Italian Factories Tour

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This is the ultimate riding experience for motorcycle and car lovers. A tour of Northern Italy - visiting:
- the Ducati Museum in Bologna,
- the Ferrari Galleria in Maranello,
- the Moto Guzzi Museum in Mandello,
- the Aprilia Factory in Noale,
- the Morbidelli museum in Pesaro and
- the Benelli Museum also in Pesaro.
Between each stop there are hundreds of twisties, kilometres of curves as we cross the Appennini mountain chain where racing champions like Valentino Rossi learned to ride. Our tour takes us along the foot­hills of the Dolomites, next to the shores of Lake Garda, and through the Tuscan countryside.

Day 1 - Arrive in Milan
Free transfer to the hotel where you will meet with the guide and collect your rental bike. Welcome dinner and briefing with your tour leader.

Day 2 - Milano - Maranello - Futa Pass - (200 kms)
Depart from Milan and travel to Maranello, roughly 200 kilometers, to visit the first of this tour's highlights: the Ferrari Gallery. After our visit and lunch we will continue on one of the most enjoyable roads that crosses the Appennini mountain chain, towards the Futa Pass for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 - Passo della Futa - Fiesole (Florence) - (100 kms)
After breakfast we will ride to Firenze where we will have a free afternoon to explore the city. Dinner and overnight in Fiesole, one of the beautiful Firenze suburbs, overlooking the city.

Day 4 - Fiesole - Pesaro - The Morbidelli Museum - (200 kms)
Morning ride to Pesaro, on the road through the Muraglione Pass, another famous road for Italian riders and 'Sunday racers'. We will then visit the Morbidelli Museum, a private collection of more than 300 wonderfully restored bikes, in a new building near the Benelli plant. Dinner with Benelli Club friends and a visit to the Benelli Museum.

Day 5 - Pesaro - The Ducati Factory and Museum - Bassano - (350 kms)
Today is the longest day of the tour. We will travel from Pesaro to Bologna, the home of the Ducati museum and factory. We will have lunch at the factory worker's restaurant and then depart to the Veneto region through the Delta of the Po, Italy's main river. Dinner and overnight in Bassano Del Grappa, a beautiful medieval town and World War II historical battlefield.

Day 6 - Bassano - Dolomite Region - The Aprilia Factory (200 kms)
A short morning ride will take us to the modern Aprilia factory in Noale. After lunch we will proceed to Trento and the beautiful Dolomite mountain region with dinner and overnight in the Alps.

Day 7 - Dolomites Region - Lovere (250 kms)
From the Dolomite region around Trento we will travel along sweeping roads to Lake Garda. After a coffee break along the largest Italian lake we will continue along the Iseo Lake for dinner and overnight in Lovere.

Day 8 - Lovere - Lake of Como - The Moto Guzzi Factory - Milan (250 kms)
The roads leading through the Italian Alps to Como Lake are a rider's paradise. We will have lunch on the shores of Lake Como and make an early afternoon visit to the historical Moto Guzzi factory in Mandello del Lario to admire the collection of this prestigious motorcycle company. The final ride back to Milan to return the bikes, followed by a farewell dinner in a typical Milanese restaurant.

Day 9 - Departure
Spend free time in Milan, the most cosmopolitan Italian city, before your return flight. Free transfer available to the airport.

Come and see the upcoming Mototouring departures.

Italian Factories Tour, what to do and what to see

  Italian Factories Tour

Bassano Del Grappa
Bassano del Grappa is a precious jewel, a city that has managed to skilfully combine respect for tradition and modern entrepreneurship. Symbolized by the famous Ponte degli Alpini, Bassano joins testimony to the medieval architecture of the Venetian era, all within the wonderful walls that mark the urban development of the city of Roman origin. Besides the bridge, by the great architect Andrea Palladio and symbol of an era, the tradition of fine ceramic products and D.O.C [...]  [photo: Wikipedia]  

Bologna
Bologna, a city of arcades, is a favorite destination among tourists, Italians and not, as it still preserves the charm of a big city in the past, rich in monuments and works of art. The downtown is really beautiful, one of the best preserved in Europe, full of ancient palaces, churches, works of art, reflecting the cultural relevance that Bologna has had over the centuries. It has 40 km of arcades, under which you can find a vibrant, multifaceted atmosphere. Many churches [...]  [photo: Wikipedia]  

Bologna - Borgo Panigale (Ducati)
The Ducati Museum presents the evolution of this famous Bolognese motorcycle firm. An exposition of motorcycles, period materials, projects, mechanical components, pictures and videos. [...]

Como Lake
Como Lake, with an area of 146 sq. km. is the third Italian lake for extension after Garda Lake and Lake Maggiore. Its characteristic inverted Y shape is given by the three branches: Colico north, south-east Lecco, Como in the south-west, with a total perimeter of 170Km. The lake is surrounded by mountains of which the highest is Mount Legnone (2609 m.), above Colico. The streams are 37 tributaries, among which the most important is the Adda, followed by Mera. The Adda is [...]  [photo: Wikipedia]  

Fiesole: Villa Schifanoia
The small town of Fiesole is located on a hill about 300 meters high at about 6 kilometres from Florence, and is a popular tourist destination for the beauty of the surrounding landscape and its historical and cultural treasures.  [photo: Wikipedia]  

Futa Pass
The Futa Pass (Passo della Futa) is in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, at an elevation of 903 m. It separated the valleys of Mugello and the valley of the Santerno River. The Futa Pass is crossed by a regional road, the number 65 (strada della Futa) which connects Florence to Bologna. During World War II the Futa Pass was part of the Gothic Line.  

Garda Lake: Riva del Garda
Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) is the largest lake in Italy. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age. Being easily accessible from the north via the Brenner pass, the lake is a major tourist destination, including a number of exclusive hotels and resorts along its shore.  [photo: Wikipedia]  

Mandello Del Lario (Moto Guzzi)
The original Mandello site remains home to the company's headquarters, the production facility, the historic wind tunnel, the company library, and the Museum. The Moto Guzzi Museum displays models from the company's history, engines that retrace Guzzi's engineering history, and a series of important prototypes. The museum is open to the public, and includes a gift shop featuring books, clothing and accessories.

Maranello (Ferrari)
The Ferrari gallery in Maranello has the most extensive collection of Ferrari motor cars in the world. There are cars in the Ferrari gallery that date back to the 1960's and would fetch hundreds of thousands of pounds if they were sold. In addition there is also a whole host of memorabilia from the F1 championships in which Ferrari have been so successful over the years.

Noale (Aprilia)
In Italy, whenever anybody mentions the town of Noale, in the province of Venice, people automatically think of Aprilia, immediately after the second world war Alberto Beggio opened his bicycle factory in Noale. This plant passed under the control of Alberto's son Ivano Beggio in 1968. Aprilia then entered the motorcycle market and introduced its first 'bike', a gold and blue fifty cc model.

Pesaro (Morbidelli)
The Morbidelli Museum was born at the end of the 1990's thanks to the tenacious spirit of initiative of Giancarlo Morbidelli. Since several decades, Giancarlo has been searching, collecting and restoring historical motorcycles of every trademark, age and origin, with the precious collaboration of some of the most important collectors and experts within this sector. The Morbidelli Museum exhibition accommodates about 350 models of historical racing and road motorcycles.

Pesaro (Benelli)
At the Officine Benelli, the official Benelli Museum, you will find 150 fully restored motorcycles plus various new arrivals ready to be restored by the club members.