San Gimignano Tuscany Italy hiking tour, Tuscan winery

Price
US$ 1,250 per person
($200 Single Supplement)

Tour prices are based on double room occupancy. A single supplement is required for single room occupancy. Please note that in Italy single rooms are frequently smaller than double rooms. Groups of three can book triple rooms and avoid the single supplement.

2013 Dates
July 3-7
August 24-28
September 18-22
October 11-15

5 Days, 4 Nights

Route Rating
Moderate: 3-5 miles (5-8 km) per day of hiking with some steep ascents/descents.

Meet / Finish
Florence / Volterra

Highlights

Hands on cooking class
Winery tour
Abandoned castle archeological site
The hill towns of San Gimignano and Volterra
Picturesque villages
Country footpaths

What's Included

All lodging (3-star hotels)
Cooking class with lunch
Winery visit
All breakfasts
Two lunches
Private van transfer from Florence on day one
Van support during hikes
4 beautiful hikes
Friendly bilingual tour guide

Cancellations: Terms and Conditions

» Tour Summary
» Map and Distances
» Hotels
» Photos

Wineries and Castles

Dates don't work?
Consider one of our self-guided bike trips. We can schedule a self-guided bike tour whenever you want March 1 to October 31 (minimum two people).

Have a group of four or more?
With a group of four or more we can schedule a guided tour whenever you want.

Guided San Gimignano Hiking

This four day Tuscan hiking tour shows you the great diversity of Tuscany. Stroll through peaceful woodlands and wide open landscapes. Fertile vineyards, gnarled olive trees, and wildflowers provide a constantly changing landscape. Along the way we show you the culture of Tuscany. You meet a winemaker and learn about the production of San Gimignano's famous Vernaccia white wine. He proudly shows you around the winery that has been in his family for three generations. We go to a cooking school where you meet Giulia and her brother Marco. Using fresh ingredients from their garden we prepare a mouthwatering four course Tuscan lunch. We head off the beaten path and visit an abandoned 15th Century castle. With two nights in San Gimignano and two in Volterra you have plenty of time to leisurely visit these spectacular Tuscan hill towns.

Day 1-2 San Gimignano We meet in Florence and shuttle to San Gimignano. We hike 1.5 hours to a local winery arriving just in time for lunch. After a hearty meal we are treated to a tour by the winery's owner. San Gimignano is famous for it Vernaccia white wine. You will see the barrels and learn the characteristics of Tuscany's best white wine. Hike back to San Gimignano or take a lift in the van. On day two we drive to a cooking school. We spend the morning, aprons on and hands-on, learning the finer points of some typical Tuscan dishes. Our gracious hosts are happy to answer any questions you may have about Italian cuisine or life in Italy. They then join us for leisurely lunch in their farmhouse. Hike back to San Gimignano to work off some of the home made pasta.

Day 3-5 Volterra Day three takes us through the woods to an abandoned castle and village from the Middle Ages. Records show that in 1458 the village was already in decline with a population of seven families. Five hundred years later the castle and church are still standing. We explore the archeological site and continue our hike off the beaten path. Emerging from the woods the countryside opens up with beautiful vistas all the way to Volterra. We stop for a picnic lunch before shuttling to our hotel. On day four we complete our hike to Volterra perched high on a sheer rocky plateau. An ancient town, Volterra features an Etruscan gate from 400 BC and a Roman Theater. Frequent busses are available for your departure on day five.