Full Via Francigena | From Lucca to Rome

Rate:
Price: from €590
  • Activity Walking or Easy Walking or Cycling or Easy Cycling
  • Distance 419 km
  • Duration Up to 20 nights
  • Difficulty Moderate
  • Tour Type Self-Guided Caminos
  • Time To Go March to November
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Full Via Francigena | From Lucca to Rome

This is the Full Via Francigena, from Lucca to Rome in Italy. It will take you 20 days walking and 12 days cycling. If you like good food and breathtaking scenery this epic trip is for you.

Starting from Lucca, you will love the old town, the central square, and the cafes. It continues through Siena, famous for the Palio festival that takes place twice a year in summer. Siena is also a hub of culture, art, fashion, and gastronomy so if you have some time to spare, we suggest an extra day in Siena.

The Via Francigena then continues to UNESCO world heritage Val D’orcia and lovely San Quirico D’orcia.

Entering Lazio, you will pass the refreshing scenery of Bolsena lake and the medieval town of Viterbo. Viterbo is known for its spas and hot waters which are very rewarding after a long walking or cycling day. Viterbo is also full of medieval architecture so history buffs will love this town.

Finally, the Full Via Francigena, from Lucca to Rome, penetrates deep into Lazio towns and villages, across verdant scenery, to enter Rome on the Via Trimphale and the Vatican.

After your triumphant arrival in Rome, we suggest spending a couple of days in the city, visiting the major historical sites and soaking up the wonderful atmosphere of this ancient place. You could also do with a rest!

What a trip of a lifetime, this is one not to miss!

If you have already walked the Camino de Santiago, you will appreciate the Stunning village and scenery, the tasty food, and the quality of accommodation of the Via Francigena.

Click below to customise your Full Via Francigena, from Lucca to Rome. You can select any starting and ending point and extras available along the way. Any questions, contact us.

Map of the Full Via Francigena, from Lucca to Rome

Itinerary of the Full Via Francigena, from Lucca to Rome

Lucca

Stage: Lucca

You arrive in Lucca.

18 km

Altopascio

Stage: Altopascio

This first part of the Via Francigena trail from Lucca to Altopascio is flat all the way. You will pass the towns of Capannori and Porcari and their lovely little churches. Your destination for the day is Altopascio which is know as the ‘town of bread’ for its tradition of bread making. There is an interesting church and bell tower in the centre of the town.

29 km

San Miniato

Stage: San Miniato

Today, the Via Francigena trail gets more interesting as you leave Lucca and its suburbs behind. This section follows a lovely trail through woodland and farmlands. There is a short climb and descent before you reach a fortified 16th century Medicean bridge over the canal. You will then pass the lovely town of Fucecchio and over the Arno river, before the final climb up to the breathtaking town of San Miniato (Alto). There are plenty of artistic, cultural and historical sights to see here. The town and region are also renowned for its white truffles.

24 km

Gambassi Terme

Stage: Gambassi Terme

Today’s walking section on the Via Francigena follows a lovely trail through oak woods, chestnut woods, olive groves and vineyards. The trail is predominantly on off-road tracks over small rolling hills, the classic Tuscan landscape. On the way you will pass Chianni where you should visit the lovely little church. There is a 300m climb to Gambassi Terme, a hilltop town best known for its spa and hot springs, as well as glass manufacturing.

14 km

San Gimignano

Stage: San Gimignano

From Gambassi Terme you will descend for a couple of kilometres before you begin another climb. The day is quite up and down but the scenery as you pass through the world famous Chianti vineyards will make the effort worthwhile. San Gimignano is a wonderful, walled, hilltop, medieval town, where you can stop for the night. The towers of the town can be seen for miles around. The museum of San Gimignano 1300 has a wonderful reconstruction of how the town once looked and is well worth a visit.

27 km

Monteriggioni

Stage: Monteriggioni

From the Piazza in Colle di Val d’Elsa, you will continue your walk along tree-lined roads, starting with a long descent to Castel Petraia and then up to the densely forested hill of Montagnole. Your walking day on the Via Francigena takes you to the unique hilltop village of Monteriggioni with its circular wall.

21 km

Siena

Stage: Siena

After Monteriggioni, the Via Francigena takes pilgrims towards the village of Funghaia and its church with frescoed interior. Make sure you experience real Tuscan food in one of the region’s best osterias, as you reach stunning Siena. Siena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited places in Italy. It is world famous for its art, medieval architecture, museums, cuisine and the ‘Palio‘, the spectacular annual horse race held in the city’s piazza.

18 km

Lucignano

Stage: Lucignano

The Via Francigena takes you out of Siena by the city gate and quickly reaches a country road. After a short section along a busy road, the Via Francigena takes pilgrims on to farm tracks.

13 km

Buonconvento

Stage: Buonconvento

From Lucignano, the Via Francigena trail mainly follows country tracks, all the way to medieval Buonconvento, meandering through pretty Tuscan hills.

21 km

San Quirico de Orcia

Stage: San Quirico de Orcia

Today, you will continue on your Camino to Rome walking in the rolling Tuscan hills, on the famous ‘white roads’ or sometimes on tarmac road. Your destination is the lovely medieval town of San Quirico d’Orcia in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Val d’Orcia, the valley of the Orcia river and its famous vineyards.

17 km

Gallina

Stage: Gallina

The Via Francigena trail takes you today across the rolling hills of the magnificent Val de Orcia Natural Park for most of the day. Your destination for the night is Gallina.

15 km

Radicofani

Stage: Radicofani

From Gallina, you will make your way to Radicofani. Radiocofani is dominated by the castle with its impressive tower. The views from here are stunning.

32 km

Acquapendente

Stage: Acquapendente

Today you will be walking the Via Francigena to the village of Acquapendente.

22 km

Bolsena

Stage: Bolsena

The Via Francigen trails first takes you to the banks of the river Paglia. From here, you will have another short climb followed by a rolling track to Bolsena. You will pass the town of San Lorenzo Nuovo, with a wealth of artistic and historical sites. After San Lorenzo, the huge Lake of Bolsena will soon appear into view as you make your way down to the town of Bolsena. Bolsena is a beautiful little lakeside town with charming medieval lanes heading up to the castle, where you will enjoy fantastic panoramic view

18 km

Montefiascone

Stage: Montefiascone

Today, the Via Francigena will take you over more rolling hills, across farmland and woodlands. As you gradually climb you will have breathtaking views back over Bolsena Lake. Montefiascone is your stop for the night, a bustling town with many interesting sights, including a cathedral. It is also a great place to sample the local cuisine and wine.

18 km

Viterbo

Stage: Viterbo

Today, the Via Francigena, Camino to Rome, takes you to the province of Viterbo. On the way, you will pass the Bagnaccio hot springs, where you can treat yourself to a relaxing break; the hot springs are said to have curative powers. Viterbo itself is a beautiful old town, with plenty to see and do, including the Papal Palace, San Lorenzo Cathedral and the Medieval quarter.

18 km

Vetralla

Stage: Vetralla

Today, the Via Francigena trail takes you through some beautiful and unspoilt landscapes. Shortly after leaving Viterbo you will come to the lovely abbey in La Quercia and Bagnaia with the fantastic gardens of Villa Lante. Avoiding the main roads, you will walk across gently rolling hills, climbing a small hill to reach your stop for the night: Vetralla.

24 km

Sutri

Stage: Sutri

From Vetralla, the Via Francigena will see you make your way to the town of Sutri. Along the way, you will walk on peaceful woodland tracks and farmland, climbing a small hill before descending to Sutri, which is a lovely little town with the Etruscan tombs and Roman amphitheatre being the most notable sights.

28 km

Campagnano di Roma

Stage: Campagnano di Roma

From Sutri, you will continue your pilgrimage to Rome, walking across the beautiful and rugged Lazio countryside. The Francigena trail will pass an abundance of streams, waterfalls and ponds. The rivers have carved wonderful deep valleys, with lush vegetation, ideal for a rest. Your walk for today takes you to Campagnano di Roma, a lovely little town with medieval architecture to admire.

24 km

La Storta

Stage: La Storta

Your walk for today will see you once again follow tracks across lovely wooded valleys and streams. Along the way you will reach the sanctuary of Sorbo and the archaeological site of Veii with the remains of an ancient Etruscan city. Soon after this you will reach your destination for the day: La Storta

18 km

Rome

Stage: Rome

Today is the last walking day of your Camino to Rome! the Via Francigena will take you from La Storta through the suburbs of Rome and into Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican. Before reaching the city, you will get to Monte Mario, where you will enjoy great panoramic views of the whole city below. You’ve made it!

Your epic Via Francigena adventure ends tomorrow breakfast. Make sure you request your Testimonium certificate of pilgrimage and you explore Rome and all its wonderful heritage, such as the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, Castel Sant Angelo… If you’d like to book additional nights, let the CaminoWays.com travel specialists know.

Accommodation

Standard Hotels

We have hand-picked hotels and guesthouses along the Camino for their character and warm hospitality. Up to 3-stars, you will be staying in the centre of town and close to your Camino trail. All rooms are en-suite with bathroom. For our family packages, we have hand-picked establishments with outdoor space and swimming pools where possible. Where accommodation with private outdoor space is not available, we have selected comfortable hotels with spacious common areas as well as a convenient location close to recreational areas and sights. As your comfort is our priority, we try to book hotels located within walking distance of the Camino. Despite our effort, on rare occasions your accommodation can be located a few kilometers away from the trail, so we organise transportation to/from your accommodation.

Standard Hotel & Guesthouse

Superior Collection

Stay in very special hotels and unique properties along the Camino.  We have selected luxurious 4 and 5-star hotels, boutique guesthouses, relaxing country homes and stunning heritage ‘Parador’ hotels so you can feel pampered. Rest assured when you select Superior Collection, you will enjoy the full experience of our best hotels and top guesthouses when and where this option is available, however, bear in mind, that sometimes due to location factors, only our choice of standard collection hotels and guesthouses may be available. All rooms are en-suite.

Superior Collection

Access

How to Get There

Live information on Rome2Rio. We can also arrange private transfers if you prefer, just ask us.

Lucca

Pisa International Airport 35km: Firstly you need to reach Pisa central train station (Station Ferroviara Pisa Centrale). The airport is only located 1km from Pisa central train station and PisaMover Bus Service provides the transfer. To get to Lucca from Pisa central train station you can take a regional trains (approx. 30 minutes travel time). You can check the timetable at www.trenitalia.com.

NOTE: Depending on the connection schedules, sometimes it’s better to make the connection at Viareggio instead of at Pisa Centrale. The Trenitalia website will indicate when this is the case. The unreserved regionale train from Viareggio to Lucca also costs 3 Euros and takes just under 30 minutes travel time.

Florence International Airport 70km: To reach Santa Maria Novella train station (S.M.N) from the airport the easiest way is to take the city line. There is a local bus “Volainbus” that is run by the SITA bus company next to the Santa Maria Novella train station. It goes to and from the station every half hour from 5:30am to 11pm (25 minutes approx travel time from airport arrivals to the station). Find the general information of departure points and timetable at www.fsbusitalia.it
When you are in S.M.N train station you can choose:
– Train Option: With the Italian regional line www.trenitalia.com, Florence to Lucca takes roughly 1.30 hours and costs around €7.
– Bus Option: From Florence to Lucca, you also have the option to take the intercity bus (Monday to Saturday only), which departs hourly from the intersection of Via Nazionale and Via Fiume, 250 meters from the S.M.N. train station. The bus takes 80 minutes and costs about the same as the regionale train, but has reclining seats. Be aware departure location may change in the future.

Bologna Airport 151km:  Shuttle bus from Bologna Airport to Bologna Central Station (every 11 mins, €6 one-way).  For more information see: http://aerobus.bo.it/en.  Train to Florence (34mins), change to regional train to Lucca (1h20).  Fares from €24.  For more information see: https://www.lefrecce.it/.

Rome Leonardo da Vinci Airport 349km: You have to get to Roma Termini Central Station to take an intercity trains either going to Pisa Central or Firenze Santa Maria Novella. There are many options to get from Leonardo da Vinci airport to Roma Termini. See www.rome-airport:

  • The Leonardo Express train costs €11 and takes 30 minutes.
  • Terravision Shuttle Bus. Ticket is €9 for 70 minutes of travel.
  • City bus: The bus stop is located outdoors at ground level, 100 meters left from arrivals (teminals B&C). You can buy tickets at all tobacco shops – they have blue signs (Tabacheria). Fares is 4 Euros; 45-80 minutes travel time.
  • Taxis outside the passenger stations. The trip cost usually €40 to get to the city centre plus €1 fee for each suitcase.

From Roma Termini you can decide to go to Pisa or Florence.

  • Pisa: Take a Frecciabianca OR, an Intercity train from Roma Termini to Pisa Centrale. The Frecciabianca is a faster, more modern and nicer train, so give it priority over the Intercity unless the latter’s schedules are more convenient. The fastest Frecciabianca train takes 2 hours and 30 minutes travel time for €44.50
  • Via Florence: Travelling via Firenze SMN will cost €43, and will take about the same amount of time (since the Freccia train from Rome to Florence is one hour faster than the Freccia train from Rome to Pisa).  For timetables and itineraries see www.trenitalia.com

Siena

Florence International Airport 86km: You can either take the bus or the train. However they don’t stop at the same finishing point. The bus will drop you off in the heart of the historic city centre of Siena whereas Siena train station is located further away from the city centre and you might need to take a city bus (5 min travel time approx).
By bus:
– Autostradale bus express, coming from Pisa, stops in Florence and reaches Siena in less than 2 hours. See: www.airportbusexpress.it.
– SITA bus, www.sienamobilita.it. The bus station is just around the corner from the train station in Florence. SITA buses to Siena take just under an hour, run frequently and takes you to Siena historic city center. Make sure you take the rapide (express) and not the ordinarie, which stops in Poggibonsi and Colle Val d’Elsa. Ticket costs €12. See the route itinerary and price for more information (note information is only in Italian). To reach the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence from the airport, just take the city line Vola in bus from the airport. The service connects the city centre in just 20 minutes and the fare is €6 one way.
By train:
Trains from Florence to Siena leave Santa Maria Novella station roughly once an hour on most days, and a direct train takes about 1.5 hours. The ticket is in the €6-10 range (if you’re on the direct train). See www.fsitaliane.it for more information.

Pisa International Airport 130km: You can take two different buses outside the airport going directly to Siena (under 2hr approximate travel time), for more information, see: http://www.pisa-airport.com/aeroporto_di_pisa_196.html.
– Train S.p.a, see: www.trainspa.it. Leaving directly from the airport to Piazza Gramsci in Siena. It takes you around two hours travel time and costs €14 one way.
– Autostradale, see: www.airportbusexpress.it. It follows similar itinerary than Train S.p.a but with a change in Florence. One way ticket costs €15. All informations, timetable and route with Siena Mobilita.

Bologna International Airport 167km: There are bus and train connections available to Siena.  Shuttle bus from Bologna Airport to Bologna Central Station (every 11 mins, €6 one-way).  For more information see: http://aerobus.bo.it/en.  From here you will take the train to Siena with a change in Florence.  Train to Siena (2hr 30, from €24 one-way). For more information see: https://www.lefrecce.it.

Bus from Bologna Airport to Siena Train Station. (4 times daily, from €18, Duration 2h40 – 3h40).  For more information see: http://www.sena.it/Autobus/Bologna/Siena/125-234/49-1.html.

Viterbo

Rome Leonardo da Vinci- Fiumicino Airport 120km: There are regular trains from the airport to Rome. You can take a Trenitalia’s FL1 regional train from Leonardo da Vinci Airport to the main train stations in Rome, including Roma Ostiense Station. There are regular trains from Roma Ostiense Station to Viterbo (journey just under 2hrs). For train info see: www.trenitalia.com. Alternatively you can take the Leonardo Express train to Roma Termini Station and take the metro from Termini to Ostiense to catch your train to Viterbo.  Alternatively http://www.terravision.eu/ provide bus transfers between the Airport and Roma Termini from €4 each way.

Rome Ciampino Airport 118km: There are buses and trains connecting Ciampino Airport with Roma Ostiense Station. The journey takes 30 minutes approximatively. For bus and train info, see: www.adr.it. There is a bus (45 minutes approx.) from Ciampino airport to Roma Termini Station (and then you can take the metro to Ostiense Station) see http://www.terravision.eu/ for details.  From Roma Ostiense Station, you can take the train to Viterbo (just under 2hrs travel time), see www.trenitalia.com. Ticket fare is in the €5-10 range.

Rome

Rome Leonardo da Vinci- Fiumicino Airport 31km: You can take the Leonardo Express train (30min, €11) from Roma Termini Station to Fiumicino airport, see: www.trenitalia.com. The FL1 regional train also connects the airport with the main train stations in Rome. Alternatively there is a shuttle bus from Termini Station and Vatican (Via Crescenzio n2), departing every hour (55min approx, €6). For more info, see: www.sitbusshuttle.com or http://www.terravision.eu/.

Rome Ciampino Airport 15km: You can take the bus to Termini Station (20min, €1). There is a regular shuttle bus from Roma Termini Station to the airport every half hour (45min approx. €4). For more info, see: www.sitbusshuttle.com or http://www.terravision.eu/

Whats Included

  • Included: Selected accommodation with private bathrooms, Holiday Pack on your mobile phone (Route ebook and Google Maps) and a 24/7 support number providing assistance during your trip, for instance organising a support vehicle if needed. In 2021 we also offer a Free Postponement with every booking made
  • Not included: Flights, drinks, city tax, Travel Insurance (Recommended)
  • Optional: Luggage transfers (On by default. One bag up to 20kg per person), dinners (On by default, where available), bike rental (On by default) and airport transfers, etc…

 

Note on Accommodation: We aim to book you into each of the towns listed on the itinerary, however in case of low availability we may book you 2 nights in the same town with provided transfers. If you are booking Superior collection or Country cottages, please note it is subject to availability and therefore cannot be guaranteed. Superior/Country cottage accommodation may be away from the route with included transfers. More details.

Have questions? Read our FAQ pages.

Specialist:Roland

More byRoland

Specialist:Roland

Roland is the founder and director of CaminoWays.com. Originally from France, he has many years of experience organising adventure holidays and globe-trotting. His quest to hike in as many countrie...

More byRoland

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