Baslica di San Francesco in Assisi. Photo via Creative Commons:Berthold Werner

Enjoy Assisi and the surroundings as you bike Umbria. Photo via Flickr:Niels J Buus Madsen
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Umbria Road Bike Tour

Italy Bike Tours

BIKE IN ITALY THROUGH THE COUNTRY’S “GREEN HEART”…

This tour is the same as the Umbria tour except it covers longer distances and is only 8 days long.

This road 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. Cycling 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.

One of the highlights of this bicycle tour in Umbria is the capital, Perugia, with its spectacular Renaissance palaces, museums, churches and tightly wound shopping streets. Highlights include the beautiful square Palazzo dei Priori, the 15th century Cathedral of San Lorenzo with interesting pink and white stone decoration modeled after the cathedral of Arezzo in 1335, and the Basilica of San Domenico. Equally of note will be the medieval Pilgrim town of Assisi. Many monuments have been erected to honor the famous St. Francis, who founded the Franciscan religious order in 1208. One of the buildings honoring him is a World Heritage Site, the Basilica of San Francesco completed in 1253. Assisi is also the site of many pilgrimages.

Anyone who calls themself a cyclist must experience biking in Umbria, a jewel of bike tours in Italy.

If Umbria is not your thing, check out our full list of bike tours in Italy.

Where You’ll Stay

Standard: Great 3 star to 4 star hotels; rooms with private facilities. DeLuxe: Great 3 star to 4 star hotels and B&Bs, rooms with private facilities. All hotels are slightly higher quality than the Standard hotels, including all hotels have a swimming pool except in Gubbio. Hotel in Assisi is close to downtown.

What’s Included

  • 7 night hotel accommodations
  • Breakfasts
  • Road bike rental
  • Luggage transportation
  • Tour information packet
  • GPS rental (tracks will be sent approximately two weeks before the tour start)
  • Route descriptions & maps
  • Route briefing on arrival day
  • 7 day emergency hotline

What’s Not Included

  • Remaining meals
  • Bicycle protection
  • Trip insurance

Umbria Road Bike Tour Map

TourBike
TypeSelf Guided
SkillDifficult
Length8 days
From€865 Rates
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Tour Dates

Every day of the week from the April 1st to the beginning of November 2016 (other months on request)

Skill Level

This cycling tour in Italy is classified as difficult, self-guided with distances averaging 65 miles per day over hilly terrain with steep climbs.

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Umbria Road Bike Tour Map

Day 1: Arrival in Assisi
Day 2: Assisi - Spello - Foligno - Spoleto - Montefalco - Bevagna - Torgiano, 67 mi. (108 km) or 41 mi. (65 km) 
Day 3: Torgiano - Passignano on Lake Trasimeno, 50 mi. (80 km)
Day 4: Day of rest or roundtrip tour around Lake Trasimeno (through Tuscany's Chiusi), 62 mi. (100 km)
Day 5: Umbertide through Tuscany's Cortona, 67 mi. (107 km) or 30 mi. (47 km)
Day 6: Umbertide - Gubbio via Cagli in Marche, 60 mi. (95 km)
Day 7: Gubbio - Assisi, 41 or 54 mi. (65 or 85 km)
Day 8: Departure from Assisi (Viole)

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.

DAY 2: Today you have the choice between a shorter or longer tour
Shorter route: Spello - Montefalco - Bevagna - Torgiano, 41 mi. (65 km) 
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 it's 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 63 mi. (104 km)
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.

DAY 3: Torgiano - Passignano on Lake Trasimeno, 50 mi. (80 km)
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.

DAY 4: Day of rest or roundtrip tour around Lake Trasimeno (through Tuscany's Chiusi), 62 mi. (100 km)
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.

DAY 5: Today you also have a choice between a shorter or longer tour
Shorter route: Lake Trasimeno - Umbertide,  27 mi. (45 km)
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)
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.

DAY 6: Umbertide - Gubbio via Cagli in Marche, 60 mi. (95 km)
Leaving the Tiber River valley behind via the small villages of Montone and Pietralunga, you'll cycle closer and closer to the Apennijnen Mountains, of which you'll have a great view every now and again. Following the Serra di Burano (750 m), you'll next arrive in Marche and via Cagli, you'll ride to the elevated city of Gubbio. While cycling in Umbria, the city museum is definitely worth a visit with archeological findings, frescoes, and paintings. Also consider visiting the Roman theater and the San Ubaldo Monastery located on the Monte Ingino Mountain. It can be reached via a small chair lift. Your hotel is located near the historic center of town.

DAY 7: Gubbio - Assisi, 41 or 54 mi. (65 or 85 km)
Cycling through a hilly landscape with a quiet village here and there, you will finally reach the city walls of Assisi. You will pass some important monuments and cycle downhill out of town to your hotel in Viole.

DAY 8: Departure from Assisi (Viole).
Individual departure from Assisi following breakfast.

Looking for more?  View all our featured bicycle tours, specials, and news or look at our full list of bike tours in Europe.

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Customer Feedback

  • L. Klinker 2 months ago

    We loved the entire cycling experience! Our stay in Umbertide was especially memorable- the hotel was amazing and the restaurant was some of the best food we ate in Italy!

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