Empire State Trail Bike Tours
Do the Empire State Trail "your way" with a private tour!
Private tours can be arranged for both day-rides and multi-day tours. In all cases, your tour will be personally set up by Lukas, in consultation with you, and all prices and options will be explained to you clearly so that you can make your own choices about the tour. Then Lukas will set things up for you so that you only pay for the services you need.
Typical costs for multi-day private tour services include:
Tour Planning Services: $500 to $1,200 depening on the length and complexity of your tour. Click here for more information.
Tour Operation Services:
- Hybrid rental bicycles: $250 per week
- Private tour vehicle support and rest stops: $1,000 to $1,500 per group, per day. (Costs vary by location and group size)
Private day-rides are priced differently and usually cost between $600 to $1200 depending on the location and the itinerary. Hybrid bicycle rentals are $80 per bike.
If you have a group of friends or family who are interested in bike touring on the Empire State Trail, our private tour packages are the way to go. Not only are these tours highly-customizable to your group, but they can also be a cost-effective option since you would only need to purchase the services that you need. Here's how they work:
- Contact Lukas and let him know you are interested in a private tour. Lukas will need to know where you want to ride, how much you want to ride, the number of days and the number of people. Also, Lukas will need to know if anyone in your group needs rental bikes and if there are any special transportation needs for your group. (For example, are you coming in from out of town? Do you live near Albany and want to start the ride at your house? What's the situation with your group?) During this consultation, Lukas can let you know what services are available for what you are looking to do.
- Lukas will write up a proposal based on the discussion which you can review. This proposal will have two components to it: Tour Planning Services and Tour Operation Servcies. Each component will have its own fee.
- The Tour Planning Services fee has a dual purpose: it reserves the dates on the calendar for your tour; and it will pay for the staff time it takes for your tour to be planned. This tour is non-refundable because it pays for actual work that is done to plan and program your tour. When the work is complete, you will get a deliverable (a Tour Plan!) that is yours to keep regardless of whether you do the tour. The tour plan includes all the information to do the tour, including maps, GPS navigation, accommodations, etc. and you can request edits or changes to the tour plan as it is developed. If you are unable to do your tour, the tour plan is still there to be used on a different set of dates, and you would not need to pay a full deposit again if you used this same plan.
- The Tour Operation Services fee involves the services that will be provided while you are doing the ride. This includes bike rental, vehicle support, accommodations, meals, etc. The scope of these services is usually finalized during the Tour Planning process and the fees for Tour Operation Services are (generally) not due until 2 weeks before the tour date, which gives you maximum flexibility to cancel or postpone your tour without fear of losing the entire cost of your vacation.
It is important to note that while a private tour may have a substantial up-front Tour Planning fee, the Tour Planning process often produces cost savings in terms of the Tour Operation Services. Therefore we ask for your trust as we put a private tour together for you. At the end of the day, this is a small family business, and we pride ourselves on our quality tours and our relationships with our customers. Our private tours are designed to be a collaborative process that is intended to build trust and respect, reduce haggling, and keep the focus on the bike riding.
