Cycling Tour in Tuscany

This cycling tour features either a 4-star hotel or a cozy agriturismo where you will be based for 6 nights to explore some of the must-to-see places of Tuscany, including the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Pienza, Siena and Orcia Valley. Other highlights include the towns of Montalcino, Cortona, Radda and Gaiole in Chianti and other lesser-known villages such as Lucignano and Rapolano. You will discover local wines, olive oil, and cheese through tastings and visits, and learn about local recipes during our meals and a hands-on cooking class.

See here for more info on Tuscany region.

Dates & Pricing

Minimum of 6 participants, maximum of 16, with a maximum guide-to-guest ratio of 1 to 8

DATES (7 days)

June 10-16, 2023

For dates, info and availability please contact us.

TOUR PRICE

Per person in double occupancy: from $3,790 (upon request this tour will feature either an elegant 4-star hotel or an agriturismo)

Single Supplement: in 4-star hotel $690 | in agriturismo: $540

For travel in 2021 and beyond, your tour is carbon neutral! In addition, we donate more than 1% of your trip price to food-literacy and environmental non-profits that share our values. (Details here)

Tour Highlights

Exposure to local culture and history with native, bilingual, experienced Tour Leaders
Tastings of regional Slow Food Presidia and visits to local wine, cheese, and olive oil makers
Experience the authentic Tuscan cuisine featuring fresh and seasonal ingredients
Enjoy some of the best white wines of the region such as Vernaccia of San Gimignano and Vermentino and the red wines of Brunello, Chianti and Super Tuscans
Traditional accommodation in elegant and hand-selected 4-star hotel or cozy agriturismo
Strolls through must-see Tuscan towns such as Montalcino, Pienza, Cortona and Siena, and the small villages of Lucignano, Gaiole and Radda in Chianti
Exhilarating rides and opportunities to improve your cycling skills with your Tour Leaders
Traditional, local recipes to bring home with you!

Cycling Level 3 – Antipasto, Primo and Secondo (Entrée)

What's Included

6 nights accommodation in 4-star hotel or agriturismo
5 dinners and 3 lunches
1 olive oil tasting in agriturismo and 1 visit and tasting to a cheese maker
Visit at Abbey of Mount Oliveto
Exhilarating rides in Crete Senesi, Chianti area and in Orcia, Arbia and Chiana valleys
1 wine tasting and visit to local winery
1 entry fee at the local natural springs
Explore the UNESCO sites of Siena, Pienza and Orcia Valley; discover the historic towns of Montalcino, Asciano, Cortona, Gaiole, and Castelnuovo Berardenga
2 bilingual professional Tour Leaders
1 comfortable 9-seat van available for transportation and assistance during bike rides including water, fresh fruits and snacks
Bike rental (see more info here) and Garmin Touring Edge unit (if you have one, bring yours and we’ll upload the routes onto your unit)
One group transfer from/to Terontola train station at the beginning and at the end of the tour
Local taxes & gratuities for luggage porters and restaurants servers during tour

What's Not Included

3 lunches and 1 dinner on your own
Alcoholic beverages at group meals (including wine and spirits)
Round-trip airfare and expenses to/from the tour
E-bike, upon request and availability, with $150-250 surcharge depending on the type (see more info here)
Trip cancellation, baggage loss or travel delay insurance (this optional coverage is highly recommended. See more info here)
Gratuities for your Tour Leaders
Personal expenses, such as, but not limited to, phone calls, laundry, emails, snacks, gifts

Itinerary

Optional Pre-Tour Night near Trequanda
Day 1 & 2 – Terontola-Cortona Train Station, Around Crete Senesi and Chiana Valley

Cycling Route Info on Day 1: Main Route: 14mi/900ft of elevation gain | Extra loop adds: 3mi/150ft

Cycling Route Info on Day 2: Main Route 28mi/2250ft | Extra loop adds: 16mi/1200ft

Catch our 45-mins group transfer to your accommodation for the next six nights. Check in and relax before meeting your guides for a light lunch and introduction to the tour.

Tuscan life still adheres to the pace of older times. Over our first two days we ease into the rhythm of this special slice of Tuscany in the Province of Siena, which sits at the bullseye center of the Italian peninsula. First rides bring us to Rapolano, quintessential Tuscan hilltop town, and Lucignano, a stunning example of medieval town planning, as well as through the Chiana Valley for an unforgettable wine tasting and visit to a local producer.

Other highlights include a visit at the farm of a local breeder of the Chianina cow to learn about this former Slow Food presidium.
Day 3 & 4 – Orcia Valley and Crete Senesi

Cycling Route Info on Day 3: Main Route 33mi/2300ft | Extra loop adds: 17mi/1500ft

Cycling Route Info on Day 4: Main Route 34mi/3590ft | Extra loop adds: 12mi/700ft

In the next two days we’ll visit more of the Province of Siena, discovering the Abbey of Mount Oliveto, ambling the picture-book towns of Pienza, Asciano and Montalcino and cycling the UNESCO protected Val d’Orcia and world-famous Crete Senesi, which is like no place on Earth.

In Pienza, also recognized by UNESCO, we have the chance to hear from a local cheese maker about how ancient production methods are preserved to this day, and to taste the difference in a sampling.

A hands-on cooking class and dinner will be featured and you will be invited to join us for a team effort off the bike to celebrate at the table the Tuscan food and wines!
Day 5 & 6 – Chianti Area, Siena and Cortona

Cycling Route Info on Day 5: Main Route 43mi/2950ft | Extra loop adds: 13mi/700ft

Cycling Route Info on Day 6: Main Route 37mi/3150ft | Extra loop adds: 13mi/1200ft

Having visited some of the lesser-known pockets of southern Tuscany, our last two days ensure the complete experience, with loops through the Chianti region and visits to sun-soaked Cortona and fabled Siena.

Here we drink in all that one has come to expect from Tuscany—gently undulating roads combed across open farmlands and punctuated by sharp cypress and the soft remnants of stone farmhouses. Benvenuti in Toscana!
Day 7 – Terontola-Cortona Train Station

To request the itinerary as a PDF or to ask us any questions please contact us today!