Piedmont’s Vineyards and Ligurian Sea Cycling Tour

Welcome to Italy!

Make your way from the airport or train station to the hotel where our team will be waiting to meet you. You’ll then sit down for a welcome meeting as the team briefs you on the week ahead and help you set up your bikes ready for the first ride of your trip. In the evening, there’ll be a welcome drink and dinner where you can get to know your fellow tour members. 

We will start Day 2 with a hearty breakfast to fuel up for our first day of riding. Our first route for the Piedmont bike tour takes us south through the beautiful undulating landscapes of the Barolo wine region, covered in vineyards and dotted with ancient villages. It’s the perfect introduction to the area and to your cycling holiday, with gentle ups and downs but no major climbs.

We will stop for a coffee and ice cream in one of the age-old enchanting towns along our route, such as Cerretto Langhe, Monforte d’Alba, Barolo or Diano d’Alba. Once back at the hotel, you will have some time to relax before enjoying a fantastic dinner and tasting organic wines from local producers.

The first stop on our route for Day 3 is Canelli, well known for its wine and local cuisine. We’ll start by riding southeast from the hotel and into the Langhe area, which in 2014 was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beauty of the landscape speaks for itself.

We’ll continue riding along peaceful country roads and pass through other wonderful mediaeval towns such as San Stefano Belbo, Bubbio and Benevello, where we can stop for a mid-ride espresso. In the evening we’ll enjoy another refreshing drink and feast on another delicious dinner in order to refuel for more riding on Day 4.

Our route on Day 4 takes us from the Piedmont hills and vineyards down towards the Ligurian Sea. We’ll see how the landscape changes and morphs as we approach the coast. We’ll also tackle some short sharp climbs with entertaining descents, and enjoy spectacular 360º views while cycling on the hill ridge that connects Murazzano and Montezemolo.

Our final destination for today is Millesimo, a small town nestled in the Bric Tana Regional Park that looks as though it was picked straight out of a fairy tale. For dinner, we’ll sample the local cuisine and taste some of the region’s best wines.

Our terrain will change today as we head into the mountains towards the town of Calizzano. From here, we will climb for around 9 km at an average gradient of around 5%. It is not a difficult climb and we will be shaded by a glorious beech forest, keeping us cool, especially if it’s a warm day. We will be riding into the area of the Maritime Alps so we should also enjoy a slightly fresher climate.

The Pass is at 1027 m above sea level, where we will find an old fortress built in 1883. Once at the top we will be met with fabulous views of the Ligurian sea, before a technical but fun 18 km descent to the coast. We’ll cool off with a refreshing “spritz” on the beach as a reward for our incredible efforts.

We’ll start the day with another hearty breakfast before climbing to another of the many enchanting villages that overlook the sea. We’ll enjoy breathtaking views as our route takes us along the coastline and over some beautiful natural terraces.

Finally we will descend again towards the coast and ride the last few kilometres of our tour on the road that hosts the Milan-San Remo bike race, also known as the “The Spring classic”. We’ll enjoy a final dinner on a beautiful terrace overlooking the sea, and share memories and stories with the other members of the tour group.

Departure Day. Farewell Italy!

Enjoy a final breakfast at our wonderful hotel. We will also have some time in the morning to enjoy a final recovery ride to soak up as much of this marvellous area as we can (early birds might enjoy a sunrise-ride before breakfast to experience some truly magical views!).