Electric bike tours and rentals are very popular city attractions.
  • Tandem bicycles– How cute is a bicycle built for two.  Enjoy cycling together in Central Park or Quebec City.
  • Bicycles with child trailers– This is a great way to enjoy cycling with kids who can’t ride by themselves yet.
  • Trolley pubs– Ok, this might be for families with kids 21 and over.  Trolley pubs use pedal power to explore the city while having a bar on wheels, like the one in St. Petersburg, FL.
  • Pedal boats– Take to the water and pedal around some of the biggest cities’ best lakes such as L.A.’s Echo Lake Swan Boats.
  • Segway tours– Technically these are 2 wheel modes of transportation even though they are not bicycles.  Although you’re not going to get your exercise on for the day.  Segways offer a fun and different way to see a city for families with older children.  There are Segway Tours in almost every city imaginable.  My husband and I even took one in the Bahamas.  Check out all the cities that offer Segway Tours Here.

What are some more options for family bike tours?

family bike tours

Do you love cycling or think that cycling might be a fun family trip?  Cycle tourism is growing in popularity.  Many places across the world offer multi-day cycling trips.  These range in prices and comfortability from camping each night, to 5 star luxury hotels with award winning chefs.

Cycling tours have many benefits including being environmentally friendly alternatives to bus guided tours, improving your overall health and well-being with all that good physical exercise, and strengthening family bonds as you experience this new and exciting adventure together.

Where are some places for city bike tours for families?

Most places in Europe have a large cycling culture without tourism, so many European cities will be great choices for bike tours.  We took a bike tour of London and loved it.  Also check out cities like Rome, Italy and Barcelona Spain. 

  • You can explore more European city bike tours HERE.

There are many multi-day cycling tours available through the Lorraine Valley in France, and beautiful Bavaria in Germany and Austria.

White House city bike tour with family

In the USA, bike tours are a hit too.  We loved our Washington D.C. bike tour and would highly recommend seeing our nation’s capital on a bike.  Cities like New York City, Boston, and San Francisco all have many bike tours to experience.

Some less crowded tourist destinations that are super cycling friendly that should make your list would include: Mackinac Island, Michigan, Hilton Head, South Carolina, Key West, Florida, and Asheville, North Carolina.

For the more rugged family cycling experience don’t forget the National Parks.  There are many bike tours for the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Acadia National Parks to name a few.

city park bike tours

Going farther afield you can have an adventure in Asia by cycling in places like Vietnam and Cambodia.  These multi-day trips would be an awesome experience for families with teens.

South America has bike tours in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

You can pedal through Africa in places like Cape Town, South Africa and see the Pyramids in Egypt by bicycle.

And, of course, there are plenty of bike tours that are offered down under in Australia.  I’d love to explore Sydney, Australia by bicycle!

australia, sydney, bike tours for families

Things to consider when booking a city bike tour for families.

  • Contact the company well in advance to go over details of the tour.  Make sure you discuss how many people in your group will be participating.  During our multigenerational trip to London, we had a group of 7, which ended up being a private tour.  But we also had a group of 7 in Washington D.C. and we were part of a group of about 13 people.
  • Also, make sure the bike company can accommodate for the children in your group.  Let them know if you need a trailer, how many, or if you need a child size bike.  You can also discuss easier routes and more stops if needed.
  • Most tours will not include gratuities, so if you liked your tour guide, make sure to have some extra cash on hand to let them know you appreciated their work.
  • Bring snacks and water.  Even though you will stop multiple times on a city bike tour, its always important to stay hydrated and well fueled.  I’m just gonna throw in sunscreen and proper clothing since I’m a momma here.  You will want comfortable, loose-fitting clothes that you can move well in.  If its chilly, bring a light jacket.  And remember to wear closed-toes shoes with socks for pedaling.

DC family bike tour

  • Consider how your family works best.  I like to schedule city bike tours at the beginning of our trip, so that we get a feel for what the city is like before we dive into particular attractions or museums.  Also, it might be best to book your tour at the beginning of the day when everyone has had a good breakfast and is rearing to go, as opposed to the afternoon when it might be nap time or energy levels are fading.

All in all, city bike tours, or even multi-day cycling trips are a fun new adventure that families should consider when planning their vacation activities.

If you’d like to book a cycling vacation (there are even cycling cruises!) but want a little extra help, we can do that.  Click here to get in contact with our favorite travel agent, Pat Rogers from Faith and Family Travel, and he can set you up on your next adventure.

What is your favorite cycling experience?

Let me know in the comments, so I can add it to my bucket list.  Don’t forget to Pin this post and share if it was helpful.


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city bike tours are great for families
city bike tours for families are great
city bike tours on family trips

Kyleen Bontrager, the Bonnie Traveler

Kyleen is a wife, homeschool mama, lover of teatime, and passionate traveler.  Having lived on 3 continents and visited +32 countries, she helps others enjoy memory-making experiences for multigenerational travel.  Ready for a bonnie adventure?  Let’s go!

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