Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany

Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany

Welcome to the trip that combines fantastic bicycle routes and cooking lessons, all in Italy’s famous region of Tuscany. After you have worked up an appetite biking through the rolling landscape of Tuscany, you will cook and eat the best food!

La Cucina Toscana is simplicity in its purest form. Tuscan cooks have the freshest seasonal products at their disposal, including olive oil, wine and cheese, and do very little to alter their natural state. Most days will include a hands-on cooking class or a tasting at a local food artisan. You will also dine out at a simple osteria, family trattorias, and elegant restaurants.

Cyclists will explore gorgeous loop rides in beautiful Val d’orcia, passing such highlights as Pienza, Montalcino and San Quirico. The routes cross Val di Chiana, through Cortona to Crete Senesi and on to Siena.

Return home inspired, not only with new recipes to try, but also with the enthusiasm to cultivate the lessons you learn into your lifestyle!

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Highlights

• La Cucina Toscana
• Olive oil, cheese, and wine tasting
• Val d'orcia
• Cortona
• Siena
• Etruscan architecture
• Monticchiello, the quintessential Tuscan hill town

Learn More

Learn more about our guided trips or see more bike tours in Italy.

Daily program

Day 1: Welcome to the Villa
Meet at the Chiusi train station (a major stop on all the Rome-Florence lines) at 1:00-1:30-pm. Private van transfer to the country house Palazzi del Papa, just a short drive from Pienza. Check into your room and start the bike-fitting session and meet your guides. After all guest are set with bikes and equipment we'll have a short test bike ride in the valley.

Then get ready for your first cooking session with Paola – a perfect way to build the team. You'll enjoy this hands-on lesson: preparing fresh pasta as primo piatto, appetizer, tiramisu; after a rest with a Italian spumante metodo Classico sparkling wine as aperitif, we'll share the table with all guest and savor the welcome dinner.

Day 2: Montalcino and Brunello (30 miles/48 km)
Our ride starts from the villa: first stop after 10 km easy ride is the ancient Roman spa of Bagno Vignoni. Legend has it that Saint Catherine and Pope Pius II both bathed in the thermal waters here. The water has a constant temperature of 51 degrees Celsius (124 degrees Fahrenheit). At the heart of the village is the "Square of sources," a rectangular tank of 16th-century origin, which contains the original source of water that comes from the underground aquifer of volcanic origins.

Now the climb to Castiglione d’Orcia is the challenge part of the day. Once at the top, enjoy a long downhill till Romanesque abbey of Sant’Antimo that dates back to the time of Charlemagne. The final effort is 9 km gentle ascent to Montalcino – the hill town famous for Brunello wine made with the Sangiovese Grosso grape and aged a minimum of four years. After the visit we'll reach the Solaria winery: you will taste the Brunello wine, the rosso and the supertuscan. Learn about the aging process, and enjoy lunch at the cellar.

Day 3: Pienza, Montepulciano & Cinta Senese (29 miles/46 km)
Our ride today starts from the villa. The first stage is Pienza, a pristine Renaissance jewel, founded in 1458. Pope Pius II chose the famous Florentine architect Rossellino to transform his home village of Corsignano into one of the few examples left of 15th century architecture. The main product in this area is the pecorino cheese, a delicious, pungent cheese made using only sheep milk.

You'll continue to next village Montepulciano, known as the Pearl of the 16th Century. Our lunch will be at Fattoria Madonna della Querce a small farm specialized in cinta senese pig. After learning about the traditional black pig, what they eat and live and how is fine the meat you will enjoy this special meal ending with vin santo & cantucci. Back in the saddle last stop in the village of Monticchiello, the quintessential Tuscan hill town. Bold cypress trees line our route to the Orcia valley where you bike through the fields that inspired Renaissance painters.

Day 4: San Casciano & Spa day (23 miles/36 km)
After welcome breakfast ready to start from the country house: across completely the orcia valley. Pass 2 small villages Contignano ad Celle sul Rigo and get destination: the hot spring town San Casciano dei Bagni. The spa is very old and in town there is impressive town hall of renaissance time. The historic centre worth a visit with its characteristic hill town-plan of alleys and small piazzas. Let’s enjoy the thermal pool, with a series of powerful swan neck jets, a stunning waterfall for intense natural massages, and the healing power of the hot springs, our Therapeutic Pool promises a journey into revitalization unlike any other Back to the villa by van for the second Cooking lesson followed by dinner

Day 5: Radicofani and Pici (34 miles/55 km)
Today another terrific bike ride. Start from the villa and reach Radicofani, a medieval and enchanting village with one of the most impressive fortresses in Tuscany. Radicofani is included in the Park of val d’Orcia – a Unesco site and Via Francigena (which was the main route followed by pilgrims in antiquity who went to Rome), but still is off the beaten path. This will be the quietest day.

From Radicofani now we will ride another secluded road called le Conie and reach Bagni San Filippo. Enjoy the downhill back to the valley. The valley rises along Francigena road near the old Spedaletto Castle, shelter for wayfarers who, in the Middle Ages, wanted to get to Rome from all over Europe. The castle was readapted in a granary, a real fortified farm. On the way back let’s stop at the cheese farm to taste the delicious Pecorino di Pienza, 100% sheep milk with variety of aging.

We'll head back to the country house by bike. This afternoon let's learn the classic pasta of the area: pici all’ aglione sauce and pici al ragu di chianina. Pici is a fresh spaghetti, handmade one by one. local Orcia red wine to sip.

Day 6: Siena and Le Crete (38 miles/60 km)
After breakfast ride toward San Quirico, an Etruscan origin village with a superb Italian garden: the Horti Leonini. Pass through Asciano and Le Crete with strange rock formations and lone a farmhouse flanked by twin cypress trees.

Let's pedal through vineyards and forest and arrive in Siena, a medieval city with beautifully preserved Gothic architecture. The entire city of Siena was built around the Piazza del Campo. Visit the shell shape square where the Palio horse race is run and enjoy lunch on your own. Back to the villa, you'll have time for a jump in the pool and a rest. Here we'll have time to shop while exploring the many hidden medieval walkways. Go soon to visit the shell shape square where the Palio horserace is run and enjoy a free lunch on your own.

We'll have our farewell dinner at a restaurant at la bandita townhouse in Pienza.

Day 7: Individual departure
After a farewell breakfast all together, we will transfer you to the Chiusi train station around 10-11:00am. (On request we will arrange transfer at different time.)

Surface and terrain

The daily cycling itinerary is designed to be a vacation, not a race! The pace is relaxed to enable you to enjoy the scenery. The terrain will be gently rolling with some hills. Each day will cover an average of 25-35 miles (40-56 km) a day. If you are an advanced cyclist who wants to do more mileage, that can be accommodated. Backup transportation and support is always available.

It is possible to have non-riding participants, as there will be optional activities to do instead of cycling. Shorter options are always available, enabling riders of all abilities will have a selection of distances to choose from each day.

Hotels

Podere Palazzi, val d’Orcia
The farmhouse was built in the 1930s by the Marquis Origo replacing an old inn where the Eminences used to rest when they were going through the nearby Francigena road. The villa has 9 rooms.

How to get there

Tour start and end
Nearest airport: Florence, Italy (FLR); Rome, Italy
Nearest train station: Chiusi-Chianciano

From Fiumicino airport train Leonardo Express (takes about 30 minutes) start each half hour and is direct from Airport to termini train station.

From fiumicino airport to train station: the first at 07.37, 08.07, 8.37….the last at 22.37

From Termini station to airport: the first at 06.51, 07.21, 7.51 the last at 21.51

From Florence Peretola bus or cab to Florence station

To get in Chiusi by train: many train from Rome and from Florence look for timetable in English at official web site h"p://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en some train are marked IC (intercity: faster) or marked R (regional: slow)

The tour company will transfer you to and from the Chiusi train station. On Day 1 the tour company will meet you around 1:00-1:30-pm. On Day 7, you will go to the train station after breakfast. This service is included in the cost of the tour package.

Tips on getting to and from your tour

Dates

Prices

Included services

• 6 nights in country houses
• Breakfast each morning; 6 dinners and 2 lunches
• All maps, trip notes, and detailed route directions
• All shuttles and technical assistance
• Support van
• Services of an experienced guide
• 2 cooking classes
• 2 wine tastings; 2 cheese tastings
• Branded water bottle
• Transfer on Day 1 from Chiusi train station
• Transfer on Day 7 to the Chiusi train station
• Sales taxes

Local hotel taxes are not included and are to be paid directly to each hotel (approximately €1-5 per person/night).

Bike rentals

Bikes available for rent (in advance at the time of booking) on this tour are:

• Hybrid touring bike, 27 or 30 speed, equipped with:
  • Aluminum frame
  • Full Carbon
  • Shimano Deore components 
  • Gel saddle
  • Upright handle bar
  • Wheelset: Shimano RS30
• Road bike, 20 speed, equipped with:
  • Full Carbon fiber 
  • Carbon forks
  •  Shimano Ultegra  or 105  – 11/32 –  11 speed
  • Drop handle bar
  • Wheel set: Shimano R561
• Gravel bike
  • Addict Gravel Disc Hmf / Imp Carbon
  • Shifters: Shimano St-R8020 Disc  Dual Control  22 Speed
  • Seat: Syncros Tofino T-Cutout 2.0
  • Wheel set:Syncros Rp2.0 Disc  Syncros Rws
• Electrically assisted bike with 250w Sunstar motor
  • Frame E-Sub 6061 Alloy
  • Bosch Performance 250w System W/ 500wh Power Tube Battery
  • Brakes: Shimano Br-M365 Disc
  • Rear Derailleur: Sram Nx 11 Speed

Equipment included with bike rental:

• Helmet
• Water bottle
• Handlebar bag or map holder
• Repair kit (mini pump, inner tube, tire levers)
• Computer mileage counter
• Lock (one lock with key per 2 bikes)
• E-bike and hybrid, we include a front bag
• Gravel and race bike, we include saddle bag

Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.

Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. You can also bring your own pedals and shoes, along with the necessary equipment for installing the pedals.

Helmets:
Helmets are required on this tour. Helmets are included in the tour package; however, we recommend you bring your own helmet for safety and hygiene reasons.

Tour Company