Overview
From the northeastern part of the Dolomites, you will pedal through Val di Landro (also known as Höhlenstein Valley) passing by the famous Drei Zinnen (Tre Cime di Lavaredo in Italian) and taking in the scenic resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Following the old railway track, you continue to Pieve di Cadore, the birth town of the renaissance painter Titian. The route then brings you through the valley of the ice cream makers, reaching Ponte nelle Alpi (Bridge in the Alps) and then Belluno nestling in the Dolomites. Then you reach Bassano del Grappa where the terrain gets much flatter. After a short visit to the town of Asolo, you carry onto Treviso. Following the River Sile, you finally reach the Venice borough of Mestre.
- Idyllic cycling path along the old railway trails
- The Dolomites with a view of the famous Drei Zinnen (Three Peaks)
- Bassano del Grappa
- Asolo
- Treviso
- Belluno
- Venice
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Hochpustertal (Niederdorf/Villabassa or Toblach/Dobbiaco)
Individual arrival at your hotel in Hochpustertal.
Day 2: Niederdorf/Villabassa or Toblach/Dobbiaco – Cortina d’Ampezzo |30/35km
From Villabassa/Dobbiaco you start on the bike path into the Höhlenstein Valley, past lake Toblach and the War cemetery. This area was one of the front lines of World War I, and is having a lot of history related to it. You carry on passing lake Dürrensee (on the left you can see the famous Drei Zinnen/Three Peaks), starting to ascend slightly before you get to the border between the regions of South Tyrol and Veneto. From here you cycle towards the south to Cortina d`Ampezzo.
- Cycling distance for the day: approx. 30-35km
Day 3: Cortina d’Ampezzo – Belluno | 75km
Today the route is going slightly downwards, mostly along the old railway track, you will see the Sorapis on the left and the Cinque Torri (Five Towers) on the right. You continue through the Boite Valley towards Pieve/Calalzo di Cadore. From here the new cycling path takes you to Longarone, a town that was completely rebuilt in 1963 after a landslide filled the dam above the village and caused a flood. From Longarone the cycle path is slightly hilly until you reach Belluno.
- Cycling distance for the day: approx. 75km
Day 4: Belluno – Feltre |40km
From Belluno, the small capital of the province, the tour follows tree-lined avenues and hilly landscapes until the end of the day in Feltre. During the day you come along small and scenic villages. In the northern part, you will again enjoy the views of the magnificent southern Dolomites.
- Cycling distance for the day: approx. 40km
Day 5: Feltre – Bassano del Grappa | 50km
The first kilometres you cycle easily before you descend to the Brenta Valley. Where the river Brenta joins the plains, lies the town of Bassano del Grappa. The name of the town comes from Mount “Monte” Grappa. Upon arrival you can enjoy a well-earned “Grappa” brandy. There are many places of interest to explore in the town such as San Francesco, the „Museo Civico“ (museum) or the Piazza della Libertà.
- Cycling distance for the day: approx. 50km
Day 6: Bassano del Grappa – Treviso | 55km
Upon leaving the Dolomitic Alps, you will pedal by beautiful villas designed by the renowned architect Palladio. The town of Asolo is ideal for a rest before continuing along to the plains to Treviso with its beautiful canals.
- Cycling distance for the day: approx. 55km
Day 7: Treviso – Venice Mainland/Mestre | 45km
Following the River Sile, you cycle towards the Adriatic Sea straight to mainland Venice and the borough of Mestre
- Cycling distance for the day: 45km
Day 8: Departure
Individual departure or possibility to extend your stay.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in 3 or 4-star hotels with en-suite facilities. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We always choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
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
On the first two days, you mainly follow the old Dolomites railway track. From the third day, the route will get a bit more undulating on quiet side roads through the idyllic landscape and typical Italian villages until reaching the plains on the last day. The tour is suitable for children over 14 years. Average daily distances vary between 30km and 75km (on one day only) (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 any Wednesday and Saturday between May and September.
Other departure days of the week are also possible for groups of minimum of fiv people (upon request).
The climate in the region is continental, cold and temperate. Depending on location and altitude, temperatures vary, but, in the May-September period, the daily averages are 15 – 25C. Spring and autumn are cooler with occasional rain. Rapid weather changes are possible during the day.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Most convenient arrival and departure airports are the ones in Venice and Treviso. There are good train connections from all these cities to your starting point.
By train or bus
- By car: on the Brenner/Brennero motorway (A22) to Brixen/Bressanone – take the exit “Brixen-Pustertal”, then through the valley Pustertal/Valle Pusteria (SS49) to Niederdorf/Villabassa or Toblach/Dobbiaco, depending on the location of your hotel or drive along the Felbertauernstraße to Lienz in Eastern Tyrol (Austria) and then further into Italy through the valley Pustertal/Valle Pusteria to Toblach/Dobbiaco or Niederdorf/Villabassa, depending on the location of your hotel.
- By train: take the train from Innsbruck over the Brenner/Brennero to Franzensfeste/Fortezza. Change the train to the valley Pustertal/Valle Pusteria – Lienz and get off either at Niederdorf/Villabassa or Toblach/Dobbiaco depending on the location of your hotel. For more details, visit DB, ÖBB, Trenitalia or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- Accommodation in hotels of 3* (sometimes 4*) category
- Breakfast buffet or full breakfast
- Personal tour information
- Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel on cycling days
- Detailed documents (maps, route description, places to visit, important telephone numbers)
- 24/7 phone support by our local representative in Toblach/Dobbiacoe
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- 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
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is NOT available for solo travellers
- Optional extra nights before or after the tour
- Bike rental (standard trekking bike or e-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 to undertake tours of several days duration.
Our standard rental bikes are 21- gears touring bikes. 7- gears touring bikes (unisex model) are also available if requested but only for some of our bike tours. 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.
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