Italian Lakes cycling experience, a gentle cycling tour

Gentle and slow cycling experience around Italian Lake District

We have designed a 7-day cycling guided tour around Lake Maggiore, Lugano and Varese mainly along cycle paths and back roads where you can avoid cycling any big hills and medium sized hills as well.

The Northern Italy's Lake District isn't flat. You might think that this is not the place for more relaxed rides or for gentle and slow cycling. However we can arrange a perfect blend of riding and relaxation for slower cyclists.
The rides are suitable for those who doesn't love to tackle climbs.
Look at the scheduled rides below (distances, elevations).

Generally we run a weeklong tour that starts and ends on Saturday in Varese and it's based on two hotels. You will be staying a few days in Varese and a few days in Colmegna on Lake Maggiore. 7 nights and 6 days of cycling.
On day 3 you will move from Varese to Colmegna by bike and on day 7 you will move from Colmegna to Varese by bike.

Varese is 25 km in a crow flies from Milan Malpensa Airport and can be reached in a 43-minute train ride every hour (no change).

Northern Italy's natural lakes are famous and admired all over the world, nestled between the Alps to the North and the flat lands of the Po Valley to the South, with breathtaking panoramas, ancient villages, and villas on each lake.
In the Northern area of the region the mountains fall steeply into the blue waters of the lakes. These lakes and their mountains have been natural and physical borders for thousands of years.
Today they continue to serve as borders among Lombardy (Italy), Piedmont (Italy) and Canton of Ticino (Italian speaking part of Switzerland).

There's so much diversity environmentally and culturally within this small area.
You can only truly grasp all there is to see by bike.
Learn more about the best tourist attractions around.

Easy cycle routes around Lake Maggiore, Lugano, Varese

Explore Lake Maggiore, Lugano and Varese. Enjoy a deeper exploration of what our area has to offer: ancient villas, parks, churches and hermitages which were built from Sixteenth Century to the Nineteenth Century, exibitions, history, art, culture.

In particular we suggest to visit Villa Panza at Varese, Villa della Porta Bozzolo at Casalzuigno, Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso on Lake Maggiore, Sacro Monte of Varese (historic site on the UNESCO Worldwide Heritage List).

Road cycling area Book Now

2023 Gentle cycling tour prices per person in Euro

Double room

€ 1,500.00

Single room supplement

€ 300.00

Start location:
Varese
End location:
Varese
Duration:
7 days, 7 nights, 6 days of cycling
Limit:
8/10 guests
Level of difficulty:
recreational cyclists
Terrain:
mostly flat, rarely undulating, no hills

Avg. daily distance:

50 km

Avg. daily ascent:

270 mt.

gentle cycling experience Italian Lakes Baveno

gentle cycling experience Italian lakes Stresa

2023 scheduled dates

Generally we run a weeklong tour that starts and ends on Saturday in Varese and it's based on two hotels. You will be staying a few days in Varese and a few days in Colmegna on Lake Maggiore. 7 nights and 6 days of cycling.
On day 3 you will move from Varese to Colmegna by bike and on day 7 you will move from Colmegna to Varese by bike.

Apr 22^nd–29^th 2023
May 6^th–13^th 2023
May 20^th–27^th 2023
Jun 3^rd–10^th 2023
Jun 17^th–24^th 2023
Jul 1^st-8^th 2023
Jul 15^th–22^nd 2023
Jul 29^th–Aug 5^th 2023
Aug 12^th–19^th 2023
Aug 26^th–Sep 2^nd 2023
Sep 9^th–16^th 2023
Oct 7^th–14^th 2023

Our bike tours are guaranteed to run once we have one confirmed booking on the tour.
If zero guests have booked one of our tours, we reserve the right to cancel it.

Book with confidence with our flexible: Terms & Conditions

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Included services in bike tour:

3 nights in double room in Varese - 4 nights in apartment room in Colmegna
High-calorie continental breakfasts
Packed lunches, strengthened and protein content snack with bananas and sandwiches
Post ride lunches when you go back to the hotel
Dinners
Double occupancy as standard
A skilled bike guide
Luggage transport when you move from the first hotel to the second hotel
Any travel by ferry or train along the rides
The digital map of the routes drawn by us, so you can look at it on smartphone dispaly
Safe storage with CCTV for your bike at the hotel
Workstand tool bench for basic maintenance
Isotonic drinks or water for your ride
Washing and cleaning area for bikes
Daily laundry service for your cycle clothing
Bicycle recovery assistance in case of breakdown
Free Internet Wi-Fi
Car parking

Not included:

Bike hire
Travel insurance
Medical and physiotherapy services
Transfer to and from Airport
Entrance fees Castles, Villas, Museums
Any extra-beverage and other extras at dinner

Bike Tour Details / Daily Routes

This is a general program to to demonstrate how the cycling esperience is structured. We can include more distance, less distance or different routes. The riding arrangements can be flexible according to your needs.
We generally meet at the bikes around 8.00 for a 8.30 ride start. A coffee stop and a light lunch stop on the way are suggested during the daily ride. We go back to the hotel in the afternoon at 14.00/15.00, where you can enjoy a post ride lunch. The rest of the day is relax time.

Learn more about the best tourist attractions around.

1 ~ Saturday - Arrival

Assembling your own bike or delivery of rental bike and pre-tour briefing.

Accomodation: Hotel Ungheria Varese

2 ~ Sunday

We have selected two rides which start from Varese. You can choose from:

Around Lake Varese (35 km, elevation gain 300 m),
Around Lake Lugano (52 km, elevation gain 120 m).

Accomodation: Hotel Ungheria Varese

3 ~ Monday

Today we move by bike from Varese to Colmegna on Lake Maggiore , while your luggage will be transfered to Colmegna.
You can choose from:

Route 1 - via West coast Lake Lugano (43 km, elevation gain 100 m),
Route 2 – via Valcuvia and Valtravaglia (40 km, elevation gain 360 m).

Accomodation: Relais Villa Porta in Colmegna

4 ~ Tuesday, 5 ~ Wednesday, 6 ~ Thursday

We have selected several rides which start from Colmegna.
You can choose from them:

Cannero, Ascona, Locarno (63 km, elevation gain 200 m),
Lake Maggiore on the inside: Laveno, Villa Della Porta Bozzolo (50 km, elevation gain 230 m),
Ponte Tresa, Lake Lugano, Marchirolo (40 km, elevation gain 550 m),
Piano Magadino, Bellinzona and Medieval Castels (80 km, elevation gain 200 m).

Accomodation: Relais Villa Porta in Colmegna

7 ~ Friday

Today we say goodbye to Lake Maggiore and head to Varese again by bike, while your luggage will be transfered to Varese.
There are two rides to choose from:

Route 1 – via Lake Lugano East coast and Morcote (50 km, elevation gain 250 m),
Route 2 - via Ganna and Brinzio (46 km, elevation gain 500 m).