Day 1
Check in
Check-in around 14.00 at your charming hotel in Lucca. There will be a briefing, bike setting, GPS, and map delivery. Airport - railway transfers from Pisa or Florence airport (on request). Overnight in Lucca.
Day 2
Lucca to Pisa - Lucca 58 km - altitude flat
The tour starts from Lucca, leaving the Lucca walls behind you and cycling along the Arno River to reach an ancient aqueduct. You will start biking on Puccini's bike way up to San Giuliano Terme (ancient thermal baths) and Monti Pisani which separate Lucca from Pisa. Following over quiet country roads you will finally reach Pisa historical center. Time to visit the town and the leaning tower so time to take some important pictures. On your way back you will see charming villages like Nozzano Castello an ancient hamlet maintained. Soon you will see the famous walls of Lucca again.
Day 3
Lucca to Montecatini Terme 48 km - altitude 250m
Start off again from the cycle path, along the Serchio River, until you reach Ponte a Moriano, then turn off onto Via Delle Ville, where you will find a succession of buildings in various styles and from various eras. Continue to Villa Reale, where we highly recommend stopping to take in the view of the splendid garden populated by centuries-old orchids. Get back on the saddle and after a quite demanding climb of 200m to road flattens out and you can enjoy a high-altitude pedal with spectacular panoramic views over villages and vineyards until you reach Collodi, the hometown of the most famous puppet in the world: Pinocchio. Don't miss the photo opportunity with the large wooden statue! From here, there are just 12 km of flat road to reach Montecatini Terme.
Day 4
Vinci Loop / 54km - +380m
We are close to Vinci, so a tour of the birthplace of Leonardo is not to be missed, especially since the first bicycle projects are attributed to him. Here, cross through Padule di Fucecchio, a semi-swamp area with a rich fauna of special migratory birds, to reach Vinci where we recommend visiting the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, before beginning the journey back to Montecatini Terme, famous for being full of vim and vigor and for its thermal baths, spas and wellness centers, perfect for eliminating the toxins accumulated over the previous days and preparing for the days to come.
Day 5
San Miniato - Vinci - Artimino / 47km - +170m
The fourth stage will bring you to San Miniato, biking along the Padule di Fececchio, a marshy area with a special fauna, rich in migratory birds, and on the plain around Arno River along the Via Francigena. Besides the historical and art interest, San Miniato is also famous because it hosts an annual festival, devoted to the precious white truffle, which is harvested in the area around the village, so the local cuisine is strongly influenced by this particular ingredient.
Day 6
San Miniato Loop / 52km - +350m
The first stop in the next stage, a loop that starts and finishes in San Miniato, follows the Via Francigena to Gambassi Terme, one of the most spectacular parts of the entire route. From here, you go back via Castelfiorentino, nicknamed "The Little Florence".
Day 7
San Miniato - Firenze / 54km - +300m
The last stage will take you on a fantastic journey through the rural countryside surrounding Florence. Following the banks of the Arno, you will arrive at Montelupo Fiorentino, where a steep climb will lead you to Artimino and Poggio Alla Malva. At the latter, you can enjoy the view overlooking the Arno and Pesa Valley, stretching out to the Chianti Region, sitting among vineyards, olive groves, and the remains of historic buildings. The Medici Family - who ruled Florence for centuries - used to come to this area to go hunting. Artimino is a perfect location for tasting traditional Tuscan cuisine. You will then head back down the valley and towards Florence, following the river right into the heart of the city. Once you have arrived at your destination, you can stow away your bike and lose yourself among the countless courtyards, squares, palaces, museums, churches, markets, shops, and boutiques, pretending, just this one, to be a "normal" tourist.
Day 8
Departure day
After enjoying Florence again in the morning, you can easily go back to Pisa in an hour by train or leave directly from Florence (leaving the bikes at the hotel) unless you prefer to extend your holiday relaxing some more days in the countryside or in one of the main towns of the tour. Transfers to the railway station or the airports of Pisa & Florence can be made (on request).
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