Bike Across Italy – Venice to Pisa

Bike across Italy, Venice to Pisa
  • Length 12 days
  • From USD$5795
  • Style/Level Classic 2.0
  • Countries Italy
  • Begin/End Venice / Lucca
See related tours

This is it – the classic bicycle tour that we started with back in 1972! We begin in romantic Venice, make stops in the great art cities of Ferrara, Ravenna & Florence, and end with a ride to the Mediterranean coast in Pisa. Along the way, you’ll enjoy gourmet meals from two of Italy’s best culinary regions (Emilia-Romagna & Tuscany), take in local markets, and discover a side of Italy seldom seen by tourists. You’ll also visit “the Hub,” our European headquarters, for a light lunch and a close-up look at our operations. This is our most popular cycling tour.

If this sounds great but you don’t have time for the full 12 days, check out our Bicycling Venice to Florence tour, which features the first 8 days of this itinerary.

Highlights

  • Venice and Ravenna

  • Guided visit of UNESCO WHS Ferrara. Visit to our European headquarters and ceramics shop guided visit in Faenza

  • Florence

  • Leonardo da Vinci museum

  • Lucca and its medieval walls

  • Pisa and Tuscany’s countryside

Includes

  • 12 days, 11 nights accommodation

  • meals as noted in itinerary

  • guided walk of Florence and Ferrara

  • and the usual (see below).

  • All Classic tour inclusions

Keep in mind

We work hard to maintain consistency across all of our tours, but some trips have unique differences. Here are some things to keep in mind about this tour.

We recommend you make your museum reservations in advance. Find more information on how to go about it here.


Date Price Private room fee Note
May 19-30, 2024 USD$5795 USD$650 Sold out! Waitlist available.
Sep 15-26, 2024 USD$5795 USD$650 Only one Recycle-Credit spot available.
Sep 29-Oct 10, 2024 USD$5795 USD$650
DateMay 19-30, 2024
PriceUSD$5795
Private room feeUSD$650
NoteSold out! Waitlist available.
DateSep 15-26, 2024
PriceUSD$5795
Private room feeUSD$650
NoteOnly one Recycle-Credit spot available.
DateSep 29-Oct 10, 2024
PriceUSD$5795
Private room feeUSD$650
Note

Download Itinerary

We’ll send you a link to a full day by day tour itinerary that can be downloaded and printed so you can review all the details online and offline. This packet also includes details about what to expect on tour and arrival and departure details.
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  • Total distance 532 km (328 miles)
  • Average daily distance 58 km (36 miles)
  • Tour style Classic
  • Tour level 2.0

Highlights: The Lido of Venice, dinner at a trattoria

Welcome to Venezia! You really should try and come a day or two early to explore this unique city before we begin our bike ride to Pisa. We meet this afternoon at our hotel on the Lido of Venice where we’ll fit bicycles. We’ll enjoy an introductory aperitif before walking to dinner in a small trattoria on the Lido.

Meals : Dinner
Lodging : Biasutti Hotel , Additional hotel TBA

Highlights: Venetian lagoon, fishing villages, bicycle along the Po Delta

The Lidos of Venice and Pellestrina protect the Venetian lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. Today, you’ll follow these natural levees as you pedal your way south via flat roads, ferries, and quaint fishing villages. Stop for lunch in Chioggia, the “other” Venice of the lagoon, before pedaling southwest towards San Martino di Venezze.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Agriturismo Corte Carezzabella

Highlights: Bicycle along the Po River, bicycle capital of Italy–Ferrara

Enjoy a day of leisurely riding all the way to the Renaissance city of Ferrara. Pedal along canals in the vast Northern plain of Italy. Enjoy a coffee in the sleepy city of Rovigo. The entrance into Ferrara is spectacular. You will ride directly under the finest example of Renaissance walls remaining in Italy to discover other highlights of this UNESCO World Heritage town including many palaces of the Este court from the 14th and 15th century.

Meals : Breakfast
Lodging : Hotel Carlton

Highlights: Comacchio, lunch at farm cooperative, mosaics of Ravenna

This morning we will shuttle to the nearby lagoon town of Comacchio, this old port town was once more famous than Venice. We encourage you to visit the museum that features a Roman boat and stroll around the canals, we’ll journey across the “valleys of Comacchio”, through the Po Delta’s rich bird habitats. Then it’s on to the Anita di Argenta where we’ll stop at a local agriturismo (farm cooperative), to enjoy a lunch of local specialties including homegrown vegetables, homemade ricotta and eels. We’ll then ride a short distance to Ravenna, the last capital of the Western Roman Empire and home to more early-Christian mosaics than any other city in Western Europe. Spend the afternoon exploring this city’s great history as your hotel is walking distance from all the highlights including: Dante’s Tomb, the mosaics of San Vitale, Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch
Lodging : Palazzo Galletti Abbiosi Hotel

Highlights: Picnic lunch at ExperiencePlus! new headquarters, “The Hub,” and ceramics of Faenza

We’ll head west from Ravenna today, stopping at “the Hub” on our way into Faenza for a light lunch together. “The Hub” is our European headquarters, the heartbeat of all tour operations. After lunch we visit a local ceramist who will introduce us to traditional Faenza designs. Dinner, if you are still hungry, is on your own!

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch
Lodging : Hotel Vittoria

Highlights: Olive oil tasting, bicycle the Apennine Mountains, small mountain villages

We head into the Apennines today. We will pass through the medieval village of Brisighella for an olive oil tasting in one of Italy’s most unique olive oil producing areas and then we’ll then begin climbing (easily at first!) over the Apennines. Enjoy the varying scenery as it changes dramatically when you leave the plains and enter the mountains. Just before we reach the toughest part of our climb to Ronta, there is a conveniently located train station which allows you to jump on or keep pedaling to your destination!

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel La Rosa

Highlights: Fiesole and its Etruscan ruins, Renaissance Florence, Uffizi Gallery

There’s a small climb this morning to Vetta le Croci, then it’s all downhill to the ancient Etruscan city of Fiesole, where you’ll enjoy a great view of Florence rising from the valley floor. We’ll ride into town together, and the rest of the afternoon is yours to explore this capital of Renaissance Italy. Our hotel lies on the banks of the Arno River, close to the Uffizi Gallery. This evening we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner together to say good bye to those departing tomorrow.

**The June 9 departure will stay at Palazzo Roselli Cecconi.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel Plaza Lucchesi , Palazzo Roselli Cecconi

Highlights: Walking tour of Florence and time to explore on your own

Join our guided walking tour of Florence this morning. Take advantage of free time in the afternoon and schedule your visit of the famous Uffizi Gallery or the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s David after 12:30PM. At sunset, take a walk down to the Ponte Vecchio to engage in the passeggiata (or “evening stroll”).

**The June 9 departure will stay at Palazzo Roselli Cecconi.

Meals : Breakfast
Lodging : Hotel Plaza Lucchesi , Palazzo Roselli Cecconi

Highlights: Olive groves and vineyards, Leonardo da Vinci’s birthplace and museum

After breakfast, we head out of Florence and down the Arno River valley for a beautiful day of riding in the Italian countryside. You will climb a bit as we cross Mount Albano to and spectacular view. Our destination is Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. Here you will have a chance to visit the museum with scale models of his inventions.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Terre di Leonardo

Highlights: Medici villa, bicycle countryside of Tuscany, 17th century wall

Climb the stairway to the Medici villa in Cerreto Guidi today for a great view. We will then continue west to Lucca, where we will unpack our bags for two nights. This formerly Roman town was one of medieval Italy’s most prosperous city-states. Lucca retains its medieval charm with its small shops and sidewalk cafes, as well as the beautiful 17th-century wall that surrounds the town.

Meals : Breakfast
Lodging : Hotel La Luna

Highlights: Leaning Tower of Pisa, Piazza of Miracles

Our last day of cycling takes us to Pisa, home of the famous Leaning Tower and the Piazza of Miracles. After a stroll through Pisa, head back to Lucca to enjoy an evening passeggiata along the main pedestrian way. We’ll celebrate our adventure across Italy with a final dinner together this evening.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Lodging : Hotel La Luna

After breakfast, our journey across Italy comes to an end. Hopefully you are off to explore Rome and its many museums or the stunning Lakes District to the north. Buon viaggio!

Meals : Breakfast

Visit our Tour Level page to learn more about terrain levels and how we determine day and tour levels.



Pre-trip planning checklist



  • The trip was the most organized and well thought-through adventure I have been on to date. Marking the route with chalk dust arrows was a bonus. The meals were great and our tour guides made our trip perfect.

    Kathy E., Norfolk, VA
  • I was back in the Middle Ages – lying on the bed in Firenze resting after a day of riding – when from the shuttered windows I heard a low murmuring river of sound. I slowly realized that it was the sound of humans, a multitude of shopping, chatting, living life three stories down on the road filled with shops. No cars, no discordant blares, only voices and bells. Magical!

    Sheri C., Berkeley, CA
  • The tour guides were wonderful. They were the best tour guides we’ve ever experienced. This is our fourth tour company and our favorite so far. We loved the trip and plan to travel with ExperiencePlus! again soon.

    Tom & Cindy M., Landenberg, PA