Malibu Challenge Bike Tour

Meet your guides at Los Angeles International Airport or in Santa Monica and transfer to the Four Seasons Westlake Village, our home base for the next three nights. A bike fitting and safety briefing is followed by a welcome lunch, then our first loop on Mulholland Highway. Don’t let the name fool you: hardly a highway, this ribbon of road is comprised of challenging curves and sweeping views as it runs through the Santa Monica Mountains all the way to the Pacific coast. Pause for coffee at Pedalers Fork, a favorite hangout for local cyclists that’s chock-full of quirky memorabilia. Tonight, gather for an après vélo cocktail before dinner at the Four Seasons Wellness Kitchen—prepared especially for us and focused on the nutrition needs of cyclists.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Westlake, Mulholland
Accomplished: 36 miles / 58 km, elevation gain: 2,788 feet / 850 meters
Accommodations: Four Seasons Westlake Village

Today we go big, riding into the Santa Monica Mountains and all the way through Malibu. Get your cadence up during the 20-mile stretch along California’s iconic Pacific Coast Highway, then choose your level of pain on a selection of great mid-ride climbs. We’ll finish with one of the best around: Latigo Canyon. It’s full of short-and-steep switchbacks, long sections of low grade, and itty-bitty descents to break things up. Phil Gaimon’s KOM is there for the taking: a seven-mile segment with a 5% average grade. By lunchtime, we’re done riding and ready for a well-earned glass of rosé. Round out the day at the Four Seasons pool, then refuel with sushi and sake at Onyx, the hotel’s ultra-chic Japanese restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Point Dume, Malibu, PCH
Accomplished: 66 miles / 106 km, elevation gain: 4,999 feet / 1,523 meters
Accommodations: Four Seasons Westlake Village

Get ready for a full day of climbing as we explore Malibu’s valleys. The most iconic sections of Mulholland Highway are on the menu, including Stunt and Piuma Roads—each with a jaw-dropping perspective of Santa Monica Bay and a clear view of Palos Verdes to the south. The climb up Piuma is a grueling four-and-a-half miles at 6%, followed by short and sharp downhill switchbacks that lead right into the day’s second challenge. The next two miles average a 6% gradient before we find sweet relief on the ride back to the Four Seasons. Lunch is served at a private poolside cabana, and tonight we’ll gather for a sunset cocktail reception followed by a festive dinner.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Mulholland, Stunt Ranch, Monte Nido
Accomplished: 40 miles / 64 km, elevation gain: 4,217 feet / 1,285 meters
Longer option: 53 miles / 85 km, elevation gain: 4,282 feet / 1,305 meters
Accommodations: Four Seasons Westlake Village

How do you want to spend your final morning in Malibu? Choose an early morning coffee run on unexplored roads to the funky Old West town of Cornell, or tackle the hairpin turns on Decker Road as you spin out to the Pacific. Dip your toe (and a tire!) in the ocean, then head back via tough-but-beautiful Encinal Canyon Road. We’ll toast with mimosas at a late brunch before heading our separate ways and bidding farewell to Malibu’s canyons.

Meals: Brunch
Destinations: Cornell, Decker Road, Encinal Canyon
Accomplished: 23 miles / 37 km, elevation gain: 1,245 feet / 379 meters
Longer option: 29 miles / 47 km, elevation gain: 3,293 feet / 1,003 meters