- Italy Office
- info@roadbiketours.it
- (+39) 347.996.7805
- US Office
- sandra@rbtours.info
- (+1) 714.614.0298
The Northern Italy Bike Tour is a special and memorable bike tour, around the largest and most beautiful pre-alpine lakes: Lake Maggiore, Lake Como and then Lake Iseo.
This trip by road bike allows us to explore these splendid Italian lakes with their picture-postcard scenery, but also takes us through the nearby hills and valleys, well off the beaten tourist track.
We will have the opportunity to take routes that wind through places where nature is still unspoiled, where history seems to stand still, cycling through valleys and mountains in picturesque settings where peace and tranquillity reign. Tiny villages and impressive mansions… the lakes offer us splendid landscapes. The final stop on our tour will be Montisola, on Lake Iseo, recently the setting for ‘The Floating Piers’ by the artist Christo.
The accommodation has been inspected and chosen personally by our staff and, together with the excellent dinners based on local products, complement our road bike tour Additionally, we will provide you with the constant presence of our minibus and technical support.
7 days
7 people
390 km
75/80 km
medium difficulty
bike & e-roadbike rent
Welcome from the staff, presentation of the bike tour, welcome drink, dinner. Overnight in Meina.
Departure from Arona, Piedmontese town on the shores of Lake Maggiore. We ride along the entire perimeter of the lake and then get ready to face the Val Cannobina ascent. From the lake we go up to Sella di Pian di Sale which leads to the Val Vigezzo where the Cannobino stream forms deep gorges and creates evocative scenes, with the valley opening up as we ride higher. In Val Cannobina with its mountains, alpine farmsteads and pastures, we ride back in time: this wild and almost deserted valley is perfect for cycling. And there’s no need to worry about the climb because our minibus is always nearby, so we can relax as we ride through the splendid mountains of Val Vigezzo, with its green forests and evocative atmosphere all year round and, not surprisingly, it is also known as the “Valley of Painters”: portrait and landscape artists used to come here in search of inspiration. Pedaling onwards we then reach the largest and most important town in the valley: Santa Maria Maggiore, a historic village situated on a high plain at just over 800 m a.s.l. Time to relax before dinner together. Overnight in Santa Maria Maggiore.
After a nourishing and tasty breakfast “on your bikes” for a long but easy ride. After riding through Re, the last municipality of Val Vigezzo we enter Switzerland in the Canton Ticino, heading for Borgnone, then down towards Losone to reach the city of Locarno, situated on the north shore of Lake Maggiore. After our visit to Switzerland we head back into Italy from the small and charming village of Tronzano in the province of Varese.
Heading for Luino we then continue along the lake for the last part of our ride to Laveno-Mombello. This important town on the eastern shore of the lake is well-known for its marina. Monte Sasso del Ferro, the mountain above the town, can be reached by cable car, and has one of the best views of the lake, as well as a popular starting point for paragliding.
Overnight in Laveno Mombello.
After meeting for breakfast we leave by minibus for the short transfer to Lake Como. Then we will get back on our road bikes in Cernobbio, renowned tourist resort on the western shore of the lake, and ride along the lake to Argegno. Here, the Val d’Intelvi ascent is waiting for us: a mountain valley in the province of Como near the Swiss border with San Fedele at 779m a.s.l. its main town; nearby is the summit of Monte Generoso surrounded by unspoiled nature that makes an imposing landscape.
Leaving the mountains we go back down to the lake to Porlezza, an important tourist resort on the shore of Lake Lugano. We continue downhill until we return to the western shore of Lake Como in Menaggio, with a superb view of the lake. Riding along the lake we end our day’s ride in Dongo, where we can enjoy the lake scenery and surrounding landscape.
Overnight in Domaso.
We leave from Dongo and, following the road along the lake, we ride through Colico Piano on the eastern shore of the lake, with its “4 Montecchi” – small hills near the lake. Our road bikes take us in Varenna where a ferry transfer us in Bellagio, here we deal with the challenging ascent that leads to the sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron of all of us cyclists. Those in the know believe that the Ghisallo, for the “Tour of Lombardy” is like Grammont for the Tour of Flanders. If you feel up to the challenge, as always accompanied by our guide, you can ride up to the sanctuary, otherwise as an alternative in just a few kilometers, you can reach our final destination for the day: Bellagio, one of the most beautiful towns of the lake with its splendid views.
Overnight in Bellagio.
After breakfast, transfer by minibus to Lake Iseo where we will start the day’s ride in the beautiful Franciacorta. This pre-alpine lake with its characteristic “S” shape is in both the province of Brescia (east side) and that of Bergamo (west side). Pedaling clockwise we will go through Predore and Riva di Solto and, riding along the lake, soon reach a stretch of road from where you can admire the small beaches and old lakeside road dating back to 1910 that runs right next to the lake. With hairpin bends, short tunnels carved out of the rock and a small picturesque waterfall, we reach Castro.
We then carry on to Lovere, with its colorful and picturesque alleys, ancient churches and elegant squares. Continuing along the lakeside we reach Pisogne, with its ancient medieval center and churches with frescoes by well-known artists like Romanino, before continuing through the villages of Marone and Sale Marasino to Sulzano. Here, tasting delicious ice cream can admire Montisola, the largest lake island in Europe, Montisola became famous in 2016 when it hosted the celebrated project of Christo ‘The Floating Piers’ a temporary pedestrian footbridge across the lake, from Sulzano to Montisola and the private island of St. Paul. An ambitious and almost surreal work that enabled thousands of Italian and foreign visitors to “walk on the water” of Lake Iseo, enjoying it from a totally new perspective.
After Sulzano, we pedal to Iseo and Sarnico, the final destination of our day’s cycling, in no time at all.
Dinner in a typical restaurant. Overnight in Sarnico.
Breakfast and transfer to Milan. See you on the next tour!
Yes, we provide your transfer from the airport/station on the arrival day and to the airport/station on the departure day.
You don’t need to be an athlete to take part in one of our tours. We offer different levels of difficulty, from the easy/medium tours in Tuscany, the Northern lakes Area, and Piedmont to the more demanding on the mountains. In any case, our van is constantly with the group to provide any kind of assistance.
In order to provide the best service and guarantee the best cycling vacation to our guests, we have chosen to organize tours only for small groups, a maximum of 7 people. So, in case of tiredness, bad weather, or others reason, a spot in the van is always guaranteed. Our team is made up of a bike guide and a driver, these guides are focused on the group, taking pictures, and providing assistance during the stage.
Our van is constantly with the group, providing any kind of assistance. Two guides will take care of the group and being in a small group, everyone will be assisted.
Yes, being a boutique Tour Operator, we are specialized in private and tailor-made tours. If you are a group of friends, a family, or a cycling club, write us your preferences and we’ll come up with the perfect tour for you.
We can provide different types of bikes, speaking about road bike tours we can rent:
For tailor-made and private tours, we can rent the bike most suitable for you.
“Medical Assistance Insurance” is included in all of our tours. We can’t provide Cancellation Insurance to extra Schengen clients, so we strongly suggest to our guests purchase Cancellation coverage.
Night accommodation in the best hotels
Photo book & welcome kit
Bike guide & technical assistance
Fill out the form with your details, pick the date you prefer and send us your request! We will reply you as soon as possible!