Alps & Dolomites Part 1 Self-Guided Tour

The Italian half of the Alps and Dolomites route, ridden on its own. Eight days from Treviglio to Milan, seven nights and around 856 miles, which covers the Dolomites and the Stelvio without committing to the full fortnight.

Lake Iseo and the Western Gardesana road along Lake Garda open it, a corniche cut through tunnels above the water, on the way to Trento. Then the climbing begins: the Rolle Pass, the Forcella Aurine and the Giau Pass to Cortina d’Ampezzo, then the Misurina Lake, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the Sella Group passes through the UNESCO Dolomites to Ortisei.

The best-known road comes on day five. Val Venosta leads past Lake Resia, where the bell tower of a drowned village still stands out of the water, and then the Stelvio Pass climbs to 9,045 feet in forty-eight numbered hairpins, which is the single most famous stretch of tarmac in the Alps. Livigno follows, then the Forcola di Livigno, the Bernina Pass and the Maloja Pass carry the route across Switzerland to Lake Como and the villas above it, before the final run into Milan.

EAGLERIDER supplies the motorcycle and books all seven nights, with route notes for every stage. Fuel, meals and insurance are separate, and prices are quoted in US dollars. Daily distances sit between 95 and 180 miles, which is about right for roads carrying this many corners. For riders who want the Stelvio and the Dolomites inside a single week rather than a full fortnight, this is the half to book.