About the walking
We grade this walk as being moderate. Tracks and trails may have short steep hill sections and rough surfaces. A moderate active lifestyle makes walking enjoyable, an exercise regime of 2 to 3 times a week is needed.
Walks are generally along well-defined trails. You should be used to walking between 10km-19km per day with up to 500m of ascent and descent. The vast majority of trails and tracks are well defined and cover a variety of terrain. On any typical day you will be walking on forest trails, gravel tracks, rolling farmland, through vineyards and into the village and towns where you will stay. It is commonplace in Italy that there are no separate footpaths (even in the towns) which means you will often be walking on the road. Please always be mindful of all road users when doing so. For each of the walks, you will be provided with daily walk notes, a map and the GPX tracks if you require to use them for your own device.
Availability
This walk is available from late April to the end of June and mid-August through to October.
Not available from 1st July – 22nd August.
From April into May days are warm and sunny with equally pleasant evenings. Into June, sunflowers are in full bloom, vineyards are flowering, and the days become much warmer (up to 30 degrees). Village piazza’s buzz with life and are perfect for enjoying an al fresco dinner. Mid-August into September will begin to mark the beginnings of the grape harvests, so you might be lucky enough to encounter a local festival or two. By October, the summer heat has retreated. The days are warm with evenings cooling off. It isn’t uncommon for Tuscany to experience thunderstorms during summer days, so you should always be prepared for a change of season during the day.
How to get there and away
How to get there and away
This walk starts in Florence and ends in Montepulciano. Florence has a small airport, whereas the larger airports of Pisa and Rome generally offer a wider range of routes across Europe and beyond. Leaving Montepulciano is very easy to venture by train. Always remember to stamp your ticket before travel on either buses or trains!
Florence airport
You can travel by bus from Florence airport to Florence central. The bus service terminates in central Florence beside the main railway station of Santa Maria Novella. The journey is approximately 25mins.
Pisa Airport
From Pisa Airport you can take the ‘Pisa Mover’ train shuttle to the Pisa Centrale station to change for direct services to Florence. Journey time is 1hr-40mins. Please note You cannot buy tickets for the Pisa Mover in the main railway station. You have to walk down to the Pisa Mover itself where there are separate train ticket machines.
Rome Airport
Rome has two airports. Fiumicino and Ciampino. Fiumicino airport connects through to Florence Central station in around 2hrs 30mins (with a change of trains in Rome central station). If you’re arriving at Rome Ciampino airport you will need to take the airport bus to Ciampino station and change at Rome central station for services for Florence. Journey time from Ciampino to Florence is around 2hrs 30mins (depending on times and services).
Onward Travel From Montepulciano
From Montepulciano, you can catch a train from two nearby stations. The closest but smallest station with less services is Montepulciano Stazione (9km away, approx. 10 mins by car or 20 mins by bus). The other is Chiusi Chianterme Station (24km away, approx. 30 mins by car or 50 mins by bus). This is a larger station offering more frequent bus services and supports another train service line from Siena.
For all train travel in Italy prices, timetables and ticket reservations can be made through Trainline or Trenitalia.
Another useful planning tool for travel is Rome2Rio should you be travelling from, or to, other destinations.
Insurance
We require that you have adequate travel insurance against potential losses, damage or injury, including cancellation costs and loss of luggage.
For all trips that require international travel, you must have purchased travel insurance that also includes medical evacuation coverage.
We also charge a cancellation fee if you cancel your walking holiday after we have confirmed it to cover costs incurred from our suppliers and in the office. See the FAQ section for more information.
IMPORTANT - SOLO WALKERS
For your safety and well-being, we are unable to accept bookings for solo walkers on this self-guided trip. The remote nature of some tracks and limited mobile reception mean that walking alone presents a higher risk in case of emergencies.
SELF GUIDED
10 DAYS 
Moderate 
SELF GUIDED
10 DAYS 
Moderate 
Peter R
Dealing with the Auswalk staff before booking was easy and they answered all our questions. The walk notes were great and we used them rather than the app but could use the app anytime during the walk to confirm our location or directions if required. The accommodation and breakfasts were all perfect and the baggage transfers went off without any issues. All the suggestions in the notes for places to look at or places to eat were great. Any changes during the walk were informed quickly and any questions we had were answered quickly.
Susan R
We loved this walk, the hilltop towns, the beautiful Tuscan scenery and the accommodation. The App worked well alerting us when we went off track on a few occasions. We would highly recommend this walk.
Margaret S
A very well organised and enjoyable experience. Clear track notes and good quality accommodation throughout.
Susan R
We loved this walk, the hilltop towns, the beautiful Tuscan scenery and the accommodation. The App worked well alerting us when we went off track on a few occasions. We would highly recommend this walk.
Christine B
A well organised walk that went seamlessly.
Kirsty B
We loved it all. Everything else went like clockwork. A great way to see the countryside. Accommodation was great. Notes were excellent. Auswalk exceeded our expectation. All information provided was so thorough and detailed. Accommodation was excellent and located centrally. We loved our walk.
Richard Y
The notes were comprehensive and mostly accurate. The accommodation choices were excellent – lovely, characterful places – and the luggage transfer was seamless throughout, which helped a great deal. So good to arrive at your accommodation and know that there are dry clothes waiting! I also greatly appreciated the provision of support materials such as maps and GPS routes, and emergency phone numbers. I did use some of these extras and they gave me considerable peace of mind.
caritobe
My ten day walk – Tuscany Explorer, Florence to Montepulciano – was a memorable experience. The level of organisation offered by Auswalk, and the attention to detail, was exemplary. As a solo walker on a self-guided trek, I really appreciated knowing that I had great support, both in Australia and ‘on the ground’. The trip notes were comprehensive, accommodation choices were excellent, and luggage transfers were seamless. Then, of course, there was the walk itself: challenging, invigorating, inspiring, affirming. All of which means: I would be more than happy to use Auswalk again.