Always dreamed of a Motorcycle tour “under the Tuscan sun”? Dream no more. On this Club Class 9-day adventure, you will experience the kind of Italian scenery typically found in picturesque coffee table books: rolling hills, cypress trees shading long driveways, villas in the midst of olive plantations, monasteries and churches, Italian street life and some of the most beautiful cities and villages you can imagine.
Features of this exciting Adventure include:
- Assisi – birthplace of St. Francis and home to the Basilica of St. Francis
- San Gimigiano with its ancient “skyscrapers”
- The tiny municipality of San Marino
- Tavullia – hometown of Moto GP world champion, Valentinos Rossi
- Siena and it’s wonderful main plaza, which hosts the El Palio, a famous horse race twice a year
- Orvieto – location of the famous Duomo in Orvieto, a prime example of Italian Gothic style.
This tour begins and ends in Florence, Italy, a city so full of history and culture that you may want to extend your stay to more fully absorb it.
At a Glance Your Under the Tuscan Sun
Welcome under the Tuscan Sun! On the official arrival day we will pick you up from the airport Florence and transfer you to the hotel in a village in the surrounding area. You will have a good connection to Florence downtown by public transport. Walk around and get the “Italian feeling”, before we meet for the motorcycle handover in the later afternoon. We’ll have a kickoff meeting in the evening, followed by our first dinner together!
Today we start our adventure into Tuscany with a spectacular ride into the surrounding mountains. As we leave the city surroundings we approach the Passo del Muraglione – one of the best mountain passes there is. Coming back we will cross into the famous Chianti region – known mostly for their famous wines. For us it is motorcycle heaven sprinkled with some amazing sights along the route. Final destination today is the lovely city of Siena. Full of history this medieval town leaves us with lots of options for riding as well as sightseeing.
Go for a loop on your motorcycle on the twisty roads around Siena, spend your time in the wonderful old town visiting the cathedral, the Piazza del Campo and the Salimbeni Palace – or get up early and go for both! The surrounding area is a motorcyclist’s paradise and in Siena most attractions are within walking distance. The perfect place to spend the day!
It’s only 74 miles direct way to our next destination, but then you would miss spectacular roads through perfect Tuscan scenery! Medieval villages like the Renaissance hill town Montepulciano invite us for a break and about half way we can circle around Monte Amiata, with 1738m the largest of the lava domes in the Amiata lava dome complex. Our hotel is located at Lake Bolsena, a crater lake of volcanic origin – and we will enjoy the view across it!
Just like on yesterday’s riding day to Bolsena, the “scenic route” is highly recommendable! Enjoying the small and twisty roads, we can make stopovers in Orvieto with its famous Dome – striped in white travertine and greenish-black basalt -, or in the world’s “most livable city” Todi – according to the legend built by Hercules. We pass by Perugia, well-known for its culture, art – and chocolate!
Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis, who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208, is our destination today and we will spend two nights in this little gem. We are now in the region of Umbria, the only Italian region having neither a coastline nor a border with other countries.
Dominated by two medieval castles, Assisi’s numerous churches as well as the Roman amphitheatre attract many visitors, but it’s also a major pilgrimage destination for many groups coming to enjoy the simple peace of St. Francis.The surrounding area of the city features Lake Trasimene and the city of Perugia as well as many roads that lead us through a scenic landscape with hills and mountains around 1000 m elevation. Again you can dedicate your day to a series of activities in and around Assisi and enjoy the free evening in a typical local restaurant.
Today we head for the Adriatic Sea! Passing through ancient Gubbio and the walled medieval city of Urbino, we approach another one of the highlights of this tour: Tavullia, home town of the legendary nine-time world motorcycle champion Valentino Rossi. His ranch and merchandising headquarter are located close by and the magic number 46 is omnipresent here – even on a cappuccino in the “Café Sport”!
A short ride brings us to today’s destination Gabicce Mare, one of the most beautiful beaches of the Romagna Adriatic Coast. Lean back and enjoy the evening ocean breeze with a glass of fine Italian wine…
You won’t forget this riding day for sure! Soon after takeoff we ride through “the Most Serene Republic” of San Marino, which is with only about 24 sq mi an enclaved microstate, claiming to be the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world. After San Marino fun starts and we find ourselves on some of the twistiest roads that central Italy has to offer! Crossing the central Appenine Mountains we are surrounded by peaks up to 4500 ft high and with a smile on our face we return to where we started from a week ago. This was Italy from its most attractive side! During our farewell dinner we remember the highlights of this trip, some of us wearing a T-shirt or cap with the number “46” on it…
After breakfast we will shuttle you to the airport. We hope to see you on another Adventure soon!
The roads are mostly paved.
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Please contact us about low frame and/or low seat options for our bikes.
- Includes BMW F700GS
- Includes BMW F750GS
- Additional charge of $100 for a BMW F800GS
- Additional charge of $100 for a BMW F800R
- Additional charge of $100 for a BMW F800GT
- Additional charge of $250 BMW F850GS
- Additional charge of $300 for BMW F850GS Adv
- Additional charge of $550 for a BMW R nineT
- Additional charge of $610 for a BMW S1000R
- Additional charge of $730 for a BMW S1000XR
- Additional charge of $300 for a BMW R1200R
- Additional charge of $400 for BMW R1250R
- Additional charge of $610 for a BMW R1200RS
- Additional charge of $300 for a BMW R1200GS
- Additional charge of $400 for a BMW R1250GS
- Additional charge of $400 for a BMW R1200GS Adv
- Additional charge of $500 for a BMW R1250GS Adv
- Additional charge of $400 for a BMW R1200RT
- Additional charge of $500 for a BMW R1250RT
- Personal motorcycle: deduct $700 from the rider price.
Standard Inclusions
- Late model, low mileage motorcycle
- All accommodations
- A’ la carte dining
- Two Ayres Adventures professional tour leaders
- Airport arrival/departure transfers
- Luggage handling
- Comfortable support vehicle for non-riding companions
- Comprehensive pre-trip planning and assistance
- Customized trip booklet with day-by-day itinerary and attractions
- Two commemorative shirts
- Adventurer Club travel award credit
Meals
- All breakfasts
- 6 dinners
Deposit per person: $800
Single room supplement – $735Cancellation fee and refunds
| FROM DATE OF SCHEDULED COMMENCEMENT | AMOUNT FORFEITED |
|---|---|
| More than 60 days | 50% of deposit |
| 60 days or fewer but more than 45 days | 100% of deposit |
| 45 days or fewer but more than 30 days | 50% of full tour payment |
| 30 days or fewer | 100% of full tour payment |
If I have to pick one word, it's "professionalism"!
I guess after six trips with the gang from Ayres, I should write something about why I keep coming back for yet another tour. If I have to pick one word, it's "professionalism". Although they make each day look easy in terms of getting from point A to point B, on reflection it becomes so apparent that each route is well thought out and chosen for specific reasons, whether it be the scenery, road conditions, or degree of difficulty. It all seems to work so seamlessly which allows the rider to focus on the ride and his or her surroundings. Whether it's Claus or John or Axel, you know that one of them has your back, especially when you tackle a road that a month ago was paved but is now a mess and foot deep in mud or the road is closed and the detour a real challenge. And finally, at the end of the day, they're a hell of a lot of fun to have a drink with! In the final analysis, it makes for pretty much a perfect vacation.
Geoffrey's Adventures include:
Under the Tuscan Sun
Machu Picchu Excursion
Ushuaia and Antarctica
Norwegian Midnight Sun
Munich to Istanbul
The Epic Journey Riga to Hong Kong
Iceland Adventure
North Pole Adventure
Geoffrey has written several articles/blogs about his experiences on our tours:
BMW Owners News - Antarctica
BMW Owners News - Iceland
Blog – Under the Tuscan Sun
West Hollywood, LA
Private Tour Inquiry
We are happy to book any of our motorcycle tour as a private tour. For most tours, we require a minimum of 8 bikes, or 12 participants (riders plus co-riders). We can provide a private motorcycle tour for smaller groups, but a surcharge may apply. We can also customize any of our regular tours for a private group.