Italy
A Cycling Journey: Northern Italy From the Alps to Verona
Program No. 20865RJ
Unravel the enchanting story of Northern Italy as you cycle from the Alps to Verona, learning about Roman monuments, traditional vineyards, ancient villages and authentic cuisine.
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12 days
11 nights
20 meals
10B 1L 9D
1
In Transit
In Flight
5
Merano Field Trip, Bolzano
Bolzano
7
Trento
Trento
8
Modern Italy Lecture, Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda
9
Lake Garda, wine tasting, Peschiera
Peschiera del Garda
10
Bicycle to Mantua, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Peschiera del Garda
At a Glance
Pedal along the Adige River Valley in the shadow of the Alps and the Dolomites. Follow former railway tracks to an awesome mountain descent to the deep blue Lago di Garda, Italy's largest lake. Accompanied by experts and other cyclists, ride to ancient Roman outposts, sprawling vineyards and great monuments of both German- and Italian-speaking worlds, stopping for local insights and perspectives on each treasure you encounter.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Intermediate to experienced cyclists. Cycling up to 18-40 miles (5 hours) daily on primarily flat terrain with occasional undulations and frequent stops. Walking one mile on uneven terrain, standing for up to two hours and climbing stairs.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Bicycle on dedicated paths along the Adige River while immersing yourself in South Tyrol and Trentino.
- Gain insights into the discovery of Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old-ice mummy found in a local glacier, during a visit to the South Tyrol Archaeology Museum.
- Learn how wine is produced in Peschiera del Garda.
General Notes
European traditional hybrid bikes or E-bikes (extra cost) are included and sized according to your height.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Luciano Rech
Luciano Rech was born in the city of Fano, located in Le Marche, during World War II. After the war, he and his family moved north to Bolzano in the South Tyrol province of north Italy where Luciano has made his home ever since. Luciano worked for TrenItalia for a number of years before joining with the city of Bolzano as an educator. He speaks Italian, German, and English.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Luciano Rech
View biography
Luciano Rech was born in the city of Fano, located in Le Marche, during World War II. After the war, he and his family moved north to Bolzano in the South Tyrol province of north Italy where Luciano has made his home ever since. Luciano worked for TrenItalia for a number of years before joining with the city of Bolzano as an educator. He speaks Italian, German, and English.
Stefan Renzler
View biography
Stefan Renzler is an accredited travel leader in the Bolzano and South Tyrol regions of Italy. Since 1996, he has been organizing summer wilderness trips via boat and on foot in areas such as the Yukon Territory, Arctic regions of Canada’s Northwest Territories and Alaska as well as the hot desert states in the Southwestern United States. His biggest passions are hiking and mountain biking in the South Tyrolean Mountains. He speaks fluent German, Italian, English, and Spanish.
Suggested Reading List
(18 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
A Cycling Journey: Northern Italy From the Alps to Verona
Program Number: 20865
La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind
Italians themselves love this guide to the Italian character, which addresses their never-ending passion for beauty, disorder and high emotion. Severgnini opens the book with a snapshot of the hubbub at Malpensa Airport, then moves on to Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Sardinia.
Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere
Morris called this her favorite book, a loving celebration of the city and its faded glory. Creased between Slovenia and the sea, the elusive sea port has an enchanting identity that imparts a "sweet melancholy" to her remembrances of past travels.
A Tramp Abroad
Written 11 years after Innocents Abroad, this is Twain's second foray into European travel. Filled with his characteristic wit and humorous observations, it documents his journeys through Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. Now with an introduction by Dave Eggers.
The Italian Summer: Golf, Food, and Family at Lake Como
Merullo shares this congenial account of a summer with his family in Italy and Switzerland, offering delicious descriptions of wonderful meals, colorful characters --and rounds of golf at some of the most beautiful courses in Europe. He is a golf fanatic.
Alps Map
This regional map (1:500,000), centered on the Alps, includes portions of Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France.
The Alps, A Cultural History
Beattie explores the turbulent past and vibrant present of the Alps, where early pioneers of tourism, mountaineering and scientific research have all left their mark.
The Path To Rome
A reprint of the 1902 memoir of Belloc's pilgrimage on foot across the Alps and Apennines in order to "see all Europe which the Christian Faith has saved." With 77 of the author's original line drawings.
A Traveller's History of Italy
A brief history of Italy through the 1990s - wide-ranging, accessible and necessarily condensed. With a useful chronology and historical gazetteer, this book marches confidently through the centuries.
Birds of Europe
Featuring 3,500 glorious paintings by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom, the second edition of this exquisite guide has been updated with revised text and maps.
The Habsburgs, Embodying Empire
With skillful scholarship and engaging style, Wheatcroft reveals the history of this family of eccentric monarchs.
A Long Finish, An Aurelio Zen Mystery
Another enjoyable "Aurelio Zen Mystery" from Michael Dibdin, this time private investigator Zen is in Rome and Alba, enjoying wonderful wine and food while uncovering a murderous plot that may jeopardize the Piemontese wine industry.
Killing Dragons, The Conquest of the Alps
Fleming spins lively tales of man against nature in this entertaining history of the eccentrics, adventurers and publicity-hounds who sought to conquer the Alps, including Whymper and his first ascent of the Matterhorn (where four of the seven-man team perished).
Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier
The complete story of the discovery of and controversy surrounding the frozen corpse of a prehistoric man found in the Tyrolian Alps.
Eyewitness Guide Milan and the Lakes
A superb guide to Milan and the Italian lakes featuring color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a region-by-region synopsis of the area's attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry.
Cuisines of the Alps
Subtitled "Recipes, Drinks, and Lore from France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia," this colorful tour of the region's rustic cuisine offers more than 140 recipes, a section on regional wines and historical information.
Why Italians Love to Talk About Food
This charming, informative journey through Italy's great regional cuisine, from the Alps to Sicily, includes color photos, menus and glossaries. Umberto Eco's Russian translator, Kostioukovitch explores the food of her adopted homeland as a way to understand the different tastes, dialects and attitudes of each region.
Northern Italy Map
This beautifully shaded road map of Northern Italy (1:400,000) shows the region including Trieste, Venice, Bologna Milan and Turin.
Blue Guide Northern Italy, from the Alps to the Adriatic
This guide by a popular tour leader provides a thorough overview of the history, art and architecture of northern Italy from Trieste across to the Valle d'Aosta, Venice, Verona, Milan, Genoa and Bologna.