Via Francigena Tour

The trail starts in the walled city of Lucca with its amazing Renaissance wall and citadel, and finishes in the UNESCO World Heritage historic center of Siena.

Day 1 - Arrival in Lucca and check-in at hotel (let us know if you need a transfer to be organized from Florence or Pisa airports or stations). Briefing with Bill and/or Stefano then relax until the day after. Enjoy Lucca!

Day 2 - From Lucca to San Miniato: 46 kilometers on mostly flat roads with sections of wide trails and paths through wooded sections.Depart on bike from Lucca after having ridden around the ancient city walls and visiting the historical city center. Following the pilgrimage route, we will ride our bikes along footpaths and back streets where we will meet fellow cyclists and pilgrims traveling the path on foot.The slow pace of the ride will really allow you to see a part of Italy that cannot be experienced by car or train. See the little old Italian ladies hanging up their laundry as you greet them with a hearty "buon giorno!". Today is a good warm up to the day that follows which is a bit more hilly. Lunch will be at a local eatery along the way and lodging for the night is in the town of San Miniato, internationally known for its amazing white truffles!

Day 3 - San Miniato to San Gimignano: 42 Kilometers; Welcome to the Tuscan hills! Moderately difficult to difficult.Our morning starts out with a downhill experience... after that its up and down as we make our way over and through the Val D'Elsa to the Manhattan of Tuscany: San Gimignano with all it's remaining medieval towers and a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Day 4 - San Gimignano to Siena: 51 kilometers; from one UNESCO World Heritage site to another! From San Gimignano we continue, up and down through the Tuscan hills to Colle Val d’Elsa, an out-of-time Tuscan village with a charming old town center and narrow alleyways which wind through the stone wall streetways.The itinerary then continues through one of the most beautiful sections of the Via Francigena: a meditative route, along which you can surround yourself with the silence of the Pieve di Strove with its Romanesque interiors, or stand in the quietness of the splendid Abbadia at Isola, with its imposing Abbey.Not to be missed, is a stroll along the wall of the breath-taking castle of Monteriggioni, once defending the Repubblica of Siena, before reaching Siena through dirt roads and the ancient medieval hamlet of Cerbaia. An unforgettable way to celebrate your arrival? A plate of pici all’aglione in the illuminated Piazza del Campo. And don’t forget the panforte!