Highlights
Discovering the history of the ancient Republic of Venice, 'La Serenissima'
Exploring the magical city of Venice
Cycling along the Adriatic coast and across two European borders
Enjoying the culinary specialties such as marinated sardines and spicy meatballs
Itinerary
Discover three countries in a single week with the "Ancient Venetian Empire by Bike" tour, an 8-day self-guided cycling journey that follows the historic footsteps of the Venetian Republic. Starting and finishing in Venice, this easy-level trip is tailored for experienced travelers and seniors who enjoy leisurely exploration coupled with cultural intrigue.
Cycle from Venice’s iconic canals to the Adriatic coastline, passing through Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. Along the way, visit ancient Roman towns, grand palaces, and lively harbors such as Trieste, concluding in the seaside beauty of Porec. Overnight stays in specially selected hotels ensure comfort and local flavor at every stop.
A highlight of this tour package is the rare opportunity to cross two borders by bike, blending the history, architecture, and seaside landscapes of three distinct regions in one seamless adventure.
day 1Arrive Mestre (Venice)
Make your own way to Mestre on the mainland of Venice. From here it is easy to venture into the famous canal city on foot. The city of Venice will captivate you with its splendour and history.
On arrival at your hotel you will find your luggage labels and ferry ticket/voucher.
On the morning of day 2 you will collect your rental bike. Note that bikes, like cars, are not allowed on Venice island, including when pushed by hand. By bike it is only possible to reach Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto or the train station Santa Lucia.
day 2By boat to Punta Sabbioni, cycle to Caorle or surrounds (40 or 65km/25 or 40mi)
day 3Head north towards the Julian Alps to Portogruaro (60 or 35km/37 or 21.8mi)
day 4Cycle by ancient roman towns to Aquileia (70km/43.5mi)
day 5Cross the river Isonzo and cycle towards the Gulf of Trieste (55km/34mi)
day 6Cycle across the Slovenian border to the spa town of Portorož (45km/28mi)
day 7Continue to Secovlje, cross the Croatian border to Porec (60km/37.5mi)
day 8Trip concludes
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What's Included
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Customer Reviews
Enjoyable ride. Good distances. Easily achievable. Nice hotels.
Although the weather was not so kind and one day it rained heavy for the 70km ride, we still enjoyed our trip. Our trip started 12 April and so some of the tourist areas were only opening up for the summer season. The beach areas lacked some atmosphere because of this however at least we did not have to dodge so many tourists. The scenery was not as good as we expected because it was often hidden by trees however once in the towns it was nice to experience the lifestyle. Ending in Porec is problematic because the best option for continuing travel is to return to Venice which adds an extra expense.
Loved Italy and Slovenia, lots of bike paths! Beautiful scenery, there was only one patch of really rough gravel for quite awhile! The other off road paths were fine. Croatia was the last day and it was very hilly, unfortunately it was also on main roads for most of the day, and the roads did not have shoulders. Traffic was really fast and it was a bit scary. Accommodations were awesome except one that was only okay. The GPS worked like a charm and the bikes were really good. The luggage transfer was great, even when we were late one morning, they came back which we really appreciated! The staff was very helpful and kept in touch when we needed them to!!
The orientation when we received our bikes was too quick. The man doing the orientation seemed like he just wanted to drop off the bikes and go. While he did answer our questions, it seemed to be bothersome for him. It would have been nice to have a meet and greet with the other participants on the tour prior to the tour beginning whether the night before or the morning of. There were some glitches with the app. On the leg to Porec, the blue line for our route disappeared. Thankfully the voice prompts continued to guide us to our hotel. We really appreciated being provided with dinner on our last night. We opted for the higher standard of accommodation and were pleased with most of our rooms especially the Hotel Victoria in Trieste. Loved biking through small towns and rural areas. Was nervous on some of the busy roads.
Well organised, professional, easy to follow, and certainly the way to do and/or organise a cycling holiday.
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