
from San Diego
to Phoenix
E-Bike: 4h 34 / day
Bike: 6h 03 / day

This 8-day cycling tour from San Diego to Phoenix runs from the Pacific edge through inland Southern California and into Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. The route starts at sea level in San Diego, climbs via Alpine, Descanso and Pine Valley into the mountains of San Diego County, then drops from Jacumba into the Imperial Valley. There, canals, fields and border towns alternate with bare desert roads before the Imperial Sand Dunes appear directly beside the route near Glamis. Via Blythe, the tour crosses the Colorado River into Arizona and follows long desert corridors through Quartzsite, Salome and Wickenburg before entering the Phoenix metropolitan area. A demanding USA cycling tour with heat, climbing, long distances, dunes, river valleys and open roads across California and Arizona. Create an account to see all stages, maps, elevation profiles and the full route.
Start with Day 1 and move through the bike tour stage by stage.
This tour includes detailed day-by-day descriptions, accommodation recommendations, points of interest, difficulty ratings, and expert tips for completing this amazing cycling adventure...
698 km
Medium
—
8 days
52 km812 m
80 km1,282 m
80 km249 m
91 km467 m
77 km143 m
102 km815 m
88 km296 m
129 km328 m
Travel to start
You have several good options for arrival: Seaport Village by train or San Diego International Airport by flight or Bus Station by coach or Broadway Pier by ferry. Choose the one that fits your origin and bike setup best.
Major rail hub
Seaport Village, 1 km
Airport
San Diego International Airport, 3 km
Coach / bus hub
Bus Station, 0 km
Ferry terminal
Broadway Pier, 0 km
Travel from finish
You have several good options for leaving the tour: Rural Rd / Apache Blvd by train or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport by flight or Rural Rd / Apache Blvd by coach. Choose the one that works best for your next destination and bike setup.
Major rail hub
Rural Rd / Apache Blvd, 0 km
Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 7 km
Coach / bus hub
Rural Rd / Apache Blvd, 0 km

Vienna to Venice Bikepacking: Through Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia to the Sea
This tour is a proper east-to-west crossing with several long days and clear shifts in riding character. The opening kilometres are fast and flat, but they still ask for focus: long straight sections,...
9 days
829 km

Sofia to Durrës Cycling Route: 9-Day Balkan Bikepacking Adventure through Bulgaria, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia & Albania
This is not a polished cycling holiday. It is an honest slice of south-eastern Europe, made for riders who are comfortable with changing conditions: smooth tarmac, improvised lines, busy roads, empty ...
9 days
767 km

Adriatic Bikepacking Route from Split to Sarandë through Croatia, Montenegro and Albania
This route is made for riders who want a lot of experience without having to rethink the plan every day. The stages have a clear rhythm: some sections are fast and steady, others become more demanding...
9 days
742 km

Freiburg to Nice by Bike: Alpine Crossing via Grand-Saint-Bernard and Col de la Lombarde
The ride changes character almost every day. After the calm roll through the Upper Rhine plain, things get sharper beyond Basel: Dornach, Hochwald and the first Jura hills bring forest, pasture and lo...
8 days
783 km

Bikepacking from Nice to Freiburg: 11 Days Through Provence, Switzerland, Jura & Black Forest
This tour is not just a line across the map, but a ride through several very different cycling landscapes. The opening days are shaped by southern light, dry hillsides and constant rolling terrain. Th...
11 days
851 km

Alps Cycle Route: An 8-Day Bike Tour from Freiburg to Venice
Engineered for pure riding flow, the technical layout heavily utilizes dedicated, traffic-free infrastructure. The tarmac-to-gravel ratio favors smooth endurance setups, making 30mm or 32mm tyres the ...
8 days
726 km