Your tour starts in Trieste, the former Habsburg seaport at the foot of the Karst Mountains. During the Roman Empire, Trieste became a busy and prosperous port. Today, it is a bustling modern city that retains an abundance of old-world charm.
After a few kilometers of cycling, you will leave Italy and enter Istria, Slovenia, and then Croatia. This sunny peninsula on the Adriatic Sea features picturesque little fishing villages, small towns on the Karst hills, vineyards, and valleys. It’s also home to some of the tastiest cooking you’re ever likely to encounter!
Let yourself be surprised by the charms of a diverse terrain rich in contrasts and the bright color palette of Istria.
Continue reading for a detailed itinerary of this self-guided cycling holiday in Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia.
(Looking instead for a guided cycling adventure? Consider our Guided Bike Across Italy Tour.)
Individual arrival at the first hotel in Trieste.
Departure in Pula.
April through October start any Wednesday or Saturday
From $1095.00 per person double occupancy
Single Supplement $250.00
E-Bike $250.00
Individual arrival at the first hotel in Trieste.
Lodging: 3 or 4-star hotel
After a few kilometers, you say goodbye to Italy and hello to Slovenia. In Slovenia, you cycle mostly on bike paths through famous bathing resorts like Koper (Capodistria) and Izola (Isola d’Istria) to Piran (Pirano) or Portorož (Portorose), a spa town on the Slovenian Riviera. Using the ship from Trieste to Muggia, the tour can be shortened (ticket, not included). The longer version leads through the „Val Rosandra“ in the backcountry. From Muggia, both options cycle along the coast.
Cycling: 35 or 65 km
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: 3 or 4-star hotel
You pass the salt gardens of Sečovlje, where they produce sea salt on vast areas through natural evaporation. You cycle over the border to Croatia, traveling through the Croatian part of Istria, the Adria’s most prominent peninsula. Next stop, Umag, whose historic center was built on the relics of a Roman colony. Umag is also well-known for the ATP tournament – „Croatia Open, “held every year. Enjoy a sightseeing tour in the evening through the medieval town with its narrow alleys and the beautiful city tower.
Cycling: 35-60 km
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: 3 or 4-star hotel
From Umag, you cycle – slightly hilly – to Novigrad or Cittanova. This medieval town, surrounded by a battlement wall, is seated on the water mouth of Mirna. Then you cycle to Poreč, the most important coastal city on Istria’s west coast. We suggest visiting the Euphrasian Basilica, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Cycling: 20-40 km
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: 3 or 4-star hotel
Today choose a scenic ferry ride for some island cycling or enjoy a rest day. The Brijuni-islands are twelve smaller and two bigger islands; the main island Veli Brijun was used by the Yugoslav statesman Tito as a summer residence. Today the islands are National Park, and the public can visit only Veli Brijun.
Going by boat to the fjord-alike Limski-channel, you might be lucky and see some dolphins. The Limski-channel is a National Park, and on the coast, you find mussels and oyster farms.
Cycling: 35 km
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: 3 or 4-star hotel
Have a last view over the picturesque seaport on Istria’s west coast before you leave for Rovinj. The city is surrounded by the west and the southwest by the Adriatic Sea. Afar, the high bell tower of the Euphemia Church built on Rovinj’s highest spot, greats you. Go ahead, if you would like to cycle to Zlatni rt (also known as Golden Cape), a peninsula, where you find a park and a nature reserve.
Cycling: 55 km
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: 3 or 4-star hotel
On your expedition in Istria, the last day leads you to Pula on Istria’s southwest point. Pula is the oldest town of Istria and its commercial and cultural center. Enjoy your last day of the tour, amongst various antiquities and the mighty Roman amphitheater in the center of Pula.
Cycling: 45-55 km
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: 3 or 4-star hotel
Individual departure or possibility to extend your stay.
Meals: Breakfast
