Available for private groups only
WHEN TO GO
May-Jun / Sept-Oct
DURATION
4 days / 3 nights
BIKE TYPE
Road Bike
RIDER TYPE
Level 2 & 3 
NUMBER OF GUESTS
Your group size
PRICE FROM
1.890 / person

Tour
Overview

HILLS AND CASTLES OF THE FOOD VALLEY

Great cycling and delicious food

Welcome to the Food Valley, an unbeaten gem of history, food and nature. Discover Parma, the Unesco creative city of Gastronomy, and wander on quiet hills where life goes by slowly and time seems to have stopped. Unveil the secrets of locally produced Parma Ham and Parmigiano Cheese, sip lively local wines and relax in our charming Agriturismo. A feast for your legs, palate and eyes is about to begin. Join the ride!

Tour Highlights

  • Rolling hills and unbeaten backroads
  • Parma historical center
  • Medieval hamlets of Castell’Arquato and Vigoleno

Eat and drink

  • Parma Ham and Parmigiano cheese
  • Pisarei, Anolini, Tortelli
  • 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
Daily meals and beverages

Map

bike tours in Parma hills
TOTAL DISTANCE

220km / 140mi

TOTAL ELEVATION

3.900m / 12.800ft

AVG DISTANCE PER DAY

55km / 35mi

OUR FAVOURITE DAY

Day 2

STARTING

Castell’Arquato

ENDING

Castell’Arquato

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!

Distance

40km / 25mi

Elevation

800m / 2600ft

Sleep

Castell’Arquato

Eat

Dinner

02 The hills of Parmigiano

Soak in the rich sights of winding roads and rolling hills home to Parmigiano, the most famous cheese in the world. Compare different seasoning in a traditional caseificio before we stop for a delicious lunch at our favourite family run Trattoria.
After the ride, relax by the pool in our cosy 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!

Distance

70km / 43mi

Elevation

1300m / 4300ft

Sleep

Castell’Arquato

Eat

All meals

03 Parma Ham

Today we ride the area of Langhirano, the heart of Parma ham production. The enchanted castle of Torrechiara dominates the valley and is the perfect stop to enjoy the world’s best prosciutto. Quiet roads lead to thermal town of Salsomaggiore where a gelato stop by picturesque Palazzo Barbieri is not to be missed. Relax in our Agriturismo before we celebrate with a last feast at the dinner table. Salute!

Distance

80km / 50mi

Elevation

1300m / 4300ft

Sleep

Castell’Arquato

Eat

All meals

04 Arrivederci

If you can’t get enough of these beautiful winding roads, hop on the bike and admire the magical quiet of the sun raising over the hills. After the ride enjoy a last copious breakfast before we say goodbye. See you soon for your next adventure!

Distance

30km / 18mi

Elevation

500m / 1600ft

Sleep

Eat

Breakfast

quiet hills around Parma
Vigoleno, a medieval hamlet near Parma
Tortelli in Parma

Tour
Dates

This tour is available for private groups only and there are no scheduled dates.
Please select your desired departure date in the booking form.

OUR BIKES FOR THE RIDE

The available models for this tour are Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro Disc, Colnago V3 Disc and Ridley Fenix SL Disc. You can upgrade to Trek Emonda SLR 7 or Trek Domane SLR 7, for only €120.

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 Piacenza train Station. The station is well connected to the main cities and airports of the area. 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). 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 several beautiful cities can easly be reached and visited: Cremona, Mantova, Bologna and many more. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any logistic and planning support.

What's included

  • 3 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
  • 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 €300)
  • Any optional activity not outlined in the itinerary
  • Travel insurance
  • Anything not listed in the “What’s included” section