Tour Itinerary
Dont miss out on the real Tuscany that so many visitors never experience.
Our full day horseback excursons through the Chianti Rufina allow you a true Italian horseback wilderness experience.
We dont take complete novices on these rides, as they are not nose to tail style trips, you do need to have some prior experience and a good general fitness to spend a day in the saddle John Wayne style!
Our farm covers 700 hectares of land in the heart of the Docg Chianti Rufina growing area, the smallest and wildest within the Chianti area, about 20 Km east of Florence.
Our hills provide one of the most fascinating and uncontaminated of Tuscan landscapes. Bordering on the Mugello – a harsh, wild land, overlooked by the nearby Apennine mountains – the vineyards slope gently down towards the valley eroded by the River Sieve, bordered by centuries-old chestnut and cypress woods and ….. by the “historical” terraced olive groves, the memory of an ancient form of agriculture, still so much alive in our landscapes.
We often come across wildlife on our trails as we ride through a private game reserve. Our saddles are western or australian for extra comfort, and our small team of horses are seasoned experts in the wild Tuscan countryside.
We ride along “Giotto’s path” that crosses the estate (Giotto was born in Vicchio in Mugello and spent the early years of his artistic training in this very area); take our horses paddling in the the river Sieve, follow the paths of Tuscan Christianity among country churches and monasteries that bear witness to the places of worship of the time and which have remained largely unaltered up to the present day; or we discover the many castles and country villas built over the centuries by the Medici family, who preferred this area, east of Florence, to the Chianti hills which are gentler but too close to their enemy, Siena.
One of the greatest benefits that you will enjoy when you choose one of our horseback rides is the intimate, exclusive experience that is not often found with other trekking centres where 12-50 riders are common. A smaller group means more personal attention, more privacy and more individual space. You won’t get lost in a crowd with us; group size is limited to 8 enthusiastic riders per ride. .
We utilize our home-grown knowledge and expertise on the job at hand, to give you a holiday experience you wont forget. Your guide Paolo is a true blue Italian cowboy, and his wife is a New Zealand native ensuring english is spoken fluently too.
Safety is always an important factor on our rides, but so is the ability to laugh, joke and tell tales about the area.
We mix good old fashioned kiwi ingenuity and world famous Italian hospitality to create trails that we love to guide, and riders love to ride.
INCLUDES
Free pickup at Rufina train station 09.30 am (take the 08.57 Borgo San Lorenzo Train from Florence) which will have you in Rufina for 09.30.
Full day ride with Tuscan picnic on the trail.
Ride 4-5 hours with long break for lunch
transfer back to station late afternoon.
85€ per person