Wine Trails of Umbria By Bike

This tour is suited for occasional riders with a good level of fitness. The varied terrain and hilltop towns may require some challenging ascents, especially at the end of each day. A bit of preparation with consecutive days of riding will help ensure a smoother experience.

The terrain in Umbria is undulating, and towns and villages usually have hill-top locations, meaning the ascent at the end of a day’s ride is common. Total daily elevations range from 210m to 550m. E-bikes are available for hire should you need battery-powered assistance on the hills.

This route ranges from easy to moderate. Within the tour, individual days may vary in difficulty - some might be a bit tougher or easier than the overall rating suggests.

Accommodation on this tour is a mix of five nights in 4-star hotels and two nights in comfortable 3-star agriturismi - working farms that also operate as guesthouses, found across the Umbrian countryside. We've carefully selected small, friendly places to stay, each set in a lovely spot, whether that's a town, a hamlet or the surrounding countryside.

Many cyclists like to add extra nights along the way to see more of what Umbria has to offer. If your schedule allows, we'd recommend adding an extra night at the start or end of your tour.

Yes, solo travelers are very welcome. There will be a supplement because some costs, like transfers, aren't shared. Or if you'd like to book a single room, just ask. These are available for a supplement.

Breakfast is included each morning and usually consists of a traditional European-style continental or buffet breakfast, with coffee, tea, yogurt, granola, meat, cheese and baked goods - sometimes with a hot dish such as eggs or pancakes served or available à la carte.

Lunches and most dinners aren't included, so we'd suggest finding a café or restaurant in town or along the route, or picking up a picnic lunch from a local supermarket or market. Most accommodations are also happy to provide a packed lunch on request. A few special touches are included along the way, such as a cooking class and dinner at an agriturismo, an olive oil tasting, and a wine tasting - a nice way to get properly stuck into the local food and wine culture.

This tour is available to start any day between April and October. Spring - April, May and June - brings warm sunshine, fewer crowds and pleasant cycling conditions, with wildflowers coming into bloom in May. Autumn, in September and October, brings cooler weather and striking autumn colours, coinciding with the grape harvest in the vineyards. June, July and August can get very hot for cycling, so you may want to start early in the day or take a break during the midday heat and carry plenty of water - though the towns and villages are at their liveliest during this time.

Availability can be tight around the Festival di Spoleto, usually held in the first two weeks of July, and may carry a supplement - we'd suggest booking as soon as your plans are finalized to secure your preferred dates.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg/44lbs per person.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

To reach Spoleto, where the tour begins, you can fly into the European hubs of Florence Airport in Tuscany or Rome's airports. Flights into Umbria Airport are limited, though there are services from London and a few smaller European airports: from here, take a shuttle bus to the city centre and then a train on to Spoleto (around 1 hour).

If you fly into Rome, note the city has two airports. From Fiumicino, take a train to the central Roma Termini station (about 30 minutes). From Ciampino, take a bus to Roma Termini. From there, a train to Spoleto takes around 1 hour 30 minutes. The Trenitalia website is useful for timetable planning, as is Go Euro.

If you fly into Florence Airport, take a train or shuttle to Santa Maria Novella station and then a train on to Spoleto (around 2.5 hours).

The tour ends in Cortona, where an included taxi transfer takes you from your accommodation to Terontola-Cortona or Camucia-Cortona train station, from where Rome's airports are easily reached. From Terontola-Cortona to Rome, the train takes around 2 hours to Roma Tiburtina (about €12), and then around 45 minutes on to Rome Airport (about €14). Florence is also easy to reach by train, around 1.5 hours to Florence Santa Maria Novella (about €8), followed by the airport shuttle bus to Florence Airport.

You'll need your standard cycling gear. Bike hire comes with a pannier rack and bag, a pump, lock, a basic repair kit, and handlebar phone. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

Since you’ll have your bike with you, shortening or skipping sections may not be easy. For the best local advice on transport options for cyclists, please consult your accommodation provider or reach out to our local bike partner, where applicable. Our local office in Italy can also help arrange transport if needed.

We hire bikes suited to the terrain, including e-bikes for a bit of extra assist, in a range of sizes - just let us know your height when booking so we can get your frame right. If you would like to bring your own bike then, in the majority of cases, this is not a problem – please contact us to talk it through. We encourage all cyclists to wear a helmet, and it is law in many countries across Europe. We recommend bringing your own helmet for hygiene and safety reasons, however on most tours you can hire one.

The following bikes are available for hire:

Hybrid Bike: Touring Cube ONE. Lightweight aluminium trekking bike with adjustable stem, 8-speed Shimano derailleur, hydraulic disc brakes, reliable Trelock lights, comfort saddle, and durable CUBE wheels (16.2 kg).

Ebike touring step through: Winora Sinus 9. Motor: Bosch Performance Line 250W. Battery: Bosch Li-ION powerTube 625Wh. Brakes: Tektro HD-T3275. Max weight allowed 130kg.

Road bike: Wilier Triestina GTR. Shimano Ultegra. Carbon frame.

Ebike Road bike: Wilier Centro1 Hybrid. Intelligent servo assistance. Carbon frame. Weight of bike 11.9kg.

Gravel bike: Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon. Shimano Ultegra, 11-speed.

E-Gravel bike: XP - Allroad. Battery: 36V, 15Ah, 540Wh. Aluminium frame and 11-speed cassette.

Tandem bikes are not available on this tour. Brand and model may vary depending on availability.

Please provide the following information on booking:
- Your height for bike size
- Head circumference if you wish to hire a helmet

Bike Hire Inclusions:
- Spare inner tube
- Helmet (we recommend you bring your own)
- Repair kit & pump
- A pannier bag
- One lock
- Water bottle holder
- Battery charger (for ebikes only)

Many people choose to hire an e-bike, as the battery-powered assistance can be helpful when needed - note that e-bikes are heavier than standard bicycles. Gravel and road bikes are only recommended for experienced cyclists who understand the riding position and have the fitness needed for this style of biking.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation