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. 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. 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. 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! 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. 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. 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! Bikes need to be returned by 5pm. 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! 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. 6 nights in 3- and 4-star lodgings, All breakfasts, Luggage transfers, All Classic self-guided tour inclusions Dinner in Ravenna, Guided visit of Ravenna (approx. 3 hours long), Dinner in Faenza, Cooking class in Faenza, Olive oil tasting in Brisighella, 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. 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). 2026 Confirmed departure dates: April 28, May 5, 26, September 1, 8, 28, October 6. 2027 Confirmed departure dates: June 1. If you are looking for a shorter itinerary, our 5-day Discover Emilia-Romagna Casual tour still offers great cycling and all the highlights. If you are looking for a longer cycling holiday, our Grand Tour of Emilia-Romagna links our Romagna and Taste of Italy tours, from Ravenna to Parma! 2026 prices: Low season: €1165 (Mar 1 - Apr 30; Jun 16 - Aug 31; Oct 16-31), High season: €1265 (May 1 – Jun 15; Sep 1 - Oct 15). Single supplement: €290. Solo traveler departures: €575. 2027 prices: Low season: €1195, High season: €1295. Single supplement: €300. Solo traveler departures: €585. Prices per person, based on double occupancy; minimum 2 participants per departure. Lodging upgrades & extra nights are available: please inquire. 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). 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. 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 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. Starting point: 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: The meeting time on this self-guided tour is tipically set at 8:30 am on day 2. We recommend travelers plan accordingly allowing plenty of time to arrive at the determined meeting place. Please note a late fee may be applied for late arrivals - please see our terms page for details. Ending point: 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.)
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