Verona Family Bike + Adventure Tour

Your guides will meet you in Verona, and then we’re off to the fairytale village of Borghetto on the banks of the Mincio River. Enjoy a welcome lunch and get fitted for your bike before we take off on a warmup ride to the fortified village of Castellaro. This tiny lakeside hamlet is listed as one of Italy’s Borghi piu Belli (most beautiful villages). Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Borghetto’s boutiques and footbridges, relaxing at our hotel, or enjoying a longer ride. Tonight, we’ll taste the Veneto’s best pumpkin tortelli—the hand-stuffed pasta that’s a regional specialty—on the riverside terrace of our favorite local restaurant.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Borghetto sul Mincio, Custoza, Santa Lucia
Accomplished: 14 miles / 23 km, elevation gain: 650 feet / 198 meters
Longer Option: 29 miles / 46 km, elevation gain: 1,568 feet / 478 meters
Accommodations: Regia Rosetta

Breakfast awaits as you wake to the peace and quiet of the Veronese countryside. Today, we follow the winding course of the river through this famously fertile land to reach Mantua, home to one of Italy’s greatest concentrations of Renaissance art. Explore the Renaissance architecture of the town before enjoying lunch at our favorite osteria off the main square. After lunch, opt to complete the ride back to the hotel or take a lift in the van to a local water park and spend the afternoon riding waterslides with the locals. Tonight, our chef friend Serena will show us true Italian hospitality as we make pasta and laughter at a cooking class that feels more like a dinner party.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Mantua, Goito, Falzoni
Accomplished: 21 miles / 34 km, elevation gain: 338 feet / 103 meters
Longer Option: 41 miles / 66 km, elevation gain: 774 feet / 236 meters
Accommodations: Regia Rosetta

Leave the bikes behind and hop in the van for a 45-minute transfer—today we’re making our way to Monte Baldo, the huge massif dominating the eastern shore of Lake Garda. Meet a local mountain guide for a canyoning trip; sliding, rappelling, and jumping down a series of waterfalls and crystal-clear mountain pools. Or, if heights aren’t your thing, opt for a hike along one of Europe’s most scenic footpaths with 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape. We’ll stop for lunch in a typical mountain hut or historic castle before shuttling down to the lakeside town of Riva del Garda, then reward yourself with an afternoon of relaxing on the sunny shores and swimming in Italy’s largest lake.      

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Monte Baldo, Riva del Garda
Accomplished: 3-4 hours hiking and/or canyoning
Accommodations: Hotel du Lac et du Parc

Today we’ll venture into the mountains north of Lake Garda to try our hand at via ferrata. This form of Italian mountaineering combines hiking and rock climbing and can be adapted for all levels of explorers. Take an optional ride around the clear waters of Lake Cavedine and scramble up to the heights above Arco for breathtaking views of the lake and mountains below. Cool off with a dip in the river or dare to dive in from the old Roman bridge. This evening, visit a mountainside farmhouse that produces its own olive oil, vegetables, fruit, and meats for a truly remarkable dinner.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Lake Garda, Tenno, Arco
Accomplished: 3-4 hours hiking; rock climbing; swimming
Accommodations: Hotel du Lac et du Parc

Get an early start and transfer to the tranquil Lessini Mountains, where we’ll hike to the well-preserved WWI trenches scattered across the plateau. These high pastures are the summer home for herds of cows who produce the local cheeses. We’ll inevitably encounter these ladies during our gradually descending ride along the ridgelines of the Valpolicella—and sample their cheese a little later, too. A picnic lunch is served at a local farmhouse, then pedal on through vineyards to the valley floor. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the hotel pool before enjoying dinner and gelato in Verona.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Lessini Mountains, San Rocco, Verona
Accomplished: 29 miles / 47 km, elevation gain: 656 feet / 200 meters
Shorter Option: 22 miles / 35 km, elevation gain: 610 feet / 186 meters
Accommodations: Relais Fra Lorenzo

Spend your last morning in Verona riding an optional loop through the hills behind the city, or seize the opportunity to sleep in and take a final riverside stroll. Transfer to the Verona train station and bid farewell to your guides on the way to your next destination.

Meals: Breakfast
Destinations: Verona