Cycling around Chianti and Sienna

Tuesday 14 – Thursday 16 April 2026 |

We arrived in Sienna on Tuesday morning and walked to the Colleverde Camping Ground, where we had booked a basic cabin for two nights.  It wasn’t far from the city centre, but it was cheap and basic. No fridge, no kettle, just a bathroom.  Noodles, fruit and left over pasta it is.

We started making plans and considered cycling around the region. The Sienna Bike Shop would rent two e-bikes for a full day for E96.  Not exactly cheap, but nothing in Europe is – so we bit the bullet.  The next morning we headed down the hill, with a map of our intended route in hand, to be fitted for our bikes. 

Our plan was to get out into the countryside and visit Castellina in chianti and Monteriggioni.  The bike-man wasn’t impressed with our low-tech man, so he built an itinerary in google maps identifying all the nicer gravel roads to take.

Our actual route took us 64km with 1200m of elevation. Even with the occasional support of the ‘turbo’ setting on the e-bike, it was still hard work.  We had to ration our battery over the 7.5 hour trip to ensure that we had enough juice to get us home before our 6pm curfew!

We didn’t take many photos because our phones were tucked away – but it was beautiful.  And exhausting.  By the end of the day, our bottoms were excruciatingly sore and our thighs burning.

We hobbled into the city centre and wandered around the piazzazs and churches of Sienna, but our hearts weren’t really in it.  We gave up and caught the bus home instead of a 2km walk.

We slept like babies.