DAY 1

You are met mid-afternoon at the Cuneo train station and taken to your stunning hotel (45 minutes) just below Benevello. There is time to enjoy the pool and Jacuzzi before dinner.
Relais Villa d’Amelia, Benevello

DAY 2

Today is a perfect start to your biking adventure with a gentle ride along an open road with balcony views and hawks soaring high above the breathtaking Langhe countryside. You visit lovely Treiso, formerly a summer retreat for Alba’s noble families, before reaching Barbaresco for lunch and cheese-tasting in the piazza. Try some wine too in the enoteca (wine shop), housed in a 19th-century church built by the locals in thanks for a good grape harvest! Time to visit Neive, officially one of Italy’s prettiest villages and home of Romano Levi, a renowned grappa maker, before a panoramic climb through Moscato vines to Claudia’s lovely hotel in Castiglione Tinella.
Albergo Castiglione, Castiglione Tinella

DAY 3

Castiglione is a great place to spend a lazy day, especially lounging by the hotel’s panoramic pool. However, a short journey away is Acqui Terme, a spa town since Roman times, with two major thermal centers. Or you can head across to the Spumante capital of Asti, with its quaint cobbled historic center—each September the main piazza is home to an unleashed Palio horse race that rivals Siena’s!
Albergo Castiglione, Castiglione Tinella

DAY 4

The day starts with an exhilarating whizz through vineyards to Castagnole delle Lanze. From here you pedal along the banks of the gently meandering River Tanaro, where herons and fisherman jostle for the best catch from its limpid waters. There is time to explore the cobbled streets and bustling piazza of chocolate-perfumed Alba (Ferrero Rocher chocolates come from here!). You continue on to Grinzane Cavour where a warm welcome awaits at the elegant Casa Pavesi.
Casa Pavesi, Grinzane Cavour

DAY 5

Explore the castle—a wine tasting is on offer here too. Then perhaps visit nearby Brà, a gastronomic treasure trove where the Slow Food movement was initiated—so, ample choices for a long, lazy lunch. There is a lot to explore in the town too, including the 18th-century Rococo church and the strange octagonal structure known as the “Zizzola,” where local witches purportedly held their meetings. Alternatively, the Banca del Vino (Wine Bank) in Pollenzo (a wine center operated by the adjacent University of Gastronomics) merits a visit—highly informative and superb value tastings.
Casa Pavesi, Grinzane Cavour

DAY 6

You cycle first through sunflower fields to Roddi, whose 13th-century castle was once a family home of Pico della Mirandola, the Renaissance humanist. Then continue onto Barolo, an ochre-hued village perched above its world-famous vineyards—the tangle of medieval streets are dominated by the Marchesi Falletti’s 11th-century castle. Pedaling on through archetypal Langhe countryside to Monforte d’Alba, whose picturesque honey-colored old town seems to cling enchantingly to the hillside. Your hotel here is equally lovely.
Villa Beccaris, Monforte d’Alba

DAY 7

You might not want to leave your gorgeous 18th-century villa hotel with private swimming pool, but medieval Monforte is well worth the effort. It’s a lively town with attractive buildings grouped around an atmospheric cobbled piazza. Maybe strike out a little farther to Dogliani, dominated by its beautiful onion-domed church and famous for being at the heart of Dolcetto wine production.
Villa Beccaris, Monforte d’Alba

DAY 8

Your final cycling day starts with a gentle coast along the Rea valley before a short climb takes you to a stunningly panoramic ridge, weaving through fields of wildflowers and sleepy hamlets to Serravalle Langhe—a great lunch spot with belvedere (literally “beautiful views”). Onwards, you pedal alongside chestnut-tree flanked hills with delightful vistas once more to reach your beautiful country hotel at Benevello.
Relais Villa d’Amelia, Benevello

DAY 9

You are transferred back to the Cuneo train station early morning to make train connections for your onward travels.

Itinerary Changes

Please bear in mind that this is a typical itinerary, and the actual activities, sites, and accommodations may vary due to season, special events, weather, or transportation schedules. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary since tour arrangements are made up to a year in advance, and unforeseen circumstances that mandate change may arise. Itinerary changes are made to improve the tour and your experience.

Nights 1 & 8

Relais Villa d’Amelia
Benevello, Italy

A restored 19th-century villa (and a member of the “Small Luxury Hotels of the World”), just outside the village of Benevello. Guestrooms in this luxurious hotel are contemporary in design, with neutral colors, beech and leather furnishings. Situated on a ridge among lush woods and Langa hazelnut groves over 2,000 feet in elevation, the site offers breathtaking views of the imposing Monviso Alps, and the nearby hamlet of Manera has several shops and restaurants.

Nights 2 & 3

Albergo Castiglione
Castiglione Tinella, Italy

An intimate, family-run country-house hotel in the pleasant village of Castiglione Tinella. Comfortable rooms are individually decorated in pastel colors. A short walk from the hotel is a hilltop panoramic swimming pool, also with sauna and steam bath, with truly breathtaking 360-degree views, with the Alps in the distance, and on very clear days, views of Mont Blanc. Also with an original wine cellar where the owner’s Moscato d’Asti, one of the region’s best, can be tasted.

Nights 4 & 5

Hotel Casa Pavesi
Grinzane Cavour, Italy

An elegantly restored four-star hotel located in the center of the hamlet of Grinzane Cavour. Individually decorated rooms are spacious and opulent. Two exposed-beam reading rooms have comfy inviting couches and a bar, and an outdoor terrace has broad views of the surrounding countryside. Grinzane Cavour is dominated by its elegant 11th-century castle, once the home of 19th-century politician Camillo Cavour and now Piedmont’s first regional wine cellar; tours and wine purchases are available.

Nights 6 & 7

Villa Beccaris
Monforte d’Alba, Italy

Perched above the honey-colored village of Monforte d’Alba, this restored 18th-century villa has views of surrounding hills, vineyards, and towns. The hotel is set in a manicured park and gardens, with a sun-filled conservatory. Guestrooms are elegantly decorated in traditional style with antique furnishings. Monforte, originally Roman in origin, has charming narrow streets and is known for its Nebbiolo grape production and summertime jazz festival.

Please note that this is a sample hotel itinerary for this tour. While these exact hotels are featured on most departures, we occasionally reserve other hotels of similar style and quality. If you are currently booked on a Country Walkers adventure, a hotel itinerary has been sent to you for your exact departure date. Please call Country Walkers at 800.464.9255 if you have any questions about the exact hotels selected for any of our tours.