Tuscany to Cinque Terre: Wines, Villages & Unforgettable Walks (Self-Launched)
7 days · Italy
G Adventures charges £1,580
No-markup version: ~£437 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 7-day Tuscany & Cinque Terre circuit: Florence on foot, the medieval walls of Lucca, the cliffside villages of Cinque Terre, the Leaning Tower at Pisa, then two nights in the Chianti hills with a vineyard hike and wine tasting. Instead of a coach, a CEO and hotel rooms, you'll use regional trains and buses, dorm or private rooms in hostels and agriturismi, and bookable food, wine and boat experiences yourself — for roughly a third of the tour price. All costs are approximate, per person, excluding flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Florence
Florence
Fly or train into Florence and make your way to your hostel in the Centro Storico (from FLR airport take the T2 tram to Santa Maria Novella, about €1.70, or bus 30/35). Settle in, then spend the evening doing the classic free self-guided loop: Piazza del Duomo for Giotto's bell tower and Brunelleschi's dome, Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio, the Ponte Vecchio at golden hour, and the pull-up to Piazzale Michelangelo for the sunset panorama over the Arno — it's a steep 20-minute walk but completely free. Grab a cheap dinner of lampredotto or a schiacciata sandwich in San Lorenzo market area (€8–12).
🚌T2 tram from Florence airport to Santa Maria Novella (~€1.70); everything else on foot
🛏Hostel dorm in Florence Centro Storico (e.g. hostel near Santa Maria Novella, £30–45/night)
- →Centro Storico orientation walk
- →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset viewpoint
- →Ponte Vecchio visit
Florence walking tour, then on to Cinque Terre via Lucca
Florence → Lucca → Riomaggiore
Do a free or tips-based Florence walking tour in the morning (book via GetYourGuide, ~£3 booking fee plus tip) covering the Duomo, Orsanmichele and the Oltrarno — or skip the guide and use a free audio guide. Around midday take the regional train to Lucca (about 1h15, €8–9), drop your bag at a cafe or left luggage, and walk the 4.2km loop on top of the Renaissance walls and through Piazza dell'Anfiteatro — a self-guided version of the tour's Lucca walk. In the late afternoon continue by regional train Lucca → Viareggio → La Spezia → Riomaggiore or Monterosso (roughly 2h, €10–13). Buy the Cinque Terre Card (1-day €7.50 card-only; €18.50 with unlimited village trains) at the station. Sleep in Riomaggiore or Manarola.
🚌Regional trains Florence→Lucca (~€8.50), Lucca→La Spezia (~€9), La Spezia→Riomaggiore (~€2.50, covered by Cinque Terre Card)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Riomaggiore/Manarola (£35–50/night)
- →Florence walking tour (booked via GetYourGuide)
- →Lucca walls and Anfiteatro self-guided walk
Cinque Terre coastal hike
Cinque Terre
Take the village train to Monterosso (10 min, covered by the Cinque Terre Card) and hike the classic Sentiero Azzurro section to Vernazza (about 1.5–2h, moderately steep, pay the trail fee via the Cinque Terre Card — buy the hiking card, ~€7.50/day; the full Monterosso–Riomaggiore route is ~€18.50/day). Continue on to Corniglia for lunch (pesto focaccia, €6–8) and, if legs allow, walk down to Manarola before catching the train back. Optional extra: pesto-making class or a Ligurian cooking workshop booked through GetYourGuide or Klook (€40–80).
🚌Cinque Terre Express village trains (covered by card)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Riomaggiore/Manarola (£35–50/night)
- →Monterosso–Vernazza coastal hike
- →Corniglia and Manarola village wanderings
- →Optional pesto-making class (GetYourGuide)
Free day: Portovenere, boat trip or kayaking
Cinque Terre / Portovenere
Keep the Cinque Terre Card active for a second day and choose your own adventure. Option A: ferry or bus to Portovenere (ferry from Riomaggiore/Manarola roughly €12–15 one way in season; or train to La Spezia then bus P to Portovenere for ~€3) to see the church of San Pietro clinging to the cliffs and Byron's Grotto. Option B: a Cinque Terre boat trip along the five villages booked via GetYourGuide or Klook (€30–50). Option C: rent a kayak from Monterosso or Levanto (€20–30/hour) or walk the quieter inland trails. Evening: beach walk and a glass of Vermentino in Vernazza.
🚌Village trains, local ferry or La Spezia bus P to Portovenere
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Riomaggiore/Manarola (£35–50/night)
- →Portovenere visit
- →Cinque Terre boat trip (booked online)
- →Kayaking or inland trails
Pisa and into the Chianti hills
Cinque Terre → Pisa → Chianti (Figline/Impruneta area)
Morning train from Riomaggiore to Pisa Centrale (about 1h15, €8–10), then walk or take the LAM Rossa bus (€1.50) to Piazza dei Miracoli to see the Leaning Tower — seeing it is free; climbing it is about €20 booked in advance (often sold out, book online). Reclaim your bag and take the regional train Pisa → Florence → Figline Valdarno (roughly 1h45, €12–14), then a local bus or short taxi to a countryside agriturismo near Figline/Impruneta. Book a farmhouse stay with a pool and home-cooked dinner (many offer table d'hôte dinners €25–30).
🚌Regional trains Riomaggiore→Pisa (~€9), Pisa→Figline Valdarno (~€13), local bus/taxi to agriturismo
🛏Agriturismo in the North Chianti/Figline area (£40–55/night, often with breakfast)
- →Leaning Tower of Pisa and Piazza dei Miracoli
- →Optional tower climb (pre-book online ~€20)
- →Countryside arrival and agriturismo dinner
Vineyard hike and Chianti wine tasting
Chianti region
Hike the marked trails around the Figline/Impruneta hills — the routes past Villa Pitiana and San Donato in Collina are free, well-signposted and give you the same cypress-lined vineyard scenery the tour sells. In the afternoon, book a small Chianti winery tasting and cellar tour directly or via GetYourGuide/Klook (€25–45 for 3–4 wines with Tuscan snacks; many estates around Greve in Chianti and Radda are reachable by local bus, or use a shared winery shuttle). Finish with a long countryside dinner.
🚌On foot for the hike; local bus (€2–4) or booked winery shuttle for the tasting
🛏Agriturismo in the North Chianti/Figline area (£40–55/night)
- →Villa Pitiana vineyard hike
- →Chianti winery tour and tasting (booked direct or via GetYourGuide)
- →Countryside dinner
Back to Florence
Chianti → Florence
Leisurely breakfast, then the local bus to Figline Valdarno and the regional train into Florence Santa Maria Novella (about 45 minutes, €5–6). If your flight is late, stash bags at the station (€6) and do a last lap for gelato, the Mercato Centrale food hall or the Medici Chapels (€9–16) before heading to the airport on the T2 tram. Tour ends on arrival in Florence — allow yourself until early afternoon for onward flights.
🚌Local bus to Figline Valdarno (~€2) + regional train to Florence SMN (~€5)
🛏Independent departure day (no accommodation included)
- →Mercato Centrale food hall
- →Optional Medici Chapels visit
- →T2 tram to Florence airport
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£437 | £1,580 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,143 per person (72%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£437
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Tuscany to Cinque Terre: Wines, Villages & Unforgettable Walks (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £437 per person for 7 days in Italy. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,580 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £437 — a saving of roughly £1,143 (72%) per person.
How long is the Italy trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Italy.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, hiking trip through Italy, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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