Booking choice: The Chianti Vespa tour, from $118 per person. Check dates Tour details
Driving yourself through Chianti is the fun part of these tours, and the tasting is the reward at the end. That order matters. Whoever drives must stay under 0.5 g/l, or at zero with a licence under three years old, so the driver's glass is small.
Here is how the Vespa tour, its Topolino e-car option, the vintage Fiat 500 day and the e-bike day compare on licences, ages, safety and the wine.
The quick answer
The Vespa tour ($118) is the best all-round pick: drivers 18+ with a car licence, a test ride first, and the riding is done before lunch and the tasting. Nervous riders can switch to the electric Topolino. The vintage Fiat 500 day ($170) is a manual car you mostly drive yourself, with mixed reviews on the cars and the lunch. The e-bike day ($51) is the cheapest, open from 14, and rides outside the Classico zone.
Vespa, Fiat 500 or e-bike: which is best in Chianti?
The Vespa tour for most adults with a driving licence, the e-bike for budgets and teenagers, the vintage Fiat for car lovers who can drive a manual.
The four ways to drive yourself, compared:
| Vespa | Topolino e-car | Vintage Fiat 500 | E-bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour | Vespa tour | Option on the Vespa tour | Fiat 500 day | E-bike day |
| From | $118 | Option price on booking | $170 | $51 |
| Length | 6.5 hours | 6.5 hours | 7 hours | 6 hours |
| Who drives | 18+ with a car licence; passengers 13+ | 18+ with a car licence | You, in a manual car (guests report) | Ages 14+, min. 150 cm |
| Start | Via dei Vagellai 22r, Florence, van to the hills | Same | Via Genova 29, Certaldo | Via delle Ruote 35, Florence |
| Wine and food | Winery tasting, olive oil, 3-course meal | Same | Lunch and 2 tastings at Poggio Amorelli | Winery lunch, 2 tastings |
| Deposit | EUR 20 cover or EUR 500 card hold | Same | Not stated | EUR 20 cover or EUR 200 card hold |
Vespa, Zip scooter or Topolino e-car through the hills, then lunch with wine and olive oil.
Check dates for the Chianti Vespa tourWhat licence do you need for a Vespa tour in Chianti?
A valid car driving licence and an age of 18; no motorcycle licence. Passengers ride from 13.
From the listing: a car licence is enough to drive, you must carry it on the tour, and previous scooter experience is "not required but advantageous and highly advised". Everyone does a briefing and a test ride once the van reaches the hills, so you never ride in Florence traffic. The guides decide who drives; anyone not safe goes double with a partner, on the guide's scooter, or in the support van. No refund in that case.
- Scooters: original Piaggio Vespa (some electric) or the lighter Piaggio Zip.
- Weight: 170 kg maximum per scooter, riders and bags together.
- Cover: third-party insurance included; damage cover EUR 20 or a EUR 500 credit-card hold. No cash, no debit.
- From outside the EU: bring an International Driving Permit with your licence (The Local).
What is the Topolino e-car option?
A small two-seat electric Fiat Topolino you drive behind the Vespas, for anyone who would rather not ride a scooter.
The Topolino is a light quadricycle with a top speed of 45 km/h and about 75 km of range. It is slow, quiet and stable on four wheels. The operator's own note: no air conditioning, just two small fans, and it stays warm and dry in spring and autumn.
Guests who switched loved it. One September 2026 rider wrote that many in the group failed the scooter test and "I drove the Topolino (mouse car) which was so much fun, I think even more than the Vespa!" Another: "Keep the Fiat option in mind if you book the tour but decide against the Vespa."
Pick Vespa, Zip or the Topolino e-car, ride the Chianti back roads, then a farm lunch with wine and olive oil.
Explore the Chianti Vespa tour Tour detailsDo you drive the vintage Fiat 500 yourself?
Mostly, yes. The listing says "with professional driver", but the itinerary and most guests describe driving the cars themselves in a convoy behind the guide.
The vintage Fiat 500 day starts in Certaldo at 9:30, with up to five cars of two adults each. You drive to Monteriggioni, through the hills, and to lunch at Poggio Amorelli near Castellina in Chianti, inside the Classico zone. The cars are 1960s manuals: "Brush up on your manual driving skills and you'll be good to go." One guest wrote that the guide "drove me all day", so ask before booking if you can't drive a stick shift.
It is rated 4.3, the lowest here, and the complaints repeat. One group reported that "Signals and break lights were not working, seat belts weren't functional"; others say lunch was a charcuterie platter rather than three courses. Plenty of guests adored it. Book it for the cars, not the food.
How hard is the Chianti e-bike tour?
Easy for anyone who rides a bike. The motor does the climbing, but you need to handle a heavy bike downhill and pass a test ride.
The e-bike day takes up to 15 riders, from 14 years old and 150 cm tall, into the hills around Impruneta for a winery lunch and two tastings, with a helmet included. Guests with mixed fitness managed fine. Not recommended with back problems, heart conditions or pregnancy. Leave early and you pay EUR 30 and find your own way back.
The wine is Chianti Colli Fiorentini, not Classico. For the zone question, see Chianti vs Chianti Classico.
The cheapest day out in the hills: e-bike, winery lunch and two tastings, from age 14.
Check dates for the Chianti e-bike tourHow much wine can you drink if you are driving?
Very little. The limit is 0.5 g/l, zero for licences under three years old, and the drink-drive rules apply to scooters, cars and bikes alike.
The Vespa tour gets the order right: ride first, eat and taste after. A guest summed it up: "Safety first! No drinking and driving. You drive first and then wine taste!" On the Fiat day you still drive back from lunch to Certaldo, so the driver should keep it to sips; swap drivers if your passenger has an older licence and is not drinking.
Over 0.5 g/l the fine starts at EUR 573 with a licence suspension; the full table is in Chianti without a car. Cyclists can be stopped too.
What if it rains, or it is very hot?
The Vespa tour runs rain or shine and moves to the minivan in bad weather. Summer heat is the bigger issue on every two-wheel tour.
The Vespa listing's rain policy: departures are never cancelled for rain; the group waits it out in the minivan and rides when roads are safe, and if it keeps raining the whole tour runs by van. In July and August afternoons pass 30°C, and a helmet in that heat is hard work: pick a morning start. The e-bike operator advises hats, sunglasses and sunscreen in summer. Spring and autumn are the sweet spot; see the best time to go.
Rated 4.8 by nearly 2,000 riders: Vespa or Topolino through Chianti, then lunch and the tasting.
Explore the Chianti Vespa tour Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
Do I need a motorcycle licence for a Vespa tour in Tuscany?
No. A valid car licence is enough on the Vespa tour, and drivers must be 18 or older. Non-EU visitors should carry an International Driving Permit.
Can children join a Chianti Vespa tour?
As passengers from 13, on a double Vespa with an adult driver. The e-bike tour takes riders from 14.
Is the vintage Fiat 500 tour self-drive?
Mostly. Guests drive the manual cars in a convoy behind the guide, though the listing mentions a professional driver. Ask before booking if you can't drive a manual.
Does the Vespa tour run in the rain?
Yes. It is never cancelled for rain; the group waits in the minivan and rides when it is safe, or finishes by van.
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Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Chianti Vespa Tour with Tasting & Lunch
Ride a Vespa through the hills, then lunch and wine at a farm
Chianti E-Bike Tour with Lunch & Tastings
Pedal-assisted hills; the guided option adds lunch and two tastings
Vintage Fiat 500 Tour with Lunch & Wine
A vintage Fiat 500 convoy to a farm lunch and two tastings
