Available for private groups only
WHEN TO GO
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
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
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
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