Bike Across Italy Tour

Overview of Our Guided Cycling Tour of Italy

Our Italian cycling trip begins in romantic Venice, makes stops in the great art cities of Ferrara, Ravenna, and Florence, and ends on the Mediterranean coast at Pisa. Expect to find a treasure trove of ancient, medieval, and Renaissance wonders along the way. Throughout your guided cycling tour in Italy, you’ll enjoy gourmet meals from two of Italy’s best culinary regions (Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany), take in local markets, and discover a side of Italy seldom seen by tourists. We’ll also visit a family-owned farm for a light lunch and a close-up look at rural life in Italy.

Unforgettable Italy Biking Trips with Summer Feet

This Italy biking trip is the perfect way to experience the magnificence of Italy and get a taste of authentic Italian life. Below is a tour itinerary. If you were looking for a self-guided tour option, or a cycling trip covering multiple European countries, you may want to consider our Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia tour.

If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Highlights

Pricing

Bike Across Italy $5795.00 per person

Bike Rentals: Choice of hybrid or road bike included
Lodging Extras: Single Supplement: $950.00

2024 Dates

May 5-16,19-30
June 9-20
Sep 15-26, 29-Oct 10

Pickup/Drop Off

Start: Venice
End: Florence or Piza

Your Italy Cycling Holiday Itinerary

DAY 1 The Lido of Venice and Dinner at a Trattoria

Welcome to Venezia! You really should try and come a day or two early to explore this unique city before we begin our bike ride to Pisa. We meet this afternoon at our hotel on the Lido of Venice where we’ll fit bicycles. We’ll enjoy an introductory aperitif before walking to dinner in a small trattoria on the Lido.

Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Hotel Biasutti

DAY 2 Bicycle Venice to the Po River Delta

The Lidos of Venice and Pellestrina protect the Venetian lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. You’ll follow these natural levees this morning as we work our way south via flat roads and ferries to Chioggia, at the south end of the lagoon. Enjoy lunch on your own there before continuing south to Taglio di Po in the Po River delta. Those who want extra mileage can enjoy a great ride into the delta this afternoon. Dinner together

Cycling: 37 miles
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Lodging: Agriturismo Corte Carezzabella

DAY 3 Taglia De Po to Ferrara

It’s another day of leisurely riding today as we follow the Po river upstream to the Renaissance city of Ferrara. Entering the city, we’ll pass under the 16th century walls, one of the most intact Renaissance walls left in Italy. Other highlights of this UNESCO world heritage site include the many palaces of the Este court from the 14th and 15th century. We’ll suggest some great restaurants for dinner on your own this evening.

Cycling: 46 miles
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Hotel Carlton

DAY 4 Revenna

We shuttle this morning to the nearby lagoon town of Comacchio, once a port town more famous than Venice. After a small float around the canals with a local fisherman as captain, we’ll ride across the “valleys of Comacchio”, through the Po delta’s rich bird habitats. Then it’s on to the Anita di Argenta where we’ll stop at a local agriturismo(farm cooperative), to enjoy a lunch of homegrown vegetables, homemade ricotta, and other local specialties. A short bike ride later we’ll enter Ravenna, the last capital of the Western Roman Empire and home to more early Christian mosaics than any other city in Western Europe. You can walk to Dante’s Tomb and the mosaics of San Vitale, Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia this afternoon, as our hotel is near all the city sights.

Cycling: 27 miles
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Lodging: Palazzo Galletti Abbiosi Hotel

DAY 5 Ravenna to Faenza

We’ll head west from Ravenna today, stopping to visit a local Italian bike shop on our way to “the farm” for a light lunch together. “The farm” is our European headquarters and is located on land that Paola Malpezzi-Price’s family has cultivated for more than 100 years. We continue on to Faenza, where we visit a local ceramist who will introduce us to traditional Faenza designs. Dinner, if you are still hungry, is on your own

Cycling: 34 miles
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Lodging: Hotel Vittoria

DAY 6 Over the Apennines

We head into the Apennines today, passing first through the medieval village of Brisighella for an olive oil tasting in one of Italy’s most unique olive oil producing areas. We’ll then begin climbing (easily at first!) over the Apennines — remember to look around as you climb since the scenery changes dramatically as you leave the plains and enter the mountains. Just before we reach the toughest part of our climb to Ronta, there is a very conveniently located train station which allows you a choice in how you reach our destination! We’ll enjoy dinner together in tonight.

Cycling: 9 to 39 miles
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Lodging: Hotel la Rosa

DAY 7 Fiesole and Florence

There’s a small climb this morning to Vetta le Croci, then it’s downhill to the old Etruscan city of Fiesole, where you’ll enjoy a great view of Florence rising from the valley floor. We’ll ride into town together, and the rest of the afternoon is yours to explore this capital of Renaissance Italy. Our hotel in Florence lies on the banks of the Arno River, close to the Uffizi Gallery. We’ll have dinner together this evening.

Cycling: 26 miles
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Lodging: Hotel Plaza Lucchesi

DAY 8 The Wonders of Florence

We are offering a guided walking tour of Florence this morning so schedule your reservations to visit the famous Uffizi Gallery or the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’ David after 12:30 PM. At sunset, take a walk down to the Ponte Vecchio to engage in the passeggiata (or “evening stroll”). Dinner is on your own

Cycling: No cycling today
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging:Hotel Plaza Lucchesi

DAY 9 The Birthplace of Leonardo Da Vinci

After breakfast, we head out of Florence and down the Arno River valley for a beautiful day of riding in the Italian countryside. There is a bit of a climb as we cross Mount Albano but what a spectacular view. Our destination is Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, where you’ll have a chance to visit the house where he was born and a museum with scale models of his inventions. Dinner is together tonight

Cycling: 26 miles
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Lodging: Hotel Mona Lisa

DAY 10 Lucca

Climb the stairway to the Medici villa in Cerreto Guidi today for a great view as we continue west to Lucca, where we’ll stay the next two nights. Lucca was a Roman town and one of medieval Italy’s most prosperous city-states. Today, Lucca retains its medieval charm with its small shops and sidewalk cafés, as well as the beautiful 17th-century wall that surrounds the town. Dinner on your own.

Cycling: 36 miles
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Hotel la Luna

DAY 11 Pisa

Our last day of pedaling takes us to Pisa where you can visit the Leaning Tower and the Piazza of Miracles. Our route to Pisa takes us by Lake Massaciuccoli, where Puccini wrote many of his operas. After a stroll through Pisa, head back to the less-touristy town of Lucca to enjoy an evening passeggiata along the main pedestrian way. We’ll celebrate our adventure across Italy with a final dinner together this evening

Cycling: 36 miles
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Lodging: Hotel la Luna

DAY 12 Tour Ends in Lucca

After breakfast, our journey across Italy comes to an end. You’re on your own now, prepared to face Rome and its many museums or to explore the Lakes District to the north. Buon viaggio!!

Meals: Breakfast

What's Included

11 Nights Lodging
All lodging taxes and gratuities
6 dinners, 2 lunches, and 11 breakfasts including taxes and gratuities
Choice of a hybrid or a road bike
2 experienced bi-lingual guides
Full Van Support

Admission and fees for all listed activities
Unique routes Chalk dusted for easy navigation
Choice of a welcome gift

Views were amazing. Guides were friendly and personable. Lobster roll was delicious. I upgraded to the ebike (first time riding one) and 10/10 recommend it. I wasn't looking for a workout. Just wanted to see the sights and enjoy myself. Portland was my favorite stop from a New England cruise.

Five Stars to Rick (our guide) and the folks at Summer Feet Cycling. The ride was perfectly tailored to our group of nine middle aged individuals. The sights were terrific and the lobster role for lunch was the best I have ever eaten. Thanks for making our time in Maine a memorable experience.

It was a rainy day for our ride, but Lauren and Edna made it enjoyable. They went out of their way to make sure we enjoyed our time and got to see all the lighthouses. We really enjoyed the lunch, and they did a great job of tailoring the experience to the group. I can not recommend this tour enough and would do it again in better weather.

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