Cycling on Lake Garda splits neatly by shore. The north around Riva, Torbole and Arco is the mountain-bike capital of Italy, with the flat Sarca valley for easy days and hundreds of kilometres of forest road and singletrack above it. The east shore has a lakeside path from Peschiera almost to Garda that is perfect for families and hopeless in August crowds. The south has the Mincio cycle path, which leaves the lake behind and rolls through rice fields to Mantua, plus the low vineyard hills of the Valtenesi. The west shore is where you find the famous engineering: the cantilevered path at Limone and the hairpins of the Strada della Forra. Bike hire is easy everywhere, with hybrids from about €15–25 a day and e-bikes from €40–60.
Every ride here is one we have done ourselves, on hired bikes as often as our own. Distances, ascent and times are for a normal fit adult riding at a holiday pace with stops. We rank by how much each ride gives you for the effort, so the flat, spectacular ones sit at the top and the big climbs, which are the best days of all if you have the legs, come further down.
Some booking links on this page are affiliate links: if you book through one we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend or the order of the list. How we choose
1Our top pick
Best for a ride over the water
#1 Limone cycle path (Ciclopista del Garda)
96/100
Limone sul Garda · Limone sul Garda, north from the town to Capo Reamol
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The most photographed cycle path in Italy: a 2.5 km section of the future lake-circling Garda by Bike route, bolted to the cliff a few metres above the water north of Limone sul Garda and ending at the Trentino border at Capo Reamol. It is flat, free and open to walkers as well as bikes, so it is slow going in the middle of a summer day, but the sensation of hanging over the lake with Monte Baldo opposite is unlike anything else on this list. Hire a bike in Limone (hybrids €15–25 a day) and ride out and back in an hour. Our guide to Limone sul Garda covers the lemon houses for afterwards.
Riva del Garda · Riva del Garda lakefront, via Torbole and the Sarca river path
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A completely flat, traffic-free cycleway that links the lakefront at Riva del Garda to Torbole round the bay, then follows the Sarca river inland to Arco with its castle rock, and on to Dro and Pietramurata if you want more. Riva to Arco and back is about 20 km and an easy two hours; continue to Pietramurata for 35 km. The surface is tarmac, the gradients are nothing and there are bars in every village. It is the ride we give to anyone who says they have not been on a bike in years. Read our guide to Riva del Garda for the best hire shops and our guide to Arco for the castle climb at the far end.
Riva del Garda · Starts at the Ponale path entrance on the Gardesana west of Riva
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The old Ponale road climbs from the lake at Riva into the Ledro valley, first as the gravel path carved into the cliff that walkers know, then as a quiet tarmac lane through the village of Pregasina and the woods to Lake Ledro at 655 m. It is about 12 km with 600 m of climbing to the lake, so two hours up on a mountain bike or an easy hour and a bit on an e-bike, and the descent takes twenty minutes. Swim in the Ledro lake, which is warmer than Garda, before coming down. The lower section overlaps with the walk in our pick of the best Lake Garda walks, so go slowly round the blind bends.
#4 Mincio cycle path: Peschiera to Borghetto and Mantua
91/100
Peschiera del Garda · Peschiera del Garda, path starts by the fortress walls
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The river Mincio leaves Lake Garda at Peschiera and a cycle path follows it south: 13 km of flat gravel and tarmac to the mill village of Borghetto sul Mincio, where the tortellini lunch is obligatory, then another 30 km through rice fields and the Mincio nature park to the lakes of Mantua. Borghetto and back is a relaxed half day; the full 43 km to Mantua is a proper day out with a train back via Verona. There is almost no traffic and almost no shade, so start early in summer. Our guide to Peschiera del Garda has the hire shops by the station.
Moniga del Garda · Valtenesi hills between Padenghe, Manerba and San Felice del Benaco
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The low hills behind the south-west shore between Padenghe and Salò are Chiaretto country, and the lanes through them make a rolling 30–35 km loop with about 400 m of climbing in short pulls between villages. A typical circuit goes Moniga, Manerba, San Felice del Benaco, Puegnago and back through Polpenazze and Padenghe, with wineries every few kilometres and the lake appearing at every crest. It is quiet road riding rather than cycle path, so it suits confident riders, and an e-bike takes the sting out of the hills. Start from Moniga del Garda, and see our pick of the best Lake Garda vineyards for where to stop.
What we love
30–35 km loop, 400 m ascent, 3–4 hours with tastings
Malcesine · Malcesine–Monte Baldo cable car, descent via Prada and San Zeno
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The Malcesine cable car carries bikes on set runs, usually the first departures of the morning, which puts you and a mountain bike at 1,760 m for the price of a ticket. From there a long gravel road and forest track descends the flank of Monte Baldo through Prada and San Zeno di Montagna to the lake at Cassone or Brenzone: about 25 km and 1,700 m of descent with almost no pedalling, then a flat 10 km back up the shore to Malcesine. Go with a guide or a good map, because the trails fork often and some drop into technical singletrack. Hire shops in Malcesine offer full-suspension bikes and helmets. See our guide to Malcesine and our guide to San Zeno di Montagna, which you pass halfway down.
Tremosine sul Garda · Strada della Forra from Campione to Pieve di Tremosine, then the plateau
The Strada della Forra leaves the Gardesana near Campione and corkscrews up a slot gorge to Pieve di Tremosine, 350 m above the lake in about 6 km of tunnels and hairpins. From Pieve a ring of quiet roads crosses the plateau through Vesio and the upland villages, with an optional drop to Tignale on the far side, for a loop of 30 km and around 900 m of climbing including the gorge. It is road bike or e-bike territory, and the gorge has cars, so ride it early. Coffee at the Terrazza del Brivido is the reward. Read our guide to Tremosine sul Garda and our guide to Tignale for the plateau.
#8 Eastern shore path: Peschiera to Bardolino and Garda
85/100
Lazise · Lakeside path between Peschiera del Garda and Garda
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A mostly flat lakeside path runs up the east shore from Peschiera through Lazise and Bardolino to Garda, about 25 km one way with a beach every kilometre and a gelato at every harbour. It is shared with walkers and pushchairs, and in July and August the section through Lazise is walking pace, but out of season it is the gentlest ride on the lake. Come back on the ferry with your bike, or pedal the same way. Hire is easy in every town along the way. Start with our guide to Lazise and stop at the beaches in our pick of the best Lake Garda beaches.
Tenno · Riva del Garda to Lago di Tenno via Tenno and Canale
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From the Sarca plain a road climbs through Tenno village and the medieval hamlet of Canale to the small turquoise lake of Tenno at 570 m, then loops back down through the Ville del Monte villages to Riva. It is about 25 km with 600 m of climbing, two and a half hours on an e-bike, longer if you swim, and the descent past the Varone waterfall is a joy. The lake is warmer than Garda and has a beach and a bar. Our guide to Tenno has the castle and Canale for the ride up.
Sirmione · Peschiera del Garda to Sirmione via the Lugana shore
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The south shore between Peschiera and Sirmione is flat vineyard country, home of Lugana white wine, and a mix of cycle path and quiet lanes links the two towns in about 12 km. You pass the Lugana beaches and a string of campsites, then ride the length of the Sirmione peninsula to the castle, where you have to leave the bike before the pedestrian old town. It is an hour each way at a dawdle and there is a train from Peschiera if you only want to ride it once. Our guide to Sirmione has the thermal baths for tired legs.
Where is the best place to base yourself for cycling on Lake Garda?
Riva del Garda or Torbole for anyone serious about it. They have the flat Sarca cycleway for easy days, the Ponale and Monte Baldo trails for hard ones, and more hire shops per street than anywhere else on the lake. Families and casual riders do better on the east shore around Lazise and Bardolino, where the lakeside path is flat and traffic-free. Our guide to Torbole lists the bike-friendly hotels.
How much does bike hire cost?
Expect around €15–25 a day for a hybrid or city bike, €30–45 for a hardtail mountain bike, and €40–60 for an e-bike, with full-suspension e-mountain bikes at the top end. Helmets are usually included or a few euros extra. Half-day rates exist in most shops, and weekly hire brings the daily cost down by a third. Book e-bikes a day ahead in July and August.
Can you cycle all the way round Lake Garda?
Not yet on a continuous cycle path. The Garda by Bike ring is still being built, and outside the finished sections you would be on the Gardesana road with its tunnels and heavy traffic, which we do not recommend. Confident road cyclists do the 150 km loop, but for most people the answer is to ride the finished sections, such as Limone and the Sarca valley, and use the ferry in between.
Is Lake Garda good for cycling with children?
Yes, if you pick the right rides. The Riva to Arco cycleway, the eastern shore path from Peschiera to Bardolino, and the Mincio path as far as Borghetto are all flat and traffic-free, with beaches, playgrounds and gelato along the way. Hire shops in Peschiera and Riva rent child seats, trailers and small bikes. Keep children off the Limone path when it is crowded.
When is the best time of year to cycle?
April to June and September to October. Spring has cool mornings and green vineyards, autumn has clear air and empty paths, and neither has the afternoon heat that makes the Mincio and Valtenesi rides hard work in July and August. Mountain routes on Monte Baldo are snow-free from about June. Winter riding on the flat paths is perfectly possible on dry days, with some hire shops closed.
Can I take a bike on the ferry?
Yes, on most Navigazione Laghi services for a small bike supplement, though space is limited on the fast hydrofoils, so use the slower boats and car ferries. It is the trick that turns a one-way ride into a loop: pedal the east shore from Peschiera to Garda and float back, or ride to Limone and cross to Malcesine. Our guide to Lake Garda boats has the ferry basics.
Do I need an e-bike?
Not for the flat rides, and half this list is flat. For the Ponale to Ledro, the Tenno loop, the Valtenesi hills and the Tremosine plateau an e-bike turns a hard day into a pleasant one, and the hire shops are full of them for that reason. The Monte Baldo descent is the one ride where a normal mountain bike with good brakes is the better tool.
Is it safe to cycle on the Gardesana lake road?
We would not, especially on the west shore between Salò and Riva where the road runs through dozens of narrow tunnels with no cycle lane. The east shore road is wider but busy. Stick to the dedicated paths on this list, the quiet inland lanes of the Valtenesi and Lugana, and the upland roads of Tremosine and Tignale, and use the ferry to skip the dangerous stretches.
Which ride has the best views?
The Limone cycle path for the sheer novelty of riding above the water, and the Monte Baldo descent for the scale of it, with the whole lake laid out below from the top station. The Ponale road to Ledro combines both, climbing the cliff with the lake shrinking beneath you. If you only have an afternoon and a hybrid bike, ride Limone and add the lakefront in Limone itself.
Our top pick
