Southern Alps
a climbing paradise
End of June 2027
Cycling in the Southern French Alps (spanning regions like the Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, and the Maritime Alps down toward the Côte d'Azur) offers some of the most legendary, dramatic, and sun-drenched road riding in Europe. Compared to the Northern Alps, the southern region is characterized by wilder, more remote landscapes, rugged rock formations, significantly less traffic, and a longer riding season influenced by the Mediterranean climate.
This trip will be a point to point tour starting and finishing in Nice and lasting seven nights. At the time of writing the final itinerary and route is still being finalised but here are just a few of the potntial climbs youll be tackling . . .
Key Legendary Climbs
Cime de la Bonette: (pictured above) Reaching an staggering 2,802 meters, this is the highest paved through-road in France.
Col d'Izoard: Famous for its contrasting landscapes.
Col du Galibier (Southern Approach): from the Col du Lautaret puts you face-to-face with raw, snow-capped peaks and the breathtaking, high-altitude amphitheater of the central Alps.
Col de la Cayolle & Col d'Allos: Often looped together with the Col de Vars, these classic southern passes offer flowing descents and narrow cliff-side roads carved directly into rock faces.
Col de Turini & Col de Braus (Maritime Alps): Situated closer to the coast behind Nice, these cols are famous for their tight, stacked geometric hairpin turns.
““Highly recommend Viva Velo - I worked closely with Dyll to create a bespoke 6 day package for a small corporate group. The planning process was well managed and easy, no request was inconvenient, and the trip itself was fantastic. Amanda and Trevor looked after our group extremely well and they had a brilliant time. A big thank you to all the team!””
The Passo Manghen which features on Day 1 of our trip Photo by Jiří Příplata Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
As to the cycling, the route will climb over the Passo Manghen - much beloved of the Giro d’Italia. We will stay in Tesero for a couple of nights and take on the Passi di Pampeago. Next day will see us climb the the Passo di Rolle before rounding up the trip in the last two days with various ascents of Monte Grappa. While there will be alternative routes offering harder and easier options this trip is not one for the feint hearted but if you like climbing in beautiful scenery it’s a must.
What you get
- Quality accommodation in a variety of 3 star hotels
- Five evening meals are included
- Return transfers to Venice Marco Polo airport for you and your bike
- Daily choice of rides
- Full vehicle support to transport your luggage
- Full itinerary and route information in advance
- GPX files on request
price
Early Adopter Price (6 minimum) £1516 (7 nights)
This is based on 2 sharing a twin room and does not include flights*, lunches or drinks although the following are available on request:
Single room supplement – £177 per person
Bike Hire - POA
Please note that all prices quoted above are based on current estimate of costs, contain a 10% contingency and are without early adopter discount. The final price paid will depend on the number of participants and the confirmation of prices with suppliers. This means the final price paid will almost certainly be lower.
itinerary
Our Southern Dolomites Tour will run over 7 nights and the prices on this page are based on that. We wil stay at the excellent Garden Relais Hotel in Borso del Grappa when you arrive and then again for two nights at the end of the tour. In between we'll visit Levico Terme, Panchia (for two nights) and Feltre. Exact routes are available on application
The summit of the Passo Rolle. Photo by Ulflulfl GNU Free Documentation License