The week
Lucca sits inside a ring of walls wide enough to ride on, and beyond them lie four distinct landscapes: mountains to the north, the sea to the west, wine-growing hills to the east, and to the south the ridge of the Monti Pisani, with Pisa on the far side. Five riding days, and no two are alike.
All week you stay at the same hotel, Palazzo Alexander, a 12th-century building in the old town, right inside the walls. In the morning you set off through a town that’s still waking up. Ten minutes later, you’ve left it behind.
One day it’s the stone villages of Pescaglia and the Passo del Lucese, with the Apuan Alps ahead of you. Another day you head for the sea, through Pietrasanta, where sculptors work with their studio doors open to the street, and out to the pier at Forte dei Marmi. You follow the Serchio past the Devil’s Bridge and climb through the chestnut woods from Bagni di Lucca.
You ride among the vineyards and villas of the Colline Lucchesi, up to Montecarlo, a walled hilltop village that gives the local wine its name. And the last day belongs to Monte Serra: you cross the ridge of the Monti Pisani and ride into Pisa, arriving in Piazza dei Miracoli with the Leaning Tower right in front of you.
Midweek, there’s a day off the bike: an extra hour of sleep, Lucca on foot or by city bike, and a wine and olive oil tasting at Villa Santo Stefano, an estate in the hills above town. Everyone goes, riders and non-riders alike.
Every evening you come back to the same room inside the walls, and you only have to unpack once. You walk to dinner: the center of town is right outside the door.
Lucca is our home. Our office is a few minutes’ walk from where you’re staying, and the roads you’ll ride this week are the ones we ride all year round. We don’t just show you Tuscany. We show you the Tuscany locals know.
Two ways to ride Tuscany
Day by day
Every ride starts and ends in Lucca, by bike.
You never change hotels, and you only unpack once.
Built around you
The five rides above are a sample itinerary, not a fixed schedule. We build the routes around you: you can change the order of the days, make your favorite days longer, shorten others, add a climb or drop one. Tell us ahead of time and we’ll have it ready. Tell us over dinner and we’ll set it up for the next day.
What’s included
For riders
For non-riding companions
Not included
Optional services
Dinner isn’t included, and that’s on purpose: there are plenty of places to eat well inside Lucca’s walls, and you can pick a different one every evening. Your guides will point you in the right direction.
Tell us your dates and we will check availability.
Request a quoteThe bike
Our rental bikes are new Pinarello road and gravel bikes from this year’s lineup.
Where you stay
You stay inside the walls, in a 12th-century palazzo in Lucca’s old town. In the morning you set off from the hotel, and ten minutes later you’ve left the city behind. In the evening you walk to dinner, and you won’t need a car all week.
The palazzo stands near Porta San Donato and a two-minute walk from the city walls. It has antique wooden floors, marble bathrooms, and rooms and junior suites over four floors.
Your team
Chronò Experience began in 1993, when Paladino opened a bike shop in the heart of Lucca. More than thirty years later the shop is still here, and so is the passion behind it.
Today Paladino works side by side with his two sons, Davide and Carlo. Together we run the shop, look after the bikes, design routes around the people who ride them and guide the tours on the road. You deal with the same small family team from your first message to your last ride, and it shows in the details.
Lucca is our home, but we don’t stop there. In many parts of Italy we work with local collaborators: guides and partners who were born there, still live there and know every road, every climb and every good place to eat. That’s how every trip, wherever it takes you, stays 100% authentic and is led by people who truly belong to the place.
Frequently asked questions
How many days will I actually ride?
Five full days, plus the test ride on the first day. Day 5, in the middle of the week, is a day off the bike, with the tasting at Villa Santo Stefano. The last day is for check-out and departure.
What happens on the day off the bike?
The morning is yours to explore Lucca on foot or on the city bike that comes with your tour. In the afternoon you head up to Villa Santo Stefano, a wine estate in the hills above town, to taste the wines and olive oil they make there. The tasting is included in the price, and non-riding companions come too.
How fit do I need to be?
Over the five rides, you’ll average 69 km a day with about 740 m of climbing. The ride to the coast is almost flat, and the hilliest day, from Bagni di Lucca, has just over a thousand meters of climbing. The van follows the group every day, so you can stop partway up any climb and cut any day short.
Can I come on my own?
Yes. This tour runs even for one person, and we build the itinerary around you.
How big is the group?
One to fourteen people.
Can I bring my own bike?
Yes. Or you can rent a new Pinarello from us for the whole week, road or gravel.
How do I get from the airport to the hotel?
The closest airports are Pisa and Florence, and there’s a direct train from Pisa Centrale to Lucca. Lucca station sits right across from Porta San Pietro: walk through the gate and you’re in the town center. If you’re flying long-haul, Rome works too: take the train to Florence and continue to Lucca from there. You can also request a private transfer, which isn’t included in the price.
When can I go?
From early March to late October.
Can I change the itinerary?
Yes, that’s the whole point of a private tour. The five rides are a sample itinerary: you can change the order, make your favorite days longer, shorten others, add or drop a climb. We plan it together before the trip, and we can still adjust it during the week.
What about companions who don’t ride?
They get the same room and the same breakfast, plus a massage and a city bike for getting around Lucca. They can also ride in the van to meet up with the group during the day. Riders and non-riders share the midweek rest day, and everyone goes to the tasting at Villa Santo Stefano together.
Are meals included?
Breakfast is included every morning. Lunch and dinner aren’t included, so you’re free to eat wherever you like, and your guides know just where to take you.
What languages is the tour guided in?
Italian and English.
Will I really ride all the way to the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
Yes, on the last day. You ride over the Monte Serra pass from Buti, descend toward Calci and continue into Pisa, right up to Piazza dei Miracoli. Then you head back to Lucca along the river.
How do I ask for information or check availability?
Press Request a quote or write to us on WhatsApp. Tell us your dates, group size and riding level, and we will check availability and send you a tailored proposal. Quote requests sent by email reach both Hotel Palazzo Alexander and Chronò Experience.
Request a quote
To ask about this tour or check availability, press Request a quote or message us on WhatsApp. Tell us your dates, group size and riding level, and we will send you a tailored proposal.
Your email reaches both Hotel Palazzo Alexander and Chronò Experience, so we can check availability together.