Vermont: Lake Champlain Islands, Burlington & Stowe

Make your own arrangements for travel to Burlington, Vermont. Guests driving to the tour should park their cars at the tour end point, Burlington International Airport (airport code: BTV) for the week.

The tour begins at Hotel Vermont in downtown Burlington. For those interested, VBT will offer a shuttle from the airport to Hotel Vermont promptly at 2:30 p.m. This shuttle works on a “show and go” basis with no reservations needed. If you would like to travel to the tour meeting point on your own from the airport instead (recommended), taxis and rideshares are readily available. Travel time is approximately 15 minutes. It’s recommended to have lunch in a local restaurant once in town. It also may be possible to have lunch before leaving the airport (opening hours of the airport’s café may vary).

Depending on your arrival time, you may have time to spend the afternoon enjoying Burlington. Offering glorious sunsets, sailing on the lake, hiking and biking on nearby mountains, and Vermont craft beer, Burlington is a beloved destination. Known as the “Queen City,” Burlington is home to the University of Vermont and several smaller colleges. Ben & Jerry’s began their ice cream empire in a renovated gas station downtown. A walk down Church Street Marketplace puts you in the heart of the city’s vibrant, youthful energy. You’ll find many restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.

Meet your VBT trip leaders at 3:30 p.m. in your cycling clothes for a bike fitting and brief cycling skills clinic. This will be immediately followed by a short warm-up ride. This evening, gather at 6:30 p.m. for an orientation meeting and welcome cocktail. You will enjoy dinner at the hotel at 7:30 p.m.

Today's Ride Choices

Afternoon: Warm-up Burlington — 5 miles

What to Expect:

Your warm-up spin gives you the opportunity to get used to the bike that will be your stalwart companion for the rest of the week. Admire the beauty of Lake Champlain with the Adirondack Mountains across the horizon.

Cumulative Distance Range: 5 miles

Included Meals: Dinner

This morning’s bike tour takes you along the shore of the lake toward the Champlain Islands. The lake views and gentle terrain make for very pleasant cycling. Board the Island Line Bike Ferry for a short cruise with your bike. This service joins the two sides of “The Cut” between Colchester and South Hero along the recently resurfaced marble causeway and allows you to “ride” uninterrupted from Burlington into the islands. You will stop at Snow Farm Winery, for a wine tasting and picnic lunch, before continuing on your ride through the towns of Grand Isle and South Hero toward your next hotel.

Settle in and relax at North Hero House Inn on North Hero, the second largest of three major Lake Champlain islands. Originally granted to Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, the islands have played a pivotal part in our nation’s history. North Hero offers dramatic views of the Green Mountains and the town’s early-19th-century architecture adds to its charm. The Lake Champlain Islands, the Adirondacks, and the Green Mountains are the result of North America colliding with the European continental plate millennia ago. This evening, enjoy dinner at the inn.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Burlington and Bike Ferry — 14 miles

Afternoon: Snow Farm Winery to North Hero — 20 miles

What to Expect:

Your morning ride provides you with lake views heading north from Burlington to Grand Isle while on the Island Line Rail Trail Causeway which was built in 1900. You will cross “The Cut” on an included bike ferry run by the non-profit group Local Motion. After a picnic and wine tasting at Snow Farm Winery, travel by the private property of Harry Barber, a native of Switzerland who created multiple miniature castles from local stone that can be seen from the road. You will pass the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station that raises landlocked Atlantic salmon and trout to release into Vermont’s rivers and streams. The ride to Grand Isle features gentle terrain of mostly paved roads, with minimally few unpaved sections.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 — 34 miles

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cycle northward this morning along the tranquil lakeshore, crossing a causeway to Isle La Motte, one of the Champlain Islands. Named after French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1609, Lake Champlain is the largest freshwater body east of the Mississippi after the Great Lakes. Canada’s St. Lawrence River, an important transportation route for indigenous people for thousands of years, flows in from the north and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The French and English built forts in a race to control the lake during the early colonial years leading up to the Revolutionary War.

Ride quiet back roads on Isle La Motte, stopping to visit the historic St. Anne’s Shrine and Fisk Quarry. The shrine has lovely views of Lake Champlain, information on local history, short walking trails, restrooms, and blissful serenity. In 1787, Ichabod Ebenezer Fisk built his estate with limestone and marble from Fisk Quarry. At the height of operations, he employed 100 men. Remarkably, the quarry has fossils from the Chazy Reef, the world’s oldest reef, formed 480 million years ago.

As you continue your invigorating ride, take in the natural and historical sights. This was the first of the lake’s islands to be visited by French navigator and explorer Samuel de Champlain and his party of French and Native Americans in 1609. He described the place as “covered with the most beautiful pines that I have ever seen.” After lunch on your own, you are free to choose between more cycling along the lovely shoreline or an afternoon of relaxation. Your hotel has kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards on hand which you are welcome to take out onto the lake.  Spa services are also available (at your own cost, advanced booking is required). This evening, enjoy another dinner at the inn’s restaurant.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Isle La Motte — 32 miles

What to Expect:

Cycle north from your inn to Isle La Motte, with stops at St. Anne’s Shrine, Fisk Quarry, and Halls Apple Orchard. Cyclists can shorten the ride with a shuttle before they reach the causeway to Alburgh.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 32 miles

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, you head to Shelburne to visit an authentic sugar house where you learn about Vermont’s proud tradition of maple sugaring. After, you will ride to the Shelburne Museum for an optional visit. This fine museum of folk and decorative art, quilts, textiles, paintings, Americana, and period buildings boasts an extraordinary collection of more than 150,000 works in a unique setting which includes 39 exhibition buildings. Among its holdings are 500 quilts, 1,400 waterfowl decoys, 120 weathervanes, and 50 carousel figures—along with the 220-foot steamboat Ticonderoga, built in 1906 at the Shelburne Shipyard on Lake Champlain. It operated as a day boat serving ports along New York and Vermont shores until 1953. The Shelburne Marina and Shipyard opened in the late 1700s and began building sidewheel steamboats in the early 1800s. During World War II, it had naval contracts to build sub-chasers, torpedo lighters, and tugboats.

You may choose to continue to Shelburne Farms, a 1,400-acre working farm and education center. With its beautiful grounds and interesting architecture, this National Historic Landmark was designed as a model agricultural estate in 1886 by Dr. William Seward Webb and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. If you’re looking for a bit more cycling, enjoy an additional ride south to Charlotte, where you can visit the town beach. Scan the waves and try to catch a glimpse of “Champ,” the legendary lake creature that could be a distant cousin of the Loch Ness Monster. Lunch is on your own today. Your trip leaders will make suggestions of the best places to stop along your ride.

Meet back at the Shelburne Museum parking lot at 3:30 p.m. for the shuttle (approximately 60 minutes) to Stowe. Upon arrival, relax or take a stroll around the resort town before dinner on your own tonight.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Shelburne Museum — 4 miles

Afternoon: Charlotte Beach — 16 miles OR Shelburne Farms and Shipyard — 12 miles

What to Expect:

A shuttle brings to you a sugar house in Shelburne. From there, a short ride on back roads leads to the Shelburne Museum. You may continue to Shelburne Farms, home to fine cheddar cheeses, as well as Shelburne Marina and Shipyard. Enjoy more country cycling along the lake to Charlotte and its town beach. Meet back at the Shelburne Museum parking lot for a 3:30 p.m. shuttle to Stowe.

Cumulative Distance Range: 4 — 20 miles

Included Meals: Breakfast

This morning’s scenic ride begins on the paved Stowe Recreation Path, a flat route free of motorized vehicles. Continue to Edson Hill where your climb will be rewarded with majestic views of the surrounding mountains. Arrive in downtown Stowe, with its many shops and restaurants. Take time to explore the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, fine antique and craft galleries, and outdoor clothing and equipment stores. Lunch is on your own today.  You can choose from any of the restaurants in Stowe Village or along the recreation path.

Today’s extended biking option leads you to Stowe Hollow, following pleasant country roads. Here, enjoy more panoramic views of Vermont’s peaks, forests and farms.

Return to the resort to enjoy a dip in the pool, relax in the sauna or stroll the neighboring trails. Later gather for a festive farewell dinner.

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Stowe — 16 miles | Stowe Hollow Plus — 23 miles

What to Expect:

Today’s rides traverse the hills around Stowe. You will cycle on the flat Stowe Recreational Path and on a few sustained inclines along picturesque roads, enjoying the mountain views. You may choose to add a few more miles (and hills) with an extended ride option. While today’s rides do not offer a lot of mileage, there are moderately rated sections on the routes. After your ride and lunch, return to the resort at your leisure.

Cumulative Distance Range: 16 - 23 miles

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast at the resort, pedal out on  the Stowe Recreation Path. Stop at the Brookdale Covered Bridge for a photo op before retracting your way back to the hotel. There will be time to shower before traveling home. You may instead choice to have a leisurely morning at the resort or walk to the village of Stowe for one final visit.

VBT has arranged a shuttle from Stowe to Burlington International Airport at 11:30 a.m. (travel time of approximately 60 minutes).

Today's Ride Choices

Morning: Stowe Recreation Path Out and Back — 9 miles

What to Expect:

Spend your final morning on a short ride on the flat and paved Stowe Recreation Path, relaxing at the hotel or by visiting Stowe Village.

Cumulative Distance Range: 9 miles

Included Meals: Breakfast