We assemble at the Dobbacio, Italy train station on the north side of the Dolomites, get a proper bike fit, share a first lunch, then head out for a 25-mile ride south to San Vito di Cadore. We follow off-road gravel paths the entire way, slicing through the high Dolomites and offering unbelievable vistas of jagged peaks right and left. With a mid-afternoon arrival at our hotel, you’ll have time for a dip in a mountain lake, take a hike high above the valley, or just relax and enjoy the serene setting.

Tonight, we share dinner as a group and give thanks for the opportunity to be together and ride bikes in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Today, we explore the valley between two great ranges, first heading south, then circling back north to Cortina di Ampezzo. Our 25-mile ride will find us mostly on gravel roads, including some that will challenge our legs and handling skills as we climb out of the valley to a rocky knoll high above our destination, then make a fast descent into town. We’ll visit this historic winter Olympic town and, no doubt, find an afternoon treat, then load up and drive to our destination in San Vigilio di Marebbe.

On our second day, we’ll tackle another off-road route, this time heading south, first climbing a ridge, then dropping into a valley that takes us on a steady climb towards famous passes diverging in two directions at valley end. We’ll skip the higher paved passes, but end with a climb to a vista at the top of a small ski hill. A quick decent back to the nearby village and we’ll call it a day — a most memorable one for sure.

Our resting place for these two nights will be the Hotel Al Sonnehof, a Tyrolean lodge dropped into the fairy tale setting of San Vigilio di Marebbe. Dinner is on your own, or you can join the “Nomads Table,” a place where the Nomads team welcomes any who wish to join.

We leave the bustling former winter Olympic site today and head across the mountains to the east, staying off-road the entire way. After crossing one of many famous Dolomites cycling passes, we drop to a spectacular mountain lake, then cross another pass before arriving at B&B Campitello 13 in Santo Stefano di Cadore, our home for the next two nights.

Let me try to describe Santo di Stefano, if I may: Think Sound of Music; think Heidi; think James Bond or whatever other images you hold of the most spectacular Alpine setting imaginable. Hold that thought, open your eyes, and realize you are there. Yeah, it’s that amazing.

We’ll do another loop ride out of Santo Stefano di Cadore the following day, this time heading east and circling to the south. The planned 25-mile ride will find us on a combination of paved and unpaved roads, with the latter mostly crossing a low mountain on the way out, and the former a downhill screamer on return. Dinner each night—if you remember to have dinner—will be on your own or you can join us at the Nomads table.

Today we head north, putting the big Dolomite peaks to our backs. With the famous Tre Cime peaks nearly scraoubg our left shoulder on teh way out, we’ll follow an off-road lane to the dreamscape town of San Candido for lunch, gelato, and maybe a bit of shopping on its famous central plaza. As afternoon begins to fade, we’ll find the paved bike path that takes us east to our destination of Strasserwirt Tyrolean Manor hotel, just across the border in Strassen, Austria.

On this final night together, we’ll share stories and a fabulous meal and give thanks for the opportunity to have spent time exploring this dramatic dreamscape as a Nomad clan. We may even shed a tear or two because… well, there’s a bit of drama in us all.