This remarkable mountain bike tour takes you through two uniquely different areas of Tuscany; the southern area well known for its rolling hills, fine Chianti wine, medieval towns, and terracotta landscapes; and, the Garfagnana region to the north with its mountainous terrain dotted with little shelters for shepherds, high pastures and a never tiring succession of churches, hermitages, castles and fortresses. You will also leave your bikes for two magical days to walk the famous Cinque Terre trail on the Ligurian coast and to enjoy the inviting Italian Rivera.

During the first week you will stay in a family owned "agroturismo" farm at the base of the Apennine mountains - a true Italian-style retreat mixing the traditional with the modern. You will have the chance to visit with the family, learn about their time-honored wine making tradition, savor their local cuisine, and experience first-hand their profound knowledge of the region and their love for mountain biking. In the first week of biking, your days will be spent enjoying the mountainous landscape and vistas, visiting small villages and touring the countryside on a variety of terrains including dirt and paved roads and single-track routes. You will ride through the Orecchiella Natural Park – a successful experiment in reconciling conservation of nature with the presence of humans: the otter and the wolf have recently returned to the area and the sight of the soaring golden eagle is no longer a rarity. The difficulty of the rides can be adjusted to the needs of the individual/s.

You will take a two-day break from riding to walk the famous "Cinque Terre" or Five Lands. This breathtaking path along the Mediterrean coast extends for about 12 kilometers from Riomaggiore through three other villages to Monterosso, reaching a maximum height of 200 meters. The singular beauty of the landscape and the historical context of the path make for a relaxing stroll along the seaside. The path has been used for centuries by the inhabitants of the villages in their daily farming and trading activities. You will finish your walk to stay for two nights at Portofino, one of the most picturesque towns on the Italian Rivera.

During the second week you will ride through the rolling hills of southern Tuscany, visiting medieval villages and renaissance towns such as the walled city of Lucca, Florence, Siena, Volterra, and San Gimignano. Your base will be a villa in the Tuscan countryside and you will tour on little used paved and dirt routes stopping to visit castles, abbeys and just to take in the views. You will spend the evening enjoying towns such as Sienna and Volterra and have the chance to stroll through plazas with the local Italians and dine in their fine restaurants.

DAY 02
PISA AIRPORT - GARFAGNANA REGION
Morning arrival in Pisa meet Andean and Rainforest representative. After a 2-hour drive, we will arrive at the family owned "agroturismo" accommodations nestled in the foothills of the Apennine Mountains. For lunch we will go to the town of Castelnuovo and have our welcome lunch in the main square. Return to accommodations to relax for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening we will enjoy a slide show with images from the region. Traditional evening meal with family including local wines. We will have an orientation talk. L,D

DAY 03
GARFAGNANA BIKE TOUR
Morning breakfast at agroturismo and time for bike fitting. Today we will go on an easy bike ride in the area of Garfagnana to recover from jetlag. We will visit the medieval castle of Castiglione with its walls dating back to the 14th century. We will also visit some of the most picturesque mountain villages of the area (Villa Collemandina and Sambuca). Return to agroturismo for dinner. B,L,D

DAY 04
GARFAGNANA BIKE TOUR
After breakfast a bike tour in the Garfagnana region near the Apuan Alps. We will ride to the pastoral hamlet of Campocatino and Gramolazzo lake. In Campocatino there are interesting shepherds huts built with dry stonewalls and slate roofs, once characteristic of this area . Some of them date from the 17C. The terrains are a mix of paved and dirt roads and the ride will be about 40 km. long Return to agroturismo for dinner and overnight. B,L,D

DAY 05
GARFAGNANA BIKE TOUR
After breakfast, option for an intermediate or more difficult bike tour. MODERATE TOUR: Orecchiella Natural Park. DIFFICULT TOUR: Apennine mountains to Battisti refuge. B,L,D INCLUDED

DAY 06
GARFAGNANA BIKE TOUR
After breakfast, option for an intermediate or hard bike tour. MODERATE TOUR: Monte Volsci-Careggine, DIFFICULT TOUR: Monte Volsci-Vagli Lake. B,L,D

DAY 07
GARFAGNANA - CINQUE TERRE - SANTA MARGARITA - PORTOFINO
Morning train to the Ligurian Coast for a hike along the Mediterranean through the villages of the Cinque Terre. The train stops at Riomaggiore, then we walk to the town of Monterosso. This fascinating path extends for about 12 Km from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, reaching a maximum height of 200 meters. The path has been used for centuries by the inhabitants of the villages in their daily farming and trading activities. It was particularly well known during the period of the Republic of Genoa as a trade route with Vernazza, the most important market port of the time. The famous Via dell'Amore is the beginning of the path and is an extraordinarily beautiful witness to the inhabitants' historical determination: it was literally torn by hand from the cliffs overlooking the sea. From Monterosso we will travel by train to Santa Margherita where we will board the bus to Portofino. We will overnight a hotel in Portofino. The hotel also offers to its guests a beautiful private beach. B

DAY 08
PORTOFINO TOWN AND PARK
Full day to explore the towns of Portofino and Santa Margherita. Santa Margherita Ligure is a popular seaside resort on the Gulf of Tigullio. Dating back to Roman times and characterized by the old fishermen's houses that face onto the port, the town is home to the Villa Durazzo, a 16th century building, with an elegant garden and large park with exotic plants, statues and fountains. Overnight in Portofino. B

DAY 09
PORTOFINO - BRACCICORTI
Morning open to explore the picturesque town and park of Portofino. After lunch, return to Garfagnana by train for overnight. B,D

DAY 10
GARFAGNANA - LUCCA - HILLS OF SIENA
After breakfast we will travel from the mountains of the Garfagnana to wonderful countryside of Siena stopping in Lucca for a city tour and wine tasting. We will spend the day walking this marvelous walled city with its famous towers, private villas and narrow streets. Walking is made easy by the fact that very few cars are allowed inside the walls. Most people are on foot or bicycle giving us a fantastic opportunity to observe the daily life of Italians. Later we continue to the Siena region for overnight. B,D

DAY 11
FLORENCE
Today we will travel to the city of Florence to spend the day touring the most important sites like the Duomo or Cathedral, Battistero and S.Maria Novella. We will also visit the Uffizi museum. We will have dinner in Florence and will return to our villa for overnight. B,D

DAY 12
SAN GALGANO - SIENA
After breakfast bike tour to the medieval abbey of San Galgano. The Abbey of San Galgano has been described as the greatest Gothic building in Italy. The Abbey was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Return by bicycle to hotel for lunch. After lunch we will drive to Siena where we will spend all the afternoon and evening. Siena is full to the brim of beautiful works of art and has a continuity with the past unrivalled by any other major town in Tuscany. The walled center has stayed almost unchanged for centuries and when entering its narrow streets you soon lose yourself in a maze of medieval alleyways. From these captivating back streets and old-fashioned shops selling sweet 'Panforte', you suddenly walk into the space and light of the most perfect piazza in Italy - the Campo. A vast half-moon, it slopes down gently to focus on the magnificently crenellated Palazzo Pubblico with its soaring bell tower. Here in the Campo everything used to happen, from banquets to bartering, from hangings to horse-racing. The famous horse race 'El Palio" still takes place, twice yearly on the 2nd July and the 16th August. After dinner we will return to villa for overnight B,D

DAY 13
ABBAZIE CAMPESTRI
Today will be a full day of biking. After breakfast we will visit some of the most representative abbeys of Ponte allo Spino, Chiostro di Torri and Pieve a Molli of the Sociville area the so-called "Abbazie Campestri" merged in the typical Tuscan countryside. The rest of the day and afternoon will be spent touring the Siena countryside. Return to villa for overnight. B,L,D

DAY 14
VOLTERRA - SAN GIMIGNANO
Morning departure by private bus to Volterra famous for its medieval palaces and towers and magnificent views of the rich farmland below. Volterra at (555m), "town of the wind and rock" (D'Annunzio), with its simple medieval appearance, dominates the Era and Cecina valleys. It also overlooks the unique view of the "Balze", a vast stretch of highly eroded chalk landscape furrowed by gully erosion, which over the years has engulfed necropolises, churches and cyclopean walls. On the edge of a precipice, there are ruins of Etruscan walls and the Badia Church. It is a true monumental town, steeped in urban and artistic tradition. Afternoon trip to San Gimignano. With its original 14th-century town design and architecture virtually intact, San Gimignano stands out for its historic significance since it was linked to the ever-changing fortunes of the Florentine Republic. It is still possible to see 15 out of the 72 original towers built by the noble houses. The beautiful Piazza della Cisterna (built in 1327) is undoubtedly the true heart of the town and is an example of one of the finest Italian piazzas. A magnificent view over the town can be enjoyed from the only surviving tower of the 14th-century pentagonal Fortress, demolished by the Medici's in 1555. After dinner, return to villa. B,D

DAY 15
HILLS OF SIENA - PISA
Morning transfer to the city of Pisa. Full day to explore the historical sites. The principal landmarks of Pisa are grouped in the area of the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) and include the cathedral, the baptistery, and the bell tower (campanile). The cathedral, a great white marble edifice in the Romanesque style, was begun in 1063. The richly decorated facade was added in the 12th century. The baptistery, begun in 1153, is a circular building in the Romanesque style crowned with a great dome and lavishly ornamented in the 14th century in the Gothic style. The bell tower is known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and is a popular tourist attraction. Construction began in 1174 but was suspended when the builders became aware that the shallow foundation would be inadequate in the soft soil. The structure was nevertheless completed by the second half of the 14th century. Farewell dinner. Overnight in Pisa. B,D

DAY 16
PISA - USA
Morning departure for the USA from Pisa.

CALL FOR PRICING

TRIP DIFFICULTY: Trip difficulty can be adjusted to meet the needs of the group. At a minimum, trip requires good physical conditioning and experience riding mountain bikes over some steep and moderate terrain that includes dirt and paved roads. Alternative routes for more advanced riders requires excellent physical conditioning and experience riding single track with steep rocky inclines, muddy and slippery tracks and some sheer drops.

INCLUDES: All hotel accommodations based on double occupancy. English speaking guides and all activities. Meals as specified in the itinerary, B=Breakfast; L= Lunch; D=Dinner. Transportation and transfers.

NOT INCLUDED: Bike rental. International or domestic airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations, alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry, phone calls, or messages, reconfirmation of flights and items of personal nature. Must bring own helmet and other riding accessories such as shoes, shorts, and rain gear.