We are 2 couples in our 50s planning a bucketlist trip to hike in Tuscany. However we want to hike at days but with a base to relax in the evenings and explore cafes and to also see vineyards etc. Q: good base; hiking suggestions;
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17574 posts
One way to approach this is to look at itineraries set by companies that offer guided and unguided hiking trips, to see what sounds good to you.
Here is an example of a British walking company's one-week program in Tuscany, with two options for walks each day:
They spend the week in a nice hotel in the town of San Quirico d'Orcia, and their walks go though vineyards and rural lanes to villages, hitsprings, and other attractions. Note that I am not suggesting you sign up for the trip, but just as an example of an array of well-chosen hikes. But if you want to consider going with them, I can highly recommend the company ( actuallybit is a member-owned cooperative, but non-members are welcome). We have been on several holidays with them ( short ones in the U.K.) and have found the accommodations, food, and hikes all to be top-notch. We really enjoy the camaraderie on the hikes and in the evenings.
Also look at itineraries for Tuscany offered by companies that do self-guided hiking, such as Mac's Adventures. Often these are inn-to -inn hiking with luggage transport, but they may have a "home base" option as well. Or they could create a custom itinerary.
There are lots of other companies that offer guided and self-guided hiking trips you could look at for ideas; I just suggested these two as I have some familiarity with them.
Posted by
Portland, OR
83 posts
You are basically describing a trip we took last summer and look forward to doing again this year. We made our home base at a bed and breakfast at the base of Montepulciano. This is actually not too far from the other post mentioning San Quirico d'Orcia. From the B&B we stayed at, we would hike into town when we didn’t want to drive. This took about a half hour and was mostly on gravel roads through olive groves and vineyards.
Montepulciano offers excellent restaurants and cafés, which is why it has become one of our favorite places to stay. There are also at least 75 local wineries to explore and enjoy! If you are looking for a great home base, look no further.
We also hired a fantastic guide for a day. He took us to Mount Amiata to hike old mining trails that only the locals knew about. This was an amazing experience and the view from the top of the mountain was insane.
We also ventured out on our own and hiked through the Val d’Orcia. We found a site that offered many different hiking maps of the area around Montepulciano and the Val d’Orcia. If was fun picking our own adventures and exploring the Tuscan countryside!
Here are the websites I mentioned above:
Bed and Breakfast: Fonte Martino www.fontemartino.com
Tour Guide: Fabrizio www.ciaofabrytours.com
Hiking Trail Suggestions: www.travelingintuscany.com/walk/eng/1walkingintuscany.htm
Hope this helps and have a great time!
Posted by
OP
3 posts
This is all very useful. I will be exploring these options. Is it correct then that we will need to drive? Or is it possible to arrange a driver and if so, sources.
Thank you.
Posted by
5204 posts
See the book/website http://www.50hikesoftuscany.com/ to get a sense of the variety. There is classic hill town Tuscany, but there are also mountains in the Garfagnana and some dramatic coastal scenery of the Maremma. For example, we spent some time in Barga and did some hiking in the immediate vicinity--great town!
We also did a hiking trip to the southern Tuscan coast and hiked in Maremma/Ucellina park. We stayed in Orbetello, but there are many options.
Yes you need a car--park it at night and drive to trail heads during the day.