14 Days

Escorted
Self-Guided

540km
10 Cycling Days

€4300

Bookings open on Sunday 20 July.

What makes this trip special?

  • Fall in love with the Alpine cosiness and Mediterranean lightness. The constant panorama of the fascinating, partly snow-covered mountains will inspire you. Enjoy rolling through the seemingly endless vineyards and extensive orchards.

  • Enjoy the soups, dumplings and gnocchi variations, spicy cheese and aromatic sausages. Sample Vernatsch, Lagrein, Gewürztraminer and other wines in the pretty wine towns.

  • The first magnificent view of the sparkling Lake Garda will take your breath away. Goethe found his dream place on Lake Garda, which he recommended to his fellow countrymen as the epitome of "Italian beauty".

  • Explore the winding canals and historic architecture of Venice offering a unique glimpse into a city that feels suspended in time.

  • A selection of fantastic hotels are scattered throughout the tour providing that extra bit of history and comfort on your cycling journey.

Dates

— BOOKINGS OPEN 20 JULY 2025 —

21 SEP - 4 Oct 2026

2-15 MAY 2027*

5-18 SEP 2027*

*Dates for 2027 are tentative and may change slightly - we will provide a full refund if the dates change and you are unable to travel.

Video

Escorted
Self-Guided

This will be an escorted self-guided experience where your luggage will be transferred each day and it will be up to us as a group to navigate our way along the route.

The group will be escorted by Jason Williams from Pedal Pedal and our regular European ride leader and multi-linguist, Sinean Callery.

We will have a dedicated 8 seat support vehicle that will tail the group and provide backup to anyone not up for the ride or for non-riding partners.

Itinerary

  • What better place to start an Italian cycling adventure than Austria. We start here so we can access the northern backdoor of the Dolomites and cycle the entire length down to the flatlands.

    Nestled in the heart of the Austrian Alps, Innsbruck offers a captivating blend of natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Surrounded by towering peaks, this charming city is known for its stunning architecture, including the iconic Golden Roof and the stunning Imperial Palace.

    Arrive during the course of the day at our starting hotel. The tour officially starts with a group meeting at 6pm followed by an included group dinner.

  • We start our journey on the former River Inn towpath, at the foot of Martinswand and through little villages and market towns to Stams, known for its Cistercian Stams Abbey, founded in 1273. We overnight in Imst, still in Austria, famous for its many springs.

  • Continuing along the River Inn, pass the monastery Zams to Landeck. From here we’ll skip a section and hop on the bus to Nauders, just 5km from the Italian border. Back on the bikes it is an uphill ride to the mountain pass Reschenpass, crossing the border, before the downhill begins. We ride via Lake Reschensee, famous for the steeple of a submerged 14th-century church. Then it’s on to Glurns, the smallest town in South Tyrol, famous for its perfectly preserved town walls and three picturesque gate towers. Pass the Montani ruins to overnight in Schlanders/Silandro.

  • Today you will come across some pretty castles (mountaineer Reinhold Messner’s castle Juval). Take a break to enjoy the spectacular views of the impressive mountain massif Ortlermassiv and the mountain pass Stilfserjoch. Merano is a picturesque town known for its stunning Alpine scenery and historic architecture.

  • There is plenty to do with a day in Meran. Make a day ride (40km) into the Passeier Valley to the Sandwirt Inn, the birthplace of the local freedom fighter Andreas Hofer, who was executed after fighting the occupation by Napeleon’s troops.

    Hike on the famous Tappeiner Trail with sweeping views of the town below, the Merano Valley Basin and down into the Adige Valley.

    Or stay around town and enjoy the best of South Tyrol’s cuisine, wine, and hospitality.

  • Leave Merano after breakfast and cycle through numerous orchards and vineyards on the South Tyrolean Wine Road. Visit Lana, one of the most ancient fruit-growing villages in the area and witness the elaborately carved Schnatterpeck Altar. Admire the many fortresses, castles, and ruins such as Hocheppan on your way past Lake Caldaro to Newmarkt/Egna.

  • Cycle along the river Adige on a beautiful bike path that is rich with orchards to Salorno, where the German speaking part of South Tyrol ends and afterwards to the historic centre of Trento accompanied by the vineyards of “Teroldego” vines.

  • Cycle on bike paths along the river Adige via the old Tyrolean border town of Rovereto to Mori. From here, the route leads westward to Lake Garda. In Mori try the world-famous pistachio ice-cream in the Gelateria Bologna or a freshly squeezed fruit juice. After a short climb onto Passo S. Giovanni (150 metres), you will head down to the lake at Torbole.

    In the afternoon we board a boat to cruise the length of Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake. Lake Garda marks the southern extent of the European Alps with high mountains to the north of the lake and the flatlands to the south. We overnight at the southern end of the lake in Desenzano. A short ride from the pier takes us to our hotel.

  • Despite being out of the Dolomites it's partly flat, partly hilly as we follow Lake Guarda heading north before cross over some hills and turn south along a canal path all the way into the heart of Verona and a rest day.

  • A day in Verona is yours to enjoy. A city of history and romance, it features ancient architecture and vibrant culture. Key highlights include the Arena di Verona, a well-preserved Roman amphitheater hosting operas and concerts, and the bustling Piazza delle Erbe, with its historic market. Explore Juliet's House, famous for its Shakespearean balcony. The Castelvecchio Museum, in a medieval castle, showcases significant sculptures and paintings. A walk along the Adige River offers scenic views, and the nearby Torricelle hills provide hiking with panoramic vistas.

  • Cycle on flattish roads through rolling farmland, then take on the hills of the "Monti Berici," the holiday area of Vicenza, with beautiful views over the city. In the rustic old town of Vicenza, you can still feel the spirit of Palladio, the famous architect of the Middle Ages.

  • Numerous Venetian villas are located on the exit of Vicenza, such as Villa Rotonda. Riding into Padua you’ll come to Prato del Valle, a massive public square featuring a central island surrounded by 70+ statues of historic residents. Padua known for the frescoes by Giotto in its Scrovegni Chapel from 1303–05 and the vast 13th-century Basilica of St. Anthony. In Padua's old town are arcaded streets and stylish cafes frequented by students of the University of Padua, established in 1222.

  • Today’s landscape is characterised by meadows and fields. Our destination is Mestra, the town on the mainland off Venice from where you can explore one of the world’s most famous destinations. A train or bus from near our hotel will get you over to Venice in a little over 30 minutes.

    We will celebrate the end of our ride with a final dinner together.

  • If you plan to stay on to explore more of Venice we recommend looking for accommodation in Venice. Our agent can help with bookings. The tour ends after breakfast.

Itinerary is subject to change.

Trail Conditions

In Austria we will ride along cycle paths and little-used farm tracks. The route is mostly flat with only a few small climbs.

Once into Italy we are on a gradual descent all the way to south of Trento mostly following dedicated bike paths alongside the Adige River. Once we leave the Adige River we experience a reasonable climb to the pass overlooking Lake Garda.

Once into the flatlands there is, ironically, some climbing but otherwise we ride on mostly flat back roads and dedicated bike paths, with a few sections on wider roads with some traffic. The biggest climbing section is the entry into Vicenza with a solid 4km climb before descending into Vicenza. There is an alternative flat route if anyone wants to avoid the climbs.

For those who have travelled with us before, when compared to recent tours, Italy will be easier than the Portuguese Camino tour, but harder than the Danube.

A downloadable navigation app for your mobile is the best way to navigate. We will provide a link to the app before the tour begins. We will also supply detailed route information with step-by-step notes to help with navigation.

Group Size

18-26 people

As an escorted self-guided trip you will be free to travel at your own pace leaving each day at a time that suits you, stopping when you want and controlling how you see the countries we are cycling through. Usually small groups of similarly paced cyclists form and ride together throughout the day so while you are travelling with a large group it never feels like a crowd.

Payment & Pricing

€4300 per person, twin share

A AU$600 deposit is required to confirm places on the trip.

Deposit Refund Policy
The deposit will only refunded under the following conditions:

  • If the tour is sold out at any time before you cancel, we will only refund your deposit if we can find a replacement person for your place on the tour irrespective of how long in advance you cancel.

  • If the tour is not sold out you can cancel up to 3 months before the start of the tour for a full refund of the deposit.

Final payment will be due 75 days before the start of the tour. We will calculate the AUD price based on the exchange rate at the time of final payment.

Inclusions

Accommodation

The accommodation used on this trip is mainly of a 4 star standard with one 3 star hotel in a smaller town and a few extra special nights in a 5 star hotel in Verona. Our hotel locations are right in the heart of the old cities. The exceptions to this are in Padua where we stay about 2km from the old town area, and in Mestre which is the modern city on the mainland across from Venice.

The hotels we intend to use are:

The tour accommodation is based on twin sharing. If you are a single traveller you will be matched with another person of your gender to share a twin room.  If you would like a single room throughout the trip there will be a single supplement of €1200. Note there is limited number of single rooms available for this tour and a single room may not be available.

MEALS

All breakfasts are included at our accommodation.

Lunches are not included allowing you to choose where to eat as you ride. There are plenty of places to choose from and your route information will have some suggestions.

A welcome dinner on the first night, a group dinner in Imst, and celebration final night dinner are are included. Other dinners will be free for you to choose your own experience. Of course we will be able to offer advice on where to eat.

BIKES

The bikes included in tour price are the premium 27 speed hybrid bikes. Due to the easy nature of this tour the bikes are simple and well suited to the terrain we will encounter.

27 speed Leirad bike with Deore-XT, hydraulic brakes, front suspension

 

8 speed Eurobike Elektrorad ebike with long range battery, front suspension

Waterproof handlebar bags, panniers, pump and repair kit are included with each bike.

Feel free to bring your own pedals, saddle, and water bottle. You must bring your own helmet.

Ebikes will be available at a surcharge of €200. Ebikes must be reserved well in advance of the tour so please do let us know when you book if you would like to use one.

Gravel bikes are also available at a surcharge of €120.

SUpport

This tour is self-guided trip but still has all the support features of a fully supported bike tour: 

Escorts - Jason from Pedal Pedal and our regular European guide, Sinean Callery, will escort the group throughout the trip.

Backup Vehicle - we will have a dedicated 8-seat support vehicle at the back of the group to look after anyone who needs a break from the cycling or for non-cycling partners.

Extras

You must have travel insurance as part of the conditions of travel. Your insurance must cover emergency medical and evacuation.

Ebikes are available at a surcharge of €200.

Gravel bikes are available at a surcharge of €120.

Voluntary Single Supplement €1200.

You will need to bring your own helmet as they are not supplied locally.

FLIGHTS, STOPOVERS, EXCURSIONS

Our agent partners at HelloWorld Travel in Pakenham are on hand to help with flight bookings, insurance, extra hotel nights, stopovers, Venice extensions and anything else that you might need aside from the bike tour. If you would like any help or advice email Lucy at lucy.pakenham@helloworld.com.au.

Questions

If you have any questions about the tour please do let us know.

Phone (Aust): 0437 599 363
Phone (International or WhatsApp): +61 437 599 363

Email: jason@pedalpedal.com.au

Or fill in our enquiries form