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A 6-stage challenge through the picturesque landscapes and medieval villages of Tuscany
Epic Tuscany is a 8-day cycling trip that will allow you to discover one of Italy's most desirable and coveted cycling areas. There's more: this challenging cycle tour will take you back to the roots of our sport and test your cycling skills on the endless ups and downs of the Tuscan countryside, as well as ride the famous gravel roads where our sport was born more than one hundred years ago and that have made this region a must for every avid cyclist. The routes will be as winding as they are spectacular, strenuous but exciting, dotted with cypress trees, olive groves, ruined Tuscan farmhouses, vineyards and dense wooded areas. Following our philosophy, we decided to leave logistics aside and design the bicycle trip we had always dreamed of taking. And as bike lovers, we couldn't help but include in this tour all the best places that make this trip an unforgettable adventure: Lucca, Siena, the Chianti area and the entire Val d'Orcia with its many medieval villages.
The famous Tuscan countryside presents a dreamy landscape, ideal to discover by bicycle. You will ride from north to south Tuscany, mainly on country roads that will bewitch your heart. And because it is a shame to leave after only one day each of the special places you'll visit, you'll stay two nights in all locations: this makes your trip less hectic and will allow you to better discover what this land has to offer.
Epic Tuscany is a challenging bike tour: no doubt about it. But it is not a race: everyone makes their own pace and no one rides alone. The medieval villages, moreover, offer excellent opportunities for a cappuccino stop and regroup. And at the end of the day cyclists like to reward themselves with a delicious dinner: Tuscan cuisine is second to none and it will make the job!
Ride Highlights:
Crete Senesi
"A unique work of art, unparalleled in our Western world - one complete animal, with head, heart, arteries, legs, of which the almost intact skeleton remains, deposited on three hills."
 | Total distance: 669km |
 | total elevation: 11900m |
 | Duration: 8 days |
 | difficulty level: Challenge |
Arrival at Pisa airport/Florence airport, transfer to Lucca, check-in at 3-star hotel.
Opening dinner in Lucca.105km | 2,140m | 2,140m | 5h
A ride around Lucca is a perfect introduction to Tuscany. We ride northwards towards the ancient village of Fiano, from where we can see the Tyrrhenian Sea. The road continues to climb to the Passo Sella, located right in the middle of the Apuan Alps Regional Park. After a well-deserved descent we will stop in Fornoli for a light lunch before tackling the second climb of the day up to the Passo del Trebbio. From there on we will descend towards Lucca and experience the famous "mangia e bevi" of this area - an Italian cycling expression. The last kilometres will run along the Serchio river before entering the majestic walls of Lucca.
Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast | Dinner
137km | 1,650 | 1,340m | 5,30h
This morning we head south to our second destination of the trip: the wonderful Siena. We'll ride along the Via Francigena. We will first pass through the town of San Miniato, world-famous for its wine and white truffles, before tackling the climb to San Gimignano. In this medieval jewel, world famous for its many medieval towers, we will enjoy a traditional Italian picnic before heading into the land of the 'strade bianche', the so called white roads: gravel roads anywhere else! Be prepared to eat some dust as you ride along some of most spectacular dirt roads Tuscany has to offer. We will pass through Colle val D'Elsa and the fortified village of Monteriggioni before arriving in the city of the Palio: Siena.
Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast | Dinner
104km | 1,880 | 1,540m | 5,30h
Today's ride takes us around the famous wine region of Tuscany: Chianti. As soon as we leave Siena heading east, the terrain becomes more hilly and we soon pass through the vineyards of San Giovese. The route becomes more spectacular as we pass through some of the medieval villages 'in Chianti', once belonging to the Lega del Chianti: an alliance of fortified villages that protected Florence. Now they protect the quality of the local wine and form an association called the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium: they protect quality wine, the kind of wars we can be proud of. Among these heroic villages Gaiole, Radda and Castellina are charming little towns perched on the hills of this area. The road to reach them is challenging, but the atmosphere and uniqueness of these villages is rewarding. One of the highlights of the day is the descent to Castellina. On the way back to Siena we will have the chance to visit the village of Monteriggioni with its unique medieval walls.
Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast | Dinner
113km | 1,990 | 1,780 | 5h
From Siena we will cycle south into the Val d'Orcia, through oak woods that open onto the surprising scenery of vast wheat fields. We will cycle surrounded by the famous clay hills, also known as the Crete Senesi, before arriving in Asciano. Once in Asciano, we head towards Chiusure, where we stop for a quick visit to the Abbey of Monte Oliveto, to admire the frescoes depicting the death of St Benedict, painted by Luca Signorelli. The route then turns east towards Trequanda and Montisi, before tackling the ramp to Montepulciano, where we will have a quick lunch. In the afternoon we return to the valley of the Orcia river passing two UNESCO heritage sites, the town of Pienza and the medieval village of San Quirico d'Orcia. Our destination for the night is Montalcino.
Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast | Dinner
102km | 2,670 | 2,670 | 5,30h
The queen of the Val d'Orcia awaits us: today is the day dedicated to Monte Amiata. Did we mention that a recurring feature of Tuscany is the many short climbs that follow one another endlessly? OK, let's forget about that for a moment, because today is real mountain! From Montalcino we will head south to the Passo del Lume Spento. Along the way we will encounter a few ups and downs to warm up our legs before arriving at Castel del Piano, where we will begin the 14 km climb (7% average) that will take us to the top of this former volcano. During the climb we will have time to appreciate the incredible variety of vegetation that covers this mountain, from the olive groves at the bottom to the beech forest in the central section to the chestnut trees that cover the summit. After reaching the summit at 1738 m a.s.l. and enjoying a rest to regain our energy we will descend along the northern slope toward Seggiano and Castelnuovo dell'Abate before returning to Montalcino.
Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast | Dinner
108km | 1,570 | 1,120 | 5h
In one stage we touch on three Italian regions. We leave Montalcino heading south through the beautiful scenery of the Val d'Orcia, before tackling the climb to Celle sul Rigo where we will stop for a delicious Tuscan picnic lunch. In the afternoon we will skirt the Monte Rufeno nature reserve, where the oak forests begin to fade into Mediterranean scrub. It is time to leave Tuscany and enter Lazio before arriving at the town of Acquapendente, one of the most important stops on the Via Francigena. The last segment of the route enters another wonderful Italian region, Umbria, with a pleasant descent to Orvieto, our last destination of the day and a very important city for its cultural and architectural heritage from the Middle Ages.
Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast | Dinner
Transfer to Florence airport and end of services.
Travel arrangements
The best airport for arrivals is Pisa (PSA) : from there we arrange the group transfer. Other options, the best is Florence (FLR), are possible and we can help you select the best one.
Food & Drinks during stages
During the rides we plan at least one longer pic-nic stop in the middle of the stage plus one or more coffee stops. In the assistence van we have bars, gels and water.
Necessary Gear
Our guests will get a pre tour info kit that gives useful suggestions on how to enjoy our trips in full. Here is a quick selection that might be useful at this stage.
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We suggest renting a Canyon bike with us. But feel free to bring your own bike. Just consider bringing along a selection of model specific spare parts (ie. derailleur hangers).
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The hotels have a room for the bikes, and we will have a selection of tools to perform basic maintenance.
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Bring along a wide selection of clothes, including some full arm jackets, rain coat, leg and arm warmers, overshoes: the environment is hills or mountains and bad weather is never completely predictable.
