Verona + Lake Garda Bike Tour

Your guides will meet you in Verona, and then we’re off to Borghetto sul Mincio where our bike tour begins. At the hotel, enjoy a glass of regional Prosecco while we complete our bike fitting and safety talk. Then we’ll head off on our first ride through the Custoza wine region. Along the way, visit our friend Gianni to sample his selection of wines at his family’s farmhouse. After the tasting, we’ll take an easy spin back to Borghetto. Tonight, enjoy the area’s best pumpkin tortelli (hand-stuffed pasta served in broth or melted butter) on the riverside terrace of our favorite local restaurant.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Borghetto sul Mincio, Oliosi, Santa Lucia
Accomplished: 15 miles / 24 km, elevation gain: 192 meters
Longer Option: 29 miles / 47 km, elevation gain: 228 meters
Accommodations: Il Borghetto

Wake to the soothing sounds of the Mincio River outside your window. After breakfast, we’ll mount our bikes and follow the winding course of the river downstream through this famously fertile land to cross one of the four artificial lakes into Mantua, home to one of Italy’s greatest concentrations of Renaissance art. Here we’ll explore the Renaissance architecture of the town before enjoying lunch at our favorite osteria in the main square. After, opt to complete the ride back to the hotel or take a lift in the van. Tonight enjoy the incredible art of Italian hospitality, making pasta and sharing Italian cocktails with our friends Manuela and Alberto at a cooking class/dinner party/great excuse to hang out with the locals.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Mantua, Goito, Falzoni
Accomplished: 21 miles / 34 km, elevation gain: 79 meters
Longer Option: 39 miles / 63 km, elevation gain: 126 meters
Accommodations: Il Borghetto

Today we’ll ride upriver through the heart of the Bardolino wine region along an idyllic ridge lined with olives and vineyards that overlooks Lake Garda. Visit our friend Francesco at the beautiful La Cà winery for a tasting of their Bardolino wines and lunch on their gorgeous patio. Then, ride down to the town of Bardolino and check into our lakeside hotel. Take a swim in the lake, explore the cobbled streets, visit the hotel’s pastry shop, or relax at the spa. This evening, we’ll take in the sublime alpine views as we explore the lake by boat before dinner at the hotel’s gastronomic restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Bardolino, Garda, Salo
Accomplished: 22 miles / 35 km, elevation gain: 245 meters
Accommodations: Hotel Regina Adelaide

This morning we’ll head into the wine-producing region of the Valpolicella. Opt for a challenging morning climb or start the ride high above Lake Garda. Our route follows small farm roads, offering ever-changing views of the lake. We’ll descend into the Adige River Valley for lunch at our favorite trattoria in the heart of the vineyards with some of the best local wines. Continue through the vineyards to the exotic Byblos Art Hotel. Relax and explore this unique hotel, or spend your free night in Verona, a short transfer away. If the opera is in town, you’ll have the option to purchase tickets and enjoy a performance at Verona’s Roman amphitheater or spend some time exploring the city before heading back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Lake Garda, Cavaion, San Pietro
Accomplished: 24 miles / 39 km, elevation gain: 454 meters
Shorter Option: 19 miles / 31 km, elevation gain: 223 meters
Accommodations: Byblos Art Hotel or Villa del Quar

Today we’ll enjoy a scenic drive up into the Lessini Mountains for a short walk through the mountain pastures to visit some historic WWI trenches. The panoramic views of the Dolomites and valleys above Verona are worth the trip alone! Afterward, we’ll hop on our bikes for a long, gradual descent along the ridgelines of the Valpolicella. Enjoy a glass of Amarone with the winemaker himself at a picnic lunch before pedaling through the vineyards and back to Byblos. Tonight, after an aperitivo, we’ll bid farewell to this beautiful region with dinner at our favorite chic farmhouse and restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Lessini Mountains, San Rocco, Verona
Accomplished: 29 miles / 47 km, elevation gain: 281 meters
Longer Option: 58 miles / 93 km, elevation gain: 1,135 meters
Accommodations: Byblos Art Hotel or Villa del Quar

If you would like to ride this morning, you can do a final loop through the surrounding vineyards. Your guides will then transfer you to the Verona train station to say goodbye as you head on to your next destination.

Meals: Breakfast
Destinations: Verona