BESPOKE CIOCIARIA GOURMET CYCLE TOURS. SEPTEMBER 2024
Images ABOVE:
Monastero di Sant Erasmus, Veroli | The Comino Valley (Val di Comino) | the ancient village of Atina | cycling around Atina and the Comino Valley.
A 7-night/8-day gourmet cycling experience through the ‘undiscovered’ region of Ciociaria in central Italy - just an hour south of Rome, it’s a whole world away.
All-inclusive package for AUD$4,997 per person based on double-bed room. Single Supplement $790.
Unique boutique accommodation in a 1,000 year old Benedictine monastery and a 16th Century palazzo in the hilltop and picturesque villages of Veroli & Atina.
Scenic and light traffic cycling routes through the Apennine Mountains and valleys of Ciociaria, featuring three full-day and two half-day cycles.
Package includes pick up from Rome at a designated hotel (to be advised) and return.
Tour groups limited to maximum 10 guests.
Choose between two tour dates for 2024:
Sunday 8 - Sunday 15 September 2024
Sunday 15 - Sunday 22 September 2024
September is Autumn in Italy, providing an ideal experience of local harvests & fresh produce as well as the beginning of the wine vintage season during low tourism season. The weather in the Apennine Mountains will be around 18-25 degrees Celsius, sunny days and a little cooler in the evenings.
Scroll down for more details on the itinerary and tour images.
IMAGES ABOVE:
Scenes from the 1,000 year old Benedictine monastery in Veroli, as well as the medieval streets of Veroli, the Casa Mari Abbey, hike & picnic lunch in a Ciociarian forest.
ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS:
o Unique accommodation in a 1,000 year old monastery and a 16th century palazzo. Double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.
o Hilltop villages of Veroli & Atina, both with breathtaking scenery and layers of ancient history.
o Cultural & Gourmet experiences hosted by Paolo & Kelly Picarazzi of Antica Australis & Antica Travel Co.
o Cycling tour host Colin Bransgrove, Bespoke Cycle Tours.
o Guided tours of both Veroli & Atina for you to ‘feel at home’.
o Three full-day cycles and two half day cycles.
o Half day forest hike.
o Fresh produce Market Day visit.
o Archaeological site & museum visits.
ITINERARY INCLUSIONS:
o Return transfers from Rome. All transfers within itinerary.
o All breakfast, lunches and dinners provided (excl. one free night)
o E-bikes & touring bikes hire.
o All museum entries.
o Welcome Dinner @ local trattoria specialising in local cuisine, house wine inclusive.
o Additional pizza in the garden & local trattoria experiences, local wine inclusive.
o Dinner @ a local truffle restaurant (wine exclusive).
o One free evening to experience local trattorias & wine bars at own pace.
o Farewell Dinner with Wine Tasting & Matched Wines at local vineyard.
o Sparkling breakfast on departure.
o We have also included tips for our transfer drivers & dining experiences as part of your package.
EXCLUSIONS:
All flights, Rome accommodation, laundry, selected bottles of wine and personal discretionary spending are the responsibility of individual guests.
Scroll down for a daily outline of the tour itinerary and more tour scenes.
IMAGES ABOVE:
The ancient fortified village of Atina - a significant site for both the ancient Samnite and Roman civilisations. The Palazzo del Senatore at the impressive entrance to the village.
ITINERARY OVERVIEW*
DAY ONE - SUNDAY
Pick up from designated hotel in Rome at 11am and transfer to Veroli in the Ciociaria region [1.5 hours]. Light lunch on the garden terrace of Monastero di Sant Erasmo where we will be staying, followed by an accompanied walk through the medieval village of Veroli (once also an important and Samnite and Roman town). Welcome Dinner at a local trattoria specialising in Ciociarian cuisine, with local house wine inclusive.
DAY TWO - MONDAY
Guided walking tour of Veroli with a local archeologist, including visit to the museum underneath the main piazza with the remains of the original ancient Roman forum. Half-day cycle to the Abbey of Casa Mari with lunch provided. Casual dinner of pizza on the garden terrace of the monastery, with local house wine inclusive.
DAY THREE - TUESDAY
Walking excursion of Veroli’s fresh produce markets held once a week. Followed by a Ciociarian forest hike & picnic lunch plus visit to Trisulti Monastery. Dinner at a local forest truffle restaurant (set menu with wine exclusive and at own purchase).
DAY FOUR - WEDNESDAY
Transfer from Veroli to hilltop village of Atina and check into the extraordinary 16th Century Palazzo di Senatore, still a family home with one wing dedicated to a 12-room boutique hotel. An accompanied walk around Atina (it only takes 15 minutes to circumnavigate it!) is followed by a light lunch on the palazzo terrace. Then a half-day cycle in the Atina countryside surrounds. Dinner at a local trattoria specialising in produce from the Comino Valley, with local house wine inclusive.
DAY FIVE - THURSDAY
Full-day cycle around Atina with lunch provided. Afternoon aperitivo at a local bar and dinner at a local trattoria, with local house wine inclusive.
DAY SIX - FRIDAY
Full-day cycle around Atina with lunch provided. A free evening to make your own arrangements for dinner - choose from a range of local trattorias and small bars with garden terraces. We will help you decide on your preference and navigate menus and ordering.
DAY SEVEN - SATURDAY
Full-day cycle around Atina with lunch provided. Option available to skip cycling and take a walking tour of Atina’s historical Medieval places as well as ancient Samnite & Roman archeological sites. Farewell Dinner at local vineyard with Wine Tasting and Set Menu with matched wines.
DAY EIGHT - SUNDAY
Sparkling Breakfast @ the Palazzo and transfer to Rome. Depart 8.30am and arrival in Rome approx. 10.30am.
*ITINERARY SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
Please note that Ciociaria is a developing tourism region and not everything always follows the exact flow of the itinerary. Trust that we will cover all the itinerary highlights, expect the unexpected and embrace a little spontaneity as we go along!
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS:
Vegetarian preferences can be catered for. No seafood is provided as the region is in the mountains. Please note this is a remote region and we will be unable to cater for any additional dietary requests such as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or allergies.
STAYING IN ROME:
We recommend staying in Rome for 1-2 days prior to joining us and perhaps another few days following the tour.
We can recommend staying at the Hotel Santa Maria in Trastevere - we personally love it and our guests have enjoyed it too.
You may also like:
The Hotel de Russie (between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps).
Forty Seven Boutique Hotel (near the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum).
ANTICA AUSTRALIS, CARCOAR
For a truly unique introduction to the cuisine & history of Ciociaria in central Italy before you join us on tour, we recommend visiting Paolo & Kelly Picarazzi at their award-winning Ciociarian locanda - Antica Australis - in the village of Carcoar in regional NSW prior for an a taste of what to expect.
Antica Australis was named ‘one of the ten best regional restaurants in Australia worth travelling for’ by Travel + Luxury magazine in 2023 and SBS Italian declared it was ‘the Ciociarian slow-food locanda that is conquering Australia’.
A small & intimate dining venue, reservations are usually best made at least 2-3 weeks in advance.
Antica Travel Co. is our cultural travel experience subsidiary of the Antica Australis cultural dining experience.
We are delighted to be partnering with Colin Bransgrove of Bespoke Cycle Tours for the Bespoke Ciociaria Gourmet Cycle Tour experiences.
Paolo & Kelly Picarazzi.
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