Premium Walking Among the Villages and Vineyards of Tuscany north of Siena

Walking in the Chianti ranks as one of the world's great traveling experiences. Imagine following a quiet gravel laneway bordered by tall cypress trees, overlooking rows of vineyards and silvery olive groves; the smell of fresh air scented with wild flowers, herbs and pine; and the sounds of song birds serenading you as the glorious Tuscan sun soothes you. On our Chianti walk, we'll discover Renaissance villas and Medieval hilltop villages where ruby red Chianti Classico wines, sharp cheeses and cured prosciutto hosts the conversations. We'll experience the seasons, from the fresh scents of spring flowers to its summer's golden hues and the essence of its fall grape harvest. We'll dine on its traditional culinary masterpieces and celebrate the Tuscan culture with a relaxing glass of your favorite vintage while overlooking a landscape little changed since the Renaissance.

Day 1 - Greve & Radda in Chianti - Private transfer to Greve in Chianti, the market town for the Chianti wine producing region.Private tour and wine tasting lesson at a Renaissance villa known for its award winning Chianti Classic wines.Follow countryside laneways overlooking a quintessential Tuscan landscape of vineyards, olive groves and stone farm houses.Visit the quiet fortified borgo of Montefioralle, the birthplace of Amerigo Vespucci, who gave America its name.Enjoy a welcoming lunch in a typical trattoria located among Greve's unique and charming arcaded main square.Discover Radda in Chianti, a hilltop 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 the 8th-century abbey at Badia a Coltibuono, producers of fine Chianti Classico wines, aromatic honeys and the area's best olive oils.Visit the majestic Castello di Brolio, where the original recipe for Chianti Classico wines was established. Tour its Italianate gardens with views extending all the way to the towers of Siena.Take a diversion to a local family owned ceramics workshop.Relax at a sidewalk cafe with a glass of the your favorite vintage.

Day 3 - San Gimignano - Walk along quiet scenic ridges overlooking neatly rowed vineyards, silvery green olive groves and lush chestnut forests to the wine village of Castellina in Chianti.Meander 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 walk 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.Take a casual tour through Siena with its fascinating Medieval streets to 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 !