E-Bike Tour: Explore the Chianti, its Enogastronomy and Castles
Description
Embark on an adventure that will take you through the fascinating hills of the Chianti, crossing the iconic gravel roads of the Eroica, revealing, in a slow and contemplative way, an area rich in food and wine traditions, cradle of the famous Chianti Classico wine (tasting included) and proud of its tradition and culture linked to the long rivalry between Siena and Florence. In addition, the experience includes a guided tour of one of Chianti's most characteristic castles, the castle of Brolio, from which you can take in magnificent panoramic views to the vineyards and the city of Siena. To experience the most out of the territory, we'll book lunch at a local family owned restaurant where you, in addition to enjoying its tranquility and warm welcome, can savour the dishes of the Tuscan tradition. The way back is mainly descending and the guide will stop in magnificent sightseeing spots before getting back to the starting point.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The tour starts with a welcome coffee, when we present ourselves, talk to you about the region, safety talk and then bike fit. The first stage is a ride until the village of Geggiano, where we make a short pause for storytelling and pictures
In this hamlet we make a short pause in the outer part of the Castle to discover the importance of the Bianchi Bandinelli family, the lords of this area, and the production of the Chianti Classico. Picture moment as we can contemplate the Siena's Skyline.
From this point, the landscape assumes the classic features of Tuscany, that is rolling hills, with cypresses embellishing the entrances of the villas, and castles that reign over the territory. It is the moment of the famous gravel white roads of the Chianti Classico, known for the Eroica race. We pass in front the Vallepicciola Winery, before accessing the Castles Roads. Along the way, we'll make stops for pictures and storytelling
We roam through the white gravel roads, with time for pictures and storytelling until reaching Monti in Chianti.
We stop at a local caffè in the hamlet of Monti in Chianti, to stretch and taste typical senese biscuits and cakes, before climbing towards the Castle of Cacchiano.
We'll pass in front of this castle, and admire it from far away, during some stops for contemplating the landscape. Estimated time between Monti in Chianti until the Brolio Castle: 30 min.
We will get off our bikes for a tour led by a local guide in the castle's keep, learning in detail about events related to the intestine wars between Siena and Florence, and the life of the Ricasoli family. Afterwards, we'll pop into the wine cellar to learn about and possibly taste one of the many Chianti Classico options produced by Vinicola Ricasoli.
Here it is included the wine tasting of one glass per person, to be chosen between their three types of Chianti Classico, or other varieties of their eccelent wines. If you'd like to have a taste of other wines, you can pay for extra glasses of wine.
After the wine tasting, we take some time to enjoy this iconic old style bar, a mandatory stop for cyclists and enthusiastics. Here we take some water and snacks before restarting cycling.
We climb back to our ebikes and return to Siena, via the gravel roads of Chianti and some local provincial roads. There'll be short pauses for storytelling and we can add a stop for coffee or WC if necessary.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
If you've chosen this option the meeting point of the tour will be reset to the address you've required the pickup from. Only the guide and the bicycles will be transported to the address you've entered and you'll start cycling from this place. Thus there won't be any passenger transportation.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(16)
We had the most wonderful day biking in the countryside of Tuscany! Augusto communicated with us so well and suggested a perfect meeting place. Enrico was the best guide ever! He was personable and very knowledgeable and passionate about the area. He took us to wineries we would have never found in our own and he was friends with everyone. I would highly recommend this company and especially Enrico to anyone. It was a lovely day and a wonderful time in and around Siena!
Augusto communicated very well and we agreed upon the perfect meeting place. Enrico was the best guide ever! He was knowledgeable and passionate about the area and made sure we had the best experience- would recommend Enrico 100%!
Thanks for your words Bonnie and it’s great that you’ve appreciated the company of Enrico! We wish you the best for the continuation of your holiday and we hope to meet you soon in one of our other tours! 😃
Augusto was amazing to work with. His communication from the beginning was excellent and everything went as planned. The equipment was well prepared and sanitized, and he was patient with the whole group. There is still a lot of bike riding and the e-bikes are assist bikes but made a big difference on the uphill climb to the castle. Lunch was beautiful and really enjoyed the entire experience. We had plenty of stops along the way and water and snack refills. It was an extremely hot day, 113 degrees but still was indescribable and a wonderful experience. Would do it all again.
Hi Pam, it is great to hear from you and ascertain that you've all had a good time and in safety (though we've faced very hot temperatures). Ebikes turn out to be awesome because we feel less the heat and it is nice to know you've appreciated the lunch and our individual bags with some treats. We wish you a good continuation of your Italy trip and whenever you decide to return, we'll be glad to receive you in one of our Tuscany tours, or in Emilia-Romagna or Rome. So, arrivederci!
Excellent! 5 stars. Very friendly, kind, talented tour! Really enjoyed it! Riding an Ebike for the first time isn’t an issue. It does take a little bit of getting used to at first, but I would highly recommend always putting it in Turbo mode. The views are amazing, the castle tour is spectacular. The wine tasting is one of the best wines in the area.
Had the best day with Augusto! He was very informative, patient and kind. Did an excellent job preparing our 18 and 21 year olds for the day, keeping us safe on the roads, and stopping to explain history of the Chianti region on the way. It was a cold, windy day and we still loved our tour. Highly recommend him as your tour guide!
Thanks Christine and family! It is great to know that you’ve enjoyed the tour and the exchanging that we’ve had! We wish you the best and a good cammino of life! We’ll be glad to meet you again in the future! Kind regards
Norbreck castle Blackpool terrible experience staff shocking the manager pony tail ginger haired supported poor behaviour of his aggressive counterpart sad place stinking of mould lifts out of order disgusting place .please stay away
This review doesn’t belong to any of our experiences! You’ve made a mistake in reviewing us. I gently ask you to remove it. (update Nov. 11,25) So far, i asked trip advisor to remove and they haven't, which is absurd. We haven't run any tours on the aforementioned date, and the castle Norbreck, and the description of the manager doesn't apply at all to us. I renewed the request to Trip Advisor to remove the review.
Most fantastic custom experience. Well adjusted for the variety of skill / bike comfort in our group! Gus took extra care to make the day perfect for the wide range of people in our group
This was an amazing bike tour with Augusta and Chiara. Wonderful people and so thoughtful and kind. It was super hot and they both accommodated us in every way.
Hey Seth! It's great having you and we hope to see you soon in any of our other tours!
We had a spectacular bike tour with Augusto and Chiara! The entire experience was wonderful - the bikes were easy to operate making the tour of the country side (including many hills!) very manageable and pleasant - even despite the heat! We loved the views and the stops were very interesting. Augusto kept us very well entertained with historical stories and facts - and made sure we were comfortable and well hydrated! Chiara provided a beautiful picnic of local delicacies, fresh fruit and cold drinks we really enjoyed as well. We felt extremely safe on the bikes at all times. Highly recommend this tour - it was a highlight of our trip!
Hi Alexa, it was great having you and your family in this tour! Thanks for your review and we hope to see you soon back in another of our tours! Take care
My wife and I did the Chianti Classico Scenic Bike Tour on a hot June day. It was so wonderful. The route passes through stunning scenery from Siena city views to country roads to vineyards, forest and even a stately castle. The round trip route was approximately 50 km long but even on a very hot day it was pleasant and not too hard on the provided e-bikes. The included tasting at the large wine estate and the castle tour were nice added bonuses. But while the route was stunning, it was the service and warmth of our guide, Augusto, that really make the day special. Before even getting on our bikes, Augusto led us to a nearby coffee bar to have a chat and get to know each other a bit. He explained what to expect for the day and he made us feel very comfortable and asked about any requests or concerns that we might have. My wife had some concerns about whether or not she could do the full route and since it was on they two of us on the ride, Augusto was quick to provide a plan B and a plan C to cut things shorter in case things got too difficult. He was very attentive during the day making sure that we were well hydrated and doing well with the ride. We were also very fortunate to have Augusto’s life partner, Chiara, meet us and provide a “support car” for the ride. While not normally part of the tour, it was really great to have her there with some snacks and water near the ride’s mid-point. Augusto and Chiara are such lovely people who really made the day special for us. With multiple day tours of various types in 10+ visits to many parts of Europe, this was easily the best vacation tour experience we have ever had. Thanks to Augusto and Chiara for facilitating a great day and such special memories with us.
Thanks a lot for your words Gregg! It was great having you and showing you the marvels of the Chianti Classico and its rooted culture. Hope to see you again when you come back again to Italy. Take care
