Piazza del Comune in Assisi. Photo via Wikimedia Commons:Fantasy

Fresh shrimp! Photo via Flickr:UmbriaLovers

Umbria - Gastronomy Tour

Italy Bike Tours

Cycle Umbria and taste its many delights…

This bike tour in Italy runs through the green heart of the country (or il cuor verde d'Italia), which is what Umbria is frequently called. Biking in Umbria is perfect for those looking to personally experience this unique and unspoiled region with its endless beauty, unparalleled hospitality and just the right combination of art, nature and culture.

As one of Italy's smallest regions, Umbria has long been a secret well kept. And what makes this tour unique is that you will also experience all of the region's gastronomic delights! A few days are dedicated to cycling in Umbria along it's beautiful countryside, and meanwhile tasting the local wines, cheeses, and other tasty delicacies. Other days you can join some walking tours around town. You will also be surprised with a few cooking classes!

This cycle tour mixes adventure and culture in a unique way, thanks to this perfect combination of cycling in the natural environment, exploring around culturally interesting towns and discovering the excellent wines and gastronomic traditions of the area.

Interested in something else? Check out our entire listing of bicycle tours in Italy.

Where You’ll Stay

Very nice 3 star hotels, with breakfast included. Upgrade to 4 * is possible in Spello and Assisi.

What’s Included

  • Hotel accommodations for 7 nights
  • 7 x breakfast
  • 2 x dinner
  • 1 x tasting menu (incl. wine)
  • 1 x wine tasting in Torgiano
  • 1 x cooking lessons in Spoleto
  • 1 x cooking lesson in Bevagna
  • Route descriptions and maps (one set per room)
  • Route briefing in first hotel
  • Luggage transfer
  • 21 speed hybrid bicycle including pannier, tool kit, pump, bike computer
  • GPS tracks (must be requested at least 10 days prior to tour)

What’s Not Included

  • Individual arrival to Spello
  • Remaining meals
  • GPS rental
  • Tourist taxes (from .80 to 2.00€)
  • Bicycle protection
  • Trip insurance

Umbria - Gastronomy Tour Map

TourBike
TypeSelf Guided
SkillEasy–Moderate
Length8 days
From€1083 Rates
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Tour Dates

Arrivals possible any day except Monday, year round, excluding (Italian) holidays and for the duration of the Spoleto Festival which runs from the last week of June through the first week of July, 2016

Skill Level

This bike tour in Umbria is classified as an easy to moderate self-guided cycling tour. Throughout the tour, there are some climbs which are short and other climbs which are more gradual, but longer. The daily distances are between 19 and 36 miles (30 - 57 km)

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Umbria - Gastronomy Tour Map

Day 1: Arrival in Spello.
Day 2: Spello - Spoleto, 28 mi./45 km
Day 3: Spoleto
Day 4: Spoleto - Bevagna, 23 mi./37 km
Day 5: Bevagna - Torgiano, 19 mi./30 km
Day 6: Train ride to Perugia (15 mi./24 km) or cycling in surroundings of Torgiano, 21 or 29 mi./33 or 47 km
Day 7: Torgiano - Assisi, 16 mi. (25 km)
Day 8: Departure

Distances are approximate.

DAY 1: Arrival in Spello
You arrive at your hotel, Il Cacciatore in Spello. It is situated in the historical center of town with a terrace offering a magnificent view over the Valle Umbra. At the end of the afternoon there is a route briefing and bike distribution and then you will be expected in a wine bar, where you will be able to sample some Umbrian wines and tasters, such as ‘bruschette’ with pâté or tomatoes, olive oil, different cheeses and cured ham, salami and ‘capocollo’. You will have the opportunity to taste four different Umbrian wines.
Overnight: Il Cacciatore (www.ilcacciatorehotel.com).

*Upgrade package is available in Spello and Assissi. In Spello, hotel is the 4 * Palazzo Bocci (www.palazzobocci.com) or 4 * Hotel La Bastiglia (www.labastiglia.com/hotel-assisi-spello).

DAY 2: Spello - Spoleto, 28 mi./45 km
Today you will leave Spello and will visit an olive oil mill, Frantoio (www.frantoiodispello.it). Do note that this tour is not possible on Sunday. Here they make a very good quality extra virgin olive oil but also cosmetics with the oil as the main ingedient. Your journey continues through the valley, crossing the center of Foligno and the ascends to Spoleto. Your hotel is situated in the historical center of Spoleto, close to the Roman Theater. You will have a welcome drink and will meet the restaurant chef. In the evening you will enjoy a marvelous dinner. Overnight: Hotel Dei Duchi (www.hoteldeduchi.com).

DAY 3: Cooking classes in Spoleto
The cookery course starts after breakfast. You will learn to make delicious ‘antipasti’, which you will taste at lunch. In the afternoon there is the second part of the cookery course. This time the ‘primi’ (pasta and risotto) will be taught. At dinner, of course, you will have the opportunity to taste these dishes. Overnight: Hotel Dei Duchi (www.hoteldeduchi.com).

DAY 4: Spoleto - Bevagna, 23 mi./37 km
Today you cycle to Bevagna through a slightly undulating landscape. Below the town of Montefalco, you can choose to visit but to reach this lovely town,  you have to conquer a steep hill.  Bevagna has a lovely medieval square with a fountain and two Romanesque churches. The square is a real meeting place for the friendly inhabitants of the town. You will have an overnight stay in a residence d’Epoca in the medieval centere of town.  At the end in the afternoon around 5 pm you will have a cookery course (1 ½ hour) with Chef Antonio Falcone and his team. The small but invaluable 'grandmother's secrets' and the new trends in modern cuisine meet in the themes of the cookery lesson: bread, olive oil, pulses, meat and vegetarian dishes. A well-equipped, modern and functionally designed kitchen in a two thousand- year-old building will make this experience even more enjoyable and unique. The dishes are chosen according to the Culinary School Calendar, depending on the ingredients that are in season. Learning to work with nature's rhythms and getting to know the particular ingredients offered by each season is the first lesson in cookery and an important step towards well-being. 
Overnight in L’Orto degli Angeli (www.ortoangeli.com).

DAY 5: Bevagna - Torgiano, 19 mi./30 km
Today you bike mostly through the valley to the small town of Torgiano, in medieval times a fortified village, situated on the confluence of  the rivers Chiascio and Tiber (Tevere). The town is famous for its excellent wines. You have enough time to visit the nice wine museum with its rich collection of ceramics and art (subject wine making) from Etruscan till modern times. In the afternoon in the ‘osteria’ of the Lungarotti family, you will taste the excellent Torgiano wines. Your hotel is in the quiet town center.  A very special dinner will be prepared for you in a restaurant close by. You will taste many typical Umbrian culinary delights.  Overnight in Hotel Al Grappolo d'Oro (www.algrappolodoro.net).

DAY 6: Train ride to Perugia (15 mi./24 km) or cycling in surroundings of Torgianao, 21 or 29 mi./33 or 47 km

Today there are two options:

Perugia is the capital of the province. A short cycle tour takes you to the station in Ponte S.Giovanni  at the foot of Perugia. From here, a local train will take you into the historical center of Perugia.  The center, with its little alleys and characteristic town squares, is a lively and vibrant place. The renaissance palaces, medieval churches, museums, and many galleries will make a lasting impression. After your visit, return by train and bike back to the peaceful, hospitable town of Torgiano.

or

A trip in the surroundings of Torgiano
Close to Torgiano (6 km) is the village of Deruta which has, in part, managed to retain the highly distinctive features of its medieval buildings. Deruta is universally famous for its ceramics and there are many ateliers to visit. The origins of this ancient art go back as far as the Etruscan times and nowadays the many local workshops still make excellent quality ceramics. Numerous Italian and foreign museums have pieces of Deruta ceramics on show, including the Victoria and Albert Museum. The town hall hosts  the art gallery and the ceramics museum. The next stop is the sanctuary of Madonna dei Bagni, which has built after a miracle, which took place in the year 1657. Inside the church there are more then 600 votive tiles, all testimony to the tradition of the Deruta ceramics. Cycling through a beautiful hilly landscape you pass typical Umbrian hamlets like Casalalta. Your cycle back to Torgiano is through the Tiber valley. Torgiano, like Montefalco, is famous for its excellent red and white wines and when you have you can visit the interesting wine museum. Overnight in Hotel Al Grappolo d'Oro (www.algrappolodoro.net).

DAY 7: Torgiano - Assisi, 16 mi./25 km
Today a short ride in which you will cross the valley, cycling along quiet country roads. Already from afar you will see Assisi, like many other Umbrian towns built on a hilltop. Before reaching Assisi, however, you can stop for a moment to visit the Franciscan basilica in S.Maria degli Angeli. Under its impressive dome still lies the humble little chapel ‘Porziuncola’ where Saint Francis came to pray.

To reach the beautiful historical center of Assisi you have to make a short steep climb, but wandering through the town you will agree that it was worth the effort. You will have enough time to visit the main monuments of the town, like the basilica of Saint Francis with its beautiful frescoes by the painters Giotto, Simone Martini, Cimabue and Pietro Lorenzetti. Your overnight stay will be close to the historical center (900 m). Hotel La Terraza (www.laterrazzahotel.it).

Upgrade package: Hotel dal Moro Gallery

For a supplement you can request to stay directly in the historical center of Assisi. One choice is the Residence d"epoca S. Crispino, a medieval mansion dating back to the 14th century. Your room will be a beautifully restored suite. Another option, the 5 star Hotel Nun, a perfect blending of history, design and technological comforts. This exclusive 5-star resort was reconstructed by careful restoration of the ancient Saint Catherine monastery,  originally constructed in 1275 for a community of Benedictine nuns.

DAY 8: Departure

Be sure to check out all of our bike tours in Europe or look at our featured bike trips, specials, and news.

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