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Tuscany on Two Wheels

Towers, cypress trees & Chianti
 
Experience classic, rolling Tuscan landscapes as you cycle self-guided between quality accommodation, while your luggage is transported. Savour the famously delicious food and wine, and visit unforgettable San Gimignano with its medieval towers, and UNESCO-protected Siena.
Tuscany on Two Wheels. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Tuscany on Two Wheels. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A cycling holiday in Tuscany

Admire the celebrated towers of San Gimignano and savour the winning combination of Tuscan regional cooking, with its renowned meat and pasta dishes, and world-class wines such as Chianti and Brunello, on a memorable cycling holiday that includes magnificent Siena.
The Chianti Hills are as famed for their beauty as for their dark red wines. Hill-top villages crown the rolling landscapes, and every church seems to contain a fine painting.
As you cycle, you will be struck by an extraordinary sense of history, from the towers of San Gimignano to Siena’s magnificent Campo, and the alluring timelessness of the countryside in between.
 

Book with confidence

What we’re doing so you can book and travel with confidence >
Our flexible booking policies >
Check the destination entry requirements >
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 9 11 13 17 21 25 29 28 25 20 14 10
    mm 65 63 60 65 58 41 30 43 69 76 103 69
  • Arrival in Colle Val d’Elsa
    Night 1: at Hotel La Vecchia Cartiera (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night's accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of cycling.
  • Circular route from Colle Val d’Elsa: 30km; longer option: 38km
    Winding roads with some short ascents followed by a longer but steady climb lead you towards San Gimignano. Perhaps the best-known village in all of Italy, it provides an unmistakably dramatic skyline as you approach, with its 14 medieval towers piercing the sky. The town is immaculately preserved and boasts a fine array of museums and galleries. Admire the panoramas in all directions before returning to Colle Val d’Elsa, either along a low ridge to the east of San Gimignano which offers a different perspective of its skyline or along a longer, more demanding route through beautiful countryside.
    San Gimignano
    Circular route from Colle Val d’Elsa: 30km
    Circular route from Colle Val d’Elsa (longer option): 38km
  • Colle Val d’Elsa to Toiano: 34km
    Today’s route passes from the Elsa Valley into one of Tuscany’s least-known areas, the Merse Valley, crossing wide-open spaces and the ancient wooded hills of Montagnola. There are plenty of small villages and hamlets to discover along the way, such as Scorgiano – where it is possible to pre-arrange wine-tasting from a small local producer – and Pievescola. After a long but gradual ascent to another village, the day ends with a descent onto the plain to reach your hotel, the Relais Borgo di Toiano, near Sovicille, where you spend two nights.
    Colle Val d’Elsa to Toiano: 34km
    Pause for lunch
  • Circular route from Toiano: 23km
    If you can tear yourself away from the hotel pool, we suggest a gentle ride through a section of La Montagnola, mostly following winding traffic-free roads through silent woodland. It is worth pausing at the beautiful Augustinian hermitage of San Leonardo, before you return via 16th-century Villa Cetinale and its spectacular gardens.
    Circular route from Toiano: 23km
    Sunflowers
  • Toiano to Siena: 34km
    Discover changing scenery dotted with small yet captivating medieval hamlets as you leave the Merse Valley behind. The panoramic roads afford idyllic Tuscan views as you approach the Gothic cityscape of Siena, where you stay at the Hotel Santa Caterina, a charming hotel to the south of the city centre.
    Toiano to Siena: 34km
    Magnificent medieval architecture awaits in Siena
  • Siena to Pieve a Salti: 35km
    Leaving Siena, the route heads south into the Crete Senesi, where you are greeted by a completely different landscape – beautiful rolling farmland, hill-top fortresses and remote hamlets provide a scenic backdrop as you pedal along quiet country roads and strade bianche. As you near the end of today's ride, the road swoops steadily down into Buonconvento, from where a short but steep climb leads up to Pieve a Salti, your destination for the final two nights.
    Siena to Pieve a Salti: 35km
    En route from Siena to Pieve a Salti
  • Choice of routes from Pieve a Salti: 22km to 33km

    Out-and-back route to Montalcino: 33km
    This route heads to the wine-producing village of Montalcino, famed for its Brunello di Montalcino reds. It starts by taking you back to the historic town of Buonconvento, beyond which the landscape opens up, offering views towards Montalcino, with the volcano of Mount Amiata silhouetted behind. As you near Montalcino, the farmland and fields of sunflowers give way to olive groves and vineyards. You rise steeply into Montalcino, where it is worth spending some time exploring the ancient streets and visiting the pentagonal fortress before returning to Pieve a Salti along the same route.

    Out-and-back route to Casato Prime Donne: 22km
    For a shorter day through similar scenery, you could instead ride to a vineyard for a spot of wine-tasting, a very apt way to spend your final day in Tuscany.

    Circular route via Monte Oliveto: 30km
    Another alternative route leads you through the evocative scenery of the Crete Senesi to Monte Oliveto and its huge frescoed monastery.

    Explore Montalcino
    A final option could be to explore Montalcino on foot, catching the local bus from nearby Buonconvento.
    Out-and-back route to Montalcino: 33km
    Montalcino
    Out-and-back route to Casato Prime Donne: 22km
    Circular route via Monte Oliveto: 30km
 

Accommodation

You stay in a delightful mix of accommodation.

Occasionally, due to availability, we may offer an alternative hotel, as shown below. You will be informed of any change to the usual hotel (along with any price implication) prior to us confirming your holiday to you.
 

Options to extend or shorten your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
Currency converter
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NB: this should be used as a guide only. Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in significant variation by the time you come to pay.

  • 7 nights: 10 May 2022 - 30 June 2022 & 22 August 2022 - 11 October 2022

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    10 - 21 May 2022 £1045 £255
    22 May - 23 Jun 2022 £1080 £265
    22 Aug - 30 Sep 2022 £1090 £285
    1 - 4 Oct 2022 £1080 £265
    3rd & 4th person discount -£120
    Single traveller supplement £120

    Includes accommodation, meals, bike hire, luggage transfers and any other services integral to the holiday as described, plus cycling notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Electric bikes availabl: add £120 per person.

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Prices include an extra day’s hire of a standard bike. If you are upgrading to an e-bike, add a further £24pp per day.
    Relais Borgo di Toiano, Toiano (B&B) Double room Single room
    10 May - 31 May 2022 £84 £112
    01 Jun - 30 Jun 2022 £96 £134
    22 Aug - 10 Oct 2022 £96 £134
    11 Oct - 11 Oct 2022 £84 £112
    Hotel Santa Caterina, Siena (B&B) Double room Single room
    10 May - 31 May 2022 £135 £180
    01 Jun - 30 Jun 2022 £120 £148
    22 Aug - 31 Aug 2022 £120 £148
    01 Sep - 11 Oct 2022 £135 £180
    Fattoria Pieve a Salti, Pieve a Salti (with dinner) Double room Single room
    10 May - 30 Jun 2022 £114 £148
    22 Aug - 11 Oct 2022 £114 £148
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Pisa
    As an alternative to flying, we can arrange rail travel from London

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Rome or Milan.  To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Pisa (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Pisa jet2 
    Birmingham - Pisa (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Pisa easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Pisa Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Pisa Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow Prestwick - Pisa Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Humberside - Pisa (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Pisa Ryanair 
    Leeds Bradford - Pisa jet2 
    Leeds Bradford - Pisa (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Pisa Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Pisa British Airways,  easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Pisa British Airways 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Pisa easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Pisa Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Pisa easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Pisa jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Teesside International - Pisa (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Rome or Milan.  To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above except those operated by Ryanair. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Unless otherwise stated, connecting travel by rail or bus tends to be from the city centre station, rather than from its airport, and connections between the two should be paid for locally.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Pisa

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Pisa Centrale to Poggibonsi (1h20), taxi Poggibonsi to hotel (0h15) £25 1700
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    hotel transfer to Buonconvento (0h10), rail Buonconvento to Pisa Centrale (2h30) £25 1300
What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 2 dinners
    7 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • high-quality bicycle
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 8 reviews
  • Four Musketeers
    08 June 2022

    We should perhaps have been prepared for this but San Gimignano was simply heaving with tourists and heavy road traffic and we escaped it as quickly as we could.  By contrast, Montalcino was an absolute delight.  In view of the short days on the bike, we spent more time eating that we had intended but, given where we were, this was no great hardship!

  • Mr M Davis
    Leatherhead
    24 May 2022

    We very much enjoiyed our holiday in Tuscany.  The cycle routes were quite varied and interesting giving the impression that you were seeing a good cross-section of Tuscan scenery.  The hotels were all good with two having the bonus of a pool.  The Relais Borgo di Toiano was in a particulary idyllic setting well away from busy roads and with a stunning view.  The most challenging hill was on the way up to the last hotel but we managed it without too much trouble.  This bit of the route coincided with the route of the "Tuscany Trail", a 460km cycle over four days, so we were constantly being overtaken by very athletic cyclists!  The holiday met the high standards that we have come to expect from Inntravel and we are looking forward to our next trip.

  • Mrs S Gardner
    Maidstone
    20 May 2022

    Lovely way to explore this part of Tuscany and excellent accommodation. It was worth spending an extra day in Pisa and Siena as they are beautiful cities. San Gimignano was very busy which we hadn't expected. Relais Borgo di Toiano was perfect and the restaurant Trattoria Ponte allo Spina an easy walk and superb food. It was worth cycling up to Montalcino, a long but gradual climb and there was a cycling festival taking place on the day we visited.

  • Mr M Jones
    St. Albans
    16 May 2022

    A wonderful and memorable holiday - we can highly recommend and will definitely book with Inntravel again - the arrangements were faultless

  • Ms M Knowles
    Poole
    14 October 2019

    We used the map on the last day at Fattoria Pieve a Salti to work out a walk locally and it was lovely, stunning scenery.

  • Mr J Barton
    24 September 2019

    In Siena we found both Ristorante Enzo and La Taverna di Cecco to be excellent. Overall our Inntravel Tuscany on Two Wheels holiday was brilliant - excellent cycle routes and route planners, lovely hotels and stunning countryside, towns and cities (and glorious weather)!

  • Mrs T Osman
    Swindon
    03 September 2019

    Overall a very excellent holiday. All the travel went smoothly and Tuscany was a joy to ride through with beautiful hilltop villages and wonderful views. The cycling notes were very clear and we throughly enjoyed riding on the quiet roads and the off road riding. Even where the roads were a bit busier, around Siena, the Italian drivers were very courteous and did not cut us up or pass too close. The hotels we stayed at were very quirky and the standard of the rooms was excellent. Everyone was very friendly and I would recommend a visit to Tuscany.

    The service from Inntravel was excellent and I would definitely use them again and recommend them to all my friends.

  • Mr R West
    Bristol
    27 June 2019

    The highlights of a great holiday were: Siena - which was just magical; the quiet, rolling Strada Biancas and in particular the section from Siena to Radi, which was what I always pictured Tuscan landscape to be like; the Relais Borgo, which was idyllic and the staff so pleasant and helpful.  
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • If your holiday plans go awry because of Coronavirus, rest assured that we’ll do right by you. Since the start of the pandemic, our flexible booking policy and prompt issuing of refunds to customers who prefer not to defer their holiday have earned us high praise in the national press.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – cycling holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety, not least proving your vaccination status or taking a test in order to travel.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
    Entry requirements for non-UK destinations & for re-entering the UK >
  • Our cycle supplier will provide you with a touring bike with 21 gears; a waterproof map case on handlebars; panniers/saddlebags; pump; puncture repair kit; and a lock. Electric bikes are available as an upgrade (see price panel), subject to availability, and must be requested at the time of booking.
  • While we would always recommend that you take your own well-fitting helmet, they can be hired locally for a small fee. Please let us know at the time of booking if you would like to hire a helmet.
  • Yes, we will provide GPX tracks for this holiday prior to departure so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. (We also provide maps and our tried-and-tested route notes, which remain the principal means of navigation).
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. On mornings when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation so that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.
  • You are responsible for damage to or loss of the rental bike while it is hired to you. Always be careful to lock it up, ideally to an immovable object, and remove all easy-to-steal accessories whenever you leave it unattended.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines (but not, currently, with Ryanair). As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). More information on flights >
  • Absolutely! We are experts in tailored rail travel. Making use of sleeper trains or stopovers in cities along the route, we can get you from London to virtually anywhere in mainland Europe. We can even make arrangements to Mallorca, Sicily and Norway with a combination of ferries and rail. Please contact Abi and Lizzie to discuss your plans.
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to take out a policy with our recommended provider (if you live outside the UK you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Italy, but not a visa. If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • The principal official language is Italian, though some regions have a second official language, such as South Tyrol, where German is widely spoken. The currency is the Euro. Italian time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.

    At Inntravel we work in close partnership with our hoteliers, taxi drivers and other local suppliers to provide our self-guided holidays directly to you. We are entirely confident that you will continue to receive the usual warm welcome from them, regardless of what is happening in the European political sphere.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 6/27/2022 3:47:42 AM