Vespa tour · 4 days · max. 5 riders per guide
By Vespa to Ticino
Over the Alps
to Lake Maggiore
Guided Vespa tour to Ticino and Lake Maggiore, four days by Vespa or scooter from 125 cc. Over the Simplon to the south, through the Centovalli to the lake and back over the Tremola. Run by Dominik and Paulina.
Duration
4 days / 3 nights
Group
max. 5 riders per guide
Meals
Full board
Distance
approx. 645 km from Langenthal
Difficulty
Moderate
CHF 1,990 per rider
CHF 2,990 with a pillion
Scenes from the tour
0 photos · Click to enlarge
Over the Alps by Vespa, to the place it calls home.
Since 1946 the Vespa has stood for the Italian way of life. On this tour we take it back to the south: by car train through the Lötschberg, over the Simplon into the Valle Vigezzo, through the Centovalli into Ticino and on to Lake Maggiore. The way back takes us over the Tremola, the old Gotthard road, and over the Furka and the Grimsel.
On the first day we ride around 210 kilometres, after that the days get shorter. We ride at Vespa pace and take our time: for the view from the Simplon, for Ascona on the lake and for the 24 hairpins of the Tremola. By Saturday afternoon we are already at the Grand Hotel Majestic in Pallanza, right on Lake Maggiore.
This may be your first overnight trip on a Vespa. That’s why everything is organised: hotels, meals, fuel, car train and ferry. If you know us from the Emmental Vespa Tour, you know how we travel. This time it’s four days instead of just one.
Who this tour is for
- Couples on one Vespa or two who want to earn their evening by the lake
- Vespa and scooter riders who want to take their first trip with overnight stays
- Riders who would rather enjoy an espresso in Ascona than collect kilometres
- Riders who handle hairpins confidently, uphill and downhill: the Simplon, the Tremola and the Furka are part of the tour. If you are just starting out, the Emmental Vespa Tour is a better fit.
The route
Lötschberg → Simplon → Centovalli → Lake Maggiore → Gotthard → Furka → Grimsel → Brünig
approx. 645
km in total
2
countries
4
days
Car train
and ferry
Day by day
Click on a day for details
The first day has a goal, and it lies to the south. The first highlight is already waiting in Kandersteg: you ride your Vespa onto the car train. A quarter of an hour of darkness, then the Valais lies in the light. Along the way we save a good stretch of road, which is welcome on the longest riding day of the tour. The real moment comes later, at the top of the Simplon. Napoleon had the road over the pass built so that his cannons could reach the south faster. We are in less of a hurry. At over 2,000 metres we stop, look back to the Valais and ahead, where the road drops towards Italy in long loops. From here on, everything becomes a little more Italian: the signs, the church towers, even the air. In the late afternoon we turn into a quiet side valley that people here call the valley of painters.
Overnight: A family-run guesthouse in the heart of Santa Maria Maggiore, the main village of the valley. A museum in the village remembers the chimney sweeps who once left this valley for the big cities. For dinner we walk through the village to an osteria serving dishes from the valley.
Today we have time. It is only around 100 kilometres to Pallanza. In the morning we ride through the Centovalli, the valley of a hundred valleys: the road clings to the slope, bridge after bridge, and below the water glitters. We like to stop here for a photo or two and a moment of quiet. If you ride on the back, the Centovalli gives you the best seat anyway: time for every view into the valley while someone up front keeps an eye on the road. In Ascona the dolce vita really begins. The Vespas stand in a row by the shore, an espresso waits for you on the promenade, and afterwards we stroll through the lanes of the old town. In the afternoon we ride at an easy pace along the lake to Pallanza.
Overnight: The Grand Hotel Majestic has stood on a small peninsula right on the lake since 1870, with a garden full of palm trees that reaches down to the water. We arrive early, and until the evening the time is yours: in the garden by the water or on a stroll through Pallanza. Then we round off the day together at an easy pace: on the terrace by the lake, looking out over the Borromean Islands, and later over a dinner where nobody watches the clock.
Leaving the lake is a slow farewell. The Vespas stand on the ferry, we stand at the rail, and the water is still completely calm. From a small village on the border we see the whole lake one last time. In Bellinzona, up on the castle walls, Paulina tells us why the route over the Alps was guarded here. Then comes the road you will remember for a long time: the Tremola, 24 cobbled hairpins, one after another up the mountain. On the Vespa you take them at a relaxed pace, the cobbles under your tyres. The road was built for horse-drawn coaches, and the Gotthard post coach still runs here today. Its pace suits the Vespa too. A photo at the hospice at the top, and then Andermatt is not far.
Overnight: A boutique hotel in the heart of the village, right on the Reuss, in a building more than 300 years old. The wood panelling, ceiling beams and old stonework have stayed, joined by natural stone and Vals granite. Each room is dedicated to a theme from mountain life, and there is deliberately no television. On the last evening we all sit at one table again, up in the rooftop restaurant, above the roofs of Andermatt.
The way home begins with the highest point of the tour. The Furka Pass takes us to over 2,400 metres. Just after the top of the pass you ride past the old Hotel Belvédère, which has stood in its hairpin by the Rhône Glacier since 1882. Down in Gletsch, the Grimsel Pass is already waiting with its bare granite. After that the valleys get greener and the bends wider, and at some point you notice that you are taking something home with you: the espresso in Ascona, the cobbles of the Tremola, the evening by the lake. In Huttwil we roll to a stop.
End of tour: Huttwil, then you make your own way home. Langenthal is around 15 km away.
Is it right for your riding?
Not sure? Tell us briefly how long and how much you ride, when you last rode, your longest day in the saddle and what makes you unsure. We’ll give you an honest view of whether the tour suits you.
Relaxed
Beginners
Easy
Some experience
Moderate
Regular riders
Challenging
Experienced riders
Very challenging
Very experienced riders
Relaxed
For beginners, returning riders and those who like to take it easy. Pulling away, shifting, braking and riding normal bends safely is enough. Wide roads with good visibility, hardly any hairpins, a calm rhythm.
Easy
For riders with some routine. Riding bends cleanly and feeling relaxed in a group. More bends and the first hairpins, stress-free overall.
Moderate
For regular riders. Confident cornering including hairpins, good vision and braking control. Winding, with climbs and some narrower sections.
Challenging
For experienced riders. Taking hairpins uphill and downhill precisely, with smooth throttle and brake control. Many tight hairpins, narrower roads, long riding days.
Very challenging
For very experienced riders looking for a challenge. Technically confident even on tight, steep sections and in changing conditions. A very high density of hairpins, demanding days, little time to recover.
What to bring
Vehicle and documents
- Vespa or scooter from 125 cc, fit for touring, serviced before the tour
- Tyres with enough tread for the whole tour
- Driving licence: up to 125 cc category A1, above that A restricted (35 kW) or A, in the EU A2. A learner’s licence is not enough for this tour.
- Identity card or passport
- Vehicle registration document
- Vehicle insurance with a valid Green Card
- CH sticker on the vehicle, compulsory in Italy
Gear
- A helmet is compulsory, for the person on the back too
- We recommend: gloves, motorcycle jacket, motorcycle trousers, motorcycle boots
- Rain gear and a warm layer. At the end of September it can be cold above 2,000 metres.
- Hi-vis vest (one per person): in Italy you wear it outside built-up areas if you break down or have an accident.
- In Italy, headphones in both ears are prohibited. An intercom is allowed.
No Vespa of your own? Hunkeler Motos GmbH in Huttwil hires out 125s and 300s. You hire directly from Hunkeler Motos GmbH.
What’s included
Included
- Single room for every rider, no single supplement. With a pillion it becomes a double room.
- Full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner, water with meals and coffee
- Fuel for the whole tour
- Car train through the Lötschberg and ferry across Lake Maggiore
- Tourist taxes
- 3 nights in selected hotels, including the Grand Hotel Majestic in Pallanza and the boutique hotel The River House in Andermatt
- Two tour guides, MWZ/SAM certified
- Route planned by us
Not included
- Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks
- Travel to Langenthal and home from Huttwil
- Vehicle hire (directly with the rental company)
- Wear and tear and insurance of the vehicle
- Personal travel and breakdown insurance
- Personal expenses
Full board, including water with meals. The planned meals and coffee are paid for. Soft drinks, wine, beer and anything else you order on top go on your own bill.
For pillions
The view from the back
You see more from the back. We stop where it’s worth it: at viewpoints, for coffee, in places with a story we tell you. Culture and cuisine are half your tour. You share the double room, join every meal included in the tour price, and we know you by name, just like the riders.
What the tour costs with a pillion is shown in the price box.
On this tour
With two people on board, a 125 climbs the passes only slowly. We plan for that, though the larger Vespas make for a more comfortable ride. On the Tremola you feel the cobbles on the back too. We take it at a relaxed pace, one hairpin at a time. You enjoy the afternoon by the lake in Pallanza to the full.
A helmet is compulsory at the back too. We strongly recommend gloves, a jacket, long trousers and sturdy shoes. Under 18, you ride with your parents’ consent. Children face a minimum age that varies by country.
What you’re paying for
Six points that make the difference
Comparing prices only makes sense if you compare like with like. Many operators quote the price for a double room and charge a single supplement. With us, the single room is standard. The six points below make up the rest of the difference.
Same region, different approach
Motos & Wonders
often elsewhere
Group
Max. 5 riders per guide. We know every guest, not just their Vespa.
Larger groups, split into subgroups depending on numbers
Guide
Always us, MWZ/SAM certified
Often volunteers, paid in board and lodging
Accommodation
Chosen for location, food and hosts, hand-picked and vetted by us
Booked on availability and price
Meals and fuel
Full board incl. water with meals, fuel for the whole tour
Usually half board; lunch, drinks and fuel at your own cost
Route planning
Planned by us
Each guide rides their own route, only the hotel is shared
Experience
Sights and good food built into the plan
Riding comes first, the rest is optional
Ride with us to Ticino
Max. 5 riders per guide. The deposit secures your place. We email you the invoice for the balance, payable by bank transfer up to 30 days before the tour starts. If you book after that, the full amount is due straight away.
Per rider, single room
CHF 1,990
With a pillion, double room
CHF 2,990
Deposit on booking
CHF 150
Full board, fuel, car train and ferry are included in the price.
Available dates
24–27 September 2027
Runs with a minimum of 3 riders
We confirm the tour will run by 25 August 2027
Frequently asked questions
Vespas and other scooters from 125 cc. 50 cc scooters are too weak for the Simplon and the Gotthard. Your vehicle must be fit for touring, serviced and with tyres that will last the whole tour.
Tell us briefly how long and how much you’ve been riding, when you last rode, your longest day in the saddle and what makes you unsure. We’ll give you an honest assessment of whether the tour suits you.
For a 125, category A1; above that, A restricted (35 kW) or A, in the EU A2. A car licence alone is not enough. Unlike on the Emmental Vespa Tour, a learner’s licence is not enough here.
From 16, on a 125 cc scooter. When you book, your parent or guardian receives the payment link and gives their consent by paying.
That’s exactly what this tour is made for. The stages are short, the breaks are planned, and hotels, meals and luggage are sorted out in advance. Not sure? Tell us how and where you ride at the moment.
At a pace that’s comfortable for everyone. Uphill, 125s are slow, and that’s fine. If you want to race over the passes, this is not the tour for you.
The plan: we meet at the Vespas at 9.00 am and set off at 9.15 am. We ride for 60 to 90 minutes between breaks, with coffee around 10.30 am and lunch around noon. We reach the hotel around 5.00 pm and have dinner together at 7.00 pm. All times are approximate.
We put you in touch with Hunkeler Motos GmbH in Huttwil, where the tour also ends. You arrange the hire and the price directly with them. The choice is limited, so it’s best to ask before you book. You can also hire from another rental company.
We start on Friday at 9.00 am at Hotel Meilenstein in Langenthal. The tour ends on Monday around 4.00 pm at Hunkeler Motos GmbH in Huttwil.
Your luggage travels on your Vespa: under the seat, in a top case or in a bag in the footwell. Two on one Vespa share this space, so pack light. If you hire a scooter, ask the rental company for a top case.
With rain gear on, we keep riding. At the end of September it can be cold on the passes, so we recommend bringing a warm layer.
A Green Card, a CH sticker and a hi-vis vest are required, and headphones in both ears are prohibited. Payment is in euros, and you settle drinks on the spot.
CHF 2,990 is for two people on one Vespa, together. Two riders on two Vespas sharing a double room get their own price. Write to us and we’ll make you an offer.
Yes. Enter the code in the «Voucher code» field when you book. We deduct it from the balance invoice.
German and English. In mixed groups we speak both.
What counts is the day your written cancellation reaches us:
Up to 60 days before the tour starts: processing fee CHF 30, the rest is refunded
59 to 30 days before: deposit of CHF 150
29 to 14 days before: 50 % of the tour price
Less than 14 days before or no-show: 100 % of the tour price
Instead of cancelling, you can name a replacement up to 7 days before the tour starts, provided they meet the requirements for taking part (processing fee CHF 30). If we cancel the tour, we refund all payments in full within 14 days. We also recommend cancellation insurance. The full conditions are set out in our terms and conditions.
Still not sure it’s the tour for you?
Tell us what’s on your mind, whether it’s pace, ability, vehicle or programme. We’ll give you an honest answer, even if that answer is «better not this one».
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