Steel Donkey Bike Tours

Kick ass alternative tours of Barcelona

5.0

Kicking up quite a fuss since their inception, Steel Donkey Bike Tours have become famous as Barcelona’s first alternative two-wheel tours, and indeed one of the first truly alternative tours anywhere in the world, understanding travellers’ needs to connect with the real city.

Unlike with the city’s many other bike tours, no two rides are quite the same, and rather than follow a strict itinerary, crammed full of recited facts, the vibe is all about setting off around the city with a knowledgeable local as your guide.

You’ll discover little-known secrets of the city, enjoy classic snacks and drinks (like churros and orxata) at local hang outs, and cycle through some of Barcelona’s most scenic squares and streets, far away from the tourist maelstrom.

One of the things that makes the experience so special, and a little more expensive than some tours, is that Steel Donkey only rides with a maximum of eight people – other companies take up to 20 people at a time! This enables you to actually stop off and interact with the city: at markets, vintage shops, hidden bars and more, rather than feel like another tourist on the Barcelona merry-go-round.

With amazing Tripadvisor reviews (they’ve won a Certificate of Excellence every year they’ve been in operation), and recommendations from the likes of Lonely Planet Magazine, Easyjet and Guardian Travel, you can be confident you’re going to have a fantastic and unique experience.

To apply for this job email your details to duncansrhodes@gmail.com

Latest Reviews of Steel Donkey Bike Tours

"Best day out with teenagers" - by Ella.Cronin

our guide Julio was excellent. So informative and great communication skills. it was one of the best things we ever did as a family of teenagers. all were engaged and thoroughly enjoyed. thanks Julio

5

2 months ago
"Awesome Bike Tour!" - by Janet G.

Thank you Alejandra for being such a wonderful tour guide! We enjoyed our small group tour of 4 and the sites we saw in Barcelona. Alejandra did a great job explaining the places we stopped and answered our questions. We were able to see so much more of the city by riding bikes. The bikes were very well maintained..

5

7 months ago
"The Best Part of Our Trip to Spain!" - by Ryan McGee

Our tour with Steel Donkey Bike Tours was the highlight of our trip to Spain. It was the perfect way to see the city with our five , eleven and Thirteen year old children. We were able to see some of the most iconic sights in the city and some lesser know sites as well. Overall it was a great experience!

5

1 year ago
"Super fun bike tour!" - by Gina

We love doing a bike tour through a new city, and have done one in Rome, London, NYC and now Barcelona. This was the best one yet!! Our guide was informative, fun, funny, attentive, and accommodating. We got to see parts of the city we never would have without this tour, and learned about the sites as we went. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

5

2 years ago
"Best thing we did in Barcelona!" - by Graham Burrell

This was easily the best thing we did in our week in Barcelona - we are a family of 4 with 2 teenage daughters. Our guide, Letizia was amazing, great sense of humour, interesting stories, full of vitality - highly recommended! Kiwi Family

5

2 years ago
"Would recommend!" - by Wendy Kite

My daughter and I booked this tour because we wanted an active tour that goes off the beaten path. This tour was perfect! We had such a good time with our guide, the bikes, the neighborhoods we saw, the food we had. Everything was perfect. I’d do it again any time!

5

2 years ago
"Bike Tour" - by Jean Malley

Did a 4-hour bike tour and it was so much fun. Saw so many parts of the city, some off the beaten road path. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Guide was excellent!

5

3 years ago
"Fun Bike Tour" - by Lauren Chelf

We did a bike tour last week and it was so much fun. It was me, my husband, and our 21 year old daughter who is currently living in Barcelona. My husband & I loved it b/c we got to see so much of the city and our daughter loved it b/c she got to see parts of the city that she had not had the opportunity to explore yet. Our guide was very good (but sadly I have forgotten his name but he was from South America). Loved stopping into Bar Leo for a snack and getting to meet Leo and her granddaughter. We felt very safe on the bike paths and sidewalks. I would highly recommend this tour.

5

3 years ago
"Great tour" - by Johan De Bus

We had a great afternoon. Bikes were comfortable, guide was amazing and spontaneous. She explained us very interesting things and brought us to places we have never seen before in Barcelona. Definitely worth the money!

5

3 years ago
"The alternative tour, well worth it" - by Ian Thomson

We asked Mariana to show us some alternative sights and she did not disappoint. This was a really good and insightful tour covering a lot of ground but with plenty time to take in the history and hear Mariana's informative comments on the way. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in history and looking to get to know Barcelona that bit better.

5

3 years ago
"Brilliant and Authentic Tour " - by Sam Wilson

Mariana was an incredible tour guide. We saw hidden parts of such a beautiful city, places we would have never discovered ourselves. The tour was perfectly pitched and could not be faulted. A tour which combined moments of raw emotion, humour and history. The bikes were comfortable and Barcelona is the perfect place to cycle (incredibly flat). Thank you Steele Donkey - we will recommend!

5

5 years ago
"Amazing tour!!" - by Michele Cicatello

We had a tour with Mari and she was absolutely incredible. Super high energy, fun, she kept things interesting and took us to off the beaten path to places you would never encounter on a typical tour. It was such a unique view of the city by bike and so easy to get everywhere. HIGHLY recommend viewing barcelona from the back of a steel donkey!

5

5 years ago
"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!" - by Mariam Bayoumy

Best city tour to go off the ordinary route of the highlighted touristic places and see the true heart of the town. I loved the idea of riding in a limited small group, it made manoeuvring through the narrow city streets easier and I felt safe because no one can be forgotten behind..we all can keep an eye on each other. Definitly the highlight of my vacation.

5

5 years ago
"Best city cycle tour!" - by Neil P

I can honestly say this is the best city cycle tour I have ever been on. I was slightly daunted beforehand about the prospect of cycling around a strange city, but the route we took was largely off road or on quiet back streets. Our guide was fantastic, and knew a lot about the city. It was great to do something a little alternative and he had lots of pithy stories about random things that allowed us to get under the skin of the city. And the cycle back along the playa with the sun setting over the city was sensational.

5

7 years ago
"Off the common path" - by Toomas

We don't usually do guided tours, but this Steel Donkey ride seemed interesting and it was very much fun. Usual tourist places can be visited on your own with the help of guide book (this is what we did), but the Steel Donkey took us off the common path to funky places with interesting stories. Definitely worth the money!

5

7 years ago