Self-Guided Bicycle Tours in Italy: Bicycling Umbria, the Heart of Italy Tour Itinerary

The Facts | Full Itinerary | Interactive Map

Day 1: Arrive in Assisi and fit bicycles

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Highlights: Fit bikes and enjoy a test ride into the nearby hills
Welcome to the town of Saint Francis. We'll fit bikes this afternoon and suggest a hill ride for those who can't wait. You'll want to explore the church of Saint Francis, the second most important pilgrimage destination in Italy after St. Peter's in Rome. If you arrive early you might enjoy a ride to the hermitage just outside the village where Francis often retreated for meditation. Mileage: 10 to 16 km (6 to 10 miles)

Day 2: Bicycle a loop ride to Deruta and Torgiano

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Highlights: Ceramics in Deruta & Wine in Torgiano
Your ride today takes you to Deruta where you can enjoy scores of ceramic studios. Deruta is one of the most important ceramics towns in all of Italy. Your route continues on to Torgiano, a major wine producer. The famous Lungarotti winery has a wine museum in the centre of the town. The route back to Assisi takes you through the hamlet of Brufa. Distance: 57 km (36 miles).

Day 3: Bicycle from Assisi to Bevagna

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Highlights: Roman ruins in Spello, medieval wall and Renaissance buildings
You leave Assisi behind you this morning and head south to Spello, a puzzle made of Roman, Medieval and Renaissance pieces. 13th century town walls connect Roman gateways dating to the 1st century BC and AD. Take time to explore and you'll find the 13th century town hall dominating the Renaissance town square. From Spello you pedal to Foligno another Roman town but with fewer Roman ruins. Enjoy lunch in the square and then head across the Umbria valley to Bevagna. Bevagna is the picture of a well-preserved Medieval village. It, too, dates from Roman times and is centered on the 13th century square and town hall. Unlike most Medieval towns, Bevagna is located on the flat of the Umbrian Basin. Mileage: 34 km (22 miles)

Day 4: Loop Ride from Bevagna to Montefalco

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Highlights: The Roman Via Flaminia, Trevi, and Montefalco
Yesterday and today you will parallel the historic Via Flaminia, a Roman road, built in 220 BC by Consul Gaius Faminius. The road allowed Roman soldiers and their families access to the region around Rimini where they settled. With the road came all the Roman settlements and military garrisons in the area. Foligno and Spello were Roman towns while Trevi and Montefalco, our lunch destination, were Medieval towns that developed on nearby hills hundreds of years later. Take time to explore these hill towns as they capture the essence of Italy. A variety of routes allow access to the hills south of Montefalco. Plan on a picnic or restaurant lunch in the village, though as it affords a spectacular view across the entire Umbrian basin where you just spent two days cycling. (And plan to pick up a bottle of Sagrantino in Montefalco, one of Italy's most famous wines, for your dinner tonight.) Mileage: 42 to 80 km (27 to 50 miles) depending on how far you venture into the hills south of Montefalco

Day 5: Bicycle from Bevagna to San Venanzo

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Highlights: Off the beaten track and away from tourists, the Tiber River
You're route today takes you away from the busy heartland of Umbria and west across the Tiber River to the village of San Venanzo. You'll leave the tourists in Assisi and Spello as you pedal towards the "real" Italy of small town squares and quiet farms. Mileage: km 48 to 54 km (30 to 34 miles)

Day 6: Loop Ride to Todi

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Highlights: Medieval and Renaissance town of Todi
Your loop ride today takes you to the important medieval and Renaissance town of Todi, one of Umbria's most historic towns. On your way, though, you'll go through beautiful, small villages of Fratta Todina, Collelungo, and Monte Castello di Vibio. You are back in the quiet village of San Venanzo tonight. 65 km (41 miles)

Day 7: San Venanzo to Orvieto

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Highlights: Downhill ride to the Tiber River
Your ride takes you up first, then downhill to the valley of the Tiber River as you head to the spectacular Renaissance city of Orvieto. Perched on the remnant of a volcanic plateau, Orvieto is one of the most beautiful cities in Umbria. Its cathedral, a transition style between Romanesque and Gothic architecture, is richly decorated with a variety of colored marble and bright mosaics. Orvieto is also famous for its white wine. Mileage: 37 km (23 miles)

Day 8: Tour ends in Orvieto

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Highlights:
After breakfast your cycling experience in Umbria ends. We hope you have enjoyed cycling with us! Orvieto is conveniently located on the main rail line to Florence or to Rome. It is also beautiful enough to warrant a relaxing rest day if you are so inclined.