WHEN TO GO
DURATION
6 days / 5 nights
BIKE TYPE
Road Bike / E-Bike
RIDER TYPE
Level 2 & 3
NUMBER OF GUESTS
Max 6 Cyclists
PRICE FROM
€3.190 / person
Tour
Overview
FROM PARMA TO THE CINQUE TERRE
Rolling hills, unbeaten mountains and a gran finale to the sea
Welcome to the Food Valley, an unspoiled microcosm of everything beautiful about Italy: delicious food, warm hospitality and a rich cultural heritage. On this amazing bike tour we will ride from Parma, the Unesco city of Gastronomy, to the pristine villages of the Cinque Terre exploring 3 different regions: Emilia Romagna, land of rolling hills and medieval hamlets; Lunigiana, the remote northermost corner of Tuscany, and Liguria, a sliver of land where the Appennino mountains dive into the sea. A feast for your legs, palate and eyes is about to start. Join the ride!
Tour Highlights
- Explore the unbeaten Appenini mountains
- Discover Parma, the city of Gastronomy
- Ride above the pristine Cinque Terre
Eat and Drink
- from Emilia: Parma Ham, Parmigiano, Pisarei
- from Lunigiana: Testaroli, Torta d’Erbi, Pattona
- from Liguria: Croxetti, Pesto, Focaccia
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
All accomodations
Luggage transfers
High end road bike and helmet
Cycling Guides and Support Vehicle
Daily meals and beverages
Map
TOTAL DISTANCE
290km / 180mi
TOTAL ELEVATION
5.000m / 16.000ft
AVG DISTANCE PER DAY
55km / 35mi
OUR FAVOURITE DAY
Day 5
STARTING
Parma
ENDING
Levanto
Day by day
Day by day
01 Welcome to the Food Valley
Your Vago Cycling guides will meet you at Parma train station and quickly shuttle to your cozy Agriturismo in the countryside. Relax and settle in before shaking off your legs with a gentle ride through rolling hills, quiet backroads and charming medieval hamlets. Tonight we’ll celebrate the beginning of this adventure with a bountiful dinner of local delights. Welcome to the Food Valley!
Distance
40km / 25mi
Elevation
700m / 2300ft
Sleep
Salsomaggiore
Eat
Lunch, Dinner
02 Parma, city of Gastronomy
Our full-packed day starts with an early visit to a local caseificio where you will unveil the secrets of the world famed Parmigiano Reggiano. We’ll finish the factory visit with a tasting of different seasonings before we hop on the bike for another beautiful ride in the quiet of the hills. Back to our Agriturismo, relax and soak in the view of the countryside before we shuttle to Parma for a guided walking tour and a delicious dinner in the Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy.
Distance
50km / 30mi
Elevation
800m / 2600ft
Sleep
Salsomaggiore
Eat
All meals
03 Unbeaten Tuscany
Savor your morning cappuccino and fuel up at breakfast before today’s spectacular ride into Lunigiana, Tuscany’s northernmost corner. After a one-hour shuttle to the start of our ride, we’ll hop on the saddle to tackle two beautiful climbs of the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano: Passo del Silara and Passo di Cirone. Our destination for today is the village of Pontremoli, a tiny treasure of history, nature and culinary tradition.
Distance
60km / 40mi
Elevation
1500m / 4900ft
Sleep
Pontremoli
Eat
All meals
04 Liguria
New day, new region to ride and explore: Liguria, a sliver of land where the Appennino mountains dive into the sea. On top of today’s climb merge in the spectacular views from the mountains to the Ligurian sea before we finish the day with a winding descend to Levanto. It’s time to celebrate another great ride with a slice of focaccia and a cold beer by the beach. Cheers!
Distance
60km / 40mi
Elevation
1000m / 3200ft
Sleep
Levanto
Eat
All meals
05 Cinque Terre
Today’s ride is an out-and-back on the stunning panoramic road above the famous costal villages of the Cinque Terre. Enjoy the breeze savoring the sights and sounds of the sea before we wrap up this amazing cycling holiday with an afternoon by the beach and a delightful farewell dinner. What a great ride it was!
Distance
50km / 30mi
Elevation
1000m / 3200ft
Sleep
Levanto
Eat
All meals
06 Arrivederci
Time to say goodbye after this incredible week of cycling. See you soon for your next adventure!
Distance
–
Elevation
–
Sleep
–
Eat
Breakfast
ACCOMMODATION DETAILS
- Antica Torre – a charming, family-run Agriturismo in the Parmesan hills
- Ca Del Moro – a relaxing hotel in the Lunigiana countryside
- La Vignana – a cozy B&B with a stunning view over the Ligurian Sea
OUR BIKES FOR THE RIDE
The available road bike models for this tour are Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro Disc or Colnago V3 Disc. You can upgrade to a Trek Emonda SLR 7 for only €250.
E-bikes are welcome to join this tour and the available model is a Trek Powerfly 7.
Other
details
Pick up
- On Day 1 Vago team will meet you at Parma train station at 11am. Trains from Milano Centrale depart frequently for Parma and journey time is about 90 minutes. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any logistic and planning support.
Drop off
- Drop off point is Levanto train Station. The station is well connected for travelers heading both north and south. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any logistic and planning support.
PRE and AFTER tour tips
- The main airports to reach and leave the tour are Milan Linate (LIN), Milan Malpensa (MXP) and Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY). Genova (GOA) is a minor airport but you may consider it if after the tour you’re flying within Italy. In order to minimize the risk of jet lag and enjoy every moment of your cycling vacation, we suggest to land in Italy at least one day prior to the beginning of your tour. Before the tour we suggest to spend some days visiting the city of Milan while after the tour you can visit the beautiful city of Genova or spend some more days in the wonderful area of the Cinque Terre. Please do not hesitate to ask for any planning support.
What's included
- 5 nights of accommodation at carefully selected hotels
- Daily meals as outlined in the itinerary
- Snacks and drinks for each day’s ride
- At least two experienced local guides
- Daily route support with cycling guides and support van
- High end bike equipped with flat pack, lights and pedals
- Luggage transfers and transportation during your trip
- Entrance fees for all activities, private tours and events as outlined in the itinerary
What's not included
- Airfare
- Airport pick up and drop off
- Single occupancy supplement (from €500)
- Any optional activity not outlined in the itinerary
- Travel insurance
- Anything not listed in the “What’s included” section