Upon arrival in Venice take the vaporetto (water-bus) or water taxi to Giudecca Island where the boat is moored. Your cabin will be available from 4.30pm and the tour leader & crew will host a welcome meeting at 6.30pm. Time allowing you can saviour Venice for a walk around after dinner, but don’t worry if not as there will be plenty of time to explore the city.

In the morning a local guide will show us around the city pointing out the highlights and providing us with some background information and history. Afterwards the rest of the day is yours to wander where you will and absorb the atmosphere of this magical city. We highly recommend that you also take the time to return to the center in the evening when the day tourists have left and a more tranquil atmosphere pervades.

After breakfast we slip our moorings and cruise across the lagoon to Venice Lido, one of the long narrow islands protecting Venice from the open sea. Here we disembark and begin to cycle southwards enjoying marvelous sea views to our left. We’ll pass sumptuous villas and ornate hotels including the Grand Hotel des Bains, made famous in Thomas Mann’s novel ‘Death in Venice’. After a very short ferry crossing to the neighbouring island of Pellestrina we continue our ride past, small cottages and fishing boats to the Ca’ Roman nature reserve. We re-board the boat just in front of the small town of Chioggia, also called ‘little Venice’, at the southern corner of the Venetian Lagoon. We moor here for the night.

After breakfast a visit to Chioggia’s frenetic fish market is highly recommended before mounting up and cycling out of Chioggia into the serenity of the Po Delta wetlands. This unique and unspoilt landscape is home to a variety of wild fowl including herons and a colony of flamingos. Riding along the quiet paths and lanes of this pristine wilderness is an unforgettable experience. We spend the night in the ancient port town of Adria, so named because it was once connected by navigable channels to the Adriatic Sea.

Following a short cruise we disembark with the bikes and ride through open countryside and small charming villages to the medieval city of Ferrara. Cobbled streets and numerous beautiful palaces and castles dating from the 14th and 15th centuries have earned the city its ranking as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The jewel in Ferrara’s crown has to be the fascinating Castello Estense, a medieval castle complete with moat and drawbridge that is the centre-piece of this lovely old city. We then board a private bus to rendezvous with the boat at Zelo on the Canal Bianco. Weather permitting, an al-fresco meal in this lovely setting is an experience that will live long in the memory.

Today is the longest ride of the trip but the last few days will have more than prepared you for this enjoyable ride along a meandering cycle path that flirts with the River Po. The pleasant route leads us through charming villages such as Bergantino where we stop to visit a charming carousel and street entertainment museum, to Governolo a large lock at the point where the Mincio River flows into the mighty Po. Here we re-board the boat for a relaxing and scenic cruise up the Mincio to the Renaissance city of Mantova.

Our last day on the bikes consists of a relaxing ride around Mantova, its lakes, and the surrounding countryside. A local guide will lead us through the old town pointing out the main highlights. You will get used to hearing the name ‘Gonzaga’ as this powerful family ruled Mantova for nearly four centuries and are responsible for most of the stunning examples of renaissance architecture. The bustling centre of this ancient city is a wonderful place to lose yourself, wandering the many lanes and alleyways, perhaps culminating in a spell at one of the street cafes in the lovely central Piazza.

After breakfast it’s time to disembark, by 9am, and head for home or your next adventure.