ITALY’S BEST FOOD & WINE * UNDISCOVERED CYCLIST'S PARADISE * RIDE FROM THE HILLS TO THE SEA

SEPTEMBER 21 - 29, 2008

After our first bike tour in the Piedmont a couple of years ago, we asked our guide (who is a great rider and one of the best guides in Europe) where his personal favorite bike route was and this tour in Southern Piedmont was his answer!
Join us on a magnificent tour in Italy's Southern Piedmont "the Undiscovered Cyclist's Paradise"! Nestled between France, Switzerland and the Mediterranean, the Piedmont is a rich agricultural province most famous for its exceptional cuisine and superb wines, but the hidden gem is the remarkable bicycling. We will be riding on quiet roads that wind through vineyard-covered hillsides dotted with quaint medieval villages and regal castles. The visuals are truly astounding! Our nightly accommodations are a wonderful mix of old-world style inns and country houses to give you a good feel for the history and charm of this unique area.

The tour begins in the quiet little town of Barolo, a perfect place for a warm up ride and our first wine tasting.  Our days will be spent cycling uncrowded roads through an undulating countryside that provides a constantly varying landscape. Daily, the stunning panoramas will make you glad you are riding a bike!  Our route passes through the famous wine town of Canelli, the spa town of Acqui Terme and on toward Roccaverano, a mountain village known for its Robiola goat's milk cheese. After crossing the Apennines into Liguria, we make our way toward the sparkling blue water of the Mediterranean and finish riding at Camogli on Paradise Bay. You may choose to spend an additional day at the end of the tour to hike the trail along the spectacular coast from Camogli to Portofino.

Many Italians think the Piedmont has the best food and wine in all of Italy! You be the judge as we have wine tasting planned in some of the best cellars and dinners arranged in charming inns and restaurants throughout the tour. During our ride, we pass through a number of important wine producing areas and will taste Barbera, Barolo, Barbaresco, Dolcetto, Gavi and Italy's most famous sparkling white, Asti Spumante. A distinguishing feature of the wines from this region is that most production is done on small family estates that are nestled in the picturesque rolling hills.
 
During the tour, a support van will accompany us for baggage transfers and to assist riders. All breakfasts and dinners are included and we will have a couple of picnics along the route. This is your chance to join us on one of our favorite tours in Italy's undiscovered Piedmont - fantastico!

If you have ever said to yourself, "I wish I had seen it before it got discovered," well, this is your chance!

PLEASE NOTE: Exact distances may vary from those stated due to local road conditions or decisions made by tour leaders. Additional mileage can be arranged for those who want more riding. A support vehicle will accompany the tour for rider assistance.

Day 1: Meet in Barolo for tour orientation, bike fitting, warm-up ride and a wine tasting before dinner.

Day 2: We ride through so many beautiful little wine producing villages in the Langhe district to our destination for the night, a wonderful historic agriturismo in Calamandrana. Ride: Barolo to Calamandrana, 60 km

Day 3: We continue riding across the Monferrato dictrict and have lunch in Cassine. Then we descend into the Pianura Padana or Upper Po River Valley. Our ride ends in the thermal spa town Acqui Terme where we stay for two nights. This evening we will visit the home of two special friends, Paola and Gabriele, and they will teach us the secrets of making tagliatelle with truffles and focaccia bread baked in their wood fired oven. Come hungry! Ride: Calamandrana to Acqui Terme, 55 km

Day 4: Layover day. You can take a rest, visit the spa for a soak in the thermal waters, or join us for a fun ride in the superb countryside outside Acqui Terme…or you can do it all! Layover: Acqui Terme, Ride (50 km), soak, relax

Day 5: Today's route takes into the Alto Monferrato for a splendid ride to our lodging in a restored medieval village adjacent to the castle of Tagliolo. The castle goes back more than a thousand years and thanks to the care of the proprietor, Marquis Pinelli Gentile, it is very well preserved today. Tagliolo is the only castle in the area which has its own production of wine. Our wine tasting tonight in the cellar of the castle will be quite special! Ride: Acqui Terme to Tagliolo, 60 km

Day 6: We ride into the Apennines to Gavi, a little paradise set amid rolling hills and castles. Gavi's white wine is a must to taste, and we will spend tonight in a fantastic villa. Ride: Tagliolo to Gavi, 65 km

Day 7: Continuing through the Apennines, we enter the Liguria region and ride the Valle Vobbia, a magical valley that passes through a narrow canyon of sculpted rock. Our night's lodging is in Savignone in a beautifully restored 16th century noble house. Ride: Gavi to Savignone, 45 km

Day 8: Our final ride to the sea is stunning, and we finish in Camogli on Paradise Bay with the shimmering blue waters of the Mediterranean as our reward - spectacular! Ride: Savignone to Camogli, 60 km

Day 9: After breakfast we say our goodbyes and depart for home or other destinations. Please let us know if you would like additional lodging in Camogli. You can explore the magnificent coast on a great hiking trail from Camogli to Portofino and then return by boat.

TOUR BEGINS / ENDS: Alba, Italy / Genova, Italy
TOUR DATE : 9 Days, September 21 ­ 29, 2008
TOUR PRICE: €2,300 Euros/pp double occupancy, €300 Euros single supplement
TOUR TOUR PRICE INCLUDES: 8 nights hotel , 8 breakfasts, 8 dinners, several picnic lunches, support vehicle, bilingual guide
TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: Bike rentals (you may choose to bring your own bike or rent one for €120 Euros), lunches, beverages, gratuities for local guide

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Check out our other Italy Bike Tours:
Cycling the Best of Tuscany & Umbria l Sardinia &Sicily Cycling