Cycling Italy’s Alpine Valleys Plus! Venice

Cycling Italy in Alpine Valleys
  • Length 12 days
  • From USD$6250
  • Style/Level Classic 1.0
  • Countries Italy
  • Begin/End Glorenza/Venice
See related tours

Pedal along bike paths in two of Italy’s finest bike-friendly regions! Begin your ride cycling through the lush meadows of the Venosta Valley with views of Alpine peaks and glaciers in the distance. Explore the historical relics in Italian cities and towns of Merano, Bolzano and Trento before moving into a smaller bicycle-friendly valley to Bassano del Grappa. In the last part of the trip we leave the mountains to pedal the best of the Po Valley and along the Brenta river to famed art cities of Vicenza, Padova and incomparable Venice.  Explore some of the most famous Venetian Villas in Italy and end with a ride into Venice. This extended tour shows off northern Italy’s natural and architectural splendor in a way that can only be experienced by bicycle.

***If this sounds great but you don’t have time for the full 12 days, check out our Cycling Italy’s Alpine Valleys, which features the first 7 nights of this itinerary.***

Highlights

  • 3 – two night stays, Small medieval walled town of Glorenza, Adige River riding, Merano and its chic thermal spa town center, Gondola ride and dinner in a traditional “maso” in a mountain valley, Dedicated scenic bike paths, Views to the Dolomites and the Alps, Guided visit of Trento, Land art installation visit of Arte Sella, Palladian Villas on the Brenta Riviera, Padova and Venice.

Includes

  • 12 days, 11 nights accommodation

  • meals as noted in itinerary

  • activities as listed in the itinerary including guided walks in Trento and Venice

  • All Classic tour inclusions


Date Price Private room fee Note
Jun 15-26, 2024 USD$6250 USD$650 Sold out – wait list available.
DateJun 15-26, 2024
PriceUSD$6250
Private room feeUSD$650
NoteSold out – wait list available.

Download Itinerary

We’ll send you a link to a full day by day tour itinerary that can be downloaded and printed so you can review all the details online and offline. This packet also includes details about what to expect on tour and arrival and departure details.
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  • Total distance 410 km (253 miles)
  • Average daily distance 45 km (28 miles)
  • Tour style Classic
  • Tour level 1.0

Highlights: Medieval Glorenza, bike fitting, welcome dinner

Meet at 10 a.m. in Bolzano (Bozen in German) for our transfer to Glorenza where the cycling portion of our journey will begin. We highly recommend arriving a few days early in Bolzano to visit the archaeological museum and see its most famous resident, Otzi, a man from the Copper Age who was perfectly preserved in ice until his discovery in the early 90’s. In a few days we’ll pedal under the peaks where he was found, so take time to visit him and learn more about the area. This afternoon, we’ll fit our bikes and enjoy a welcome dinner in a local restaurant.

Meals : Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Gruner Baum (4*)

Highlights: Lake and glacier views, bell tower in the lake, Burgusio castle, Castel Coira

This morning we’ll shuttle to the picturesque Alpine Lake Resia. We’ll bicycle around the gorgeous lake that hides the village of Curon beneath its waters. The only remnant of the village is its bell tower which rises from the midst of the lake. It’s an exciting descent from here and you’ll have a chance to visit the Burgusio Castle before returning to Glorenza. This afternoon, we’ll visit one of the best preserved castles in the entire region, before a light dinner together. Anybody with free time or an interest in whisky can visit Italy’s only distillery located just outside Glorenza’s city walls!

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Gruner Baum (4*)

Highlights: Bike paths along the Adige river, Lasa marble, the gardens of Traumannsdorf Castle, home of Forst beer

We’ll enjoy a quiet ride through apple orchards on the bike path to the small town of Lasa. Despite its small size, Lasa’s marble craftsmanship can be found worldwide. Interestingly enough Lasa’s first large order was 86,000 crosses and Star of David in the 1950’s for U.S. military cemeteries around the world. After our visit of this impressive artisan industry, pedal along a pleasant bike path to Merano where you can explore its trendy streets and cafes, take one of the two well-signed walks around town, or enjoy Italy’s most famous gardens at Trautmannsdorf Castle. Rivaling Cortina d’Ampezzo as a destination for jet-setting European visitors to the Italian Alps, Merano has long been a mountain resort for heads of the Austrian Empire, European princes and princesses and modern day celebrities.

Meals : Breakfast
Lodging : City Hotel Merano

Highlights: Langrein vineyards, apple orchards, old city of Bolzano/Bozen, special dinner

We’ll leave the Venosta Valley today and head back to the large town of Bolzano – or Bozen in German. Pedal through vineyards and apple orchards as the valley widens and then narrows as you approach the city under the shadow of the Firmiano Castle. The castle is now a museum founded by one of the world’s most famous mountaineers from this region, Reinhold Messner. Enter the city along tranquil bike paths and enjoy our centrally located hotel. This evening, a special gondola ride above town brings us to a local farm where we’ll enjoy views on the Dolomite mountains and hearty homemade dishes.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Greif Bolzano

Highlights: Guided walk of Trento, train ride, Borgo Valsugana, hotel spa

This morning we’ll leave Bolzano by train and head to Trento, capital of the Italy’s autonomous region of Trentino Alto Adige/ Südtirol. This compact colorful city center was the seat of the Council of Trent in the 16th century, where the Catholic Church held one of its most important councils for over 20 years to determine how to handle the Protestant Reformation. Enjoy a special visit of the city and castle before we take a short train ride to our next valley and the small town of Borgo Valsugana, a quaint village nestled between the striking cliffs of the Alps’ foothills. You’ll have time this afternoon to enjoy the hotel’s spa.

Meals : Breakfast
Lodging : Locanda in Borgo

Highlights: Arte Sella

Take a leisurely spin upstream along a gentle bike path that meanders through orchards, and skirts small villages. A highlight along the way is Lake Caldonazzo where you can enjoy a refreshing dip. A special evening event in the mountains awaits!

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Locanda in Borgo

Highlights: WWI fort, wooden bridge of Bassano, tasting visit grappa museum

Continue your journey along the Valsugana bike path enjoying stunning views, and WWI forts that overlook the valley. The route follows “Via Claudia Augusta,” an ancient Roman road which ran 550 km and crossed the Alps to link the Po valley (which is just south of us) and Germany (to the north of us). You’ll slowly emerge from the narrow valley to reach the town of Bassano, with its iconic wooden bridge across the river. Bassano is a key producer of grappa and there are several distilleries in town. We will enjoy a visit to one of them before dinner together.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Alla Corte

Highlights: Marostica, “city of thousand towers”, Palladio’s Vicenza

We leave the mountains to head south to the home of Andrea Palladio (1508–80), who is widely considered to be the most influential individual in the history of Western architecture. Vincenza prospered under Venetian rule from the early 15th to the end of the 18th century and his architectural designs, based on a detailed study of classical Roman architecture, gives the city its unique appearance.

Meals : Breakfast
Lodging : Glam Boutique Hotel

Highlights: Palladian Villa La Rotonda, Padua or Padova

From Vicenza you will continue riding along the foothills of Monti Berici. Along the way, you can stop to visit the famous Palladian Villa la Rotonda’s gardens. One of many Palladian villas of the Veneto, though this is the best-known and most influential. The palace was built for Paolo Almerico on his retirement from the Vatican. Our ride takes us to one of the oldest cities in Italy, Padova, or Padua, perhaps better known as the City of St. Anthony. Padova was the setting for most of the action in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. This city is also home to Italy’s second oldest university, the University of Padua, which fosters a colorful culture in this city of stunning architecture.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Methis Hotel

Highlights: Padova or loop ride in the Euganean Hills

Today’s loop ride takes us into the volcanic Euganean Hills, that rise 300-600 meters from the Padovan-Venetian plain. These rolling hills are a picturesque as a backdrop on our pedal to Arqua Petaraca, a town that was home to Perarca, one of the 14th century’s most famous poets and authors. If you prefer to explore Padova, today is a great day to take a break from the bike.

Meals : Breakfast
Lodging : Methis Hotel

Highlights: Quiet roads and stunning architecture, Venice.

We continue our cycling journey towards the Venetian lagoon today, following the famed Brenta River which is dotted with small towns and stunning Venetian villas built between the 15th and 18th centuries. As you pedal along the “Riviera del Brenta” imagine what it was like to be a Venetian aristocrat traveling by boat between Padova and Venice at the height of the Venetian empire. We’ll reach the Venetian lagoon this afternoon and bid farewell to our bikes before spending our last evening together in the heart of Venice. We’ll celebrate the end of our ride tonight in style in Venice.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Al Piave

Highlights: Guided walk of Venice

Our trip ends after a guided walk of Venice. We’ll be back at the hotel around around 12 p.m. Venice requires several days of exploration and with its many tiny streets and canals it’s easy to get off the beaten path.

Meals : Breakfast

Visit our Tour Level page to learn more about terrain levels and how we determine day and tour levels.



Pre-trip planning checklist



  • Easy cycling, fabulous scenery, and unique cultural experiences.

    David G., Denver, CO – June 2022
  • A beautiful ride through Alpine river valleys. Excellent paved trail for most of the route. Quiet safe riding. Lovely towns, interesting sights, excellent company and great eating.

    Jane T., Milwaukee, WI – June 2022