7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites You Can See by Bike

Scattered across Europe and Asia, these sites offer portals to the past that would delight any historian and natural beauty to please any painter.

If one catches your eye, and the cycling looks like it would suit you too, make sure you get in touch with our team to book yourself on to the right tour. Enquire online or call us on +44 (0) 1273 224066 (Mon to Fri 9am to 5:30pm UK time).

Angkor Wat in Cambodia is one of the largest religious monuments in the world. Surrounded by a giant square moat, this Hindu temple is a classic example of the enchanting architecture of the Khmer and the extraordinary lotus bud-shaped towers will certainly stop you in your tracks.

You'll encounter Angkor Wat on day eight of our Ho Chi Minh to Bangkok Bike Tour. This route through South East Asia is a truly epic one, where you'll immerse yourself in Vietnam's colourful villages and Khmer houses, cruise along the Mekong River and cycle along Thailand's sun-drenched coast.

See Angkor Wat on our Ho Chi Minh to Bangkok Bike Tour

Dubrovnik and Split are two beautiful UNESCO-listed cities lying on the Dalmatian coast. The Old City of Dubrovnik has preserved its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. In Split, you can see the ruins of Diocletian's Palace which are scattered throughout the city as well as Romanesque churches, medieval fortifications and 15th-century Gothic palaces.

Bookend your voyage around the picturesque islands and tranquil waters of the Dalmatian Coast with these two beautiful cities on our Dubrovnik to Split Deluxe Boat & E-Bike Tour. You'll sail aboard either the deluxe Harmonia or superior Romantica, disembarking to cycle on coastal paths and riding through vineyards and forests with the cobalt-blue Adriatic as a backdrop.

See Dubrovnik and Split on our Dubrovnik to Split Deluxe Boat & E-Bike Tour

Puglia is a wonderfully mixed bag of different cultural influences and styles, and none more quirky than the whitewashed town of Alberobello, which contains the UNESCO-listed Trulli, remarkable hobbit-style huts with pyramidal, domed or conical roofs. There are over 1500 of these structures in Alberobello, and on the first night of our Puglia Bike Tour, you can even request to stay in your very own 'trullo'!

Puglia is a destination in demand and one of our most popular bike tours. As well as visiting Alberobello, you'll see sandy beaches, pretty hilltop towns, serene open countryside and eat exquisite seafood. If this sounds like your kind of holiday, we'd recommend booking quickly.

See Alberobello on our Puglia Bike Tour

Wander around 6km of underground passages in Slovenia's Škocjan Caves, recognised as one of the world's most important and aesthetically beautiful cave systems. Reaching to a depth of more than 200m, the caves contain a waterfall, rimstone pools and thousands of stalagmites and stalactites. The Martel Chamber, which exceeds two million cubic meters in volume, is perhaps the most spectacular sight.

You can see this extraordinary natural sight on our Best of Slovenia Bike Tour - Lakes to the Coast as you cycle southwards through Slovenia from the romantic town of Bled through karst mountain scenery to the capital city, Ljubljana, and on to the coastal town of Piran.

See the Škocjan Caves on our Best of Slovenia Bike Tour - Lakes to the Coast

The idyllic hillsides of the Champagne region of North East France have been given World Heritage status because of the expertise perfected over generations by the people of Champagne in sparkling wine production techniques. The countryside here is a beautiful patchwork of carefully tended vineyards and scattered towns and you can often see deer and wild boar here too!

One of the best things about cycling here is tasting the local produce and there are plenty of cellars to pop into as you go. We have three tours that pass through the Champagne region in our France Cycling Holidays. The cycling on these tours is rated moderate but can be made a cinch with the help of an e-bike.

See the Champagne region on our France Bike Tours

Explore the lesser-known cycle routes of Albania and see a total of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites on our Highlights of Albania Bike Tour. First up on the tour, you'll arrive on the shores of Lake Ohrid on the Macedonian border, one of the oldest human settlements in Europe. Enjoy a relaxing evening surrounded by its picturesque church spires and lakeside cafes.

On day six you'll visit the old town of Gjirokaster, known as the "city of a thousand steps". The humorous local name gives it away - whichever way you turn in this beautiful hillside fortress, you'll be making your way up or down. And on day seven you'll discover Albania's ancient history at the ruined Greek and Roman city of Butrint which has been inhabited since prehistoric times.

You'll need a good level of fitness to take on this tour as it takes you on an undulating route through mountainous regions. However, we think the views over the Grammoz mountains are well worth the effort and you can always hire an e-bike to make things easier.

See three UNESCO World Heritage Sites on our Highlights of Albania Bike Tour

Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, an otherworldly section of coast in the north of the country with thousands of limestone karsts and islets in a variety of beautiful formations, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994 in recognition of its outstanding universal aesthetic value. Because of their steep slopes, most of the islands are uninhabited and provide a real sense of serenity.

You can see Ha Long Bay on our Vietnam Bike & Boat Tour, a 14-night journey by bike, boat and aeroplane exploring Vietnam's tropical islands, lush landscapes and spellbinding cities. As you wind your way from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll pedal past rice paddies and stop for long, refreshing swims during gentle daily cycle rides.

See Ha Long Bay on our Vietnam Bike & Boat Tour

We have handpicked just a few of the wonderful UNESCO sights that you can see on our tours and there are plenty more to discover. If any of the tours above have caught your eye or you'd like to learn more, just contact our team. Either enquire online or call us on +44(0) 1273 224066.

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