Bolzano - Mantova - Venice

Italy Bike + Boat Tour

This unique tour was first offered in  2009 and has proven to be very popular. It  is a variation of the classic tour Mantova  - Venice, combining a self guided hotel tour and Bike & Boat tour. You will cycle within the Trentino-Alot, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto regions of Italy. From Bolzano to Mantova, via Trento, to famous Venice via Castelguglielmo, Ferrara, Adria, Porto Levante and Chioggia.

During the initial stage of cycling, you will have 3 overnights in  3/4 star hotel accomodations. Upon arrival in Mantova, you will hop on board the brand new Ave Maria (built during the winter of 2011), and begin the bike & boat tour to Venice, with 7 overnights spent on board.

Enjoy cycling through gorgeous Italian countrysides and villages! The tour starts in beautiful Bolzano, a crossroad of Austrian and Italian culture. You continue cycling on to Trento, Peschiera del Garda (where you will stay overnight in hotels), but before reaching Peschiera you will enjoy a breathtaking ferry ride on the beautiful Lake Garda. From Peschiera you bike on to Mantova where you will join your boat crew. Mantova (Mantua) is beautifully surrounded by lakes. Its centro historico is not to be missed – dozens of fascinating piazzas, churches, monuments and courtyards!

Castelguglielmo is a small town of about 1800 people within the Veneto region. Via small villages and hamlets, you’ll make your way to Ferrara. Ferrara is known as the City of the Renaissance, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ferrara has many early Renaissance palaces and one of the best preserved Renaissance walls in Italy.

Adria lies between the mouth of the Po and Adige Rivers and was once an Etruscan city. Porto Levante is a great port town with incredible seafood, fantastic views as well as the great wildlife of the Po Delta National Park.

The coastal town of Chioggia is Venice in miniature. It has great medieval architecture and a famous fish market. Last but not least is the great city-on-water, Venice. Venice is a delight of lavish pallazi, elaborate bridges, quaint piazzas and magnificent churches all crammed into a maze of narrow streets and canals.

Skill Level

Easy self-guided and guided bike tour. For the first 3 days of cycling, there are some moderate climbs to conquer. Cycling takes place on good asphalted roads and bike paths with little traffic. There are 9 days of cycling, with an average of 28 miles (44 km) of biking each day, however, on the first day there is 44 miles (70 km) of biking.

Where You’ll Stay

Stay in very nice, comfortable, & clean 3 to 4 star hotels. For the bike & boat portion of the trip, aboard the brand new, Ave Maria, a Comfort Plus Class Ship.

What’s Included

• For the hotel-to-hotel duration of trip:
• 3 nights accommodations in a 3/4 star hotel
• 3 x breakfast buffets
• Information packet
• Ferry cruise on Lake Garda
• Luggage transportation
• Route descriptions & maps
• 27-speed hybrid bicycle
• For duration of barge/bike tour:
• 7 nights on board
• Breakfasts, self-made packed lunches and dinners (drinks are extra)
• Detailed route descriptions & maps
• Bus transfer: Ferrara-Zelo/Ferrara-Adria
• Mid-week service of cabin cleaning and towel changes
• Information pack
• Tour guide
• 27-speed hybrid bicycle
• Harbor fees

What’s Not Included

• Museum entrance fees
• Drinks while on board

Tour Dates

• Every 2 Wednesdays from Bolzano: March 28, April 11, 25, May 9, 23, June 6, 20, July 4, 18, August 1, 15, 29, September 12, 26, October 10 and 24, 2012.

Tour Boats

• Ave Maria

Day-To-Day Itinerary

1. Wednesday: Arrival in Bolzano.
2. Thursday: Bolzano - Trento, 44 mi. (70 km)
3. Friday: Trento - Peschiera del Garda, 29 mi + ferry ride. (50 km)
4. Saturday: Peschiera del Garda - Mantova, 27 mi. (45 km) Arrival on boat in Mantova.
5. Sunday: Mantova - Governolo - Zelo, 32 mi. (50 km).
6. Monday: Zelo/Castelguglielmo – Ferrara - Adria, 32 mi. (50 km)
7. Tuesday: Adria - Porto Viro - Albarella , 22/35 mi. (35/55 km).
8. Wednesday: Albarella - Chioggia, 25 mi. (40 km).
9. Thursday: Chioggia - Venice, 19 mi. (30 km).
10. Friday: Venice, free day.
11. Saturday: Venice, departure following breakfast.

*All distances are approximate. The above planned itinerary is subject to change due to changing wind and weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances having to do with mooring requirements, etc.

DAY 1: Arrival in Bolzano.
The bilingual capital city of the South Tyrol is a renowned commercial and tourist center which looks back on a rich history. Today the Italian and the Austrian cultures and ways of life join together. The historical center of Bolzano boasts an enchanting beauty.

DAY 2: Bolzano - Trento, 44 mi. (68km)
Cycling on bike paths you follow the Adige River beside apple orchards, vineyards and through the villages of Ora, Egna and Salorno. Along the river banks you ride towards Trento. This city hides itself in front of the hasty tourist, so take your time to take a look behind the splendid walls of its painted buildings. You will discover something really worth seeing.

DAY 3: Trento - Peschiera del Garda, 29 mi. (50km) + ferry ride.
Still cycling along the Adige, you reach Rovereto and Mori. From here you continue up on a gently rising slope westwards in direction of Lake Garda (the largest in Italy). Before leaving for Riva you must absolutely enjoy the sight of the lake from above! By boat you travel as far as Peschiera del Garda along the southern shore of the lake. The boat excursion alone is the worth the whole trip.

DAY 4: Peschiera del Garda - Mantova, 27 mi. (45km) Arrival on boat in Mantova.
Today you will bike following one of the most famous Italian bike paths, which runs parallel to the Mincio River. You will pass through the village of Borghetto, with its mills and Valeggio sul Mincio, famous for the huge botanic park “Sigurtà”.
The trip ends in Mantova, where your floating hotel for the next week is moored at Porto Catena, just a short walk from the city center. Your cabins will be available from 4 p.m. The meeting with the tour guide and the crew is scheduled at dinner-time, approximately 7 p.m.
Mantova is one of the most beautiful towns in Northern Italy, where a lot of worldwide known artists left their masterpieces, thanks to the assignment of the famous Gonzaga family.

DAY 5: Mantova - Governolo - Zelo, 32 mi. (50 km).
The boat will take you to Governolo, stronghold of the Mincio Pirates. Here you find the biggest basin of Italy, built in order to control the Mincio River. Here, you’ll take your bikes and start riding, following the flow of the Po River. You pedal until the village of Ostiglia, with the ruins of a medieval fortress. After a ride along the Canal Bianco, you will reach Zelo, where the barge will moor for the night.

DAY 6: Zelo/Castelguglielmo – Ferrara - Adria, 32 mi. (50 km)
Following breakfast you will start cycling towards Ferrara. Once you have reached the town, which earned the name of "city of bicycles", you will be enchanted by the historical center, still surrounded by the old city walls. From Ferrara, a short bus transfer will bring you to Adria, an ancient Greek port, famous for trading amber coming from the Baltic.

DAY 7: Adria - Porto Viro - Albarella , 22/35 mi. (35/55 km). The boat will bring you to Porto Viro, from where you will start the daily ride into the maze of the Po Delta, an uncontaminated paradise between marshes and lagoons of the Po, pedaling in the heart of nature. The destination is Albarella, a private island of ancient traditions. In case of low water, you will start cycling directly from Adria, for approximately (35 mi.) 55 km.

DAY 8: Albarella - Chioggia, 25 mi. (40 km).
Today you will be suspended between water and land, as you will pedal between the Po Delta and the mouth of the Adige River. You follow the the Po-Brondolo waterway, which links the river to the Venetian lagoon. You will stay overnight in Chioggia, famous as "the little Venice". A visit to the fish market at dawn is an absolute must.

DAY 9: Chioggia - Venice, 19 mi. (30 km).
Today the ship will bring you to the Oasis of Ca’ Roman, a sandy islet surrounded by pine-woods. Pedaling along the lagoon, you will reach Pellestrina and from here, ride on the new bicycle path as far as the ferry landing stage. A short boat ride takes you back up the Lido island, along the ‘Murazzi’, with a stop in Malamocco, the ancient harbor. Overnight is at the Island of Giudecca, not far from St. Mark's square, with an amazing view of the lagoon.

DAY 10: Venice, free day.
Free day in Venice at your disposal. After a wonderful awakening with a view of the lagoon, you have the whole day to your liking, to discover the magnificent historical center of the capital of the 'Republica Serenissima', or its wonderful islands. At your disposal you have a free ticket allowing you to use the boat transportation network and some suggested itineraries.

DAY 11: Venice
After breakfast and the customary goodbyes, free time for individual visits of Venice before returning home.

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