Classic Biking among Tuscany's Wine Estates, Villas and Hilltop Villages

Open a bottle of Chianti Classico Reserva and sit back and enjoy the Tuscan way of life. A life where time is taken out to enjoy the simple pleasures of its inspiring wines and delightful local cuisine. With vineyards and olive groves cascading down slopes crowned with Renaissance villas and Medieval hilltop villages, the Chianti will enchant you with an irresistible lure. Ride quiet countryside roads leading past stone farm houses framed in a rainbow of flowers that overlook a landscape admired for its bounty and put on canvas by artists since the middle ages. Cycle its undulating hills and enjoy its seasonal pleasures, from the fresh scents of spring flowers to its summer's golden hues and the essence of its fall grape harvest. Dine on its wholesome culinary masterpieces and celebrate the Tuscan culture with a glass of your favorite vintage.

Day 1 - The Val di Greve to Castellina - Transfer to the Val di Greve with its Florentine wine estates and Renaissance hilltop castles.Ride a panoramic ridge overlooking a quintessential Tuscan landscape of vineyards, olive groves and stone farm houses.Lunch at a favorite trattoria in Panzano before an afternoon ride to Castellina in Chianti. a wine village with some of the Chianti's best views from its Medieval walls.

Day 2 - Brolio & Coltibuono - Roam through the heart of Chianti's quiet and picturesque landscapes to Castello di Brolio, a spectacular castle with striking views all the way to the towers of distant Siena. Tour its grounds and Italianate gardens.Take a dramatic route overlooking vineyards, hilltop villages and tree bordered villas to the 8th-century abbey at Badia a Coltibuono. Tour its ancient wine cellars and flourishing Renaissance gardens. Learn about the Badia's history, its award-winning Chianti Classico wines, its aromatic honeys and some of the area's best olive oils.Take a diversion to a family owned ceramics workshop.Relax at a sidewalk cafe with a glass of the your favorite vintage.

Day 3 - San Gimignano - Ride along quiet scenic ridges overlooking neatly rowed vineyards, silvery green olive groves and lush chestnut forests as you meander through the Chianti.Cycle along a route regarded as one of the trip's most memorable, as you travel through undiscovered wine villages and silent hamlets to a landscape reminiscent as the backdrop of countless Renaissance paintings.Arrive overlooking the fascinating 13th-century towers of charming San Gimignano. Wander its Medieval streets, visit an "enoteca" wine shop, try Italy's best "gelato" and relax in one of Tuscany's most unique hilltop villages.

Day 4 - Volterra - Follow a panoramic route through a golden patchwork of open pastures and ripening grain fields to the alabaster workshops and the Etruscan Roman ruins at Volterra, one of Italy's oldest cities.Discover the origins of Volterra and its centuries-old tradition of artistic expression through its work on alabaster. Visit its pre-Roman Etruscan walls and town gates, its Roman amphitheater and baths and its untouched Medieval streets, palaces and churches. Picnic in its archeological park or lunch in its central piazza, regarded as one of the most preserved Medieval squares in Italy.

Day 5 - Medieval Siena - Casually cycle into the colorful Sienese countryside past Colle di Val d'Elsa, known for centuries for its fine crystal.Pass by quiet countryside villages, noble castles and a near-forgotten abbey to arrive in the hilltop hamlet of Monteriggioni. Once a Sienese fort used to defend Siena against its archenemies, the Florentines, Monteriggioni seems like a large crown sitting on a distance hill.Enter Siena along a panoramic route with views of its marble clad Duomo and bell tower, and the Torre di Mangia, one of Italy's tallest Medieval towers, located in the distance.Take a casual tour through Siena's fascinating Medieval streets to visit the neighborhood of St. Catherine of Siena and the magnificent Duomo with its ornate facade and immaculately decorated interior. Dine on Sienese specialties in the Piazza del Campo, considered Italy's most beautiful piazza, and home to the Palio, an ancient Sienese horse race re-enacted twice a year.

Day 6 - Florence - Homeward bound.Bid a final farewell to the peaceful landscapes of the Chianti and take a private transfer to your post-trip hotel or other travel connections in Florence.As always, we would be more than pleased to help you with any of your post-trip travel planning.
Arrivederci and Buon Viaggio !