A Vespa wine tour through Chianti from Florence
Towns of Italy runs a day out of Florence on Vespa scooters or small electric cars, ending at a winery with a meal. It scores 4.8 on both booking sites. It is also the one tour here where you, not a driver, handle the roads.
How the day runs
The tour starts with a transfer from Florence to the countryside, so you do not ride out through the city center. A safety briefing and a practice ride come first, then the group sets off behind a guide with a support minivan, or sometimes a tuk-tuk.
The loop covers about 35 km (22 miles) round trip on mostly paved back roads. The average pace is about 20 km/h (12.5 mph), with a stop in Impruneta and a photo stop at Chiocchio.
That speed sounds gentle, and on the back roads it is. The group is capped at 15 on Viator, so the line of scooters stays short enough for the guide to keep an eye on everyone.
The ride ends at a winery, where you see the cellar and taste wine and olive oil before a typical Tuscan meal. The whole outing runs about 6 hours, or 6 h 30 min on Viator.
Vespa, scooter or e-car
The listing offers several ways to ride, from a scooter of your own to a shared electric car. Each one is booked and priced as its own option, so pick it before you compare prices.
- A Piaggio Vespa to yourself
- A Piaggio scooter, for solo riders only
- A double Vespa, with one driver and one passenger
- A Fiat Topolino electric car, solo or double
The e-car suits someone who would rather sit on four wheels than balance on two. It has fans rather than air conditioning, so a hot afternoon still feels hot inside.
A double Vespa puts a non-rider behind someone confident. It is the usual choice for couples where only one person has ridden before, as long as both together stay under the weight limit.
Who should ride
The rules on the listing leave little room. Drivers must be 18 or older, hold a valid license and already know how to ride a scooter, so this is not a place to learn.
Passengers on a double Vespa must be at least 13. Each Vespa carries at most 170 kg (374 lbs), and that total includes bags, which matters for two adults on one scooter.
The provider can stop a driver who rides unsafely. That person finishes the loop as a passenger or in the support minivan, with no refund.
Ride if you already ride
Towns of Italy's Vespa and e-car day through the Chianti hills, with a practice ride, a guide out front and a winery meal at the end. Viator shows 4.8 from 1,900+ reviews.
The roads near Florence
Reviewers love the day, but several say plainly that it is not for the nervous driver. The first stretch has real traffic and hills close to the city before the back roads quieten down.
If you ride a scooter at home only now and then, the practice ride is your chance to say so. Some reviewers also mention time spent in a small village, which can feel slow if you came for the riding.
The meeting point is the Towns of Italy office on Via dei Vagellai, and GetYourGuide shows two meeting points by option. Our page on where the tours start has the details.
Wine when you are the rider
Whoever rides should go easy before getting back on. Tasting pours are small, and spitting or leaving a glass is normal at any cellar, so nobody will notice.
A passenger on a double Vespa or in the e-car can taste more freely. If the wine is the main point, a minibus tour such as Prestige Rent from ~$101 pours six wines and olive oils while a driver handles the roads.
Our page on what you taste in Chianti explains the reds, and the half-day or full-day guide compares the Vespa's length with the minibus trips. Both tours give you a meal or a plate of food alongside the wine.
What to wear and bring
- Your driving license and an ID document
- Closed shoes, since sandals and flip-flops are not allowed
- Light layers, as the e-cars have fans and no air conditioning
- A small backpack only, because bags count toward the 170 kg limit
Closed shoes protect your feet on a scooter, which is why the listing bans sandals. Keep your license and ID where you can reach them, since the listing asks you to bring both.
If you plan to buy wine, think about carrying it before you pick a scooter. Our guide to buying and shipping bottles covers sending a box home from the cellar.
Price, ratings and who should skip it
The Vespa day starts from ~$119 on Viator, and GetYourGuide sells it per vehicle. A double Vespa or double e-car for two changes the sum, so check the option; our price guide compares it with the per-person tours.
The ratings are 4.8 from 1,900+ reviews on Viator and 4.8 from 1,100+ on GetYourGuide. Only our pick scores higher on this site, and it is a far gentler day for anyone unsure on two wheels.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start applies here as on the other listings we read. That helps on a scooter day, when a stormy forecast may change your mind.
The listing rules the tour out during pregnancy and for people with mobility impairments. Anyone who has never ridden a scooter should pick a minibus instead, and for children under 13 our kids and non-drinkers guide lists other options.