WHEN TO GO
DURATION
7 days / 6 nights
BIKE TYPE
Road Bike
RIDER TYPE
Level 2 & 3
NUMBER OF GUESTS
Max 8 Cyclists
PRICE FROM
€2.790 / person
Tour
Overview
FROM PARMA TO THE LIGURIAN SEA
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. Our expertly planned route connects Parma, the Unesco Creative city of Gastronomy, to the fishing village of Camogli and touches 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
- Unbeaten climbs of the Appenini
- Parma, the Unesco creative city of Gastronomy
- The fishing village of Camogli
- Medieval hamlets of Castell’Arquato and Vigoleno
Eat and Drink
- from Emilia: Parma Ham, Parmigiano, Pisarei
- from Liguria: Croxetti, Trofie al pesto, Focaccia
- from Lunigiana: Testaroli, Torta d’Erbi, Pattona
- Wine tasting at Cantina il Poggiolo
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WHAT'S INCLUDED:
All accomodations
Luggage transfers
High end road bike and helmet
Cycling Guides and Support Vehicle
Vago cycling gears
Daily meals and beverages
Map
TOTAL DISTANCE
455km
TOTAL ELEVATION
8.000m
AVG DISTANCE PER DAY
65km
OUR FAVOURITE DAY
Day 4
STARTING
Castell’Arquato
ENDING
Camogli
Day by day
Day by day
01 Welcome to the Food Valley
Settle in your cozy Agriturismo and make yourself at ease. When ready, shake off your legs with a gentle ride through rolling vineyards, quiet backroads and the charming hamlets of Vigoleno and Castell’Arquato. Tonight we celebrate the beginning of this adventure with a wine tasting at our favourite cellar and a bountiful dinner of local delicacies. Welcome to the Food Valley!
Ride
40km / 500m
Eat
Dinner
Sleep
Castell’Arquato
02 The hills of Parmigiano
Soak in the rich sights of winding roads and rolling hills as we cycle to a traditional caseificio to unveil the secrets of Parmigiano, the king of cheeses.
After the ride, relax by the pool in our cozy Agriturismo before we shuttle to Parma for a visit to the historical center and a refined dinner in the Unesco creative city of Gastronomy. Buon Appetito!
Ride
60km / 750m
Eat
All meals
Sleep
Castell’Arquato
03 The castles ride
Time to leave the hills and head to the Appennino mountains. Two passes, Pellizzone and Montevacca, and two imposing castles, Bardi and Compiano, guard the way to Borgo Taro: the Slow Food city of good living and capital of the Porcino mushroom. Another feast awaits for dinner. Buon appetito!
Ride
85km / 1500m
Eat
All meals
Sleep
Borgo Val di Taro
04 Liguria
Today we explore the unbeaten Ligurian inland tackling two beautiful climbs of the Appennino mountains: Passo della Cappelletta and Passo di Cento Croci. On the way, the charming village of Varese Ligure, with its unique “borgo rotondo”, is the perfect stop to taste delicious Ligurian pesto or the local speciality of croxetti.
Ride
80km / 1700m
Eat
All meals
Sleep
Borgo Val di Taro
05 Unbeaten Tuscany
New day, new region to ride and explore: Lunigiana, the unbeaten northernmost corner of Tuscany. The village of Pontremoli is a tiny treasure to discover and the whole area offers an astonishing mixture of nature, history and culinary tradition. Today’s route is a hard challenge with 3 passes to be conquered: Bratello, Cirone and Sillara.
Ride
90km / 2300m
Eat
All meals
Sleep
Borgo Val di Taro
06 To the sea
Passo del Bocco, covered by a splendid beechwood forest, is our last fatigue on the Appenini mountain range. Once on top we’ll head down to the pastel colored fishing village of Camogli. Relax on the beach and celebrate another great ride with a delicious slice of Focaccia and a cold beer. Cheers!
Ride
90km / 1300m
Eat
All meals
Sleep
Camogli
07 Arrivederci
Time to say goodbye after this incredible week of cycling. See you soon for your next adventure!
Ride
–
Eat
Breakfast
Sleep
–
OUR BIKES FOR THE RIDE
The available models for this tour are Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro Disc, Colnago CLX Disc and Ridley Fenix SL Disc. You can upgrade to Trek Emonda SLR 7 or Trek Domane SLR 7, for just €200.
Other
details
Pick up
- On Day 1 Vago team will meet you at Piacenza train station at 11am. Trains from Milano Centrale depart frequently for Piacenza and journey time is about 55 minutes. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any logistic and planning support.
Drop off
- Drop off point is Camogli train Station. The station is well connected for travellers 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 the best options are the beautiful city of Genova (north of Camogli) or the wonderful area of the Cinque Terre (South of Camogli). Please do not hesitate to ask any help or informations.
What's included
- 6 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 carbon frame road bike equipped with flat pack, lights and pedals
- Vago Cycling jersey to keep
- 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