Walking in Tuscany

I had a great trip staying at Braccicorti and walking in the remote mountains.The accommodation is a family run hotel. The family are very friendly and the food wholesome and locally sourced. The trip was full on, we were busy most of the time. The walking was quite tough but very enjoyable, we reached lots of peaks and there were always options for the less able. Apart from our day off and one of the day's of walking we were very much off the beaten track and did not meet too many other people. The whole group gelled well together over a common love of walking.

I have just got back from a fantastic week in Tuscany. This has been one of the best holidays I have ever had. The walks were fantastic and all achievable with a reasonable level of fitness. The accommodation was lovely, comfortable rooms with use of a lounge (where there was tea and coffee available any time) and quite room for relaxing and reading. The food was wonderful, home cooked with all the ingrediants sourced locally. The family and staff were very welcoming and made us all feel at home. The best part of the holiday for me was our guide Sara, who was brilliant. She had a fantastic in-depth knowledge of the area, made sure every person in our group was well looked after, even on our free day. This was my first exodus holiday and despite being nervous as I was going on my own, soon made friends and am now looking at booking my next trip already! An amazing holiday which I highly recommend.

Wonderful!  Couldn't fault anything - Mama Rosa at Baccrioti looked after us so well and made us welcome; Sara, our guide - the best!  There were 14 of us in the group - all such different characters and we all got along famously - haven't laughed so much in ages!

This was my fourth Exodus holiday, all were excellent but this was probably the best overall in terms of consistently excellent accommodation, food and walking routes. Our Agriturismo was beautiful, delicious food and wine all locally produced, plus a lovely large pool. Rooms were very comfortable. This is a mountainous area with unpredictable weather, so come prepared for some heavy downpours/thunderstorms mixed with hot sunshine, even in July. Our guide Tony was very professional and knowledgeable, and provided a good mix of encouragement and flexibility to enable everyone in the group to get the most out of their trip. Thoroughly enjoyed the free day in Lucca, hired bikes and rode around the ancient city walls. Don't believe the trip notes which suggest Cinque Terra is do-able on the free day, it is too far away.

This is the third Exodus holiday that we have been on and the best one by a long way. The walks in stunning scenery were varied and interesting and are do-able with a good level of basic fitness. The farmhouse was warm and cosy with excellent home cooked food, we are vegetarians and had no worries or disappointments with the food. What made this holiday exceptional and one we will never forget was the leader, Sara. Her enthusiasm and positivity for looking after "her clients" shone through in every thing she did; for example buying rail tickets and arranging taxis made all the difference. Out on the mountains, Sara's knowledge of the terrain and love for the area was infectious. To top it all, the company of Sara's wonderful dog Elvis, trotting alongside us, made this an unforgettable holiday. If you are thinking about booking this holiday, just do it!

After having to change the departure date several times due to Covid, this walking week in the Stunning Hills of North West Tuscany was truly worth waiting for. The area is blessed with stunning scenery in every direction, and throughout the week you get a front row seat in experiencing it up close and personal. The trip notes accurately reflect the walks and the summit finishes will get the blood pumping and lungs working overtime, however the reward for this effort is plain to see. A good level of fitness is required, however our group leader, Sara Bull, looked after us all and made sure everyone felt comfortable. She is a truly amazing person, with such local knowledge and obvious passion for the history of the locality and family run business. She delivers the experience with such professionalism and attention to detail, which is to be applauded. From arranging evening outs at local restaurants, taxi's, train tickets & information to Lucca for the day off excursion, she has everything covered. The Agriturismo Braccicorti is charming, and is a typical restored Tuscan Farmhouse, complete with its own cast members strolling the grounds. Accommodation is simple but comfortable, the Italian homecooked food is lovely, as is the red wine, and dining alfresco each evening made for a great opportunity to mix in our small group of eight people, and re-live the experience of the days hiking. My tip to anyone thinking of going on this trip (or any trip to Italy) is try to learn a few words of Italian, as I had done during lockdown. Whilst I've a long way to go to call myself an able Italian speaker, my efforts in using my limited vocabulary were met with wonderful enthusiasm and delight on every occasion. I would therefore thoroughly recommend this trip to anyone considering it - just go for it and you wont be disappointed.

I would highly recommend this trip. It was my first trip to Italy. I enjoyed the opportunity to intimately experience the culture, food and people in a region that is off the normal tourist path, but extremely beautiful and historic. The Baccicorte agriturismo is lovely and comfortable. The entire Giavenetti family, especially our host Angela, was extremely warm and welcoming and did everything possible to be accommodating. If I travel to Italy again, I will definitely plan to stay at an agriturismo. I appreciate their use of local foods, personal attention and also concern for the environment.

A fantastic week in Tuscany, the family who ran the Agriturismo were delightful and could not be more friendly, considerate and helpful. The accommodation is fairly basic,but clean and comfortable (as expected). We were worried prior to the trip about the weather, but it turned out to be sunny most of the week! The itinery was just amazing, varied and with some quite incredible walks; especially the last day hiking up Monte Sumbra - unforgetable! The walking group was a great cross section of people, and many laughs were had over the week.....all I can say is it is a 'must do' trip!

Really great walking (and climbing!) through beautiful woodland and hillsides, led by a brilliant guide, giving detailed info of the area and its flora and fauna.  Slight disappointment with the food but accommodation was very comfortable and welcoming.

Great weather - unexpectantly, but always the best way! Great group of people, stunning scenery and a home from home at Braccicorti.  Excellent guide who left us wanting for nothing. Walking very good, makes me consider coming back for the grade C trip.