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Duration: 8 Days/7 Nights
Departing from: Florence, with your arrival on Saturday. Biking starts on Sunday.
Tour finishes: Chiusi train station, 10 a.m. on Day 8 Private departures only: please contact us for details.
Price: €2,000 per person based on double occupancy. Single supplement €300. |  |
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Start your trip in amazing Florence
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Bike through the vineyards
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Team "Chianti Classico"
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Under the Tuscan Sun
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Dining al fresco
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Rolling hills of the Crete Senesi
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Ice Cream by the Pool
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Thermal Pool in Bagno Vignoni
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Tuscany Bike NEW |
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Tuscany Bike NEW Itinerary
Trip Design - We developed this trip at the request of a group of loyal clients who have traveled with us before in Tuscany, Umbria, and Provence. Many of them had already done our classic Tuscany Bike trip, so they asked us to develop a different itinerary for them. We were happy to oblige, and set up a new trip that starts in the beautiful city of Florence and moves south for two days into the heart of the Chianti wine region. After that we bike through the spectacular landscape of the Crete Senesi, past Castelnuovo Berardenga, and end with three days of beautiful riding around the area of Pienza, Montepulciano, and Bagno Vignoni. We ran the trip in July 2006 and it was a blast. The riding is fantastic, from the first day's morning cruise along the Arno river, past Michelangelo's David and up into the Chianti Hills, to the last days exploring the Sienese territory at the outer edges of what was the Medici empire. The food is excellent, the wine delicious, and the hotels are a dream: two of them have swimming pools overlooking the surrounding countryside -- and one even has bar stools IN the pool! We will dine under the stars in Panzano, have pizza with the locals in Colonna del Grillo, and perhaps even dance the night away in Castelmuzio.
If you have already done our Tuscany bike trip and enjoyed it, then you'll love this trip. We apply the same formula of beautiful landscapes, wonderful rides, charming hotels, and excellent food. If you have not done a bike trip through Tuscany, then this is a wonderful opportunity to discover some of the region's highlights. We aim for an equal balance of fun, exercise, and relaxation, with a good dose of history and culture thrown in. Come with us and combine the captivating landscapes of Tuscany with the exhilaration and freedom of biking.
(We have highlighted and underlined some useful links for you)
Day 1 - Saturday: Arrive in Florence and check into the 4-star Hotel Ritz. Relax, get over your jet-lag, and explore Florence. Dinner on your own tonight. If you want to arrive earlier in Florence please let us know and we will make reservations for you at our trip hotel. Hotel included.
Day 2 - Sunday: Meet your guides at breakfast. You will have a bike fitting and safety talk before leaving directly from Florence on your bikes. We know the city well, so have a great way to get out of town and into the Chianti hills while avoiding the city traffic. Our destination is the village of Panzano in Chianti, more specifically the hotel Relais Fattoria Valle, a beautiful 18th-century Tuscan manor house. Once home to a noble Florentine family, it has been restored and transformed into a lovely country hotel. The views from the garden and pool areas are gorgeous, and it's a great place to kick back and relax after a challenging day of riding the Tuscan hills. Dinner out in the hotel garden beneath a leafy canopy of plane trees. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 3 - Monday: Today's ride takes us through the tiny hamlet of La Piazza to the village of San Donato where we can enjoy a midmorning cappuccino before a long climb to Castellina in Chianti. Don't worry, it's a long but gradual climb and the view is great! Lunch near Castellina in Chianti. In the afternoon you can choose a relatively short return ride to the hotel if you'd like more pool time, or else take the longer optional extension via Radda in Chianti. Late this afternoon we will visit the winery of Fattoria Le Fonti, a small, family-owned boutique winery owned and operated by my friends Guido and Vicki Vitali. After this special visit we will have dinner nearby. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 4 - Tuesday: We leave Panzano and make our way southeast across the heart of Chianti to our hotel near Castelnuovo Berardenga. On the way we'll stop for a guided visit of the Castello di Meleto, a beautiful medieval castle with an extraordinary history. After the visit we continue riding to our lunch spot in the village of Castagnoli. After lunch, ambitious riders can ride up and over Monteluco, the highest point in Chianti. It is a great ride and of course the views are wonderful. We then ride through the lovely wine village of Castelnuovo Berardenga, where you might want to stop and enjoy a glass of wine or a cold drink before heading to our hotel, about 20 minutes farther down the road. We stay the night at La Posta del Chianti, a comfortable three-star hotel with a shady garden. We'll be here for one night, allowing us to enjoy dinner at one of the best pizzerias in Chianti and a favourite with the local truckers. Needless to say, we'll fit right in! If you don't like pizza there are lots of other plates to choose from. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 5 - Wednesday: We officially leave the Chianti region and head into the area south of Siena known as Le Crete Senesi. Today's ride is really spectacular as we cycle through the barren but beautiful landscapes of Le Crete. We have lunch in the charming village of Asciano and then ride to our hotel for the next three nights, the Podere Moscadella. Located just outside the village of Castelmuzio, our hotel is a renovated 17th-century Tuscan farmhouse with lovely gardens and a pool. Relax in the pool bar with a cool drink, or you might like to indulge in a massage at the hotel's "wellness center." Dinner tonight on the terrace. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 6 - Thursday: Today we start with a short ride to the neighboring village of Petroio, where we will stop and visit a terracotta factory where they make the huge planters and urns that adorn the villas and palaces from Florence to Las Vegas. The production process is fascinating, and Marino, the founder of the business, will lead us through his family-run factory. Afterwards our ride continues to the walled village of Montefollonico, where we can enjoy a mid-morning cappuccino before dropping down into the valley for lunch at Torrita di Siena. After lunch, return to the pool at La Moscadella, or strong riders can carry on to the beautiful hilltop town of Montepulciano and explore its maze of cobbled streets and piazzas, not to mention shops! We walk to dinner tonight in the village square of Castelmuzio beneath the 16th-century clock tower. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 7 - Friday: This morning we have a relatively short ride to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pienza. It was built between 1459 and 1462 as a model of Renaissance town planning, designed by Pope Pius II in honor of himself! It also makes a perfect coffee and snack stop before we head off by bike, down into the Orcia Valley with spectacular views back onto Pienza. We ride to Bagno Vignoni, a small thermal spa whose naturally hot waters were known to the Romans. The Medici family constructed the existing pool in the 1500s. We will have lunch here in the shaded terrace overlooking the town's main "square" (a bubbling hot pool!). After lunch a downhill ride takes us to Torrenieri and then along the valley before returning to the hills of Castelmuzio. We have our last Tuscan feast together beneath the stars. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 8 - Saturday: Transfer by van to Chiusi train station for direct rail connections to Rome and Florence. Breakfast included.
Useful Links -
The City of Florence: everything you need to know about the city
The Accademia: home of Michelangelo's David and other world-famous works
The Uffizi Gallery: one of the greatest collections in the world. We recommend you make reservations ahead of time.
The Duomo: one of the wonders of the Renaissance, Florence's cathedral.
Siena Tourist Authority: this site has interesting links to areas within Siena province, like Chianti, the Val d'Orcia, & the Crete Senesi
Chianti Classico wine consortium: a site devoted to this world-renown wine and its group of producers
Chianti History: concise article on the history of this famous region
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Italy has more sites listed than any other country!
General Information
Note on Itinerary: Although we do our best to adhere to the schedule listed above, this itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control.
Qualifications: This trip is rated Challenging. Tuscany is very hilly, so you must enjoy biking -- including up hills! If you ride 2-3 times a week and are relatively fit you will enjoy this trip. The daily distances are between 45-65 kms (28-40 miles), which translates into 3-5 hours of riding more or less equally divided between morning and afternoon. This may sound like a lot, but we make frequent stops to take pictures, enjoy a cappuccino, or simply enjoy the view. You are provided with written route directions, which allow you to be independent and ride at your own pace. However, a regular conditioning program consisting of cycling, walking/running and a daily stretching regimen is recommended, beginning at least 3 months prior to departure. This will get you in shape and ensure that you are comfortable in the saddle, allowing you to enjoy all that this wonderful trip has to offer. In other words, get your bum used to a bike seat before you arrive to avoid suffering during the trip! There is a support van to move the luggage and also to help tired bikers in case of need. Most importantly, the rides are absolutely beautiful! We have gone to great lengths to find the most scenic yet least trafficked routes for our rides. We love the region so much, our Italian office is based in Chianti! The Bikes: Our hybrid bikes are lightweight Carraro "Azimut 706" aluminium frames with high-end Shimano Deore and Deore LX componentry (with aluminium fork, not suspende fork). They are very comfortable, with a relatively upright riding position as well as climbing bars which enable you to change your hand position. They have 27 speeds with index shifters on the handlebars. They have a low gearing ratio to make hill climbing especially easy, and the upright sitting position reduces shoulder and neck fatigue. A more upright position also means that you get to look at the beautiful countryside instead of just the asphalt in front of your wheel!
The bikes come with a small front handlebar bag suitable only for light things, a separate map case, water bottle, pump, spare tube, and a rear carrier rack. We HIGHLY recommend that you bring a strap-on rear carrier bag that sits on top of the rear rack (not a side panier). You can bring your own pedals and seat, which we can mount for you. The bikes are sized based on the information that you send to us, so be as accurate as you can! You must bring your own helmet. Please check KTM website if you are interested in our hybrid bikes. Road bikes are also available (with triple chain ring) for a small extra charge. If you would like more detailed info from our bike geek, please send him an e-mail.
Weather: We try to schedule our departures to avoid mid-summer heat and crowds while still benefiting from an ample amount of sunshine. Temperatures during our visits generally range from 70-80° F during the day, dropping approx. 10 degrees at night. July departures will be HOT. Rainfall is possible on any of the departures, so all participants should have appropriate raingear.
Trip Cost Includes: 7 nights in comfortable, charming 3-4 star hotels (1 night 4-star hotel in Florence, 2 nights Fattoria La Valle in Panzano in Chianti (pool and gardens), 1 night La Posta del Chianti (garden), 3 nights Podere Moscadella in Castelmuzio (pool and gardens); 7 breakfasts and 6 dinners; bilingual guide or guides; support vehicle; guided tours as noted in the itinerary, including winery visit and tasting; all luggage transfers; bikes (quality 27-speed hybrid-style touring bikes with front handlebar bags and rear racks); and final transfer to Chiusi train station.
Not Included: Round-trip airfare; airport/hotel transfers; lunches; one dinner in Florence; travel insurance; gratuities; alcoholic beverages and items of a personal nature. Please bring your own bike helmet, as you will be required to wear one.
Reservations and payment: In order to reserve a space on the trip, a non-refundable deposit of $200 USD or €200 (depending on the trip) is required. Please contact us at info@customwalks.com or go to the Reservations page on our website for more information. We will send you a trip agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of payment and cancellation. Getting there (this will redirect you to our "Getting to the Trip" page) General Information: This trip is subject to the booking information set forth in the CustomWalks Ltd. reservation information and trip agreement. Please read this information carefully and e-mail us (or use the "Contact Us" page) if you have any questions. We highly recommend the purchase of Trip Insurance which you can do through CustomWalks Ltd or by clicking on the logo below (another window will open up on your screen).
We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Why wait? Space is limited. Send us an e-mail or fax to reserve your trip. Full trip details including detailed pre-departure information, train timetables, and a gear list are sent upon receipt of deposit.
Come join us!
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