GIROSOLE

italy walking tours

Walking in Tuscany's Val d'Orcia

This is Tuscany in style – splendid days spent rambling through a serene landscape of vineyard-draped hills, cypress-lined paths and silvery groves of olive trees. Visit the pretty hilltop town of Montalcino, famous for its precious Brunello wine, arguably the most prized of Italy's fine wines. Nearby is the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, where you can hear the monks singing their vespers. You can also explore Pienza, a perfect little gem of a Renaissance town, and Montepulciano, producer of another of Italy's great wines – all the while savoring much great, wholehearted Tuscan cuisine.

Highlights

Take daily walks in the countryside of Southern Tuscany
Explore the towns of Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano
Taste the famous Brunello wine at a private wine-tasting
Enjoy Tuscan specialties and cuisine

Itinerary Outline

Here is an outline of a suggested daily itinerary. You can shorten or lengthen this tour to fit your travel dates. Request a detailed itinerary using the contact form below:

Day one: Your guide meets you in Florence or Siena and brings you to Montalcino, famous for its fine Brunello wine. Along the way you stop at the abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, which boasts a beautiful cycle of frescoes in its main chloister.
Day two: Today features a guided walk to the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, a 12th century jewel fashioned in large part of luminous alabaster. Afterwards, you enjoy a comparison tasting of Brunello, Montalcino's famous wine.
Day three: Today, you walk in the area of Bagno Vignoni, a village built around thermal springs in use since Roman times. Later, you visit the citta fortificata ("fortified city) of Radicofani.
Day four: Your walk today brings you to the Renaissance village of Pienza to learn about the Pope who tried to make this, his hometown, into a perfect expression of Renaissance form.
Day five: Your destination today is Montepulciano, known for another fine wine, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. You explore the vintners' cellars, dug deep beneath the town's medieval quarter among ancient Etruscan tombs.
Day six: We help you on your way to your next destination with a transfer to Chiusi on the main Rome-Florence train line.

What's Included

5 nights accommodation with en-suite facilities
breakfast each day
2 dinners
full-time, professional Tour Leader
guided walks each day
wine and specialty foods tastings
paid entrance to all included activities
all land transfers to and from tour area, and during tour
all taxes and service charges at hotels and restaurants
travel guidance for pre/post-tour activities

(Not included are airfare, wine and other beverages with alcohol, personal purchases such as laundry, phone calls, frigobar items etc., and anything not specifically included above.)

Pricing

We price this tour for the following categories of accommodation. We also tier-price based on your group's size. You can keep your tour private to your own group or you can open your tour for other travelers to join, thereby taking advantage of our tier discounts. All prices are quoted per person in USD.

accomm. level	2-3 p	4-5 p	6+ p	sing. supp.
comfort	2490	2290	1990	390
select	2690	2490	2290	590
first class	3590	3390	3190	690
deluxe	4790	4590	4390	890

Scheduling

You can schedule this tour to start on any day of the week, all year long. As with all our tours, you tell us the dates you would like to start your tour, allowing you the maximum in flexibility and convenience (full explanation).

What's next?

Write to us using the form below, and we'll send you the detailed itinerary for this tour and other relevant information.

Or proceed to our booking area to book this tour now.

Contact Information (* required)

* Name:

* E-mail:

Phone number:

* State/Country:

Would you like us to call you?

No, contact by email is fine for now

Yes, I would like to speak to a Travel Consultant

Best time to call:

Travel Information (optional)

Travel dates:

Number in party:

Accommodation preference (check all that apply):

Comfort

Select

First Class

Deluxe

Would you prefer a tour which is (check both if fine either way):

Open to other travelers to join

Private to my own group

Comments/Questions

(Feel free to tell us about yourselves, for instance whether you've been to Italy before, have taken a walking tour before, your interests, etc.)

We do not share your info with anyone (view our Privacy Policy).

Tour at a Glance

Walking in Tuscany's Val d'Orcia

6 days / 5 nights

from USD1990

Personalize this tour to your travel dates, budget, accommodations, activity level and interests

Departing from:

Florence or Siena

Finishing in:

Chiusi

Starting dates:

Any day of the week, all year long

Fitness rating:

2-4

(ratings explained .. )

I came back from the Tuscany tour in October in excellent shape – also nutritionally! – and very happy with all the most pleasant memories of the hilltowns tour with Claudia, Peter and the four other guests, and the landscapes, views, restaurants and much more. I made a lot of pictures, but I still need time to sort them out and send them to you and the other participants. Also, I am planning another trip with you in the Chianti area, Umbria or the Marche.

Pius Bachmann