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Umbria - Gastronomy Bike 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.
Price £ 893 $ 1,588 € 1090 NOK 10718 kr 9894 $ 1,286
Single room: £ 1038 $ 1,846 € 1267 NOK 12459 kr 11500 $ 1,495
Upgrade to 4 * hotels in Spello + superior rooms in Spoleto and Villa Zuccari: £ 983 $ 1,748 € 1200 NOK 11800 kr 10892 $ 1,416
Single room: £ 1152 $ 2,048 € 1406 NOK 13826 kr 12762 $ 1,659
extra options
Electric bicycle rental: £ 78 $ 138 € 95 NOK 934 kr 862 $ 112
Van support (per day): £ 82 $ 146 € 100 NOK 983 kr 908 $ 118
GPS rental: £ 20 $ 36 € 25 NOK 246 kr 227 $ 30
Extra nights available upon request.
please note
Rates are per person based on double occupancy.
Information to read before you book.
We recommend purchasing bike trip insurance.
† Currency exchange rate set 90 days before travel.
Please see our FAQ.
Travel
Fly to Rome.
Local Travel
Take a bus or taxi from the airport to Roma Tiburtina train station for a train to Spello, 1 hr 45 mins.
Climate
Always check local conditions prior to departure. Average high/low temperature in °F for Perugia is: 62/47º for April, 69/53 May, 77/59 º June, 83/64 July, 83/64º August, 76/60º September, 65/52º October and 54/44º for November.

Where You’ll Stay

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

What’s Included

7 overnight stays with breakfast
Hybrid rental bike including rear pannier bag, tool kit, map holder (1 per party), pump, helmets, odometer (1 per party), and spare inner tube
1 tasting menu in enoteca a Spello (incl wine)
3 dinners (excl. drinks)
1 lunch after the cookery lesson in Spoleto
1 wine-tasting in Torgiano
1 cooking lesson in Spoleto and lunch
1 cooking lesson in Assisi with tasting the dishes you cooked at dinner / certificate
Route descriptions and maps of the mentioned cycle tours
Luggage transportation
Back-up service
Route briefing in first hotel
GPS tracks (must be requested at least 10 days prior to tour). We suggest downloading maps.me.

What’s Not Included

Individual arrival to Spello
Remaining meals
GPS rental, available for supplement of €25 to be paid on the spot
Tourist taxes (from .80 to 2.00€)
Bicycle protection
Trip insurance

Tour	Bike
Type	Self Guided
Skill	Easy–Moderate
Length	8 days
From	€1090 Rates
	Client Reviews

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Tour Dates

2018 Dates

Arrivals possible any day except Monday, year round, excluding (Italian) holidays and for the duration of the Spoleto Festival.

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

Day 1: Arrival in Spello
Day 2: Spello - Spoleto, 28 mi./45 km
Day 3: Spoleto
Day 4: Cycling to San Luca (Montefalco), 14 or 23 mi. 23 or 37 km (visiting Montefalco)
Day 5: A short ride to Torgiano, 23 mi. (37 km)
Day 6: Train ride to Perugia, 15 or 20 mi. (24 or 32 km) or cycling in surroundings of Torgianao, 21 or 29 mi. (33 or 47 km)
Day 7: Cycling to Assisi and cookery lesson, 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).

DAY 2: Spello - Spoleto, 28 mi. (45 km)
Today you will leave Spello and 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: Spoleto
In the morning you will have a cooking class which is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. You will learn to make a delicious ‘antipasto’ and ‘primo’ (pasta or risotto). At lunch, of course, you will taste these dishes. In the afternoon, you have time to explore Spoleto. There is a lot to see: the castle, the medieval aqueduct Ponte delle Torri, a roman house, the roman theatre with archaeological museum, the cathedral, and the modern art museum. In some occasions, the cooking class can be in the afternoon.

Day 4: Cycling to San Luca (Montefalco), 14 or 23 mi. 23 or 37 km (visiting Montefalco)
Today you cycle through a slightly undulating landscape to San Luca, a village at the foot of Montefalco. When you come to San luca you can take a round trip tour to visit Montefalco or have a rest in the nice Villa Zuccari. To reach the lovely town of Montefalco you have to conquer the hill on which the town is built. Montefalco is famous for its Sagrantino docg wines and in the medieval town center there are some churches and the museum ‘San Francesco’ to visit

Day 5: A short ride to Torgiano, 23 mi. (37 km)
After breakfast you cycle to Bevagna, which 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.

After visiting Bevagna, a short ride will lead you to the small town of Torgiano. In medieval times it was 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. A very special dinner will be prepared for you in a restaurant close by. You will taste some typical Umbrian dishes (appetizers, ‘primi’ (pasta –risotto), ‘secondo’ (main course), vegetables and a coffee with a grappa or another after-dinner spirit). For the lover of black truffle you can also enjoy some dishes prepared with the "Diamonds of the Kitchen."

DAY 6: Train ride to Perugia, 15 or 20 mi. (24 or 32 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.

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. 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. Cycle back to Torgiano through the Tiber valley. Torgiano, like Montefalco, is famous for its excellent red and white wines. You can visit the interesting wine museum here. Overnight in Hotel Al Grappolo d'Oro (www.algrappolodoro.net).

Day 7: Cycling to Assisi and cooking lesson, 16 mi. (25 km)
Today's route leads across the valley, along quiet country roads. 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. Your hotel is at the foot of Assisi. You can walk along the ‘mattonata’ pavement or cycle to the medieval center.

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 in a country house (900 m). In the end of the afternoon, enjoy a cooking lesson with Rosita

DAY 8: Departure

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Umbria - Gastronomy Bike Tour

Customer Feedback

Gary H. 1 year ago
This trip was a last minute decision. We chose an unguided trip because my wife wanted to maximize her opportunity to speak Italian and we felt comfortable since we have taken an unguided one with Tripsite before. The best part is hard to select- the dinner below Assissi that we learned to cook with the chef, Rosita, in the hotel, the couple sitting next to us at a table in Spello-the woman jumping up every few minutes to hug and kiss her boyfriend while we were eating a fantastic dinner, the sounds of Mozart's Requiem floating out of a small auditorium, sung by 15 young people while we were eating at a fantastic Pizza place in Torgiano. What else? Well, of course the local food, the local wine, the towns in the valley and on top of the hills and the incessantly changing views. We both felt it was a special vacation and we were totally relaxed. Do I have any suggestions? Not really, we are still fighting the bends raising our heads above the memories to our life back here. We'll be back.
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