If you’ve read our Strade Bianche guide, you’ll know that’s focused on the famous white gravel roads around Siena. Our Tuscany Gravel Tour offers a different experience, inspired by the legendary Tuscany Trail and showcasing a much broader cross-section of the region. Instead of concentrating on one area, you’ll discover mountains, forests, vineyards, medieval villages, and the wild landscapes of southern Tuscany on a fully supported cycling holiday.
Note: The Tuscany Trail is an independent bikepacking event and route. Cigala Cycling Tours is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Tuscany Trail organisation.
What Is the Tuscany Trail?
The Tuscany Trail is one of Europe’s best-known gravel bikepacking routes. Stretching for more than 500 km across Tuscany, it links the northern coast with southern Tuscany using gravel roads, forest tracks, farm lanes, and quiet secondary roads.
Every spring, thousands of cyclists take part in the unsupported Tuscany Trail event, carrying all of their own equipment and completing the route at their own pace. Outside the event, the Tuscany Trail remains one of Italy’s most popular long-distance gravel adventures for riders looking to explore Tuscany beyond its famous tourist destinations.
Rather than following a single famous road, the Tuscany Trail connects many of Tuscany’s most spectacular landscapes, from the Apuan Alps and Chianti to the Val d’Orcia and the Maremma.
How Our Tuscany Gravel Tour Differs
Our Tuscany Gravel Tour is inspired by some of the finest sections of the Tuscany Trail while following our own carefully designed itinerary.
Instead of tackling the route as an unsupported bikepacking challenge, you’ll enjoy:
- Boutique hotels each night
- Daily luggage transfers
- Support vehicle throughout the tour
- Professional ride leaders
- Carefully selected stages that maximise the scenery while avoiding unnecessary transfers
The result is a tour that captures the spirit of the Tuscany Trail while allowing you to simply enjoy the riding.
What the Terrain Is Like
One of the reasons the Tuscany Trail has become so popular is the incredible variety of riding.
During the week you’ll encounter:
- Smooth Strade Bianche white gravel roads
- Rolling vineyard tracks
- Fast gravel farm roads
- Forest double-track
- Quiet tarmac linking remote villages
- Occasional rougher gravel sections through woodland on the via Francigena
Compared with the classic Strade Bianche sectors around Siena, the terrain is considerably more varied, more gravel, making every day feel different.
Regions You’ll Ride Through
The Apuan Alps
The northern mountains of Tuscany offer forest roads, panoramic climbing, and spectacular views towards the famous marble quarries around Carrara.
Chianti
Rolling vineyards, cypress-lined roads, medieval villages, and some of Italy’s most famous wine-producing landscapes.
Val d’Orcia
Perhaps Tuscany’s most iconic scenery, with endless rolling hills, quiet gravel roads, and UNESCO World Heritage landscapes.
The Maremma
Southern Tuscany has a completely different feel. Wild, rugged, and far quieter than the famous wine regions, it’s one of Italy’s hidden gems for gravel riding.
Bike Setup
Unlike riding only the Strade Bianche roads, this tour covers a wider range of surfaces.
We recommend:
- Gravel bike
- 40–45 mm tyres
- Low climbing gears
- Tubeless setup where possible
A modern gravel bike provides the comfort and confidence needed for the more technical forest sections while remaining fast on Tuscany’s smoother gravel roads.
Best Time to Ride
Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) offer the best cycling conditions.
These months bring:
- Mild temperatures
- Green countryside
- Quiet roads
- Ideal gravel conditions
Summer can become extremely hot, particularly through the exposed landscapes of southern Tuscany.
Common Mistakes First-Time Riders Make
Many riders assume the Tuscany Trail is simply an extended version of the Strade Bianche roads.
In reality, it’s far more varied.
The biggest mistakes include:
- Bringing tyres that are too narrow
- Underestimating the climbing
- Expecting every gravel road to be smooth white limestone
- Carrying unnecessary equipment
Our guided tour removes these concerns by providing mechanical support, luggage transfers, and experienced local guides throughout the week.
Experience Tuscany Without the Bikepacking Challenge
The unsupported Tuscany Trail is an unforgettable adventure, but it’s also a demanding bikepacking event.
Our Tuscany Gravel Tour lets you experience many of the same spectacular landscapes without carrying camping equipment or spending each evening searching for accommodation.
Instead, you’ll finish every ride knowing your luggage is already waiting for you, your hotel is booked, and dinner is taken care of—allowing you to focus entirely on enjoying the ride.
If you’d like an itinerary that combines the famous Strade Bianche roads with sections inspired by the Tuscany Trail, we can also create a fully customised private cycling tour tailored to your goals.
How This Fits Into a Cigala Cycling Tour
Our Tuscany Epic Gravel Tour is built around these Tuscany Trail highlights, supported and paced very differently from the unsupported bikepacking event it draws from — proper beds, a support van, and a pace that lets you enjoy the Maremma’s wild beauty and Chianti’s wine country without carrying camping gear on your back.
If you’d like to attempt a longer stretch of the actual Tuscany Trail, or want a custom mix of the smoother Strade Bianche sectors and the rougher Maremma terrain, we’re also happy to design a fully custom tour around this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Tuscany Trail?
No. Our Tuscany Gravel Tour is not the official Tuscany Trail event or route. It is an independent, fully supported cycling holiday inspired by some of the most spectacular gravel roads found along the Tuscany Trail, combined with our own carefully selected routes.
Do I need bikepacking experience?
No.
Unlike the unsupported Tuscany Trail event, our tour includes hotels, luggage transfers, support vehicles, and ride leaders, so no camping or bikepacking experience is required.
Is the terrain harder than the Strade Bianche roads?
Some sections are.
While you’ll ride the famous white gravel roads around Siena, you’ll also encounter rougher forest tracks and more technical and remote gravel roads that require a capable gravel bike.
Is this the same route as the Strade Bianche guide covers?
No — the Strade Bianche sectors are a specific, smaller cluster of white gravel roads near Siena. Our Tuscany Gravel Tour draws on the much longer Tuscany Trail, covering considerably more of the region including areas the Strade Bianche route doesn’t touch.
Can I combine this with the Strade Bianche day specifically?
Yes, this is a common custom request, since the Strade Bianche sectors fall within the broader Tuscany Trail route and can be incorporated into a longer custom itinerary.
Is this suitable for experienced road cyclists?
Yes.
Many of our guests come from a road cycling background. As long as you’re comfortable riding a gravel bike and have a reasonable level of fitness, this tour is an excellent introduction to multi-day gravel riding.
— Matteo Cigala
Former European Gran Fondo Champion, Vice World Gran Fondo & Gravel Champion, Italian Gravel Champion, Coach & Tours Director of Cigala Cycling Tours
