Horse riding holiday in Tuscany
| country: | Italy |
| location: | Tuscany |
| departures: | 2010: 1 Jul, 8 Jul, 15 Jul, 22 Jul, 29 Jul, 5 Aug, 12 Aug, 19 Aug, 26 Aug |
| price: | From €950 (8 days) excluding flights. Flexible riding programme (see itinerary) full board basis (can be self catering on request) |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Horse riding holiday in Tuscany
Discover the beauty of the Chianti wine region, the wilderness of the Selva di Camporena, and the harmonious landscapes of the Val d'Elsa and Val d'Era.
Tuscany is renowned for its cities of art, its history and its famous artists and their works. Yet it is the landscape and warm hospitality of the people, the solitary farmhouses and medieval villages, rows of vines, olive trees and cypresses that make it a perfect area to explore on the back of a horse. Combine this with an excellent climate, superb food, fabulous wine and well-schooled horses and you have the makings of an ideal summer holiday!
An excellent holiday for people with a non-riding partner,or children as the riders return every evening to the same location.The farm has a relaxed informal atmosphere and is especially recommended for families (with riders and non riders) those coming alone, or couples with a non riding partner. Groups are small with no more than eight riders led by an attentive multi lingual guide.
This trip consists of 2 hours of trail riding per day for 4 days and one full day riding with a picnic. You can choose whether you would prefer to ride in the morning or evening daily. Private lessons and extra rides are available at extra cost.There is so much to do on the farm, that this is also an ideal family holiday.Car hire is recommended to provide flexibility to visit the many local villages and vineyards nearby.Accommodation is in apartments equipped with all the best comforts: air conditioning, satellite TV, WiFi Internet, and fully serviced kitchens where guests can prepare their own breakfasts using local ingredients delivered to them including fresh bread and croissants delivered daily. Meals are either served in the local restaurant, or are "al fresco" BBQ style, on the sunny terrace.
Tuscany is renowned for its cities of art, its history and its famous artists and their works. Yet it is the landscape and warm hospitality of the people, the solitary farmhouses and medieval villages, rows of vines, olive trees and cypresses that make it a perfect area to explore on the back of a horse. Combine this with an excellent climate, superb food, fabulous wine and well-schooled horses and you have the makings of an ideal summer holiday!
An excellent holiday for people with a non-riding partner,or children as the riders return every evening to the same location.The farm has a relaxed informal atmosphere and is especially recommended for families (with riders and non riders) those coming alone, or couples with a non riding partner. Groups are small with no more than eight riders led by an attentive multi lingual guide.
This trip consists of 2 hours of trail riding per day for 4 days and one full day riding with a picnic. You can choose whether you would prefer to ride in the morning or evening daily. Private lessons and extra rides are available at extra cost.There is so much to do on the farm, that this is also an ideal family holiday.Car hire is recommended to provide flexibility to visit the many local villages and vineyards nearby.Accommodation is in apartments equipped with all the best comforts: air conditioning, satellite TV, WiFi Internet, and fully serviced kitchens where guests can prepare their own breakfasts using local ingredients delivered to them including fresh bread and croissants delivered daily. Meals are either served in the local restaurant, or are "al fresco" BBQ style, on the sunny terrace.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive and transfer to the farm. |
| Days 2-6: | The 4 half day rides go out twice a day (you can choose to ride morning or evening )and you will explore the wonderful countryside riding in a different direction every day. Rides leave at 8am and 5 PM respecting the hot hours of the day. Fresh Tuscan paninis are delivered daily for lunch. Dinner is served every evening at the restaurant where we will all eat as a group. On the first day you will be introduced to our style of riding before we set out on the trail.There is plenty of guidance too for those new to western riding and you are encouraged to take a natural horsemanship approach when around your horse. Half day rides visit enchanting destinations such as: Casterfalfi and Tondi: Castles and forest trails Vignale: the abandoned hamlet in the forest. The Mysterious convent of San Vivaldo The ruins of Pietrina Sactuary Natural Springs of Bagni di Mommialla Villamagna andthe Volterra hills Castagneto: Day 5 is a free day to visit Florence |
| Day 7: | Today there is a full day ride to Montaione and the Roman Cistern, stopping off to enjoy a Sardinian style BBQ for lunch. The ride back to the farm takes you via a different route with impressive panoramic views. Dinner tonight is around the campfire telling tales! |
| Day 8: | After breakfast transfer to airport or station. |
traveller reviews for Horse riding holiday in Tuscany
My husband’s most memorable part was getting to do the ‘man’ thing with the rest of the boys and build paddocks. For excitement, nothing beats a river crossing on horseback with Paolo.
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travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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The Equitrekking stables of Kiwi / Italian hosts Jess and Paolo is located 35 km west of Florence, and offers authentic and unique horseback trails and riding vacations through one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. We use horses that have been specifically chosen for the job at hand, tack that is designed for those who spend time in the saddle, and both our guides and ourselves have years of international experience in the equine industry. For us responsible travel also is all about the treatment of our most valued assets- our much loved horses . Our equine friends live out in established herds during the summer and the winter as we believe that it is important for our horse’s mental and physical well-being that they get time to 'be a horse' they need time to play, groom, roll and interact with other horses at some point during every day - this is the horses way of relaxing.
We do not keep our horses stabled 24/7 for convenience, they live as close to nature as is practical and this is what makes them happy, relaxed and a pleasure to handle and ride. Environment Responsible Travel is important to us. We have an environmental policy in place to make sure that the eco-system here is not damaged in any way. Our staff are trained to uphold this policy and are fully briefed on appropriate/responsible behavior whilst riding through wilderness areas. Our “Leave No Trace” ethic is applied to all trips. We are proud to be recommended by the Rough Guides "Clean Breaks" 2009 edition earlier this year. One of the greatest benefits that you will enjoy when you choose one of our rides is the intimate, exclusive experience that is not often found with trekking centres, pack outfits, working ranches or other trail rides where 12-50 riders are common. A smaller group means more personal attention, more privacy ,more individual space and minimizes the impact of horses on the environment. You won’t get lost in a crowd with us; group size is limited to 8 enthusiastic riders per ride. We use only locally owned transport, restaurants, shops and accommodation on our tours. Community Many riding stables prefer to keep large strings of unhappy horses, their overhead dictating that each ride must be as large as possible in order to stay afloat. To us, that's not a good ride. So, we based our whole business on using great horses, well treated and well trained, and on giving great responsible travel service to the people who come ride with us. We use only locally owned transport, restaurants, shops and accommodation on our tours. The atmosphere at the farm is inspired by a genuine love of the local traditions of the places, people and culture that surrounds it. It has recently been completely restored and divided into country style apartments preserving original, rustic and farm-like characteristics. Food produce is local, and where possible organic and specialized to the area. Wine is produced on the very terrain you ride across, and is of a very good quality. Local staff that know the area well are hired. During this holiday you will meet real people, and experience the culture that many larger tourism outfitters neglect. "Horses aren’t just a great passport to some of the most beautiful spots in the world, they are a passport to the hearts of people everywhere"
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Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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