Classic Chianti Cycling

Classic Chianti Cycling

110 Views
11 Days From

$3635

$3462

Classic Chianti Cycling

11 Days Starting and ending in Volterra

Visiting: Italy

Tour operator:

Exodus Adventure Travels

Tour code:

C10TY

Group Type:

Independent

Guide Type:

Self Guided

Physical rating:

Medium, Leisurely / Moderate

Age range:

18-99

Special diets catered:

Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements

Tour operated in:

English

Activities:

Cycling, Sightseeing, Walking

From: $3635 $3462 Travel Club discount: -$173

NB: Prices correct on 19-Sep-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

This ten night holiday has been carefully crafted to cleverly balance cultural highlights and historic treasures with natural beauty and stunningly scenic cycling. It's a perfect choice too if you like the idea of combining timeless countryside cycling with the use of local transport to explore the eternal cities of Siena and Florence on foot.



Highlights

  • Etruscan, Roman, Renaissance and Medieval art and architecture

  • Spend 4 nights in Colle di Val d'Elsa: charming piazze, Sienese frescoes, easy access to Florence and Siena

  • Quintessential, Italian landscapes: rolling hills, endless vines, beautifully preserved honey-hued hamlets

  • Mostly 4-star hotels; gorgeous swimming pools; superb local cuisine

  • Scenic cycling through olive groves, fruit orchards and sunflowers

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Arrive At Volterra

Meals Included: Dinner

Arrive in Volterra where you've time for a dip in the hotel pool and a wander round the town's tangle of cobbled alleys and hidden squares before dinner.

You stay at Hotel San Lino (breakfast and evening meal)

Day 2 : Volterra To Certaldo

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today it's a downhill whizz out of hilltop Volterra and into the pretty Era Valley where spectacular views of the surrounding timeless Tuscan countryside open up as you pedal. After climbing out of the valley, you'll soon pass through the pretty hamlet of Castagno where we suggest a well-deserved coffee stop in the local bar. Your route continues on to Gambassi Terme, a well-preserved spa town with cobbled streets, 12th century church and lovely shaded gardens. Lunch here perhaps in one of the many trattorie then, soon after leaving the town, you'll pick up the famous Via Francigena for the gentle, mainly downhill stretch to medieval Certaldo.

You stay at Hotel Certaldo (breakfast included)

Day 3 : At Certaldo

Meals Included: Breakfast

Explore stunning Certaldo, Boccaccio's birthplace. Split into two distinct halves, the medieval centre of Certaldo Alto with its fabulous ancient buildings, is accessed by funicular and offers spectacular views across the Val d'Elsa. On the other hand, Certaldo Basso is the more modern part of the town with shops, bars and restaurants. You could also spend time today, relaxing by the hotel pool.

You stay at Hotel Certaldo (breakfast included)

Day 4 : Certaldo To Colle Di Val D'elsa

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today's route explores the panoramic wine country between Certaldo and Colle di Val d'Elsa. You'll follow the official, mainly off-road, Chianti Wine Route where you'll find lots of tasting opportunities! It's then on to the old town of Poggibonsi, a perfect stop for lunch and to visit the ruins of its unfinished 15th century fortress. The day ends with gentle pedalling through tree-lined meadows and a valley of poppy and sunflower fields to Colle di Val d'Elsa.

You stay at Palazzo San Lorenzo (breakfast and evening meal)

Day 5 : At Colle Di Val D'elsa: Suggested Day In Siena

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

There is so much to see and do in and around Colle di Val d'Elsa that you really will be spoiled for choice. However, today we recommend hopping on the local bus (from just outside the hotel) for the 30min ride to the great medieval city of Siena. Visit the Palazzo Pubblico with its impressive pre-Renaissance frescoes and climb the Torre del Mangia for the best views of the town and surrounding Sienese countryside. For lunch, or simply a drink, there is no better place than Siena's beautiful shell-shaped Piazza del Campo.

You stay at Palazzo San Lorenzo (breakfast and evening meal)

Day 6 : At Colle Di Val D'elsa: Suggested Day Exploring Locally

Meals Included: Breakfast

After a fairly long day yesterday, we propose that you spend a relaxed morning in Colle di Val d'Elsa. The historic town dates back to Etruscan times with a cathedral, museums and fine Renaissance buildings. After lunch in the old square, maybe spend relax in the hotel's spa before a pre-dinner stroll along the lovely River Elsa where limestone-rich rapids come crashing dramatically downstream.

You stay at Palazzo San Lorenzo (breakfast included)

Day 7 : At Colle Di Val D'elsa: Suggested Day In Florence

Meals Included: Breakfast

No trip to Tuscany would be complete without a visit to the charming city of Florence, arguably the most beautiful city in the world! It's just an hour on the local bus (which leaves from just outside the hotel) giving you plenty of time to explore the Uffizi (closed Mon), Duomo and Baptistery. If you want to escape the crowds, we suggest you cross the Ponte Vecchio to the quieter side of the Arno to visit the Boboli Gardens.

You stay at Palazzo San Lorenzo (breakfast included)

Day 8 : Colle Di Val D'elsa To Pescille

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Get back on your bike this morning and enjoy superb rolling views before the ride up to Casole d'Elsa, a beautiful village characterised by ancient vermilion-hued buildings and blessed with stunning views from its hilltop position. Take time to explore its 12th century church (frescoes by Gano da Siena) and impressive fortress before an early lunch perhaps in the lovely piazza. You then wind north through wonderfully scenic countryside, the fabulous medieval towers of San Gimignano providing a formidable backdrop as you pedal on to Pescille.

You stay at the Hotel Pescille (breakfast at the hotel, evening meal at a local restaurant)

Day 9 : At Pescille

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

San Gimignano is just a short cycle away, its towers giving this hilltop town a distinctive Manhattan-style skyline. Explore its myriad of narrow streets and many hidden cobbled squares before popping back to your tranquil hotel for a refreshing dip in the sparkling swimming pool.

You stay at Hotel Pescille (breakfast at the hotel, evening meal at a local restaurant)

Day 10 : Pescille To Volterra

Meals Included: Breakfast

It's a short downhill ride to San Gimignano before a gentle climb up through classic Tuscan landscapes of vines, olive groves and fields ablaze with sunflowers. It's then an almost entirely downhill cycle into the pretty Era Valley. There's a real sense of achievement on your final pedal through open countryside, enjoying spectacular views, before your last climb back to the ancient cobbled streets of Volterra.

You stay at Hotel San Lino (breakfast and evening meal)

Day 11 : Leave Volterra

Meals Included: Breakfast

The tour ends in Volterra.

What's Included

  • Headwater wine service 

  • Luggage transfers between hotels

  • All buffet breakfasts and 6 evening meals 

  • All accommodation

  • Route notes and maps 

  • High quality bikes 

  • Meals

    10 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 6 dinners.

  • All accommodationAll buffet breakfasts and 6 evening meals Route notes and maps High quality bikes Luggage transfers between hotels

What's Not Included

  • Visas or vaccinations

  • Single accommodation (available on request)

  • Travel insurance

  • Travel insuranceSingle accommodation (available on request)Visas or vaccinations

  • Travel insuranceSingle accommodation (available on request - compulsory supplement)Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)Visas or vaccinations

Food

All buffet breakfasts and 6 evening meals included.Italy’s most famous
export is probably its cuisine and the traditional dishes of Tuscany are the
most influential and revered.The region’s food is based on cucina povera,
‘poor/peasant cookery’, a rural cuisine based on available natural
ingredients: olive oil, unsalted bread, pulses and vegetables, wild mushroom
or porcini, and salt-cured meats such as salame and prosciutto. In
particular, Tuscan olive oil is renowned for its quality and is the most
important ingredient in the region’s cookery. You will find it in almost
every dish - as a salad dressing, poured over vegetables and into soups and
even as a replacement for butter onbread (very nice with a sprinkling of
salt!).

Accommodation

The hotels we’ve selected for this holiday are among our best, and include a magnificently restored 12th century abbey, a wonderfully renovated, stylish watermill which dates back to the 16th century and belonged to the famous Medici family, and a family-run, traditional hotel overlooking the soaring towers of San Gimignano.

Check out our Q&As

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Exodus has been trading since 1974

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.

Reviews of this operator

Gergana Racheva  

Very helpful and prompt service

06-Jan-2023

Very helpful and prompt service. I called to check for an already booked trip and once we sorted this, the agent was ready to help me with another booking as well. He actually waited for me to book my flight tickets, answered all my questions, informed me of all my options. Exodus is a tour company I am using regularly due to the quality of their trips, ease of booking and helpfulness of their customer service team

Trustpilot
Tim Hardy  

Stunning walking. Walking the Amalfi Coast

04-Nov-2021

This trip takes you through the most beautiful parts of the Mediterranean walking with a guide and also discovering the wonders of Pompeii and Vesuvius. The hotel had a nice feel as family run, spotless and comfortable rooms, we were well looked after for breakfasts and dinner each day, and the barmen fixed some mean cocktails for us.!

paul green (Google Reviewer)  

Went on a tour of...

14-Jan-2022

Went on a tour of morocco in October and loved it ,mohamed the tour guide was excellent, probably go with exodus to India next year

Paul Green  

It's amazing what you can do in a week! Cycling the Dalmatian Coast.

08-Oct-2021

This holiday was extremely enjoyable. The itinerary is well planned and the route takes you to a variety of destinations. Not having been to Croatia before I didn't know there were so many beautiful small islands and I loved the ferry and catarmaran rides. The coastal route we took was dramatic and the World Heritage sites in Split and Dubrovnik very interesting and worth visiting. The Adriatic Sea was warm, blue and inviting, good for swimming even in October. The hotels we stayed in varied in size from medium to large. I particularly liked the one just outside Dubrovnik as I had a sea view. Tourists were plentiful in Split and Dubrovnik but in the other places we stayed there was an end of season feel and it was quiet on the roads and in the resorts. The food was good and our guide was always able to recommend a nice restaurant for our evening meal. The weather in October was good for cycling - not hot, partly cloudy most days and one day it rained!

Mrs Y Morrison  

Fabulous company and trip

06-Jan-2023

We went overland from Cape Town to Zimbabwe through Botswana and Namibia. What a fantastic trip. Our first time with Exodus although we have travelled extensively around the world. We would highly recommend this company for such a brilliant trip - we got everything and more all at a good price. Thanks to everyone involved. We are looking at our next trip!

Trustpilot
John Edwards (Google Reviewer)  

I went cycling in Albania...

19-Aug-2023

I went cycling in Albania with exodus as my first holiday with them. Such a well organised and wonderful experience where I met multiple fellow travellers who have been advocates of them for many years. You can't argue with happy repeat customers and I'm planning my next adventure with them soon

Alison Payton (Google Reviewer)  

I've done 8 trips in...

17-May-2023

I've done 8 trips in the last 14 years with Exodus, and have been rewarded with a 10% discount on all future bookings. I feel very confident that I'll receive pleasant, efficient service, and have the unusual holiday experience that I'm looking for each time. I've trekked to the top of snow-capped peaks, wild-camped in the desert, seen amazing spectacles of nature, visited 4 capital cities in a week, and learned about local culture and experienced local hospitality in a way that I simply wouldn't on a conventional holiday. The quality of the accommodation and guides can vary, but this is mainly down to cultural differences and things that Exodus can't control. I've only ever complained once, my complaint was taken seriously, and I was sent a discount voucher - you can't say fairer than that. I remain a loyal customer.

David (Google Reviewer)  

Exodus are generally a good...

21-Aug-2024

Exodus are generally a good travel company. Things tend to run smoothly and trips well organised. Their customers tend to be at retirement age. Trips are a bit overpriced. I would also avoid trips in Europe, as these often focus on more coffee stops and meals, rather than walking. I would also recommend making sure your guide records any accidents you have, hopefully not applicable. I had one on Sierra de Aitana which the guide saw and knew about, but he and Exodus said it never happened when I followed up after the trip. I wasn’t putting in a claim, just suggested a safety improvement. They have since apologised and acknowledged this as an error. They are a good reliable option for outside of Europe trips.

Jacquelyn Moore (Google Reviewer)  

Food came quickly. Staff very...

07-Mar-2024

Food came quickly. Staff very friendly and polite . However the chef or person preparing the food did not seem to read the menu! If it says a meal should come with vegetables, you should not have to ask for them. They served shepherds pie with garlic bread! The munchies ice cream sundae said it should come in a glass with a flake but came in a little bowl with just a few munchies! When asking the staff were happy to replace and correct but customer should get what they order and what menu says first time round!!

johanna leonor (Google Reviewer)  

If you like to be...

07-Sep-2023

If you like to be mistreated Exodus is perfect for you. If you enjoy terrible choices for hotels and pseudo restaurants Exodus is perfect for you. Careless about their clients and loveless about their propositions. Exodus has been a dissatisfaction and disappointment about every dealing i and my group have had with him. Especially a man called Simone who just cares about the money he can get from you couldn’t care less about service.

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Sunday - Wednesday

Sep 22, 2024 - Oct 02, 2024
$3635 $3462

Travel Club discount: -$173

Tuesday - Friday

Sep 24, 2024 - Oct 04, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$173

Thursday - Sunday

Sep 26, 2024 - Oct 06, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$173

Saturday - Tuesday

Sep 28, 2024 - Oct 08, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$173

Monday - Thursday

Sep 30, 2024 - Oct 10, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$173

Wednesday - Saturday

Oct 02, 2024 - Oct 12, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$173

Friday - Monday

Oct 04, 2024 - Oct 14, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$173

Sunday - Wednesday

Oct 06, 2024 - Oct 16, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$173

Tuesday - Friday

Oct 08, 2024 - Oct 18, 2024
$3635 $3462

Travel Club discount: -$173

Thursday - Sunday

Oct 10, 2024 - Oct 20, 2024
$3635 $3462

Travel Club discount: -$173

Saturday - Tuesday

Oct 12, 2024 - Oct 22, 2024
$3635 $3462

Travel Club discount: -$173

Monday - Thursday

Oct 14, 2024 - Oct 24, 2024
$3635 $3462

Travel Club discount: -$173

Wednesday - Saturday

Oct 16, 2024 - Oct 26, 2024
$3635 $3462

Travel Club discount: -$173

Friday - Monday

Oct 18, 2024 - Oct 28, 2024
$3635 $3462

Travel Club discount: -$173

Book with Confidence

  • Free Date Changes

    CTS demo white label allows you to make 20 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 0 days before the start of the tour.

  • Low Deposit

    CTS demo white label requires a minimum deposit of 55% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 30 days before departure.

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