Overview
Explore the scenic shores and cultural riches of the northern Adriatic coast on a self guided cycling trip from Venice to Istria via Trieste. Starting in Venice and cycling past the beaches of the classical holiday resorts of Jesolo and Caorle on the Italian Adriatic, there are many opportunities for a refreshing swim. The inland regions of the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia offer countless sites with exceptional charm waiting to be discovered: medieval fortress towns, Roman archaeological excavations, typical Italian Piazzas and buildings embossed with Venetian influences taking the visitor in another time. While on the one side, the Adriatic stretches calmly and silently, the Julian Alps rise majestically to the north. Finish with a trip down the beautiful Croatian peninsula of Istria. The return journey to Venice can be made by boat.
- Venice
- Duino and Miramare Castles
- Trieste
- Piran
- Porec
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Venice
Arrive in mainland Venice. Spend the rest of the day exploring the Serenissima with its canals and bridges. We recommend taking a bus to the island to visit to St Peter’s square and stroll the waterways. Take the time to sample the local cuisine or opt for a gelato on the move.
- Accommodation: Elite Hotel and SPA or similar in Venice
Day 2: Venice – Jesolo | 35/75km
Today’s route has two possibilities: either cycle along the dam and the lagoon through Venice, or cycle through the countryside along the river Sile to reach Jesolo.
The first option involves a short ride to meet the ferry to Punta Sabioni (payable locally) before taking in the beaches at Litorale di Cavallino, a spit of land in the north of the lagoon. Continue on to Jesolo for the evening.
Alternatively, head through the hinterland and cycle along the river Sile. Passing the ruins of Torre Caligo, a tower from the Middle Age situated near the canal before reaching Jesolo to end the day. Accommodations is either in Jesolo or Caorle depending on availability.
- Accommodation: Hotel Smeraldo or similar in Lido de Jesolo, Hotel Venezia or similar in Caorle
- Cycling for the day: 30km or 80km
Day 3: Jesolo– Portogruaro | 35km
Head out along the coast pass fisherman’s cottages to Caorle, a small seaside resort with a historical centre. Cycle inland and leave the sea for a while, ride across the mainland in the direction of the Julian Alps on the horizon, heading to Portogruaro. Spend the evening exploring the canals and streets of Portogruaro, known for its Venetian-Gothic architecture, and riverside scenery with watermills.
- Accommodation: Hotel Spessotto or similar in Portogruaro
- Cycling for the day: 35km
Day 4: Portogruaro – Grado | 45/65/85km
Ride along the beaches of the Adriatic, taking in ruins of former Roman cities, ancient churches on the edge of the lagoon. From Marano Lagunare catch the boat over to just before Aquileia, once a large city of the Roman Empire, excavations of the Roman city can be seen in the open-air-site and in two museums. Continue on to Grado today’s final destination. Grado is a medieval seaside town with cobbled streets and a bustling fishing port.
Today’s route can be shortened with either a train ride at the start or a boat at the end (both payable locally).
- Accommodation: Hotel Diana or similar in Grado
- Cycling for the day: 45km with train ride to Latisana or 65km with a boat from Marano Lagunare or 85km
Day 5: Grado – Trieste | 40/80km
Today’s stage takes you through the hinterland of Trieste back to the coast. The coastal road goes through the Duino, Sistiana, Miramare, and Barcola. Take the time to visit Miramare Castle above the Bay of Grignano, in the middle of a park. Continue on to Trieste for the evening and take in its blend of Italian, Slavic, and Germanic cultures or visit Piazza Unità d’Italia.
- Accommodation: Hotel NH Trieste or similar in Trieste
- Cycling for the day: 40km with train or 80km
Day 6: Trieste – Piran/Portorož | 35/65km
Leave Italy to begin your route in Slovenia, cycle through through well-known seaside resorts such as Koper (Capodistria) and Izola (Isola d’ Istria), to Piran or to Portorož (Portorose), a spa resort on the Slovenian Riviera. There is a longer alternative to this stage which passes along the Rosandra valley in the countryside.
- Accommodation: Hotel Piran or similar in Piran, Boutique Hotel Portorose or similar in Portorož
- Cycling for the day: 35km with ferry Trieste-Muggia or 65km
Day 7: Piran/Portorož – Poreč | 70km
Cycle past the salt gardens of Secovlje where sea salt is recovered through natural evaporation. Cross over into Croatia and follow the largest peninsula on the Adriatic, a slightly hilly terrain on the way to Porec, the most important coastal city on the west coast of Istria. End the day in Poreč and spend the evening exploring the old Roman forum and world-famous Euphrasian Basilica with its mosaics, as well as the palaces belonging to the city nobles.
- Accommodation: Hotel Flores or similar in Porec
- Cycling for the day: 70km
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Elite Hotel and SPA (Venice)
- Hotel Smeraldo (Lido de Jesolo)
- Hotel Venezia (Caorle)
- Hotel Spessotto (Portogruaro)
- Hotel Diana (Grado)
- Hotel NH Trieste (Trieste)
- Hotel Piran (Piran)
- Boutique Hotel Portorose (Portorož)
- Hotel Flores (Porec)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included. In towns, each hotel has its own restaurant where you can taste international or local meals, or try the other local restaurants. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before.
Difficulty and terrain
The routes are mainly flat until you reach Trieste, and get slightly hilly until you get to Porec. Average daily distances vary between 30km and 60km. You can also rent an e-bike, which makes the trip accessible to everyone (read more about difficulty grades). We provide individual information package upon arrival, including city guides, maps, programme and route description. We can also provide GPX files with all the tracks, which you can load on your smartphone app or GPS device. The road signage is good so navigating between the towns is quite easy.
When to go
The tour can depart on Wednesdays and Saturdays between mid-April and late September/early October.
The climate in the region is the Mediterranean, although it is usually several degrees cooler in the northern Adriatic than in the south. In the summer, the mean temperature is between 24C and 26C along the coast. For more information, see our blogs, Best time to go to Croatia, Best time to go to Slovenia and Best time to go to Italy.
Getting there
FCO up-to-date travel advice on Croatia, Italy and Slovenia.
Click to view travel options
By plane
Most convenient arrival and departure airports are the ones in Venice, Treviso, or Trieste. There are good train connections from all these cities to your starting point.
By train or bus
- By car: Take the Brenner Highway (A22) from Innsbruck to Verona and continue to Venice mainland/Mestre or drive from Villach over the border crossing point Arnoldstein to Udine and continue to Venice mainland.
- By train: Take a train to the main station in Mestre and either a bus or a taxi to the hotel. Timetables available on: DB, ÖBB, Trenitalia. You can also use the Omio planner above.
- By plane: Low-cost flights are available to Sant’Angelo airport in Treviso, Ronchi dei Legionari airport in Trieste and to the Marco Polo airport in Venice which offer an airport shuttle (Venice and Treviso) to and from Venice mainland/Mestre.
Inclusions
Included
- Accommodation in 3* (some 4*) hotels
- Breakfast buffet or full breakfast
- Boat transfer on Day 4
- Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel on cycling days (one piece per person, max 20kg)
- Detailed documents (maps, route description, places to visit, important telephone numbers)
- Videobriefing
- Access to Navigation App
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Local transport
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- We regret that this tour is not available for solo travellers
- Extra nights before and after the tour
- Bike rental (standard trekking bike, e-bike or top bike)
- Airport transfers (upon request)
Bike Rental
We can provide high-quality rental bikes and additional equipment if requested. These bikes have been specially designed for our bike tours. They are comfortable, safe and sturdy bikes and therefore perfect for undertaking tours of several days duration.
Our standard rental bikes are 21-gear touring bikes (men’s and women’s frames available). The bikes and appending equipment (repair kit, pump, spare inner tube, wheel-lock, saddlebag,…) will be at your disposal in the arrival hotel. At the end of your bike tour, you simply leave the rental bike at the last hotel – we take care of the return.
Our rental e-bikes are 9-gear step-through touring bikes are equipped with Bosch Performance Line Motors, with a range of approximately 100 km. The bikes and appending equipment (repair kit, pump, spare inner tube, wheel-lock, saddlebag,…) will be at your disposal in the arrival hotel.
Our top bike rental options are 21-gear aluminium touring bikes, each equipped with the Shimano Deore XT groupset. The bikes and appending equipment (repair kit, pump, spare inner tube, wheel-lock, saddlebag,…) will be at your disposal in the arrival hotel.
