Umbria Road Cycling: Loop Tour Through Lush and Scenic Landscape

Umbria Road Cycling

This tour is for those who would like to discover Umbria in all its aspects, thanks to this combination of nature, history and local traditions. In the beautiful Umbrian landscape you will find rolling hills covered with woodland, vineyards and silver-green olive grooves alternated with colourful fertile valleys. The nature in the North of Umbria becomes more rough and unspoilt. Here friendly hills change into a mountain landscape with scenic views of the Apennines.

But everywhere after the tranquillity of nature you will find friendly, lively little towns. Atmospheric town squares surrounded by monumental palazzo's, little alleys and many impressive churches and castles will take you back to a time long-gone.

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Highlights

• Historic cities such as Assisi, Montefalco, Cortona, and Chiusi Gubbio
• Art and architecture throughout Umbria and Tuscany
• Magnificent countryside with rolling hills, rivers, lakes, and cliffs
• Long Bards Castle

Learn More

Learn more about our self-guided tours or see more bike tours in Italy.

Daily program

Day 1: Arrival to Assisi
The start of this cycle tour is in Assisi, belonging to the UNESCO world heritage. In Assisi many places and monuments have a strong unbreakable bond with the saints Francis and Clare, who lived here in the 13th century. The medieval character of Assisi is well-preserved.
Overnight in Assisi

Day 2: Assisi – Torgiano (42 miles/68 km or 67 miles/108 km)
Today's longer route crosses the valley of Spoleto. You will pass many little towns like Montefalco, built on a hilltop and famous for its excellent wines, and Bevagna with its medieval square.

Today's shorter route passes the small medieval towns of Spello-Montefalco-Bevagna-Torgiano. You start your journey through the valley of Spoleto, passing Foligno, your route goes up to Montefalco; also called ‘the balcony of Umbria’, because of its fantastic panorama. The Franciscan church, now a museum, is decorated with magnificent frescoes from the 15th and 16th century by artists like Benozzo Gozzoli and Perugino. The next town you will visit is Bevagna, whose characteristic medieval square still hosts two Romanesque churches.

Your overnight stay is in Torgiano, which in medieval times was a fortified village and is situated on a hilltop above the confluence of the rivers Chiascio and Tiber. Interesting to visit are the wine museum and the ‘osteria’ of the Lungarotti family, where you can taste their excellent wines.
Overnight in Torgiano

Day 3: Torgiano – Passignano (50 miles/80 km)
Today you cycle through a fantastic Umbrian scenery. You will bike through an undulating landscape with a few steep climbs to conquer, to be rewarded with a magnificent view of Lake Trasimeno. You will pass small, typical Umbrian ‘borghi’ built on a hilltop such as Castiglion del Fosco, Pietrafitta and Panicale, which has still a good preserved 13th century Palazzo del Podestà.
Overnight in Passignano.

Day 4: Rest Day or Ride around Lake Trasimeno (58 miles/94 km)
Today you can have a rest day or choose to cycle around the lake. Lake Trasimeno is the fourth largest lake in Italy. It is surrounded on three sides by a backdrop of gentle rolling hills covered with olive trees. On the side facing Tuscany, a wide open plain stretches out. You will cross this plain going to the Tuscan town of Chiusi, which has an Etruscan origin. After your visit you return to your hotel at the lake.
Overnight in Passignano

Day 5: Passignano – Umbertide (55 miles/88 km or 28 miles/45 km)
Today's longer route passes Cortona in Tuscany and is a very nice ride through the valley of the Tesse, which brings you to Cortona. This lovely Tuscan town is built on a hilltop. Leaving it you will cycle over a ridge through a mountainous terrain with magnificent views over the surrounding mountains.

Today's shorter route also goes from the lake to Umbertide. It goes through unspoiled scenery to the quiet little town of Umbertide, whose town center is dominated by a majestic tower. The remains of a castle dating back to 1385. A steep climb brings you to Castel Rigone from where you will have a magnificent view over the lake, then it goes undulating to Umbertide.
Overnight in Umbertide

Day 6: Umbertide – Gubbio (57 miles/91 km)
Today you will reach the fortified hill town of Gubbio. You will cycle through the mountains. It is a beautiful tour through the green hills of the lower Apennines. You visit Montone, a quiet little town built (1,582 feet/482 m) on a hilly ridge, situated between the Lana and Carpina streams, which are both tributaries of the Tiber. It’s going slowly uphill to Pietralunga with its old partially, walled-in centre and the Long bards Castle (8th century). You will pass Cagli in the region Le Marche and from there you arrive to Gubbio, where you will stay in a hotel in the center of town.
Overnight in Gubbio.

Day 7: Gubbio – Assisi (42 miles/68 km)
On this last day of the tour, you will cycle through a beautiful hilly landscape passing quiet mountain villages. The first stretch begins with a steep climb, but after that, the road undulates gently until it brings you to the bottom of a valley. The last stretch brings you through characteristic little villages and finally you will see Assisi from afar, built on a spur of mount Subasio.
Overnight in Assisi

Day 8: Departure from Assisi

Surface and terrain

The route is hilly and mountainous, with several steep climbs. Most of the tour takes place on paved, quiet country roads.

Some of the days of this tour give cyclists two distance options. Should a cyclist choose the shorter option, the routes are between 28-40 miles (45-65 km). The longer routes are 56-71 miles (90-115 km).

Hotels

These are sample hotels and may vary based on availability.

4-star hotels
When 4-star is unavailable there will be a superior room upgrade.

Hotel Dal Moro Gallery, Assisi
www.dalmorogalleryhotel.com

Hotel Tre Vaselle, Torgiano
www.3vaselle.it

Hotel Lido, Lake Trasimeno
www.hotellidoperugia.com

Poggiomanente Country Hotel, Umbertide
www.poggiomanente.com

Bosone Palace Hotel, Gubbio
www.hotelbosone.com

Local hotel taxes are not included and are to be paid directly to each hotel (approximately €1-5 per person/night).

Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.

How to get there

Tour start and end
Nearest airport: Sant' Egidio Airport (PEG), Italy
Nearest train station: Assisi, Italy

Tips on getting to and from your tour

Dates

Prices

Included services

• 7 nights accommodation
• Breakfasts
• Luggage transportation from hotel to hotel
• Route descriptions, sightseeing information, and maps
• 7 days emergency support hotline
• Route briefing on arrival day
• GPS tracks, upon request, for personal device

Local hotel taxes are not included and are to be paid directly to each hotel (approximately €1-5 per person/night).

Bike rentals

Bikes available to be rented (in advance at the time of booking) include:

• Road bikes, carbon frame
  Drivetrain: SHIMANO 105, 11S
  Frame: CARBON MONOCOQUE 46TON
  Fork: CARBON MONOCOQUE 46TON

All above bike rentals will be equipped with the following at no additional charge:

• Small saddle bag
• Helmets
• Tool kit (spare inner tube and pump)
• Map holder (one per party)
• Odometer (one per party)

GPS use is recommended on this tour. You can request the GPX files to use on your personal device, or you can use the local tour operator's unit for no additional charge. Indicate at the time of booking which option you prefer.

Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.

Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.

Helmets:
Helmets are available for rent and must be booked in advance (€5). We recommend, for safety and hygiene reasons, that you bring your own helmet.

Tour Company