Via Francigena: Walk from Lucca to Siena Tour with 1 Review by Genius Loci Travel

8 daysDuration

Private TourPrivate experience, no group joining

18 - 99 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Starts

Lucca, Italy

Ends

Siena, Italy

Highlights

Follow the Via Francigena, one of Europe’s most important highways of the Middle Age

Walk from village to village and experience the world-famous Tuscan landscape

Explore San Gimignano, Monteriggioni and other places of interest

Enjoy being fully immersed in the Tuscan scenery, lifestyle and culture

Itinerary

Discover the Tuscan countryside and culture on this 8-day self-guided walking tour. Through the extensive footpath network of the area, roughly following the traces of the Via Francigena, one of Europe’s most important ‘highways’ in medieval times, you walk from village to village and experience a full immersion in the world-famous Tuscan landscape. The tour is perfect as an introduction to the region and a great choice for people who love museums, galleries and Gothic and Romanesque architecture. You have plenty of time to visit attractions on most of the days.

You will also have time to visit all the beautiful medieval villages and historic towns along the Via Francigena: starting from beautiful Lucca, you’ll pass through Fucecchio, San Miniato, Gambassi Terme, the stunning San Gimignano with its medieval skyscrapers and Monteriggioni, admired by Dante in his Divine Comedy. An optional detour can bring you to beautiful Colle Val d’Elsa and the tour ends in Siena, arguably the most perfectly preserved medieval town in Tuscany. This tour threads together some of the most attractive towns and villages in Tuscany in an eloquent procession.

However, the emphasis of the tour is to enjoy the countryside, the rolling vineyards, the poppies in spring and the wild cyclamen in autumn. The area north of Siena is an amazing landscape of rolling hills, alternating vineyards and forests, while cypresses line the way leading to the distant farmhouses. Walking here is an unforgettable experience and many of the views have barely changed for hundreds of years.

Accommodation and some meals are included. You spend a night in one of the best agriturismos in Tuscany, and the final night in the heart of Siena, in one of the most characteristic little hotels.

This is a moderately easy tour which is suitable for those who have some experience of walking and a good general physical condition.

day 1 - Arrival Lucca

Arrival in Lucca, where you settle in at your hotel in the old town, known for its perfectly preserved city walls and the famous ‘amphitheatre’ square. Depending on your arrival time, you can go for a short visit to the town centre.

Duration:1 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel

day 2 - From Lucca to Altopascio

The first-day walk takes you from the historical town of Lucca to the nice medieval town of Altopascio. This first stretch is a good warm-up hike through a pretty flat landscape.

The route brings you through the plain, densely populated, but with a large number of interesting historical and religious buildings. Of course, you should take your time to visit the historical town of Lucca (and perhaps make a round walk over its town walls), but you’ll also pass at other interesting places such as the ‘Pieve’ (rural chapel) of Capannori and the Abbey of Pozzeveri. Also, the old city centre of Altopascio is beautiful.

Duration:4.5-5 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel

Meals:Breakfast

day 3 - Through Fucecchio to San Miniato

After an early breakfast, you begin your long walk to San Miniato. After another flat initial stretch, you’ll finally tackle the first Tuscan hills, the area of the Cerbaie Nature Reserve, wild and deserted.

Then you walk over the ancient Medici bridge in Ponte a Cappiano. Follow another flat section, through the plain of the reclaimed Fucecchio swamp (parts of which are still wetlands – a very interesting area for birdwatching).

By lunchtime, you’ll enter the beautiful historic town of Fucecchio. Shortly after you’ll cross the River Arno and follow it for a while, heading to the small medieval town of San Miniato, beautifully located on the hilltop.

Duration:6.5-7 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel

Meals:Breakfast

day 4 - To Gambassi Terme

Today you leave San Miniato with a beautiful days' walk ahead. After a stretch along a small asphalt road, you finally reach the typical Tuscan landscape of rolling hills, cypress-lined lanes and isolated farmhouses. Here the Via Francigena enters the area of the Val d'Elsa. This area has been inhabited since pre-historic times but became an important trading area in the Etruscan era. The medieval Via Francigena here basically followed the old Etruscan trading routes and the Roman ‘Via Clodia’ between Siena and Lucca.

You’ll walk past the Pieve of Coiano and the Pieve in Chianni, heading for Gambassi Terme. In the Early Middle Ages, many travellers passed through here, and it is testified that the Archbishop Sigeric of Canterbury stayed overnight in Gambassi Terme, a charming little town with thermal baths. If you arrive on time here, perhaps you have the time for some ‘wellness’, otherwise you can visit the nice town centre with the beautiful Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Chianni, a fascinating and significant example of Romanesque architecture (with a bit of luck, you can even attend a concert, which are often organized here).

Duration:6-6.5 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel

Meals:Breakfast

day 5 - To San Gimignano

Today’s route is one of the best-known parts of the Via Francigena. It passes right through one of the most scenic medieval Tuscan towns, San Gimignano.

From Gambassi Terme, you first walk a stretch through the hills, up to the Sanctuary of Pancole. Soon after, walking past several old ‘pievi’ (countryside churches) and villas, you will already have the first views of the San Gimignano skyline. This wonderful medieval town – sometimes referred to as having the only “skyscrapers” in Tuscany – is an absolute must, with picturesque vineyards and olive and cypress groves on either side. You have some time to explore this little romantic town with its medieval towers, of which there were once 52 (there are now less than a dozen) – wealthy, prominent families would use the height of these towers to distinguish themselves, but the towers also had a practical use in alerting the inhabitants of this walled town of approaching friends and foes. Do make a nice stroll around its impressive town walls.

Then you continue the Via Francigena to your accommodation for the night: a beautiful agriturismo. You’ll have two options to walk there: either along the convent of Monte Oliveto, located on a wide ridge, then down to a small stream, which you have to cross, before climbing up to your agriturismo, or along a beautiful route through the rolling vineyards. Make sure you get there on time to fully enjoy its fabulous setting and surroundings, and perhaps its library or swimming pool too. Dinner at the private restaurant is included tonight.

Duration:5 hours

Accommodation:Agriturismo Other

Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

day 6 - Through Badia a Conèo to Monteriggioni

Today you leave the agriturismo and head for Monteriggioni, described as a crown in the landscape by Dante. The walk first brings you down into the river valley, and then, more or less following the Foci, you reach one of the most wonderful Romanesque churches in Tuscany, la Badia a Conèo.

The next stop is Quartaia, followed by Gracciano, once one of the most important wheat towns in Tuscany. Another short stretch brings you to the Badia ad Isola, once an important stop on the medieval Via Francigena, and a very intriguing building.

The final destination for today is Monteriggioni, where you’ll have time for a drink in the square, before settling in at your centrally located hotel. In the evening you can take a nice stroll into town to have dinner in one of the nice restaurants.

Duration:6 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel

Meals:Breakfast

day 7 - To Siena

Today you leave Monteriggioni in a southern direction, heading for Siena. After having crossed the Via Cassia you follow the so-called ‘strade bianche’ (gravel roads) through the hills and forests to the Northwest of Siena. There are several interesting sights along the way like the abandoned medieval village of Cerbaia, the castles of Chiocciola and the Convent of San Leonardo, just above the reclaimed plain of Pian del Lago.

Then, you’ll walk through the forest of Renai and will approach Siena from the West. You’ll enter the city through Porta Camollia, the traditional access to Siena from the North. Indeed you will notice several medieval hostels along the road towards the centre of town. You settle in at your centrally located hotel, just a few minutes away from the famous Piazza del Campo.

In the evening you can take a nice stroll into town to have dinner in one of the many nice restaurants, or sip a drink in the Piazza del Campo.

Duration:4.5 hours

Accommodation:3 Star Hotel

Meals:Breakfast

day 8 - End of the tour

End of the tour

Meals:Breakfast

Via Francigena: Walk from Lucca to Siena

Get Trip Brochure & Exclusive Discount

Download a detailed PDF brochure and unlock an exclusive discount for this tour

What's Included

7 Breakfasts and 1 Dinner7 nights' accommodation as per the itineraryExtensive route notes, with a description of the route & tourist informationMaps at 1: 25.000 scale or better24/7 assistancePrivate transfers as specified

Optional Add-ons Available during check-out

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

Read what other travelers have to say about Via Francigena: Walk from Lucca to Siena

4.0

based on 1 review

Tour Availability

Select your preferred departure date and secure your spot

Loading availability...

Monthly Price Comparison

Good to Know

Cancellation

Payment

Travel Insurance

Other Practical Information

Do you need help from our trip consultants?

If you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Our travel experts are ready to help.

Why Book with Bookmundi

Earn USD 24+ in travel credits.

Best price guaranteed.

No credit card or booking fees.

100% financial protection.Bookmundi is a member of the Danish Travel Fund which guarantees for any payment made via us. Our guarantee covers all travelers, irrespective of nationality.

Carbon neutral tours.Algorithms and machine learning enables Bookmundi to calculate the carbon footprint for each tour. We then subsequently offset carbon emissions for all tour bookings on Bookmundi via investments in carbon reduction projects to help combat climate change.

25,000+ trip reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.

What are customers saying about Bookmundi

4.66/5

Excellent based on 805 customer reviews from

Karen

Excellent booking process. Easy to do online - simple and straightforward plus the 1 query I did have was quicckly solved due to customer service being on hand to help

1 day ago

Europe

Asia

South America

Africa

North America

Oceania

Polar

Food, wine, events and nightlife

Adventure and sport

Wildlife, landscapes and nature

Boat tours, water sports and marine wildlife

Sightseeing, attractions, culture and history

Air tours, road trips and transfers

Beach, romance, getaways and relaxation

Special interests and hobbies

Hi there

Highlights