Lake Constance to Lake Maggiore

4.3/5 (3)
7 nights
25 miles/day
Self guided from CHF 1655
Bike tour in Switzerland
Rider Level: Active Electric bike tours

Lake Constance to Lake Maggiore

4.3/5 (3)

Rider Level: Active Electric bike tours

7 nights
25 miles/day

Self guided from CHF 1655
Bike tour in Switzerland

Tap above to jump to different sections of this tour

  • Lake Constance to Lake Maggiore

    On this bicycle tour from southern Lake Constance to the northern point of Lake Maggiore, you’ll enjoy astounding scenery, fantastic cycling, and Swiss culture.

    Swiss precision and quietness await you on the shores of Lake constance as you head towards the Austrian border. From here, you will cycle on the Rhine route through vineyards and past the impressive Rhine Gorge.

    After a short break at the monastery of Disentis, you will continue traveling south into the rocky landscape of the Lukmanier pass. A gateway to the southern part of Switzerland, the Lukmanier is an old, almost forgotten trade route. Continue south to your final destination of Lake Maggiore along the Italian border.

    • Lake Constance to Lake Maggiore Switzerland Bike Tour
    • Lake Maggiore located in Lombardy & Piedmont, Italy and Ticino, Switzerland.
    • Altstadt in Chur, Switzerland. CC:Agnes Monkelbaan
    • Lake Maggiore, Switzerland. Ed Webster@Flickr
    • Fondue is a favorite in Switzerland! Angela Pham@Unsplash
    • Lake Constance to Lake Maggiore Switzerland Bike Tour
    • Rorschach, Switzerland. Sigg Sebastian@Unsplash
    • Locarno, Switzerland. Ronnie Schmutz@Unsplash

    View more photos

    Highlights

    • Beautiful shores of Lake Constance
    • Bündner Herrschaft garden and winery
    • Rhine Gorge
    • Monastery of Disentis
    • Castles and the city wall of Bellinzona
    • Alpine shores of Lake Maggiore

    Learn More

    Learn more about self-guided tours.

  • Traveler photos

    •  (photo by Timothy Ricks)
    •  (photo by Timothy Ricks)
    •  (photo by Timothy Ricks)
    •  (photo by Timothy Ricks)
    • Roadside view (photo by Timothy Ricks)
    • Heading over the Alps (photo by Timothy Ricks)
    • Who doesn’t love a long descent? (photo by Timothy Ricks)

    Lake Constance to Lake Maggiore

     Tour Description Daily Program 

  • Daily program

    Day 1: Arrival to Tägerwilen
    Stroll over the German border and take a walk through the lively roads in the old town of Constance.

    Day 2: Tägerwilen–Rorschach/Surroundings (22 miles/35 km)
    Cycle along the railway and past the beautiful villages Romanshorn and Arbon until you reach the Rhine delta with a wealth of birdlife.

    Day 3: Rorschach/Surroundings– Buchs SG (44 miles/70 km)
    St.Galler Rheintal is an area often cosseted by the warm wind called “Föhn”. Much land has been won by the correction of the Alpenrhein waters in the Rhine-Valley. You spend the night in Buchs–an important border station and the gate to the principality of Liechtenstein.

    Day 4: Buchs SG–Chur (31 miles/50 km)
    The "Bündner Herrschaft", Grisons fertile garden and winery, lies on a mound of slate detritus. This is also the home of Heidi, Peter, and Alpöhi from the world-famous children's tale. Chur is the oldest town north of the alp and entices with numerous restaurants.

    Day 5: Chur–Disentis (40 miles/65 km)
    The Rhine Gorge– Switzerland's Grand Canyon– is an impressive part of this tour. Afterward, you reach “Surselva”, Grison's largest Romansch-speaking region. Today’s tour leads you to the monastery of Disentis.

    Day 6: Disentis–Lukmanierpass–Biasca (36 miles/60 km)
    Cycle through the gorge "Höllenschlucht" and Val Medel, up to the rugged pass head of Lukmanier, the boundary between the cantons Ticino, and Grisons. In the sunny Valle di Blenio, the route descends through the centuries-old cultivated landscape, scented flower-filled meadows and terraced walls towards Biasca.

    Day 7: Biasca–Locarno/Minusio (31 miles/50 km)
    The castles and the city wall of Bellinzona lure from afar while you head towards the plain of Magadino with its small villages. You pass the Delta of Ticino and roll along a nice promenade towards Lago Maggiore.

    Day 8: Departure or extra night
    Departure after breakfast.

    Surface and terrain

    The route is flat and easy-going near Lake Constance and in the Rhine valley. From Chur, begin a steady ascent. There are some rough roads in the Rhine Gorge. The most challenging part is the stage over the Lukmanier pass– which can be shortened by public transport.

    There will be some traffic around Bellinzona, apart from this you will be cycling on paths and the calm side roads in Ticino.


    Hotels

    The following hotels are provided only as samples and may vary based on availability.

    You will be accommodated in select 3- and 4-star hotels

    Tägerwilen: Jucker Boutique

    Bad Horn: Private Selection

    Buchs: Buchserhof

    Chur: Hotel Chur

    Disentis: Hotel Alpsu

    Biasca: al Giardinetto

    Locarno: Home Hotel


    How to get there

    Tour start
    Nearest Airport: Zurich (ZRH)
    Nearest train station: Kreuzlingen

    Trains run frequently between Kreuzlingen and Zurich (airport and city). It's about 75 minutes between the airport and Kreuzlingen.

    Tour end
    Nearest airport and train station: Locarno, Switzerland

    There are regular train connections from Zurich via Bellinzona to Locarno. From the train station you can reach the hotel by bus in only 15 minutes.
    There is parking at the railway station of Kreuzlingen- approcimately CHF 7 per day.

    Return travel by train via Bellinzona and Zurich to Kreuzlingen- approximately 4-4.5 hours duration.
    Return travel by train via Bellinzona to Zurich airport, Approximately 3 hours duration.

    Tips on getting to and from your tour


    Lake Constance to Lake Maggiore

     Tour Photos Dates & Prices 

  • Dates

    Daily: Jun 15 - Sep 29, 2024

    Season 1: Sep 14, 2024 - Sep 29, 2024

    Season 2: Jun 15, 2024 - Sep 13, 2024

    Prices

    Tour package

    Season 1 Season 2
    Per person, double occupancy CHF 1655 CHF 1745
    Single use room (1 person/1 room) CHF 2054 CHF 2144

    Bike Rentals

    Standard touring bike CHF 163
    Electrically assisted bikes CHF 304

    Extra Nights, Tägerwilen

    Per person, double occupancy CHF 135
    Single use room (1 person/1 room) CHF 185

    Extra Nights, Locarno

    Per person, double occupancy CHF 115
    Single use room (1 person/1 room) CHF 200

    Included services

    • 7 nights accommodation
    • Breakfast
    • Luggage transport (maximum 2 pieces/person of luggage, each piece must weigh under 44 lbs/20 kg)
    • Pickup at Zurich airport, briefing and arrival transfer (depending on the arrival time)
    • One set of detailed travel documents (maps, route descriptions, places of interest, telephone numbers) per room; well-documented route and personal tour information
    • Service hotline throughout the duration of the tour
    • Navigational app
    • GPS tracks available upon request (must request in advance)

    Please note any city or visitor's taxes are not included in the tour costs. You will pay these at hotel reception. The public bus from Disentis - Lukmanier Pass, including bicycle, is approximately CHF 25 per person.


    Bike rentals

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

    • Standard touring bike, 27-speed, unisex
    • Electric bike*

    *More about electrically-assisted bikes >

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

    • Saddle bag (water-repellent), rear
    • Water-repellent smartphone holder, with clear cover for easy viewing
    • Tools
    • Repair kit (with extra bicycle tube)
    • Pump
    • Lock

    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 on this tour but must be reserved in advance. We recommend that you bring your own helmet or plan to purchase one upon arrival for safety and hygiene purposes.


    Tour Company


    Lake Constance to Lake Maggiore

     Daily program Tour Reviews 

    • Timothy Ricks 6 months ago

      Exquisite Visual Treats

      A few easy days, then some more challenging climbs. Finally a long descent and a ride to Locarno on Lake Maggiore. Some rain and wind added to the adventure.

      Pros: Beautiful scenery. A few nice hotels. Reliable rental bikes. Memorable rides. Excellent luggage transfers.

      Cons: Too much gravel and trail riding. While some hotels were very nice, many were sub-par, in our opinion. Bikes were heavy, slow and unresponsive—making the cycling harder and slower. Tour provider never met nor communicated with us directly—they just delivered written instructions and rental bikes to the first hotel. It seemed that they really were not so interested in our business.

      What was the date of your tour?
      September 2023
      How many tours have you completed?
      15+
      Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
      Somewhat easier
      Who is this tour suitable for?
      Solo travelers, Families with teens
      •  (photo by Timothy Ricks)
      •  (photo by Timothy Ricks)
      •  (photo by Timothy Ricks)
      •  (photo by Timothy Ricks)
      • 4/5 Value
      • 4/5 Included meals
      • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
      • 3/5 Hotels or boat
      • 5/5 Scenery
      • 5/5 Ease of navigation
      • 3/5 Tour documents
      • 2/5 Local tour company services
      • 3/5 Route selection
    • Timothy Ricks 6 months ago

      Spectacular Scenery Along Lakes and Over the Alps

      Easy riding through gorgeous countryside for the first few days, then some serious climbing in the mountains for a couple of days, a long descent and then beautiful Locarno on Lake Maggiore. More gravel road and trails than expected. Sturdy but slow and heavy bikes provided were up to the task—just made for more work. Hotels varied in quality. The hotel in Horn (Hotel Bad Horn) was very nice. Others—mostly just okay.

      What was the date of your tour?
      September 2023
      How many tours have you completed?
      16
      Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
      As expected
      Who is this tour suitable for?
      Solo travelers, Families with teens
      Do you recommend this tour?
      Yes
      • Roadside view (photo by Timothy Ricks)
      • Heading over the Alps (photo by Timothy Ricks)
      • Who doesn’t love a long descent? (photo by Timothy Ricks)
      • 3/5 Value
      • 4/5 Included meals
      • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
      • 4/5 Hotels or boat
      • 5/5 Scenery
      • 4/5 Ease of navigation
      • 3/5 Tour documents
      • 2/5 Local tour company services
      • 4/5 Route selection
    • (Nancy) Bart Hemmerich 8 months ago

      Quaint Swiss Villages Among Majestic Alps

      After having just completed the Romantic Roads Tour, this tour was a perfect contrast - more focus on geography including huge glacial lakes, wide river basins, steep hillside farms and villages, and jagged Alp peaks with snow fields. This was a more challenging tour with added factors like very high temperatures a few days and very strong headwinds. Some of the gravel sections, particularly between Chur and Disentis were very tough for touring bikes so we have already suggested a road option. Hotels, restaurants and overall route were outstanding.

      What was the date of your tour?
      July 2023
      How many tours have you completed?
      6 organized tours, many self-supported
      Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
      As expected
      Do you recommend this tour?
      Yes
      • 5/5 Value
      • 5/5 Included meals
      • 5/5 Hotels or boat
      • 5/5 Scenery
      • 5/5 Ease of navigation
      • 5/5 Tour documents
      • 5/5 Route selection

    Lake Constance to Lake Maggiore

     Dates & Prices Book This Tour