Umbria Road Bike Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Assisi
Day 2: Assisi - Spello - Foligno - Spoleto - Montefalco - Bevagna - Torgiano, 67 mi. (108 km) or 42 mi. (68 km) 
Day 3: Torgiano - Passignano on Lake Trasimeno, 50 mi. (80 km)
Day 4: Day of rest or roundtrip tour around Lake Trasimeno, 58 mi. (94 km)
Day 5: Passignano - Umbertide, 54 mi. (88 km) or 28 mi. (47 km)
Day 6: Umbertide - Gubbio, 53 mi. (84 km)
Day 7: Gubbio - Assisi, 43 mi. (70 km)
Day 8: Departure from Assisi (Viole)

All distances are approximate. Due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during your holiday. For example, along the route, you may find temporary deviations/detours necessary due to roadwork that will not be reflected on your maps or route descriptions. In this case, please follow the directions posted locally.

Day 1: Arrival in Assisi
The tour starts in the Pilgrimage city of Assisi, built against the Monte Subasio Mountain. The little city with the towering fort "La Rocca Maggiore" can already be explored on this very first day. At the end of the afternoon, you will receive the route descriptions, maps, and tourist information from a tour agent.

Sample accommodations
Standard: Hotel la Terrazza *** (900 m from old town centre)
Superior: Hotel Dal Moro Gallery **** or Hotel la Terrazza in a superior room

Day 2: Today you have the choice between a shorter or longer tour
Shorter route: Spello - Montefalco - Bevagna - Torgiano, 42 mi. (68 km) 
Elevation | Highest point: 450 m / Lowest point: 205 m, Total ascent: 552 m / Total descent: 718 m
Starting your tour in Spello, you leave your hotel and pedal through the valley of Spoleto, passing Foligno, your route goes up to Montefalco, also called the "balcony of Umbria", because of its fantastic panorama views.  The Franciscan church, now a museum, is decorated with magnificent frescoes from the 15th and 16th century by artists like Benozzo Gozzoli and Perugino.  The next town you will visit is Bevagna, whose characteristic medieval square is home to two Romanesque churches.  Your overnight stay is in Torgiano, which in medieval times was a fortified village and is situated on a hilltop above the confluence of the Chiascio and Tiber Rivers.  Interesting to visit are the wine museum and the 'osteria' of the Lungarotti family, where you can taste their excellent wines.   

Longer route: Spello, Foligno-Spoleto-Montefalco-Bevagna-Torgiano 67 mi. (108 km)
Elevation | Highest point: 446 m / Lowest point: 195 m, Total ascent: 774 m / Total descent: 946 m
This longer route takes you through the same towns as the above shorter route but also brings you more south through the valley past Foligno towards the town of Spoleto.

Sample accommodations
Standard: Hotel Al Grappolo d’Oro *** 
Superior: Le Tre Vaselle Resort

Day 3: Torgiano - Passignano on Lake Trasimeno, 50 mi. (80 km)
Elevation | Highest point: 401 m / Lowest point: 164 m, Total ascent: 986 m / Total descent: 934 m
Today, you will cycle for a while through an uninhabited region of forests with a farmhouse here and there along the way. Cycling in Umbria through this beautiful hilly terrain, you'll unexpectedly arrive at a glorious view over Lake Trasimeno with its 3 small islands. This Lake is the 4th largest in all of Italy with a rich population of fish. You will pass small, typical Umbrian ‘borghi’ built on a hilltop such as Castiglion del Fosco, Pietrafitta, and Panicale, which still has a fascinating, well-preserved 13th-century Palazzo del Podestà.

Sample accommodations
Standard: Hotel Lido ****
Superior: Hotel Lido in superior room

Day 4: Day of rest or roundtrip tour around Lake Trasimeno (through Tuscany's Chiusi), 58 mi. (94km)
Elevation | Highest point: 396 m / Lowest point: 255 m, Total ascent: 835 m / Total descent: 826 m
Trasimeno Lake, beautifully surrounded by hilly landscapes, attracted much favorable attention during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It was then that the painter Perugino, teacher of Raphael, often used the Lake as a background for his paintings. Next, you will bike around the Lake, passing the cozy towns of Passignano and Tuoro Lago along the way. Then, you'll leave the Lake behind for a nice visit to the Etruscan city of Chiusi. This quaint city has changed very little over time. Lastly, you'll venture back around Lake Trasimeno and maybe have time to visit one of the islands in the Lake.

Sample accommodations
Standard: Hotel Lido *** 
Superior: Hotel Lido in superior room

Day 5: Today you also have a choice between a shorter or longer tour
Shorter route: Lake Trasimeno - Umbertide,  27 mi. (45 km)
Elevation | Highest point: 704 m / Lowest point: 240 m; Total ascent: 837 m / Total descent: 855 m
This shorter ride brings you through unspoiled nature to your destination, the quiet little town of Umbertide.  But first, a steep climb brings you to Castel Rigone from where you will have a magnificent view over the lake.  From there, a pleasant undulating ride takes you to Umbertide, whose town center is dominated by a majestic tower, the remains of a castle dating back to 1385. 

Longer route: Lake Trasimeno - Umbertide (passing Cortona in Tuscany), 52 mi. (87 km)
Elevation | Highest point 396 m / Lowest point: 255 m, Total ascent: 1405 m / Total descent: 143 0m
A lovely ride through the valley of the Tesse brings you to Cortona. This beautiful, Tuscan town is built on a hilltop. Leaving it, you will cycle over a ridge through a mountainous terrain with magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. Your overnight stay will be just outside Umbertide.

Sample accommodations
Standard/Superior: Country Hotel Poggiomanente 

Day 6: Umbertide - Gubbio, 53 mi. (84 km)
Elevation | Highest point: 765 m / Lowest point: 240 m, Total ascent: 1292 m / Total descent: 1018 m
Today's destination is the fortified hill town of Gubbio. You will cycle through the mountains. It is a beautiful tour through the green hills of the lower Apennines. Along the way, visit Montone, a quiet little town built (482m) on a hilly ridge, situated between the Lana and Carpina streams, which are both tributaries of the Tiber. It's a slow climb uphill to Pietralunga with its old partially, walled center and the Long bards Castle dating back to the 8th century. You will pass Cagli in the region of Le Marche and from there, you arrive to Gubbio, where your accommodations are right in the town center.

Sample accommodations
Standard: Hotel San Marco ***
Superior: Hotel Bosone ****

Day 7: Gubbio - Assisi, 43 mi. (70 km)
Elevation | Highest point: 83 0m / Lowest point: 328 m, Total ascent: 1158 m / Total descent: 1254 m
On this last day of the tour, you will cycle through a beautiful hilly landscape passing quiet mountain villages. The first stretch begins with a steep climb, but after that, the road undulates gently until it brings you to the bottom of a valley. The last stretch brings you through characteristic little villages and finally, you will see Assisi from afar, built on a spur of mount Subasio.

Sample accommodations
Standard: Hotel la Terrazza *** (900 m from old town centre)
Superior:
Hotel Dal Moro Gallery ****
or Hotel la Terrazza *** (superior room)

Day 8: Departure from Assisi.
Individual departure from Assisi following breakfast.

Day 1: Arrival Assisi
Day 2: Assisi - Torgiano 42 or 67 mi. (68 or 108 km) 
Day 3: Torgiano - Passignano 49 mi. (80 km)
Day 4: Loop around lake 58 mi. (94 km)
Day 5: Departure after breakfast

* Itinerary as per the 8-day tour (please refer above)