Bike Ride Plus Pasta With Nonna

Bike Ride Plus Pasta with Nonna, rated 4.8 across 93 traveller reviews.

Overview

This Bari experience pairs a guided bike ride through the old city with a hands-on pasta session in a local woman's home, all inside two and a half hours. Riders gather at Via Vallisa, get a bicycle and helmet, and follow a guide from Velo Service past the Basilica of San Nicola, the Cathedral of San Sabino, the Norman Swabian Castle, and the two old squares, Piazza del Ferrarese and Piazza Mercantile. The route also touches the modern French side of the city before the group pedals to a private home for the cooking part.

A local signora shows the group how to shape a typical Puglian pasta dish by hand, and then everyone sits down to eat what they made with a glass of red wine included. Traveller accounts repeatedly point to the pasta session as the highlight of the day.

It suits most people who can ride a bike at an easy pace, including families, and infant seats are available on request. It is not wheelchair accessible and it is not recommended for celiacs. Groups can run up to 25 travellers, and the tour may be run bilingually depending on who shows up.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Via VallisaThe group meets at Velo Service, Via Vallisa 81 in central Bari. Bicycles, helmets and luggage storage are provided here.
2. Basilica of San NicolaA stop at the basilica, one of Bari's landmark churches. Admission is free.
3. Cathedral of San SabinoThe ride continues to Bari Cathedral. Entry is not included in the tour.
4. Norman Swabian CastleA stop at the castle. Admission is not included.
5. Piazza del Ferrarese and Piazza MercantileShort stops at the two old town squares before the route crosses into the modern French side of the city.
6. Pasta making in a local homeThe group calls in at a local home to make a Puglian pasta dish by hand and eat it, with a glass of red wine included.
7. Return to Via VallisaThe tour ends back at the same meeting point.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical things shape how this tour goes, from Bari's streets to how the pasta session actually works.

• Pace and terrain. That said, another found the crowded central streets on a Sunday better suited to walking than cycling. The route runs through city streets in the old town and the modern quarter.
• Heat and timing. The tour takes place in all weather conditions. It runs rain or shine, so check the forecast and dress accordingly.
• The pasta session. You make the pasta by hand and then eat it, with a glass of red wine included. One reviewer found the pasta hard to make but delicious to taste. The experience is not recommended for celiacs.
• Bikes after the tour. Several travellers said they were offered the bicycles for the rest of the day once the tour ended.
• Group size and language. The tour can take up to 25 travellers and may run bilingually depending on the group's composition. Two reviewers separately mentioned receiving restaurant recommendations from their guide.
• Getting there. Meet at Via Vallisa 81, near public transport, with luggage storage included. There is no hotel or port pickup, so cruise passengers and those staying further out need to make their own way.

Common issues. The tour needs a minimum number of participants and can change or be altered for that reason or for bad weather. On busy days the old town gets crowded and cycling can feel out of place, as one traveller noted about a Sunday. Entrance fees, hotel and port transfers are all excluded, and the experience is not wheelchair accessible or suitable for celiacs.

Common Questions