- Overview
- Map & Itinerary
- Essential Info
- Pics & Vids
- Dates & Prices
Highlights
- Hike the third last section of the of the legendary Via Francigena from Lucca to Siena
- Choose your very own trip date between April – October
- Discover one of Europe’s most important medieval pilgrimage routes, connecting English cathedral city Canterbury with Rome
- Hike the spectacular Tuscan hills pass renowned vineyards and hilltop villages
- View the amazing historical fortified military village of Monteriggioni
- Experience charming UNESCO towns such as San Gimignano and Siena
- Enjoy the delicious Tuscan cuisine and wine
- Stay in small, comfortable, family run accommodations with delicious culinary specialities
- Receive a complimentary Water-To-Go bottle when you depart on this trip to minimise our plastic foot-print in Italy!
Overview
A self-guided trek gives you the chance to explore this historic region at your own pace on foot while having all the necessary tools and information beforehand: the route notes, places of interest, accommodation and transport all accessible through an easy and intuitive app.
The Italian Camino via Francigena, is an ancient pilgrimage route similar to the trail of Santiago di Compostela in Spain, covers 1900kms from Canterbury to Rome. Crossing 4 European countries: the UK, France, Switzerland and Italy; it travels through areas of spectacular beauty and historic interest.
Following in the footsteps of countless pilgrims, your self-guided camino trek with cover the third last section of the legendary trail from Lucca to Siena through postcard-like landscapes filled with culture, history and spirituality coming together. Via Francigena route is a Council of Europe European Cultural Itinerary since 1994 and Major Cultural Route since 2004 plus it’s much quieter than the Camino de Santiago routes in Spain.
The Northern Tuscany section of Via Francigena starts in the medieval town of Lucca with its beautiful gardens and villas. The first stage of the tour is through the open and flatlands of the Val d’Elsa. Then you will explore the medieval atmosphere evoked by the narrow streets and the buildings made from the local sandstone of some of the most popular medieval villages in Tuscany, such as Monteriggioni and San Gimignano that with its thirteen outstanding towers became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1990. Reaching Siena, you will enjoy a landscape made of open rolling hills with grey crags of the beautiful and picturesque Crete Senesi. Be sure to sample ‘tagliolini al tartufo bianco’, fresh pasta with white truffles, and treat yourself to a refreshing gelato when reaching Siena’s city gates!
Enjoy the peace of mind knowing that your luggage will be transferred with ease and a good night’s rest awaits at each of the family run hotels enroute.
Why go Self-Guided:
FLEXIBILITY
You get to choose your very own trip date between April – December. Take advantage of low-cost flights or make the most of your precious leave by arranging travel around a Bank Holiday or a weekend.
YOU CHOOSE THE PACE
Travelling independently gives you the freedom to go at your own pace and stop where you wish to sample local food & drinks.
PICK YOUR TRAVEL BUDDIES
You let us know who would like to go with, and we’ll arrange the rest. For cost purposes these trips are best with a minimum of 2 people. Solo trips can be arranged and feel free to contact us for more info
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE DESTINATION
Stop at places that take your interest, linger in a local market, savour your coffee or chat with the locals.
SAMPLE THE LOCAL FOOD
Time to indulge in all the local delicacies. Find the best ice cream, sample the finest cellar door wines or enjoy locally famed cuisine.
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE
Relax in the knowledge that we have made all your arrangements for you. From your starting point to your departure, we have it covered. We handpick your accommodation, transport your bags each day and provide you with all the route details and information you need to have a fantastic trekking journey. And don’t forget, a self-guided adventure doesn’t mean you’re all on your own. The local team is only a phone call away to offer a helping hand, should you need it.
Welcome to Lucca
Make your way to Lucca. Easily reached from Pisa or Florence with great rail and bus connections. If you arrive early, enjoy a visit to the town, and explore its splendid gardens, majestic bell tower and soak up the atmosphere and watch the world go by on ‘Piazza dell Anfiteatro’, a 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre, located on one of the towns famous medieval squares. Lucca is also known as the ‘City of a Hundred Churches’ and it was an important meeting place for Julius Caesar and Crassus during the Roman era. It was also conquered by Napoleon during the 19th-century before it finally became part of Unified Italy in 1860. miss a walk along the tree-lined walls of its perimeter. Dinner is on your own in one of the many restaurants in town.
Included
Accommodation: B&B (twin room basis)
Meals: Not included
Wake up to the delights of an Italian-style breakfast with plenty of coffee to get you energised for your day ahead. In the morning take a wander over to San Martin Cathedral and come face to face, in a literal sense, with the expressive ‘Volto Santo’, famous wooden statue-reliquary of Christ Crucified attributed to Nicodemus. In the afternoon, jump on the train to Fucecchio where you’ll be met for the transfer to your accommodation perched high in the hilltop town of San Miniato Alto.
Included
Accommodation: B&B (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
From San Miniato, a paved road takes you through quintessential Tuscan landscapes and brings you to the Val d’Elsa. Today will unfold the true beauty of Tuscan scenery as you walk among olive groves, oakwood, vineyards, and lines of Cypress trees. Amazing scenes straight out of the famed Road to Rome diary penned by Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, where the interesting churches of Pieve di Coiano and Pieve a Chianni and well worth a visit. Your route ends in Gambassi, home to Florentine nobles since its 14th-century origin.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 25kms / 15.5 miles
Ascent: 780 metres
Descent: 655 metres
Trekking time: approx. 7 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
The Via Francigena cuts directly through stunning scenery today, as you make your way to peculiar villages like Collemuccioli and Pieve di Cellole stopping off to visit Santa Maria Sanctuary in Pancole. At the end of the day, San Gimignano invites you to stroll back in history. So go ahead, get lost in its charming medieval atmosphere! The sight of San Gimignano and its towers is often considered one of the highlights of this trip. Hidden behind its medieval walls you will find cobbled streets, welcoming piazzas, and plenty of restaurants. At the day’s end, the city will offer a much quieter experience as most of the tourists will have left.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 18kms / 11 miles
Ascent: 595 metres
Descent: 540 metres
Trekking time: approx. 6 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
The pilgrimage route simply outdoes itself today as you continue towards Rome, hiking up and down the Tuscan hills among vineyards and olive groves, fields and woodlands. Along the way you can take an optional detour to the fascinating 11th-century Abbey of Santa Maria a Conero.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 21km or 13 miles
Ascent: 210 metres
Descent: 205 metres
Trekking time: approx. 6 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
Passing Pieve a Elsa, a site with a thousand-year history where a chapel once stood, you slip further back in time to the ancient Etruscan hot springs at Thermae di Caldane. Next, Strove’s robust Romanesque church awaits as does the bizarre complex at Abbadia a Isola, founded in the palindromic year of 1001. Spend the night in medieval Monteriggioni, where a peculiar crown of towers encircles the village This small medieval village overlooks the raccordo (main road) between Tuscany’s historic rival cities, Florence and Siena. Surrounded by a complete ring of stone walls and 14 angular towers only partly shielded by the crest of its hill. In the early 1300s, Dante compared its towers to infernal giants and Monteriggioni still exudes that air.
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 13kms / 8 miles
Ascent: 130 metres
Descent: 55 metres
Trekking time: approx. 4 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
Take off on dirt tracks through the classic hills of Montagnola Senese, passing the ancient medieval village of Cerbaia, seemingly lost in time. A pretty story-book castle, ‘Castello della Chiocciola’, sprouts up among groves of trees en route to Pian del Lago, with or without a detour via Il Poggio di Riciano. Revel in the quiet coolness of Renai Forest before you strut proudly through the Porta Camollia, historic pilgrims’ gate into splendid Siena. Tonight you will embrace yet another challenge, choosing the very best place for a farewell dinner!
Trek details
Distance covered: approx. 20kms / 12.5 miles
Ascent: 225 metres
Descent: 245 metres
Trekking time: approx. 6 hours
Included
Accommodation: hotel (twin share basis)
Meals: breakfast
Your self-guided pilgrimage comes to an end this morning after breakfast. Extra nights in Siena can be booked in advance, allowing time to explore this gorgeous city.
Included
Accommodation: N/A
Meals: breakfast only
Supporting local tourism and local communities
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on local communities and livelihoods across the planet, we’re keen to promote adventures in countries that are actively working towards sustainable tourism and conservation projects. We’re passionate about exploring off the beaten track routes in order to help communities who are in the shadow of mainstream tourist destinations. We also aim to create an adventure which is about discovery, immersing yourself in fascinating environments, customs and cultures and provides an understanding of history and people.
FLEXIBILITY
You get to choose the day of the week to start your adventure, within our specified periods of when best to travel, allowing you to take advantage of low-cost flights or make the most of your precious leave by arranging travel around a Bank Holiday or weekend. You can start on any day of the week, subject to availability, between April and October.
YOU CHOOSE THE PACE
Travelling independently gives you the freedom to go at your own pace. If you fancy a lie-in, have one! It’s your holiday. With no group times to stick to you can take the day as you like, whether that’s indulging in a leisurely breakfast or speeding ahead to settle in your accommodation and explore each destination to the full.
PICK YOUR TRAVEL COMPANIONS
With self-guided you choose who you travel with, whether that’s your partner, your family or a group of friends. You let us know who would like to go with, and we’ll arrange the rest.
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN YOUR CHOSEN DESTINATION
The best thing about a self-guided trip is that you get to see places you might otherwise miss. Stop at a cathedral you might have passed by, linger in a courtyard and savour your coffee, peruse local markets or chat with the locals.
SAMPLE THE LOCAL FOOD
Exploring independently allows you the opportunity to indulge in all the local delicacies the area has to offer, allowing you to find the best ice cream, sample the finest cellar door wines or enjoy Galician cuisine (Caldo Gallego, Empanada).
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE
Relax in the knowledge that we have made all your arrangements for you. From your starting point to your departure we have it covered. We handpick your accommodation, transport your bags each day and provide you with all the route details and information you need to have a fantastic trekking journey. And don’t forget, a self-guided adventure doesn’t mean you’re all on your own. The local team is only a phone call away to offer a helping hand, should you need it.
As well as carefully crafting amazing and meaningful adventures across the planet, we’ve made booking them as flexible, safe and as simple as possible. With the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we’ve made a number of updates to our safety guidelines, flexible booking conditions and trip departures. For more info, please our Book and Travel with Confidence page.
On booking your Via Francigena Trek, you’ll receive all the exciting trip info via our free mobile travel app.
You’ll have access to your itinerary, trip countdown, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, know before you go trip info, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24 hours a day via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper to benefit the environment and the need of carrying around documents with you. A’ppy days.
With being a small family business we pride ourselves with providing personal, professional and friendly service for your self-guided trek.
We appreciate that everyone has different levels of experience and reasons for wishing to embark on this trek and therefore require varying levels of support and guidance. We’re here to help you every step of the way from the moment you join the flock all the way through to completing the trek and beyond.
Jim and Sue’s knowledge and expertise stems from dozens of years of travelling and exploring the destinations that we visit in order to fully support you in the lead up to your adventure. We’re here to answer any of your queries no matter how big or small.
You can start on any day of the week, subject ot availability, between April 1st and October 31st.
Florence (FLR), Pisa (PSA) and Bologna (BLQ) airports are flown to by both major and low cost international carriers. All three airports can be easily reached by local transport, which is affordable and offers a frequent service.
Arrival in Lucca
From Pisa Airport (PSA), you can take a train to Lucca with change in Pisa Centrale station.
From Florence Airport (FLR), take a public bus to Florence Santa Maria Novella Train Station, and then a train to Lucca (with change in Pisa Centrale).
Departure from Siena
On departure, if flying from Pisa airport PSA, you first need to reach Florence by bus. Once in Florence, you need to take a train to Pisa Central Station. From there, you can reach the airport by either bus or train.
As an alternative, you can catch a bus from Siena station to Pisa aiport: www.tiemmespa.it.
You can also reach Pisa from Siena by train, but you always have to change in Empoli.
If flying from Florence airport FLR, you first need to reach Florence train station Santa Maria Novella by either bus or train (both direct). Once in Santa Maria Novella, you can reach the airport by either taxi or bus.
- Train timetables are available on the website www.trenitalia.com
- Bus timetables on www.at-bus.it (Florence-Siena)
All nationalities require a full passport. Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. For the latest info, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements
British nationals do not require a visa to enter Italy for the purpose of tourism for up to 90 days. For the latest entry requirements, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements and also Brexit advice at https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers.
Travel Insurance is an important part of any booking. It is compulsory that everyone who travels with us has taken out adequate travel insurance which includes, among other things, cover for the full value of your trip, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, activities undertaken, personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects and COVID-19 travel cover.
For UK residents we have partnered with Campbell & Irvine Direct to provide you with a travel insurance. If you would like to obtain cover for your trip please feel free to contact specialist Insurance Brokers, Campbell Irvine Direct for a quote.
You must send your Travel Insurance Policy to Adventurous Ewe no less than one month prior to departure.
Vaccinations
There are currently no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations include: Tetanus. For the most up to date info on vaccinations, please consult with your GP or travel healthcare practitioner 8 weeks in advance of travel. For more info, feel free to visit https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations.
Severe allergies
If you have a severe allergy please inform us at the time of booking. We will do all we can to help, but unfortunately we are unable to guarantee an allergy free environment on this trip. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as ‘adrenaline auto-injectors’ are not carried as standard by AE leaders and crew. Whilst your leader is aware of our trekkers medical history, please also inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.
Adventurous Ewe puts the safety and well-being of you, our leaders & crew and the communities we visit at the centre of all our operations, always. Your safety and well-being is our top priority.
The Via Francigena Trek is intentionally challenging and requires individual preparation as the trip is designed to take you out of your every-day comfort zone and achieve something incredible.
Rest assured we have a thorough Safety Management System, indepth risk assessments and risk management systems in place.
You will be accompanied by your Local Guide and Adventurous Ewe Leader for groups over 8 people. Our Leaders are First Aid trained and have extensive experience in leading groups along the Via Francigena trail. They will be ultimately responsible for your safety on this trip.
For more info, please visit our Safety and Well-being page.
The Via Francigena Trek from Siena to Viterbo is graded as ‘Medium to Tough’. The trek consists of 9 consecutive days of walking. Your luggage is transferred between hotels, so you only need to take a day pack with you on the walks. The terrain and type of path will vary from paved tracks, tarmac, forest trails to gravel. The walks are not technically difficult although there are some steep ascents and descents, so a good level of fitness is required.
It’s important to bear in mind that the distances walked some of the days are long and you are expected to walk 9 days in a row so there is a high chance to get blisters. We recommend to take extra care in making sure that your hiking boots are comfortable and well worn in. We advise bringing hiking boots and trail running trainers as this will allow you to alternate them at any stage to avoid blisters and pain. A wonderful section of Via Francigena, between the lunar landscape of Crete Senesi and the Medieval charm of Viterbo. We suggest that you embark on this trip only if you have previously tested your endurance on other trekking adventures due to the length of the trip and some of the climbs, which may prove challenging – especially the one towards the hilltop town of Radicofani.
Preparation is key to help you get the most enjoyment and reward from this trek. A good level of fitness, endurance and some gritty determination will help you conquer each day.
A bespoke training programme will be provided when join the team for this trek to help you with your preparations. Your training should incorporate aerobic (endurance building), anaerobic (strength building) exercises and some good long walks! Training in your trekking kit with your ruck-sack on consecutive days in the outdoors is ideal to help with your preparations too.
We also have exclusive offers with our Training Partners and Communities – Her Spirit and Strength & Movement Coach, Peter Lant. For more info, please visit our Training & Preparation page.
The more you are prepared, the more you will enjoy the challenge.
Our motto is: Train hard, smile harder and enjoy the journey!
A full kit list will be provided when you book this trek. Good kit can make the difference between a fantastic adventure and an uncomfortable one. Well worn in waterproof hiking boots are essential.
An exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code will be provided for the independent outdoor retailers on booking this trek.
Spring and summer are great times to visit this region, as the weather is warm and quite sunny. Quite often the mild weather can continue right up to December, with only occasional cold winds, however the heavy rain can start in October. July and August are usually very hot and temperatures tend to stay around 30°C for much of this time.
7 nights hotel accommodation included.
All our accommodation places are carefully selected based of their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. We select locally run comfortable hotels, farmhouses and B&B’s where all rooms have private en-suite bathrooms.
Additional Accommodation
We can book additional accommodation in Montefiascone or Rome (subject to availability). Please contact us if you wish to make arrangements by emailing info@adventurousewe.co.uk.
8 breakfasts and 1 dinner are included in your trekking adventure.
When you think Italy, you think delicious food & wine and this trek offers a fine blend of both.
Breakfasts are provided at your hotel and are usually continental or Italian-style with a choice of bread, croissants, meats, and cheeses.
Lunches are a combination of picnics or enjoying a well earned break at a local cafe enroute.
Dinners are taken in local restaurants allowing you the flexibility to sample your choice of fine Italian meals whilst supporting the local communities we visit.
Why not celebrate the end of the journey with the delicious local frittellacce!
Adventurous Ewe has partnered with Water-to-Go, a filtration system that eliminates over 99.99% of all microbiological contaminants from any non-salt water source – for more info please click here.
Adventurous Ewe trekkers will receive a free Water-to-Go bottle when departing on our Via Francigena Trek, and better still, 15% of the purchase value for replacement filters will be donated to our environmental charity partner, Cool Earth. Please help us reduce the volume of single use plastic in this pristine environment.
Remaining balance: £880 per person is due for payment no later than 5 weeks prior to the trip start date.
We’ve got you covered – financial protection
If your adventure needs to be cancelled for any reason, like say a global pandemic, you won’t be left stuck and you’ll be offered plenty of alternative options thanks to our financial protection arranged by Towergate Travel through Zurich Insurance PLC.
Pay in instalments, interest free
We’re well aware that adventures can be a significant investment, so we’ve set out to make it easy to afford. Once you’ve put down your deposit, you can pay the remaining balance off in monthly instalments with no extra charges so you can get out there and live your dream.
All your trip info will be sent to you through a mobile travel app which is free to download. You will receive an email from Adventurous Ewe with your personalised log in code for this app. For the latest and greatest from the land of adventures, simply follow us at:
Youtube: Adventurous Ewe
Facebook: @adventurousewe
Instagram: @adventurousewe
Twitter: @adventurousewe
LinkedIn: Adventurous-Ewe-Ltd
You’re most welcome to use the hashtags
#ewecandoit #thisflockrock #adventurousewe
Your Local Guide, Adventurous Ewe Leader/s and Crew will have mobile phones and radios communications in case of emergencies. The team are trained to deal with these situations. Please ensure you listen to your Leader during these times and refrain from putting any posts on social media. Should you find yourself unable to continue with the trek, your Leader and crew will make the necessary arrangements. Depending on the situation, you will be met by the support vehicle (depending on access) and you will be transferred back to your accommodation or nearby medical facility as required.
Your Emergency Contact at Adventurous Ewe HQ is Jim Young on +44(0)7747 346 588.
Cool Earth
We are very excited to have teamed up with leading climate change charity Cool Earth, who share our mission to protect the planet’s precious environment in a sustainable manner. The future of rainforest protection is where everyone makes a difference to climate change! We invest a % of our revenue into supporting critical conservation projects around the world through Cool Earth. You are most welcome to help make a difference too by sparing a few pennies. Please give what you can and help save the world’s rainforests today by clicking here. Just £2.50 will save 10 trees and lock up 10 tonnes of CO2.
Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet.
Thank-ewe
| Departure & Return | Duration | Availability | Deposit | Total Cost* | (*Total cost includes the deposit) |
| May 04, 2024 May 11, 2024 |
8 Days | Available | £835.00 | £835.00 | Book Now |
| May 25, 2024 Jun 01, 2024 |
8 Days | Available | £835.00 | £835.00 | Book Now |
| Jun 08, 2024 Jun 15, 2024 |
8 Days | Available | £835.00 | £835.00 | Book Now |
| Jun 29, 2024 Jul 06, 2024 |
8 Days | Available | £835.00 | £835.00 | Book Now |
| Aug 24, 2024 Aug 31, 2024 |
8 Days | Available | £855.00 | £855.00 | Book Now |
| Sep 07, 2024 Sep 14, 2024 |
8 Days | Available | £835.00 | £835.00 | Book Now |
What's Included?
Pre-trip:
- Personalised trip support in the lead up to your trek from Adventurous Ewe
- Trek training guide
- Trip info supplied via our free mobile travel app
- Public liability insurance
- Financial Protection for your booking
- Monthly payment plan available
- Risk assessment and emergency management planning
- Free Adventurous Ewe Water-to-Go Bottle
During your trip:
- Digital detailed route notes
- Navigation app
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel (one piece of luggage per person)
- Accommodation – 7 nights in a hotel (twin or triple share)
- 1 dinner
- People and p
- luggage transfer from San Miniato train station to accommodation (Day 2)
- Luggage transfer Day 3 to Day 7 (*)
- Pilgrims’s passport
- 24-hour telephone assistance.
What's Not Included?
- Travel insurance (mandatory)
- Return flights to Florence (FLR), Pisa (PSA) or Bologna (BLQ) airports. These can be arranged for you at an additional cost through our Flight Agent who is ATOL protected
- Tourist taxes
- Travel to Lucca and from Siena
- Trains or busses wherever necessary
- Lunches & dinners not mentioned in your itinerary
- Drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Local tips
- Additional night/s can be booked at any of the standard accommodations along the way
- Any associated costs with leaving the trek early.
TRIP EXTENSION
If you wish to extend your stay in Italy, we can help you with plenty of recommendations of things to do and see. For more information, please contact us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk.
Sustainable and Responsible Travel
Adventurous Ewe is committed to delivering our trips in a responsible and ethical manner with sustainability at its core. We respect and aim to operate our adventures to benefit local people, their economy and the environment!
Some of the responsible travel features embedded in our Via Francigena Trek are:
- Staying in local family owned and run hotels wherever possible
- Minimising plastic waste wherever possible with providing a complimentary Water-To-Go bottle on departure
- Careful management of limited energy and water resources
- Offering real life experiences which promote cross-cultural understanding
- Operating with a ‘leave no trace’ ethos – take only memories, leave only footprints
- Adventurous Ewe will make a financial contribution to the environmental charity, Cool Earth, as part of our business partnership.
Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet.
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