Bicycle Romagna, Heartland of Italy's Homemade Pasta
Bike - Self-Guided Tour
Overview
This tour allows you to explore the famous ceramics town of Faenza, medieval villages such as Brisighella and Dozza, built by the Medici family to protect the northern flank of Tuscany in 1564. Start in Ravenna, once the capital of the Western Roman Empire and cycle through Romagna region all the way to Bologna, the culinary capital of Italy. Easy, flat rides or optional hill rides make for a cycling paradise through the heartland of homemade pasta, so don't wait until you arrive to Bologna to delight your culinary taste buds with freshly made "tagliatelle", "lasagna", "ravioli" and more, all washed down with local Sangiovese wine. On our recently-revamped itinerary includes two nights in Faenza, our base of operations in Italy! Please feel free to stop by and say hello - ask us for directions and we will be happy to show you the way to our office.
Highlights
- Ravenna's Byzantine mosaics
- Medieval Brisighella
- Bologna and its 60km of porticoes
- Faenza, Italy's most famous ceramics
- Wine village of Dozza, Regional Wine Museum
- Renaissance town of Terra del Sole built by the Medici family
- Ample choice of easy or challenging rides
Daily itinerary
Day 1 Day 1 - Arrive in Ravenna
Highlights: Byzantine mosaics, 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Arrive in Ravenna today, once the capital of the Western Roman Empire. Your centrally located hotel allows you to walk to Dante's Tomb and the UNESCO World Heritage mosaics of San Vitale, Sant'Apollinare Nuovo and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia this afternoon. Don't miss these early Byzantine churches with their colorful mosaics that draw travelers from around the world, as well as the beautiful Renaissance historical center of Ravenna.
Accommodation: Hotel Palazzo Galletti Abbiosi, or similar. Upgrades available (please inquire).
Day 2 Day 2 - Welcome meeting and bike fitting, Cycle to Faenza
Highlights: Faenza International Ceramics Museum and Renaissance Town Square
Meet our staff in the early morning to fit bikes and get ready for your tour ahead. Exiting Ravenna you have the choice to visit another very important Byzantine masterpiece: Sant'Apollinare in Classe. Cross the plains through fruit orchards and arrive at Faenza. Your hotel is a restored convent near the central square of this regional market center and famous ceramics town. Enjoy the bustle in the market square and the main "piazza" which is always full of bicycle riders of all ages. Faenza is world-renowned for its hand-decorated ceramics; we recommend a visit to the International Ceramics Museum as well as several of the local artists' studios specialized in this colorful pottery.
Daily distance: 53 km (33 miles)
Elevation gain: +167 m (548 ft)
Terrain type: mostly flat
Accommodation: Hotel Vittoria, or similar. Upgrades available - please inquire for details
Day 3 Day 3 - Faenza loop ride to Castrocaro and Terra del Sole
Highlights: Castrocaro Castle, Terra del Sole Medicean Fortress, Romagna farms
Two options are available today: both include a ride to Terra del Sole, a planned border town built by the Medici family in 1564 to protect the northern frontier of Tuscany. Those who want an easy day will ride to Terra del Sole and Castrocaro and back to Faenza at the base of the low foothills. This will give you time to explore the famous International Ceramics Museum.
Castrocaro Terme is a picturesque medieval city on the lower hills below the Apennines. We recommend a visit of the castle at Castrocaro! On your return ride to Faenza, you may choose to pick up supplies for an outdoors picnic in any of the countless farms along the way!
You have two options for your ride today:
Option 1: Daily Distance: 41 km (25 miles) - Elevation gain: + 203 m (669 ft) - Terrain type: rolling hills
Option 2: Daily Distance: 38 km (24 miles) - Elevation gain: + 280 m (921 ft) - Terrain type: rolling hills
Accommodation: Hotel Vittoria, or similar.
Day 4 Day 4 - Bicycle Faenza to Brisighella and Riolo Terme
Highlights: Medieval Brisighella; Via degli Asini
Enjoy a quiet ride through vineyards and kiwi orchards on your way to the enchanting medieval town of Brisighella. You should certainly plan to explore the historic town center and to see the unique Via degli Asini, one of the best preserved medieval artisan streets anywhere in Italy. The homemade pasta in Brisighella is worth a lunch stop (and the gelato is not bad, either)! Your ride continues through lovely scenery on to Riolo Terme, a picturesque town on the Romagna hills, with its medieval castle and moat still intact.
You have two options for your ride today:
Short option: Daily Distance: 28 km (17 miles) - Elevation gain: + 421 m (1381 ft) - Terrain type: hilly
Long option: Daily Distance: 56 km (35 miles) - Elevation gain: + 855 m (2808 ft) - Terrain type: hilly
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Riolo Terme, or similar. Upgrades not available
Day 5 Day 5 - Cycling Riolo Terme to Imola via Dozza
Highlights: Wine village of Dozza; beautiful views across the Po Valley; historic Imola
Your ride today takes you through more vineyards and orchards to the medieval hill town of Dozza, famous for its wall murals. The castle in Dozza houses the Emilia-Romagna Regional Enoteca, or wine, museum. Regional specialties include the red Sangiovese (father grape of Chianti) which is gaining more and more worldwide recognition as an important wine in and of itself, the light and fizzy Lambrusco from the hills of Modena and Bologna (excellent accompaniment to the regional cold cuts like prosciutto and salame), or the sweet Albana di Romagna. Tonight's destination is Imola, famous for its Formula 1 racetrack. Originally built as a Roman town along the Via Emilia, the historical center is definitely worth exploring this evening.
Daily distance: 51 km (31 miles)
Elevation gain: +520 m (1706 ft)
Terrain type: hilly
Accommodation: B&B Callegherie 21, or similar. Upgrades available - please inquire for details
Day 6 Day 6 - Bicycle from Imola to Bologna
Highlights: Bologna - Italy's Culinary Capital
We'll leave Imola to ride to Bologna today, Emilia Romagna's administrative capital, and, arguably, its culinary capital too. Home to the oldest continually operating university in the world, Bologna has a long tradition of studies, arts, and gastronomy. Speaking of gastronomy, Bologna gave birth to the mortadella, vulgarly distorted abroad as "bologna," although the fresh, artisanal mortadella has nothing to do with processed ham! Make sure you put this culinary delight on your 'must try' list!
Option 1: Daily distance 66 km (41 miles) - Elevation gain + 324 m (1063 ft) - Terrain type: mostly flat
Option 2: Daily distance 63 Km (39 miles) - Elevation gain + 771 m (2529 ft) - Terrain type hilly
Accommodation: Hotel Touring, or similar. Upgrades available - please inquire for details
Day 7 Day 7 - Tour ends in Bologna
Highlights: Tour End
Your bicycle ride in Emilia Romagna ends this morning in Bologna. If you have the time you might consider an extra night or two in Bologna to enjoy the rich cultural history here. Alternatively, train connections are convenient to Rome, Venice or Milan. Thanks for joining us and buon viaggio!
PLEASE NOTE : The final itinerary, including hotels and/or activities described here, are subject to changes according to availability.
Difficulty description
First and last days are perfect to warm up and cool down because they are mostly flat. The central part offers some rolling hills and the two optional hill rides will make this a dream trip for those who want to alternate easy rides with more challenging and scenic routes.
Visit our Tour difficulty level page to learn more about terrain levels and how we determine day and tour levels.
Map
What's included
- 6 nights in 3- and 4-star lodgings
- All breakfasts
- Luggage transfers
- All Classic self-guided tour inclusions
Optional activities
- Dinner in Ravenna
- Guided visit of Ravenna (approx. 3 hours long)
- Dinner in Faenza
- Olive oil tasting
- Dinner in Riolo
- Dinner in Imola
- Dinner in Bologna
- Cooking classes available in various tour locations! Organized by Le Cesarine, experts in Italian culinary experiences. You will be hosted by a local at their home - your "Cesarina" - in a class that lasts about three hours, during which you will help the Cesarina prepare three courses. In the fourth and final hour, you will enjoy the meal (lunch or dinner) which you prepared during the class. Water and one bottle of house wine for every 3 people are included.
Dates and availability
This tour is available between March 1 and October 31
Starts every Tuesday. Other start days available by request (extra fee applies). Please note that starting on certain days of the week will make some visits impossible (such as museums or tastings).
2025 Confirmed departure dates:
April 1
May 6, 27
June 10
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If you are looking for a shorter cycling tour, our 5-day Discover Emilia-Romagna Casual tour still offers great cycling and all the highlights.
If you want more exploration of this fabulous region, you can create a Grand Tour of Emilia-Romagna joining this package with our Taste of Italy tour , also experiencing the wonderful land between Bologna and Parma!
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Tour Code: itbs1463
Prices
Low season: €1105
2025 dates: Mar 1 - Apr 31; Jun 16 - Aug 31; Oct 15-31
High season: €1205
2025 dates: May 1 – Jun 15; Sep 1 - Oct 15
Prices per person, based on double occupancy; minimum 2 participants per departure.
Single supplement: €290 (in double room for single use)
Solo traveler departures: €560 (only one person on the departure). Includes the single/double room supplement and a GPS unit with the pre-loaded routes.
Lodging upgrades & extra nights are available: please inquire
City hotel tax not included in tour package (2 to 5 euro per night per person, to be paid locally by traveler).
* due to the 2025 Rome Jubilee, some cities may charge a higher per night tax
GPS device rental, as well as a printed roadbook, are available at an optional extra fee:
- GPS device rental: €50
- Printed roadbook: €45 (second copy of printed roadbook €15)
See the What's Included section for details on included navigation tools
Group Discounts are available for participants booking together on the same departure! Please inquire!
For more ways to save, see our discounts and promotions page.
Bike rental
We offer quality bikes in different styles, all great options for this bike tour. Our bikes are maintained and delivered in optimal working condition.
The prices below are per bike for the duration of the tour, including delivery to starting point in Ravenna and collection from ending point in Bologna.
Bike rental rates
Aluminum hybrid: €100
Premium Titanium road or hybrid: €125
Touring E-bike (hybrid with straight handlebar): €175
Tandem: €185 (priced per bike, for 2 cyclists)
Tag-along or kid trailer: €50
* bike rental from morning of day 2 through 5pm on day 6
Bike rental insurance is available for purchase with all our rental bikes – see details in the Bike Rental Insurance section of our Terms and Conditions page.
For detailed specs and photos of our bikes, see our website - Bike Rentals Italy.
Trip planning
Starting point
Starting point: Palazzo Bezzi Ravenna - Via Di Roma, 45 - Ravenna
- We recommend flying into Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ)
- Take the monorail from Bologna airport to Bologna main train station, then a train to Ravenna.
Meeting Time for self-guided tours: Typically, the meeting time is between 2 PM and 4 PM. We recommend you plan on arriving with plenty of time to avoid any late fees that may apply for late arrivals. More details can be found on our terms page.
Ending point
Ending point: Hotel Touring- Via De' Mattuiani, 1/2, Bologna
You can fly out from Bologna’s Marconi Airport (BLQ).
Airport transfers:
- Marconi Express is the new monorail that connects the Bologna airport and train station. The trip is approx. 7 minutes long.
- The ride to Bologna Airport takes about 30 minutes (depending on traffic)
Private airport transfers available if you prefer to be driven from airport to hotel in a private vehicle transfer, please inquire for cost - we will be happy to include this service in your tour package
Final arrival and departure instructions along with other detailed pre-travel documents, will be e-mailed prior to your travel, with information specific to your departure (including the actual hotels used on your tour dates, which may vary from the hotels listed above.)
Photo gallery
Customer reviews
Click to read past traveler reviews
Wonderful roads,beautiful landscapes, very good restaurants and hotels. My favorites: Dozza, and the olive oil mil guided visit and tasting. Congratulations for the whole organization of this beautiful tour!
Jan T. (Belgium, 2024)
A great way to experience part of Italy, it’s beauty, culture, history and people outside the normal tourist traps. My favorite parts: Faenza, Brisighella, Dozza communities and rides and the cooking class and olive tasting should be a must.
Rudy K. (USA, 2023)
This was a well-designed self-guided tour through the delightful Emilia-Romagna area. From Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna, to the ceramics of Faenza, and the hill town of Brisighella. So many things to appreciate including olive oil tasting, wine tasting, great food and even drivers who are respectful of cyclists! My favorite part? Really hard to decide - the splendors of Ravenna (with the added benefit of being there for Notte d'Oro) or cycling through the rural areas or the well designed bike lanes. The Faenza to Brisighella to Riolo Terme was a great day that combined a beautiful village, challenging exercise, great food and the spa. So much to love!
- Maurianne R. (Canada, 2023)
Right balance of biking, history, architecture and art( plus great food/wine!) Our favorite experiences were Ravenna’s mosaics, Dozza’s castle/wine tasting/murals.
- Elan H. (Canada, 2023)
10 out of 10: We found everything about the tour to be top notch. In particular, given the chaos and disruption of the last couple of years, we found Cycle Europe, and Sara in particular, to be completely accommodating and helpful as we navigated the ever changing requirements. The cycling part of our vacation was the one part that we didn't have any concerns or hesitancy about...everything was well planned, communicated, and executed.
- Rex A. (USA, 2021)
The entire trip was first class from the bikes and their fitting to the GPS and maps with explanations with things to do and see in the area. The route was gorgeous. Rode through orchards and vineyards on roads hardly used by cars....and if there was a vehicle we were given priority as they went far around us. There were some good hills which were rewarded with magnificent views and a hearty appetite. A highlight was the two nights spent at the agricultural farm stay. When riding into Bologna we were on bike paths through the busy areas. Never worried about traffic.
- Karen C. (Canada, 2018)
Excellent route notes. very clear and accurate. "What was your favorite experience on this trip?" The quiet roads, the respectful Italian drivers giving us LOTS of room as they passed us, the scenery....the ridge rides with views after the long climbs....Our favourite stay was the farm...Roberto and his wife were so welcoming and friendly with amazing food and a super pasta making lesson. We very much enjoyed our week with you. It was the highlight of our 3 weeks in Italy and we were in some amazing places in your lovely country. Will look forward to exploring another part of Italy with you on another self guided holiday.
- Karen S. (Canada, 2018)
Route notes provided were clear and accurate. Evening restaurant suggestions that I tried were great too. Staff at Albergo Ristorante Cane were outstanding. My favorite experience on this trip? There were many - great and varied days riding a very good bicycle. Ravenna and Dozza hotel and dining experiences. Look forward to touring with you again!
- Suzanne T. (New Zealand, 2017)
We had a wonderful experience. Kris and I both said this was one of the best vacations we have ever taken.
- Kim N. (Canada, 2016)
The route notes provided were by far and away the best I've ever seen. Hard to see how to make them better. Most hotels were well located and quite nice. The Golf was a bit spare but I think the only available choice in town. And, the staff was very nice so....Sara's bike set up was as good as it gets and the bikes very comfortable and better equipped than I expected. A wonderful tour by a wonderful company (in a wonderful country). Delightful people to work with.
- Andrew G. (USA, 2015)
Brisighella was amazing. The lunch place at the square is highly recommended! Thank you very much for a very well organized and enjoyable experience.
- Adam K. (U. Arab Emirates, 2014)
The hotel owners were all very pleasant and helpful. We are quite grateful to them. We are especially grateful for the carefully laid out route that you chose. The routes were chosen very well, from a cyclist''s point of view. They included different terrain (hills, flat), spectacular views, many points of interest. The routes were complicated, and there''s no way we could have come up with that on our own. They were clearly chosen by experienced cyclists who knew the countryside intimately. We had a great time! Thank you!
- Glenn C. (USA, 2014)
Our adventure through Italy was better than we had ever dreamed. Each hotel was lovely, each route thoughtfully mapped, and the support behind it all was perfect. I wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip--it was better than we had ever imagined! Thank you so much for all the wonderful plans! The hotels were great and comfortable, the routes and directions were perfect, and each day just got better and better! Thanks for picking us up, and for planning the most adventurous vacation we''ve ever taken! It will be an experience we never forget.
- Jenny K. (USA, 2013)
Thanks very much for putting this tour together for us and welcoming us to The Farm, it was brilliant to see your operation. We will not hesitate to recommend you when we share our stories of Emilia-Romagna
- Amanda N. (Australia, 2013)
I loved the hills, to be honest. And the chance to ride the lovely bike at a fast pace on the flat. The lunch served in the bar in a small town - thrown together by a very friendly chef. A few townspeople (men, always men) showed up with a booklet about the history of their town and took our picture. I know I''m supposed to tell you about my one favorite but can I just add a thank you for the AMAZING visit to your farm. The bike staff were so attentive and helpful and focused on giving us a good ride.
- Anonymous traveller (2013)
What was the best moment of the tour? Looking down on my family as they descend happily after a hilly climb and then joining in with the wind in my hair and the sunshine on my back. Thank you for an extremely laid-back, yet exciting week.
- Zelda E. (RSA, 2012)
