Monte Grappa & Southern Dolomites
Road Cycling Holidays in the Dolomites
- Fully supported road cycling holiday exploring the sublime southern Dolomites and Monte Grappa region of Italy
- Cycle the majestic Passo Manghen, Passo di Pampeago, Passo Rolle and Croce d’Aune
- Be spoilt for choice with two-to four routes each day including optional extra climbs for those wanting more of a challenge
- Opportunity to tackle up to four of the different ascents of Monte Grappa
- Enjoy a warm welcome in wonderful hotels experienced at looking after hungry cyclists
- Convenient, short transfers from/to Venice Marco Polo and Treviso Airports, with many European and transcontinental flights
- Ride at your own pace with exceptional support from two of our fun, expert and proactive guides focused on making your holiday the very best it can be, along with two of our customised support vans
Days on the bike
Excellent - I had high hopes for this holiday, yet it somehow exceeded almost all of my expectations. I can't rate the holiday more highly, nor adequately express my gratitude for such a wonderful week.
Andrew S
Introduction
Monte Grappa is one of Italy’s greatest road cycling climbs and is a stalwart of the Giro d’Italia, featuring most recently in 2024. There are several ascents, all of them great climbs. Adorned with a vast memorial to the soldiers who lost their lives on the mountain during the Great War, Monte Grappa is also a place of historical significance and an Italian national treasure. Slightly isolated from the rest of the Dolomites with forested slopes, an exposed summit, and several routes to the top, it is often likened to Mt Ventoux in France. Certainly, the views across the Massif Grappa over the Prosecco hills towards the Venetian lagoon are breathtaking.
We have meticulously crafted a circular route for this holiday, starting and finishing at the same hotel located near the base of the mighty mountain. This is a great week, including some of the lesser-known, but incredibly worthwhile climbs of the southern Dolomites. You can enjoy the magnificent, limestone scenery the Dolomites are renowned for, without the crowds found elsewhere. If you enjoy cycling through stunning mountain vistas, generally quiet roads, and are up for a challenge, then this holiday is for you! Due to the nature and length of the climbs, the Classic route averages out at 74km with 1750m of ascent per day, but with some tactical lifts in our support vehicles, this can be reduced. The daily Challenge route averages 100km, with 2570m of ascent.
As with all our flexible pace road cycling tours, this is your holiday, and we’re here to support you as an individual. We don’t insist that everyone rides as a group; you’re free to cycle at your preferred speed – solo, or with other riders at a similar pace to yourself. You’re welcome to stop when you want, and to make the day your own. With our expert support team in customised vehicles (along with our Route Buddy App), we’ll provide you with all the moral, nutritional, and mechanical support you require to achieve your cycling holiday goals. All you have to do is eat, sleep, cycle, and enjoy the impressive scenery – we’ll take care of the rest!
It is important to us that you book the right holiday for you, so please take a look at the Trip Notes for the full details on how this holiday works; daily stats, food, accommodation, transfers, and so on.
Foreign travel advice
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Departure Dates & Prices
2026
Discount Information
We are pleased to offer some tempting discounts off the basic trip cost (not including extras such as single rooms or bike hire):
- Book & pay your deposit more than 6 months in advance of the start of your holiday for our 5% early bookers discount
- Get a group of 10+ people together for a 7.5% group discount and, as the group organiser, receive a £150 voucher for your next holiday
- Be rewarded for your loyalty by receiving a 10% discount from your 3rd Marmot trip onwards
Please note that there is a maximum 10% discount on any holiday.
Map
Itinerary
Day 0: Arrival day
We offer transfers from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) and Treviso Airport (TSF), a journey of 1 hour or 50 minutes respectively. It’s also possible to travel independently by train as our hotel is a 15-minute taxi ride from Bassano del Grappa railway station. Comprehensive travel advice (essential reading before booking your flights or trains) can be found in our Trip Notes.
Your cycling holiday starts and finishes in the idyllic Garden Relais Hotel, which is located in the countryside between Semonzo and Borso del Grappa. If you arrive in the morning, there’s possibly time for an unsupported ride up Monte Grappa (1738m) from Romano d’Ezzelino, which is the easier of the climbs.
Once hire bikes have been set up or you’ve assembled your own bike, you’ll be able to meet your fellow riders and guides’ over dinner in the hotel’s popular restaurant.
Day 1: Borso del Grappa to Levico Terme via Asiago
Your destination today is the town of Levico Terme, popular with tourists and made famous due to its thermal baths and lakes, which are both within walking distance of our hotel.
Today’s ride is delightfully varied and is the perfect way to warm up your legs for the more challenging days ahead. We start by passing through the centre of the historic town of Bassano del Grappa, riding over its Ponte Degli Alpini, the beautiful covered wooden bridge. From here, we follow the River Brenta for 15 km before climbing out of the valley on a series of tight switchbacks to Foza (1080m). For the next 35 km, you undulate over the high Asiago plateau, which is dominated by a memorial to the soldiers who lost their lives in the Great War. You’ll climb gently over the Passo di Vezzena (1402m) to Menador (1267m), where you descend on a narrow road with spectacular views.
For those wanting a bit more cycling, there is the option of taking in a lovely tour of Lago di Lévico and Lago di Caldonazzo, or tackling the Passo del Compet (1382m) for some stunning views of the Stelvio mountain range in the distance (which we explore on our Stelvio & Eastern Switzerland holiday).
Classic route: 90km with 1610m ascent [ride profile]
Harder route: 111km with 1780m ascent [ride profile]
Challenge route: 120km with 2600m ascent [ride profile]
Day 2: Levico Terme to Val di Fiemme via Passo Manghen
The Passo Manghen (2047m) is, in our opinion, the most beautiful alpine pass in eastern Trentino and another favourite of the Giro d’Italia. With 23km of unspoilt mountain scenery, this relatively quiet mountain pass is a highlight of this holiday.
Our route starts by descending to Castelnuovo through the orchards on the well-surfaced Valsugana cycle path. Here we turn north and climb through the forest to the high pastures, with views of rugged peaks providing a sense of isolation – and adventure ahead! The descent to Molina is equally impressive, where we join the Val di Fiemme cycle path for the first time to climb gently to our hotel in Panchià, where we spend the next two nights.
As always, we give you the opportunity to extend your ride and today, you can do so by detouring up the Castello Tesino (863m) from Grigno. You’ll be rewarded with even more switchbacks and glorious views!
Classic route: 72km with 1870m ascent [ride profile]
Challenge route: 113km with 2510m ascent [ride profile]
Day 3: Passo di Pampeago from Panchià
One look at today’s ride stats and you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a relatively easy day. However, they don’t take into account the gradients! The Passo di Pampeago is a seriously challenging, but truly fantastic climb. It is effectively an access track for the ski lifts, which has been recently surfaced for cyclists. In this way, it could be compared to the Col de la Loze in the Northern French Alps – virtually traffic-free with fluctuating gradients and mega views!
We take on the climb from the Obergummer side, which has two approaches: the longer, steeper Passo di Pampeago (1996m) from Hotel Mondschein and the more manageable Passo di Pampeago (1996m) from Novale. Whichever route you take, the Passo di Lavazè (1808m), with its views of the towering peaks of the Dolomites, must be tackled first.
The afternoon can be spent recovering in the hotel spa (with sauna, hot tub and relaxation pool), or you can explore a bit more of the beautiful Val di Fiemme cycle path.
Classic route: 45km with 1660m ascent [ride profile]
Challenge route: 53km with 2000m ascent [ride profile]
Day 4: Val di Fiemme to Feltre via the Southern Dolomites
Whichever route you choose, today is going to be off the charts! Your destination is the medieval town of Feltre, which has a wealth of historic sights and is often overlooked by tourists heading for the higher Dolomites.
You begin the day climbing gently on the Val di Fiemme cycle path to Predazzo, which is the start of the engineering masterpiece of the Passo Rolle (1984m). It is a long climb, but jaw-dropping views of the surrounding limestone peaks will be a welcome distraction as you turn the pedals. Part way up, there is the option of detouring up the glorious Passo di Valles (2032m).
What goes up must come down and while the 60km descent to the hotel might be tempting, the Passo di Cereda (1369m) is a very worthwhile addition to your route, if you’ve got enough gas in the tank. This winding road leads to a remote rural area rarely visited by tourists, and takes you through a spectacular gorge to the Lago del Mis.
Tonight’s dinner is not included in the cost of your holiday so you can enjoy exploring the town and choose dinner in one of the many fine restaurants on offer.
Easier route: 86km with 1070m ascent [ride profile]
Classic route: 99km with 1550m ascent [ride profile]
Harder route: 116km with 1020m ascent [ride profile]
Challenge route: 130km with 2500m ascent [ride profile]
Day 5: Feltre to Borso del Grappa via Monte Grappa
Monte Grappa (1738m) dominates the final two days of this road cycling holiday, and the northern ascent from Caupo is a wonderful, undulating climb.
The mountain was the site of several bloody battles in the First World War and when you reach Cima Grappa (the summit), you’ll be struck by the immense war memorial and ossuary. Trenches and tunnels cover the mountainside, and the Sanctuary of the Madonnina del Grappa is a stark reminder of the horrors of war. It is a spectacular viewpoint overlooking the Prosecco hills, and the plains towards Venice.
Today’s optional extra is the Croce d’Aune (1015m). It’s not the highest or steepest climb of the holiday, but it’s pretty significant in cycling history! It was on this climb in 1924, when Tullio Campagnolo got a puncture and was so frustrated by how long it took to fix, that it led to him inventing the quick-release skewer and the Campagnolo brand.
Classic route: 67km with 1850m ascent [ride profile]
Challenge route: 95km with 2550m ascent [ride profile]
Day 6: Monte Grappa!
The tricky decision today is which ascent to do, as they are all epic! Monte Grappa (1738m) from Semonzo is the most popular route, known for its tight hairpin bends and steep sections (up to 14%). However, over the 19.5km climb, the average is 8%, so that gives you some perspective! If you’re not keen on the sound of these gradients, then Monte Grappa (1738m) from Romano d’Ezzelino is a slightly easier option (and favoured by the Giro), with an average of 5.9% over the 26km climb, the steepest sections being 10%.
From Cima Grappa, there’s a great, narrow, undulating road that follows the ridge to the east. It links the important military sites and commands breathtaking views towards the Dolomites in the east and the Alps in the west. Descending on this road is a fantastic way to end your week of road cycling in Italy.
Relaxing by the hotel pool is an excellent ways to spend the afternoon, but Monte Grappa has another treat for those wanting even more of a serious cycling challenge. The Salto della Capra (1390m), (literally ‘Goat’s Leap’ climb) is up there with the Alto de l’Angliru, Passo di Mortirolo and Monte Zoncolan in terms of brutality! With 30 hairpin bends carved out of the mountainside and gradients of up to 20%, you’ll be elated to see the iconic goat weathervane waiting for you after 10km. This climb will certainly test your mettle!
Easier route: 50km with 1600m ascent [ride profile]
Classic route: 72km with 1980m ascent [ride profile]
Harder route: 64km with 1970m ascent [ride profile]
Challenge route: 92km with 3280m ascent [ride profile]
Day 7: Departure day
After six days of wonderful cycling, exploring this beautiful part of Italy, and making memories, it’s home time, which we’re sure your legs will be pleased to hear! We offer transfers from the hotel to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) and Treviso Airport (TSF) at specified times.
Full travel advice and our group airport transfer arrangements (essential reading before booking your flights) can be found in our Trip Notes.
Trip Album
