Italy/Austria - Innsbruck to Lake Garda

Day 1: Innsbruck

Arrive at your leisure in Innsbruck, easily reached by train from Munich or Salzburg • Explore the picturesque alpine city, home of the ‘64 and ‘76 Olympics, taking in highlights such as the House with the Golden Roof and the Hofburg Castle on a guided afternoon walk • This evening we'll gather for a grand welcome dinner (D)

Day 2: Imst

Today is the only day that our destination rests at a higher altitude than our starting point! • Mount up for your first ride as you follow a bike trail gently upstream along the Inn River, crossing it several times • Enjoy predominately flat terrain as we pass through village after quaint village, including Stams, home to a 1273 Cistercian abbey • Our ride culminates with a climb to the delightful town of Imst, whose picturesque center boasts over 30 fountains (B, L, D)

Day 3: Burgeis

We begin the day with a scenic 1.5-hour drive along the Upper-Inn valley via the Finstermünzpass Gorge to the triple border of Austria, Switzerland and Italy • Here you can choose whether you wish to start biking in Nauders (5 km before the border and the top of the hill), or whether you prefer to start at the very top of Reschen Pass • Be sure to take a picture of the mysterious-looking campanile of the old church of Curon sticking out of Resia Lake • In Burgeis, check out the beautiful 12th century Romanesque frescoes at the Marienberg Monastery crypt (B)

Day 4: Merano

Enjoy a morning of breezy downhills, reminding yourself to slow down to take in the jaw-dropping panoramas that unfold around you • Snap photos of the Parochial church perched just outside the walls of the small fortified village of Glurns • Visit the San Procolo church in Naturns, home to magnificent eighth century frescos, the oldest in the German-speaking world • Stroll the white-marble village of Laas and immerse yourself in a world of minature trains in Rabland • The day culminates in the aristocratic spa town of Merano, famous for its picturesque promenades, towering cathedrals and lush gardens (B, L, D)

Day 5: Merano

This morning we pedal a peaceful bike path bordering the Passeiertal Valley • In Sankt Leonard, a charming hilltop Tyrolean village, visit the folk art Passeier Museum, where you can enjoy an exhibit on the Tyrolean freedom fighter Andreas Hofer and explore old farmsteads typical of the region • Today you will also have the option to trade your cycling shoes for your walking boots to explore the magnificent esplanades in and above Merano (B)

Day 6: Bolzano

A short day in the saddle today leaves ample time to explore the surrounding sites, including Sigmundskron Castle and the MMM Firmian Museum founded by mountaineer Reinhold Messner • In the lively town of Bolzano, we’ll visit the Museum of Archaeology, where the famous Ötzi is on display; this well-preserved mummified corpse was found in 1991, after spending 5300 years frozen in Alpine ice! • Marvel at the pink sandstone and multicolored roof tiles of the village Duomo (cathedral) • For more views of the Dolomites, opt to take the cable car from Bolzano to Soprabolzano and the cog railway onward to Collalbo (B, D)

Day 7: Trento

This morning we tackle one of our few uphill rides along a railway track-turned bike path leading to the famous wine village of Kaltern, where your efforts are rewarded with the option of a tasting • Coast downhill via the pristine Lake Kaltern back to the Adige River • Wine connoisseurs will want to take the detour via Tramin, named after the succulent and spicy Treminer grape • Next we leave behind the German-speaking lands and arrive in Trento, whose Duomo was once the meeting ground for the Council of Trent • The remains of the old Roman town of Tridentum, complete with mosaic floors and a water heating system, remind us of the golden olden days (B, L)

Day 8: Riva del Garda

Today we follow another set of bike paths along the Adige River to Rovereto, whose surrounding mountains were heavily fought over during WWI • Another former railway track leads us over a lower pass to an awesome descent upon the deep blue Lago di Garda, Italy’s largest lake • This afternoon you’ll have time to explore the beaches, castles and piazzas of the charming lakeside village of Riva del Garda (B)

Day 9: Riva del Garda

Today's loop takes us on a bike trail along the Sarca River (which feeds Lake Garda) to the peaceful towns of Arco, Dro and Drena • Dro is renowned for its fruit, especially its plums, which flourish in the region’s mild climate • Citron, palm, lemon, orange and olive trees complete the picture and offer the perfect shade to enjoy a freshfruit roadside snack • Today you will also have the option to take a cable car from the picturesque town of Malcesine up to the top of Monte Baldo for superb mountain views (B, D)

Day 10: Verona

After breakfast, a scenic transfer along Lake Garda takes you to Verona where you will be dropped off whenever you please – at your hotel, the airport or the train station • If you have time in Verona, be sure to visit Juliet’s Tomb in the Capuchin cloisters, adjourning the little church in which Romeo and Juliet were married (B)