The Hill-Top Towns of Tuscany

Day 1  Volterra  
Arrive in Volterra at any time.    

Day 2  Volterra  
Enjoy a short introductory walk to explore the soft rolling hills south of the town, by first following the route of an old rack-railway, before heading uphill across an evocative landscape that offers a striking profile of hill-top Volterra as you ascend gradually back to the town. Afterwards, spend some time exploring splendid Volterra.  

Day 3  Volterra to San Gimignano  
After a short transfer, you follow pleasant tracks and strade bianche across a couple of small valleys, through woodland and agricultural land as well as the village of San Donato. You pass numerous isolated farmsteads, once occupied by families of share-croppers, and enjoy fine views across gently rolling hills to your destination, San Gimignano.  

Day 4  San Gimignano  
For a good introduction to medieval San Gimignano, stroll around the town walls and look down on the charming streets lined with ancient houses and palaces. For those wishing to walk a little further, take a circular route in the glorious countryside, which provides fantastic views towards the town's imposing towers.  

Day 5  San Gimignano to Colle Val d'Elsa  
This beautiful walk takes you through much softer, archetypal Tuscan landscapes of olive groves and vineyards and across the small River Foci to the historic upper part of Colle Val d'Elsa, a fascinating town surrounded by ramparts.  

Day 6  Colle Val d'Elsa to Siena  
After a transfer to the fortified hamlet of Monteriggioni, you walk along a section of the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrims' route between Canterbury and Rome, to arrive in Siena.  

Days 7-8   Siena  
Today is devoted to sightseeing. The centre of Sienese life is the delightful Campo, a piazza bordered on one side by the Palazzo Pubblico, which houses some splendid frescoes, including Lorenzetti's Effects of Good and Bad Government, and is topped by the Mangia Tower, which offers a superb panorama of the city. The cathedral is also well worth a visit (among its masterpieces are works by Jacopo della Quercia and Donatello), as are the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo and the Pinacoteca. Your self guided walking tour ends on day 8, depart at any time.