Alpe Adria Full Length: Salzburg to Grado

Day 1 — Arrival in Salzburg
Arrive in Mozart's city and check in to your 3-star hotel. Travel documents and rental bikes (if booked) are waiting for you. An unguarded private parking space at the hotel, or a 15-minute walk away, is included for the whole tour, additional nights included.

Day 2 — Salzburg to Bischofshofen/St. Johann im Pongau (55–63 km, 350 m elevation)
Ride car-free along the Salzach river via Hallein and Kuchl, then on well-built cycle paths past the fortress town of Werfen to St. Johann im Pongau. The stage can be shortened to 29 km and 61 m of climbing with the hourly train running parallel to the route (bike ticket approx. €3.50 on site). Overnight in a 3-star hotel.

Day 3 — St. Johann to Mallnitz (45 km by bike + 53 min by train)
Climb on a car-free path via Schwarzach into the Gastein valley (partly through tunnels) and on cycle paths to Böckstein station (1,058 m). From there the Tauern car-and-bike shuttle train takes you through the mountain to Mallnitz (hourly). For arrivals from 7 May to 4 July the Tauern tunnel is closed: you ride on a car-free path to Schwarzach-St. Veit station and take the included ÖBB bus with your bike to Mallnitz (approx. 75–120 minutes). A scenic ride into the Seebach valley to the Stappitz lakes (14 km, 80 m elevation) reveals the beauty of the Hohe Tauern National Park. Overnight in a 3-star hotel.

Day 4 — Mallnitz to Spittal/Seeboden on Lake Millstatt (54 km)
Along the valley floor to Obervellach and through the Drava valley to Spittal or Seeboden. Overnight in a 4-star hotel.

Day 5 — Spittal to Tarvisio (68 km, 253 m elevation)
Flat and car-free along the Drava to Villach and its old town, then gently uphill along the Gail river to Arnoldstein and across the border to Tarvisio. Overnight in a 3-star hotel.

Day 6 — Tarvisio to Carnia/Venzone/Gemona (52–64 km)
The heart of the Alpe Adria cycle path: ride car-free through the narrow Fella valley on the old railway line to Pontebba, then after a short stretch of road continue to your overnight stop or nearby Venzone. Overnight in a 3-star hotel.

Day 7 — Gemona to Udine (44–56 km)
Partly car-free and close to the Tagliamento river, pass Buia through the fertile Friuli countryside to Udine — Piazza della Libertà, the Duomo and the old town. Overnight in a 4-star hotel.

Day 8 — Udine to Grado (55 km)
Via Palmanova and its Venetian fortress and Roman Aquileia, ride through the lagoon landscape to the charming coastal town of Grado. Overnight in a 3-star superior or 4-star hotel.

Day 9 — Departure
End of tour after breakfast, or book additional nights. A return transfer to Salzburg can be booked at extra cost: by bus on Fridays and Sundays (15 May–23 October, departure approx. 9:00, arrival approx. 15:00, up to 2 hours later depending on traffic), and from 10 July also on Saturdays by bus to Mallnitz and reserved train to Salzburg (arrival approx. 16:00). On other days, own return journey.