Lake Garda Cycling Holidays

When you arrive at Sirmione on the southern tip of Lake Garda, you can ease into the lakeside atmosphere, checking into your hotel and enjoying the softness of the afternoon light over the water. The medieval center will appeal to you with its narrow historic lanes, the 14th-century Scaligero Castle framed by lake waves and old stone, and the tip of the peninsula offering expansive views of the lake. You can stroll the lakeside promenade, watch the ferry traffic, and sip a drink in the shade of olive and citrus trees as the peaks of the Alps shimmer on the horizon.

You will depart from Sirmione and follow increasingly peaceful lanes toward the lakeside town of Peschiera del Garda. From Peschiera, you will join quiet paths and minor roads tracing the eastern shore, passing through the fortified village, then on through vine-lined lanes and olive groves toward Monte Moscal, where the terrain lifts gently. After this higher section, you will descend toward the town of Garda, arriving by late afternoon along shaded roads and cycling tracks.

Today, you will depart from Garda town and climb away from the lakeshore, heading into the quieter upper terrain of the Ciclovia della Valle dell'Adige via the Adige Valley. You will trace the river’s corridor, surrounded by vineyards and apple orchards, on largely protected cycle paths and minor roads. Arriving near Mori, you will pivot back toward Lake Garda via a dedicated link track—the Mori–Torbole bike path—which carries you through the nature reserve around Lake Loppio, then over Passo San Giovanni and down into the northern lake basin. The final descent delivers you to Torbole.

You’ll depart from Torbole and begin the day heading into the upper reaches of the northern lake basin of Lake Garda. The route will carry you along narrow, elevated lanes that hug rock faces, carved tunnels offering dramatic views below and out across the lake. Then, you'll continue toward the valley of Lago di Ledro, following quieter side roads and cycling paths among olive groves and mixed forest. The final leg will lead you toward the tranquil shores of Ponte Caffaro beside Lago d’Idro.

From Ponte Caffaro, you will follow the shoreline of Lago d’Idro, riding along the lakeside route past small towns like Idro. The terrain will stay mostly gentle here, with a mix of quiet roads and lakeside stretches. Near Nozza, you will follow the valley southwest, gradually leaving the wilder feel of the upper lake behind as the route threads through Val Sabbia’s villages and cultivated slopes. As you approach Salò, the landscape will open once more onto Lake Garda, and you will finish the day on its western shore, with a more Mediterranean atmosphere replacing the alpine tone of Lago d’Idro.

From Salò, you will follow the curve of Lake Garda’s southern shore for most of the day, leaving the town along lakeside roads that guide you toward the peninsula of San Felice del Benaco with its small harbours, villas, and olive-lined bays. The route will keep the lake close at hand as you continue past lowheadlands and beaches toward the broader waterfront of Desenzano del Garda. Here, you will join a cycle path that leads you across the flatter southern basin of the lake, giving you a comfortable, largely traffic-reduced run back toward the Sirmione peninsula.

On your departure day from Sirmione, you can take a final slow morning on the peninsula, perhaps wandering once more through the historic centre beneath the towers of the Scaligero Castle or along the lakeside promenade with its views over southern Lake Garda. Depending on your schedule, you can fit in a short coffee in one of the small piazzas or simply sit by the water and watch the ferry traffic and castle walls that guard the tip of the town.