Italy Tour Route / South Tyrol to Bologna / MotoGeo Routes
Follow our Italy Tour route from Seis, South Tyrol as we take our group on some awesome roads and a magnificent trail, to test their Scramblers and their fear of heights before heading back to Bologna and the Ducati Factory.
This route is taken from days 3-5 of our Scambling Around Italy tour and takes us from the beautiful hills of Seis in South Tyrol, through the Dolomites to Lake Garda, before we take our crew on one of the most epic trails in northern Italy, the Maniva Pass!
See the route for Days 1 & 2 – Bologna to Seis, South Tryol
Watch our Scrambling Around Italy Adventure
Click the map for key points we visited on our adventure.
See our review of the Ducati Scrambler
Rent a Ducati for your Italian adventure from Ducati Rental Partner HPMotorrad and get 5% discount using our discount code: MotoGeo
Support MotoGeo on Patreon!
Seis to Lake Garda
The morning started in Seis, South Tyrol with a short ride to Kastelruth, where we met our Paragliding friends at Tandem Fly Dolomiti to take our Italy tour group on an exciting off-bike experience, flying high in the clouds.
After jumping off the mountain it was back on the bikes and into the Dolomites, first riding the super twisty SS242 Sella Pass and then the Passo Pordoi, where we took a cable car up the mountain for lunch at Rifugio Maria which should have an awesome view, if there had been less rain clouds!
The rain was coming in an forecast to head east, so we made an executive decision to ride west as the twisty hairpins of the Dolomites are no fun covered in rain.
This choice was a great decision as the SS612 to Trento was a beautiful mountainside road with incredible views over the valley below.
After reaching Trento, it was time for an ice cream pit stop at the award winning Gelateria Serafini, highly recommended.
Then to the shores of Lake Garda to find our camping spot for the night. The north and south ends of Lake Garda are the most touristy so we headed to the centre, away from the tourists and found a great camping spot with access to the shores of the lake, Camping Alpino.
As we arrived late we also ate at the campsite restaurant and the pizza’s were delicious!
Lake Garda to Lake d’Idro
The next morning was a short ride around the lake to the stunning road that is the SP38 Strada della Forra, this twisty road literally carves through the rocks with towers of rock looming high over the road and tunnels carved through the rocks. The road is thin, so perfect for motorbikes and less friendly for cars. It’s also full of beautiful views and roads perched on the side of sheer drops, perfect for our Italy Tour gang who were smiling from ear to ear!
From there to another great road, the SP9, but stopping at a fantastic lunch spot Camping Giglio Roberto Piccinni, the food here was outstanding and we needed a strong espresso before heading out on the bikes. This is also a campground with a great view, but the food alone makes this a stop worth including in your adventure!
After lunch the route to Lake d’Idro was another winner edging Lake di Valvestino and down into the town of Lemprato to spend the night in Camping Pilù, a good campsite on the edge of Lake d’Idro. Time for a swim with the sun setting over the mountains, beautiful!
Dinner in the local restaurant Imbarcadero with a few limoncella’s was a great way to end the day!
Lake d’Idro to Bologna
The final day of riding of the Italy Tour and everybody was used to their Scramblers by now so we took them on a very special road which turns into a trail, the Maniva Pass!
As you leave Camping Pilù the Maniva Pass is reached by a very small left turn on the SS237. The road is a small almost single track road, but is clearly signposted for the Maniva Pass.
Follow this steep, twisty mountain road all the way to Rifugio Rosa. The views on the way up the mountain are spectacular, it’s definitely worth stopping to take a look over the Dolomites and the lake below.
On arriving at Rifigio Rosa, keep riding and the single track asphalt road becomes a dirt trail, this is not a difficult trail but if you’re on a sports bike you may find it a little tricky. The Ducati Scrambler handled it with ease as most adventure bikes would too.
The trail is not for the faint hearted as it’s not long before this trail through the woods opens up to a sheer drop on the left down the mountain with no guard rail to protect you.
Keep riding and you are rewarded with incredible views and an exhilarating experience.
At the end of this 8km trail you reach the ski resort of Maniva and Albergo Ristorante Dosso Alto, where you can take a drink before starting the descent.
If you’re taking this awesome trail be aware that it will be shut at certain points in the year due to the snow covering the route so plan in advance. July was totally clear.
We headed down the SS345 towards Brescia which is a twisty mountain road full of hairpins and beautiful views.
We ate a a roadside restaurant called Ristorante La Locanda di Zanetti Gisella, the food was basic but good.
After lunch it was time to head back but we managed to squeeze one more great road in before taking the highway, this was Via Maddalena from the Muratello area of Brescia. This was a single track twisty road up the hillside to give a gorgeous vista over Brescia.
From Brescia we took our Italy Tour group to the historic town of Mantova for a gelato from La Rotonda Di Scaravelli Davide E C. Sas in the town square Piazza delle Erbe.
The rest of the trip was on the highway back to Bologna to drop off the bikes at Ducati and head to one of the best local restaurants around, Trattoria Nonna Rosa. Make sure you reserve a table here, it’s always busy and the food is awesome. Finishing the tour off of course with a glass of Limoncello!
Now you have all the details to make yourself an awesome tour, there is nothing stopping you, so get on your bike and go have an adventure!
Motorbike Rental:
HPMotorrad – Get 5% discount using our discount code: MotoGeo
Roads:
SS612
SP38 – Strada della Forra
SP9
SS345
Via Maddalena
Eats:
Rifugio Maria – At the top of the Sass Pordoi cable car
Gelateria Serafini – Trento
Camping Alpino – Lake Garda
Camping Giglio Roberto Piccini – Lake Garda
Albergo Ristorante Dosso Alto – Maniva Pass
Ristorante La Locanda di Zanetti Gisella – Brescia
La Rotonda Di Scaravelli Davide E C. Sas – Ice Cream Shop – Mantova
Nonna Rosa – Bologna
Sleeps:
Camping Alpino – Lake Garda
Camping Pilù – Lake d’Idro
Hotel Amadeus – Bologna
Points of Interest:
Tandem Fly Dolomiti – Kastelruth, South Tyrol
Sass Pordoi – Cable Car
