Ride along the back roads of traditional Tuscany on a classic cycling adventure over 8 days. The Tuscan landscape is one of the most evocative and romantic in Europe with cypress trees lining the roads, olive groves, vineyards, ancient hill-top towns and, of course, classic Renaissance cities. This group cycling tour is carefully planned to take in the best of Tuscany without feeling rushed: part of the joy of the Italian lifestyle is sitting and watching the world go by with a glass of wine in your hand!
Exodus TravelsDuring the week you will ride through diverse areas of Tuscany, such as the hills of Chianti and the beautiful countryside around Montepulciano. Riding north, you will enter 'Le Crete', a wonderfully scenic region that's home to some of Tuscany's best towns and villages. You can then enjoy Siena's magnificent Campo before biking past the towers of San Gimignano and onto the final destination of Florence. Following country roads wherever possible, this tour mixes point-to-point and circular rides to make a perfect cycle exploration of this region.
This trip is classified Road/Activity Level: 3 (Moderate). There is full vehicle support on this tour and the terrain is 95% tarmac, 5% easy gravel roads. This region is famous for its rolling hills, so be prepared for some climbing in places. This trip will require a moderate to good level of fitness as the area and rides are on undulating roads varying from 2km (1.2mi) hills to 9km (5.5mi) hill stretches on some days. Days 3 and 6 fall into the upper category of moderate grade riding, including some steep sections up to 10-25%. There are no transfers to or from hotels on this trip: all the rides are designed to be door-to-door. The tour operator aims to use quieter country roads where possible, but sometimes you will need to pass busy sections surrounding towns. The most scenic routes are on tarmac, with occasional stretches of dirt/gravel roads (locally known as 'white roads').
Summer months
Tuscany can be very hot during summer months, especially from June to August but heatwaves can happen also in April and May. During summer months temperatures can possibly reach high 30s (degC). The tour operator will try and start the days earlier, when possible, to avoid the hottest hours of the day but please be aware that temperatures and humidity will be high. You should feel comfortable and be used to cycle in the heat. Presence of mosquitos in summer may increase (significantly), so it is recommended that you take mosquito repellent with you.