DAY 1 | SATURDAY | WELCOME TO RICCIONE (ROMAGNA)

Airport transfer to Hotel Dory, our home base hotel in Riccione. Meet your guides and the team. Our mechanic will do the final touches on your rental bikes. Before dinner we will enjoy welcome cocktails while talking about the cycling and culinary adventure that lies ahead.

DAY 2 | SUNDAY | RICCIONE (ROMAGNA) - URBINO (MARCHE)

We leave the sun-soaked paradise of the Adriatic coast and cycle our way inland towards the Marche region, destination Urbino. Urbino is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a remarkable historical legacy dating back to the Renaissance. It is the home of Renaissance painter Raphael, and now, the University of Urbino is situated in the historic city center. 

On the way, we will pass many hilltop medieval towns and villages, stopping for a delicious coffee along the way.
Our hotel for the night is right in the historic center of Urbino.  Before dinner, we will enjoy a stroll through the narrow cobblestone streets where we can have an Aperol spritz in one of the traditional bars around the main square.
45KM | 28MI  1045M | 3444FT

DAY 3 | MONDAY | URBINO (MARCHE) - GUBBIO (UMBRIA)

We will depart at 9 am after breakfast, and our destination is glorious Gubbio in Umbria.

After a little detour to visit the canyon of Furlo with its unique emerald green waters and Roman tunnel, we will arrive in Gubbio in the afternoon.

This distinctive medieval town on the slopes of Mt. Ingnio has a rich history dating back to pre-Roman times. We’ll hear about the famous Corsa Dei Ceri while tasting the local delicacy, a handmade pasta dish with truffles, and sipping regional Rosso di Montefalco wine. Buono!
90KM | 55MI  1850M | 6070FT

DAY 4 | TUESDAY | GUBBIO (UMBRIA) - PERUGIA (UMBRIA)

Our day on the bike is entirely in the green heart of Italian Umbria. After the initial flat section, we pedal through rolling hills with breath-taking views towards ancient Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After making the obligatory visit to the majestic Basilica of St. Francis, we will be on our way to Perugia, the region’s capital city. We will settle for the night amongst the centuries-old buildings of the walled historic city center, enjoy a delicious dinner and admire the views down the valley.
81KM | MI  1380M | 4530FT

DAY 5 | WEDNESDAY | PERUGIA (UMBRIA) - SANSEPOLCRO (TUSCANY)

We begin, as usual, at 9am, after a sumptuous breakfast, cycling our way to the beautiful Lake Trazimeno.  We will pass quiet isolated roads on our way to Sansepolcro, which lies on the border of three regions and the upper reaches of the Tiber River. Now, we are in Tuscany.

Tonight we will stay in a little family-run hotel which has a wonderful, traditional high-end Italian restaurant and wine cellar. We have been friends with this family for a long time, and love sharing this experience with our guests. 
95KM | 59MI  1015M | 3330FT

DAY 6 | THURSDAY | SANSEPOLCRO (TUSCANY) - SIENA (TUSCANY)

In the morning, as soon as we leave Sansepolcro, charming Anghiari rises ahead on the horizon.  Anghiari is a gorgeous hilltop town, famous for the battle of 1440 between The Republic of Florence and the Duchy of Milan.  The battle inspired a planned fresco by Leonardo Da Vinci known as the Lost Leonardo.  Visiting Anghiari leaves you with a deep appreciation for history as well as a sense of eternal beauty. 

We are now in the heart of The Apennine Mountains, approaching Arezzo through the Passo della Libbia. We will take a well-deserved coffee stop here, as the picturesque rolling hills will surely be felt in our legs.  But don’t worry!  The minivan is right behind us for any support you might need. We will take a break for a rural picnic stop before Siena, and enjoy a cyclist’s lunch that we have prepared.

The last 30 km will be a rolling ride through vineyards and villages before we arrive at Siena’s famous Piazza del Campo.  Siena, we are here!
105KM | 65MI  1530M | 5020FT

DAY 7| FRIDAY | SIENA (TUSCANY) - FLORENCE (TUSCANY) THROUGH CHIANTI

Chianti is quite possibly one of the best-known wines in the world. Today, we are in the land where it takes its form, it matures and is bottled to be exported around the world. Our route today meanders through the hills and vineyards, small villages and castles of Chianti.

After a short stop in Castellina in Chianti, midway on the road connecting Siena and Florence, we enter the grounds of the ruling family of the region, the Medici.  During their centuries in power, the Medici built beautiful country manors throughout the hills. One of these manors will be our residence for the night.  After we check in, and before our final gala dinner in a typical trattoria Fiorentina, there will be time to visit fabulous Florence.
62KM | 38.5MI  1130M | 3707FT

DAY 8| SATURDAY | GOODBYE | TRANSFER TO BOLOGNA AIRPORT

Time to say arrivederci and plan our next adventure.