Full Itinerary and Tour details for

Venice to Mantua 8-day Bike & Barge Tour Level 1

Prices starting from. Trip Duration. Max Passengers. 1060 € 8 days 33

Start and Finish. Activity Level. to Mantua 1

Experience. Tour Code. Bike & Barge Tours Europe #B1/2161 Venice to Mantua 8-day Bike & Barge Tour Level 1

Tour Details and Description

This tour offers you a unique opportunity to experience by bike the North of along the valley, following the course of the Po, the longest Italian river. You start with a full free day in Venice, before setting sail to explore the Venice lagoon and the bustling fish market of Chioggia. Cycling along waterways and through hamlets, you ride in the Po Delta, a unique wetland park which is the prime reserve in Europe for herons and home to several colonies of flamingos. Further on you’ll discover Adria, which gave the name to the , and , the town of cyclists. Finally, you have the chance to discover the enchanting town of Mantua, considered Italy’s “sleeping beauty”.

Tour character:

Total Length: 190 km Total vertical up: 30 m Terrain: 95% tarmac, 5% unpaved. This cycling tour is largely along the flats of the Po plains, and the daily stages vary from 25 to 55 km – mostly on tarmac cycle paths along rivers and canals, or quiet country roads. The boat is moored at night and typically sets sail after breakfast, meeting up with the bikes in the afternoon. Some parts of the itinerary are undertaken by boat, to allow easier access onto cycling paths or simply to

enjoy the cruise. Easy cycling in mostly flat areas, with only few short climbs and descents. Little effort required, suitable for most people.

Accommodation:

The boat is equipped with:-

• 4 Superior Double cabins (two of these can accommodate up to 4 persons adding 2 bunk beds) above deck, approx. 11 m2; • 10 Standard Double cabins (three of these can accommodate up to 3 persons adding 1 bunk bed) below deck, approx. 11 m2;

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• 3 bunk bed cabins (also available as Single • English speaking tour leader within an cabins) below deck, approx. 7.5 m2 international group • Second tour leader with a minimum of 25 people All cabins enjoy sizeable windows (the ones in the • Guided visit in Venice and Mantua Superior cabins can also be opened), comfortable • Visit of a cheese factory with tasting of typical low beds, en-suite facilities and air conditioning. Grana Padano Bed/bunk size is 2.00 x 0.80 m. Most of the double beds can be separated into two single beds. The • Visit of Carousel and Street Entertainment air-conditioned living area measures 11 x 7.5 m and Museum is divided into two parts: the Restaurant (up to 33 • Harbour charges seats) and the Lounge (up to 28 seats) • Bus transfer Ferrara-Adria • Boat excursion in the Nature Reserve of the Extra features: Park • 2 sundecks Not included in the tour: • Free hot drinks machine (including Italian ground • Beverages on board coffee) • Museums, fees and extras in general • Free wi-fi • Ticket for public transportation in Venice • Large 55” screen in the lounge for video • Tips • Dedicated bike storage (for approx. 40 hanging • Everything not included in the section “included in bikes) the price” • Hair-dryers (limited number) available on request For vegan, lactose-free and gluten-free diets a fee • Superior cabin at 140 EUR per person extra of 50 Euros will be invoiced when booking There is a free wi-fi connection on board which If you would like to rent a bike please contact our normally works during the whole tour.We remind you office at time of booking [email protected] that the boat is not like a hotel, so during the journey you will always hear some sort of underground noise. Bike 85 EUR e-bike 220 EUR Helmet 15 EUR Included in the Venice to Mantua Bike and Barge Tour: • 7 overnights • Full board (breakfast, dinner and a self-made packed lunch) • Coffee and tea and other hot drinks on board • Sheets and towels • Courtesy kit • Daily short cleaning + mid-week cabin cleaning service and towel change • Travel guide, maps, roadbook

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Most Serene"), the Venetian Republic dominated over much of the Mediterranean and beyond for centuries – both as a military power and a beacon of culture, her explorers reaching as far as China and Newfoundland. After your guided tour, you have the afternoon free to enjoy the city at your own pace.

Day 3

Venice – Pellestrina/Chioggia (30 km) Leaving Venice behind after a gentle cruise, our cycling adventure starts on the Lido, the first of two islands we traverse today. Inhabited by fashionable high society ever since the Belle Époque, the Lido di Venezia is now home to the International Venice Film Festival and its galaxy of stars. A short island-hop by ferry takes us into another world: Pellestrina, where we ride past the picturesque cottages and boats of this humble fishing backwater. We rejoin our barge just in front of Chioggia – a bustling and colourful

fishing hub known as "Little Venice".

Itinerary Day 4

Pellestrina/Chioggia – Po Delta Nature Reserve – Adria (40 km) We open the day with a stroll through Day 1 Chioggia, followed perhaps by a visit up the millennial clock tower (the oldest in the world) for some Venice We welcome you aboard your new home breathtaking views.Weather permitting, we can also away fromhome from 4.30 p.m. onwards and then bask in the sun at a fine-sand beach nearby: a dip in regroup for the introductory briefing – at 6.30 – with the Adriatic, a hot savoury piadina – and you are well your tour leader, skipper and crew. You''ll also enjoy and truly local! Then onwards into the delta of the a first refreshing aperitivo. After dinner we can savour life-giving Po. This unique wetland is the prime Venice at night, now free of the crowds and at her reserve in Europe for herons and home to a colony of most romantic: Benvenuti a Venezia! flamingos. We moor for the night in Adria, a key Roman port, once washed by the waters of the sea Day 2 which bears its name. Adria is also renowned for its Etruscan and Greek heritage. An after-dinner Venice After breakfast and perhaps following a passeggiata into town for a well-earned grappa or wander off the beaten track with your tour leader, we gelato is in order. all meet up with our Venetian guide for a tour through the historic centre. Christened La Serenissima ("The Day 5

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for it's international book festival. A ride through the Adria – Ferrara – Zelo (35 km by bike + 35 km by centre soon takes us past Palazzo Tè, on the bus) After a short cruise we saddle our bikes and, outskirts, the Gonzagas' summer residence. Onwards following the Po through farmland and hamlets, we to the hamlet of Grazie and its historic church - a site reach Ferrara. Under its ruling family, the Este, this of pilgrimage, it is adorned with an intriguing host of city state attracted architects, artists and scholars for wooden figures, personifying the many torments that centuries, pioneering town planning principles that pilgrims of yore could identify with. A cruise on a local have been emulated worldwide ever since. To this barge takes us home through a waterscape rich in day, Ferrara University ranks among the best, and birdlife, lilies and other aquatic flora. This afternoon the town is dubbed the ''Cycling Capital of Italy". A we meet our Mantuan guide for a walking tour of the private bus and trailer take us back to our floating historic centre, and enjoy the rest of the day in town, hotel in Zelo, a sleepy village on the Canal Bianco, at our own leisure. the waterway which runs parallel to the Po. Day 8 Day 6 Mantua Departure after breakfast. Zelo – Mantua (50 km) This morning we head for the ______The programme has village of Bergantino, home of the distinctive Museum been planned to feature navigation along the Fissero/ of Fairground Rides and its collection of street Bianco canal, which runs parallel to the Po and organs, all expertly restored and thunderous!. connects Mantua to the Adriatic Sea. Due to However, first things first. We are in the heartland of organisational reasons, weather conditions or Grana Padano – the archrival of Parmesan and after provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary visiting a local cheese factory, we enjoy a may be subject to some changes before and/or degustazione of sharp and seasoned Grana, washed during the holiday. Issues with high and low water, as down with a glass of Valpolicella. After our customary well as logistic obstacles such as officially ordered - picnic lunch, we leave Bergantino and follow the river previously not announced - repair work on locks or to , famed for its medieval fortress and the bridges can modify some of the daily stretches or fierce fighting that took place here in 1945, as the overnight stays and may even request a transfer by Allies and partisans drove Hitler's forces back. We bus. These decisions are only taken by the boat’s ride on and rejoin our barge at Governolo Lock, captain. where Mantua's River Mincio flows into the Po. Veering north, we cruise through the lush wetlands that finally emerge into the glorious "lakes" of Mantua.

Day 7

Mantua round tour (35 km) Ruled by the House of Gonzaga for four centuries, the city state of Mantua has attracted a host of famous names across the arts – from Rubens and Mantegna to Monteverdi and Mozart. Up until this very day the town is renowned

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