Italy - Cycling Tuscany - The classic route
Tuscany has had an enchanting effect on many creative artists over the years. This region has an ability to stimulate our senses with beautiful views, smells, sounds and especially taste. To see it all from a bicycle saddle brings you even closer to the nature and culture, and makes the experience even greater.
On this cycling holiday you will visit Florence, Lucca and Pisa, with their unique atmosphere, history and architecture. The route takes you through the idyllic Tuscan terrain to the famous Leonardo's birthplace - Vinci. Furthermore it shows you the wine village of Greve with its Chianti Classico and the architectural paradise Siena. We will provide you with detailed route descriptions and we will transfer your luggage between the hotels, so that you easily can enjoy the bikeride, and let yourself get wrapped into the Tuscan atmosphere, without any worries.
The terrain of Tuscany has wonderful rolling hills in the countryside and much of the trip will take place on smal and quiet roads and dirt roads between the famous villages, and the most appropriate routes has been selected around the lager cities.
On this trip it is now possible to rent an electric bike. Using a small electric motor it helps the rider to a higher speed, as long as you stay active in the pedals. This will leave you full of energy to enjoy the beautiful landscape, even when going uphill.
Highlights on this tour
- Lucca with the great views of the city while biking on the historic city walls
- Pisa and its famous Leaning Tower
- The town of the famous white wine - Monte Carlo and the Chianti Classico region at Greve
- Discover several of the characteristic spa towns along the way
- Cycling through the vineyards and rolling hills in the unique Tuscan terrain
- The city of Siena with its architectural styles that among others has been the inspiration for the designing of Copenhagen City Hall
- Transportation of luggage between the hotels
Itinerary See all daysClose all days
It takes about 50 mins. The train from Florence to Montecatini Terme (not included).
When arriving at the hotel, there will be a welcome package with detailed information about your trip and you will be given your bikes. Depending on arrival time, it will be posible to take a stroll in one of the spa parks of which the city is known, or go on a ride on the historic funicular (cable pulled tram) to Montecatini Alto.
Category A - Hotel (example): Grand Hotel Croce di Malta
Category B - Hotel (example): Hotel Manzoni
Charm: Grand Hotel Croce di Malta
You begin the day by cycling through Valdenievoledalens great plains, which are widely cultivated by local farmers. The tour continues through olive groves and the first Tuscan villages to Vinci, which is the birthplace of the world famous-, classical renaissance genius Leonardo.
The old medieval castle Castello Guidi has a museum, which we recommend to visit, as it is home to one of the largest collections of machinery and models made by Leonardo da Vinci. From here you cycle on quiet roads back to Montecatini Terme.
Distance: approx. 55km
Category A - Hotel (example): Grand Hotel Croce di Malta
Category B - Hotel (example): Hotel Manzoni
Charm: Grand Hotel Croce di Malta
Today's stage of cycling begins by taking you through the charming town of Lucca. On this route you will pass pass the medieval wine town of Monte Carlo, where one of the few Tuscan white wines are grown. (It is also possible to take the train directly to Lucca). In Lucca, you can take your bike up on the historic city wall which offers a splendid view of churches and towers that rises above the city's numerous roofs. Afterwords continue to Massacciuccoli lake (also called Giacomo Puccini lake). From here there is a stunning view of the sea and Pisa. The route then continues down to Pisa, where it is possible to cycle past the Piazza dei Miracoli, with its famous Leaning Tower, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Distance: approx. 40-90km
Category A - Hotel (example): Hotel Repubblica Marinara
Category B - Hotel (example): Hotel Soggiorno Athena
Charm: Hotel Bologna
Surrounded by lush fields, the first stage of the cycling day follows the Arno river, which is one of the largest in Tuscany and also runs through Florence. The route runs through the hills of Pisa, where the landscape softly meanders with its cultivated fields of sweet grapes, olives and juicy peaches. Through out the day you will see medieval villages on the hilltops, where they were placed in ancient times to have a better chance of defending themselves from threats. You will end the day in the spa town of Casciana Terme.
Distance: approx. 50km
Category A - Hotel (example): Albergo Roma
Category B - Hotel (example): Albergo Stella
Charm: Agriturismo Le Valli
Today, the bike route follows beautiful paths through vineyards and gentle hills to San Gimignano. Along the way, you'll pass through some of the stunning landscapes associated with Tuscany, which have been depicted countless times by artists from around the world. As you approach today's destination, San Gimignano's characteristic towers, reminiscent of medieval and aristocratic wealth, rise above the city's rooftops.
Distance: approx. 55km
Category A - Hotel (example): Hotel San Michele
Category B - Hotel (example): Albergo Le Colline
Charm: Hotel La Cisterna
Another day surrounded by the unique Tuscan landscape, and these beautiful surroundings will steel your focus from the evelations on this day's route. A feeling of having cycled straight into the Middle Ages, awaits you in the village of Monteriggioni and the highlight of the day will undoubtedly be arriving at the architectural paradise Siena. The architect Martin Nyrop, found his inspiration for the City Hall of Copenhagen in Siena. The evening is well spend on stroling around the city's historic center, which today is listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Distance: approx. 50km
Category A - Hotel (example): Hotel Italia
Category B - Hotel (example): Hotel Italia
Charm: Hotel Garden
As the last cycling stage on this tour, today's route will lead you from Siena, and into the middle of the wide Chianti region. This is where the world-famous Chianti Classico wine is grown, which is highly respected among wine connoisseurs. The tour leads you through the wine village of Castellina all the way to Greve, with its picturesque square in the center, that sets the city appart from the classic Tuscan cities. Greve is due to the famous wine and olive production, known as the capital of the Chianti region. From there you will take a bus to Florence where the you check into the hotel for the final night. (it is possible to get private bikes with you on the buss for free).
Distance: approx. 50km
Category A - Hotel (example): Grand Hotel Adriatico
Category B - Hotel (example): Hotel Grifone
Charm: C Hotels
After breakfast you will be checking out of the hotel for departure.
Price includes
- 7 nights in selected hotel category
- Breakfast buffet or an extensive breakfast
- Detailed descriptions of the routes (route maps, route descriptions/roadbook, information on relevant tourist attractions and important phone numbers.)
- Luggage transfers between hotels
- All trains and buses mentioned in the program
- GPS tracks available
- Direct phone number to a hotline service from where you can recieve help throughout the length of trip.
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Transportation to the starting destination in Italy
- Bicycle rental (see practical info)
- Cancellation and Travel Insurance
Practical info
The price is based upon two people sharing. It is also possible travel alone in a single room. Simply choose "single room" in the booking form and it will automatically add the single room surcharge.
On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.
Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:
- Choose your desired start date
- Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
- Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).
Get a quote
For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.
The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.
Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.
On all our cycling holidays it is possible bring your own bike but it also possible to rent a bike for the tour. The bikes you can rent are all perfectly suited for the tour and the local terrain and all bikes are perfectly maintained. If you want to rent a bike on your holiday, then you select this on the booking form where you can also see the price. Remember to write your height in the message field when you book so that we know which size bike you need.
PHOTOS OF THE BIKES ARE BELOW THIS TEXT
On this tour it is possible to rent the following bikes:
- Unisex 21-gear bike – with free wheel
- Unisex 7-gear bike – with back pedal breaks
- Gents bike 21 gear – with free wheel
- PLUS gents bike 27 gear – with free wheel
- Unisex ebike – with backpedal breaks
Equipment included in the bike rental:
- Saddle bag (water repellent)
- Handlebar bag (water repellent)
- Service-set with tools and extra bicycle tube
- Combination lock
Roadside assistance
All bikes are equipped with puncture resistant tyres which means that it is virtually impossible to puncture. No rule without exceptions, so should you experience a punctured tyre then you can quickly fix it by using the tools in the service-set. If the damage is greater than a simply puncture then you simply call us and we make sure that your bike is fixed or you will be supplied with a new bike as quickly as possible.
Insurance is included
Insurance against theft and damages are included in the bike rental. Should you have any problems of this nature then all you have to do is to let us know and we will supply a new bike as quickly as possible. Naturally, careless or mischievous behavior is exempt from this.
Unisex 21-gear bike – with free wheel / Unisex 7-gear bike – with back pedal breaks
Gents bike 21 gear – with free wheel
PLUS gents bike 27 gear – with free wheel
Unisex ebike – with backpedal breaks
The flights to/from Pisa are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
Book a quote
If you prefer that we handle your flight, then we would be happy to arrange this for you. You simply book a quote below the map on this page and we will return with a quote as soon as possible (usually within 2-5 working days). Please note that we add a handling fee of 45 euro to each flight and this means that the flight will be cheaper if you book it yourself.
On this tour you can select between three different hotel categories:
Charme: Carefully selected extra good hotels
Category A: 3- and 4-star hotels, some with swimmingpool
Category B: 3-star hotels
You can select your desired category on the booking form.
The terrain of Tuscany has wonderful rolling hills in the countryside and much of the trip will take place on smal and quiet roads and dirt roads between the famous villages. The most appropriate routes has been selected around the lager cities and overall this tour is a level 2. You can read more about our grading system here.
Luggage transfer is included on this tour. Upon arrival at the first hotel you will be given luggage tags along with the rest of the welcome package. You fill out the luggage tags and put them on your bags where they will remain for the duration of the tour.
Your luggage is picked up from the hotel lobby around 9am every morning and will arrive at your next hotel at 6pm at the latest (often long before that). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer you will be notified upon arrival.
Luggage transfer includes one bag per guest and the bags can weigh 20kg each.
You will recieve the following documentation
Upon booking
You recieve practical information about the tour in a digital format
One month before arrival
You recieve your hotel list and your voucher (hotel list is often supplied upon booking)
Upon arrival
You recieve the welcome package which contains the printed version of the road book, luggage tags, local specific vouchers and if you have rented bikes then they will also be delivered and fitted at the first hotel.
p>Here you can get an overview of the entire route and the elevation profile for each day. The data shows the data from the GPX-files related to the tour. Notice that the routes are sometimes updated, which means that there might be small variations.
Colors
Blue routes: The route as normal
Red routes: Variations/options (such as shortened or extended routes)
It can be difficult to plan a trip according to the weather, but to give an idea of the local climate, see data below:
Statistics for Pisa as seen on www.yr.no
We are members of the Travel Guarantee Fund (nr. 2529) and have all available insurances. This covers you regardless of your nationality. Read more about that here.
Call our experts on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
Or write to us at
Get a quote
Didn't find what you were looking for? We will be happy to send you a custom quote.
Fill out your wishes, and we will send you a quote on your next holiday.
×Get our Newsletter
We write about active holidays, contests and good travel tips
Contact us ×
You are more than welcome to contact us if you have questions about anything.
Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
Mail: [email protected]