It is that time of the year when the beautiful medieval city of Siena comes to life.

If next month's spectacular Il Palio festival gets you all excited about a holiday in Tuscany, activity holiday specialists UTracks and Sherpa Expeditions can take you there…

Tuscany on foot
Italy's most celebrated region is world famous for its vine-covered countryside, architecture that goes centuries back and delicious food at local trattorias. Every day brings with it ancient monasteries, rolling vineyards and old olive groves, green hills and preserved medieval centres ripe for exploration, as well as quintessentially Italian cities such as Florence and Siena.
www.sherpaexpeditions.com/Self-Guided-Walking/Italy/Tuscany-on-Foot-7-Days
• Tuscany on foot (7 or 11 days) departs April-November, from £820 per person

Cycle San Gimignano to Siena
From the walled medieval hill town of San Gimignano to one of Europe's best preserved medieval towns, Siena, delve into the magic of Tuscany on this iconic cycle through the typical landscapes that characterise the region. The trip is specially designed for those who want to experience the best of Tuscany's palette of colours at handlebar level but only have a few days available.
www.utracks.com/index.php?section=trips&id=475865
• Cycle San Gimignano to Siena (5 days) departs March-November, from £620 per person

Florence to Rome by bike
A cycle journey through the 'green heart' of Italy, from the timeless city of Florence to the nation's capital Rome. Cities like Assisi, Perugia, Spoleto and Terni display an wealth of art treasures and will take you back to the Middle Ages as they have barely changed over the centuries; whereas the rolling landscape will give you an appreciation of why the area is so popular with painters!
www.utracks.com/index.php?section=trips&id=59037
• Florence to Rome by bike (8 days) departs April-October, except August, from £795 per person

Walking South of Siena
The Brunello de Montalcino, one of Italy's noblest wines, is produced at the quiet Amiata Hills, an area known for its hot springs, old castles and monasteries, all bearing witness to a glorious history. From the finely preserved medieval city of Siena, cross the soft rolling Crete Senesi ridge, where cypress-lined tracks lead off to distant antiquated Tuscan farmhouses.
www.sherpaexpeditions.com/tours/inntoinn/jstrc.asp
• Walking South of Siena (8 days) departs April-November, from £890 per person

For more information and bookings please contact UTracks (www.UTracks.com, 0845 241 7599) and Sherpa Expeditions (www.sherpaexpeditions.com, 0208 875 5070).

Quoted prices are inclusive of accommodation, most meals, experienced guides, luggage transfers between hotels (where applicable) and clear maps with images. Flights from the UK are not included but can be booked on request.

-Ends-

Notes for editors:
• European activity holiday specialists UTracks and Sherpa Expeditions are a division of World Expeditions, an independently owned and a truly global company, with nine offices around the world, including London, Sydney and Montreal.
• Covering over 25 countries, more than 250 stand-alone, off the beaten track itineraries are available across the UK and Europe, from short four-day breaks to longer two-week trips.
• Whether escorted or self-guided, on foot or by bike, holidays range from introductory to challenging level, with a selection of family friendly itineraries, boat or barge based journeys and snowshoeing adventures also on offer.

For high res images and PR/media enquiries:
World Expeditions | UTracks | Sherpa Expeditions
020 8875 5060
Tom Panagos pr@worldexpeditions.co.uk
Gordon Steer gordon@worldexpeditions.co.uk
Tali Emdin tali@sherpa-walking-holidays.co.uk