Tuscany food and wine tour with Florence and Rome SOLD OUT

Take an overnight flight, arriving in Florence the next morning.

Meet our guide in Florence and take private transfer to our hotel. Settle in at your hotel in the town center and have some time at leisure or to explore on your own. We’ll meet that evening for a welcome reception and dinner.

After breakfast we’ll meet our private guide and begin exploring Florence.

We’ll have a skip-the-line tour of the Academy Gallery of Fine Arts (to see Michelangelo’s David and many other renowned pieces of art). Afterward, we’ll walk through the historic streets and monuments of Florence, like the Duomo and the Baptistery. Soaking up views of the Arno River, we’ll cross the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and stroll through the bustling Piazza della Signoria, where the impressive Palazzo Vecchio sits.

We’ll continue our exploration of Florence today, to catch the sights we didn’t get to the day before. Late-afternoon, we’ll have a Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class, learning tips and techniques to make the perfect pizza, tasty homemade tomato sauce and fresh fruit gelato in authentic Italian style. This chef-led class will introduce us to the history of these glorious Italian creations before we enjoy a dinner of the delicacies that we’ve prepared ourselves.

Today we’ll take a private tour to Pisa to visit the Field of Miracles. This pedestrian area is one of the finest architectural ensembles in the world, including the Leaning Tower and the Duomo, a Romanesque masterpiece dating back to the 11th century. After this, we’ll be visiting the extraordinary Cinque Terre. Crystal clear waters, local shops, restaurants, bars, all framed by cliffs, will make you fall in love with this unique coastline. Visit the best of Cinque Terre, that was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Monterosso, Vernazza, Riomaggiore; explore these colorful villages, that have long been isolated, hidden between the sea and the mountains.

Today we’ll travel to the heart of Chianti, famous for its scenic beauty, rolling hills, vineyards, and olive groves, and stop at the tiny village of Greve in Chianti. This town looks like a place truly out of a fairytale, with its cobblestone streets and enchanting homes. See the lovely square with the one-hundred-year-old butcher shop. Next, continue to the world renowned Verrazzano Castle, where the famous explorer was born. Have a guided tour of the ancient wine cellar and lunch in the middle of vineyards and olive oil trees. Return to Florence in the afternoon and enjoy some free time.

Today we depart Florence with a private driver to San Gimignano and Siena.

We’ll explore charming villages, passing landmarks such as Piazza della Cisterna, the Dome, and Palazzo del Podestà. After this, we’ll head to a Tuscan winery where we’ll have lunch and a wine tasting of selected labels. Next, we’ll continue to Siena, a medieval town famous for the “Palio” race, a frenzy horse race held in the main square.
We’ll explore the picturesque lanes in the historic center of this hilltop jewel of a city, and visit important attractions like Piazza del Campo and Duomo. We’ll see the headquarters of the world’s oldest bank and admire the impressive facade of the Cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary, covered with colorful local marbles. This place holds masterpieces by renowned artists like Michelangelo, Donatello, and Bernini.  Then we head south and arrive at the tiny village of San Quirico d’Orcia, which is the gateway to the world renowned Orcia Valley. We will settle at our hotel within the village’s city wall for three nights.

Our private driver will take us to two of the most charming towns in Tuscany’s UNESCO-listed Val d’Orcia region – Montepulciano and Pienza. We’ll get to taste prized red wine varietals like Nobile di Montepulciano and stroll through medieval squares in Pienza, famous for its delicious cheese. We’ll have a wine cellar tour in a typical winery in the area. We will have plenty of stops to snap photos of the scenery along the drive.
Two key scenes from Ridley Scott’s Academy-Award winning “Gladiator” were filmed in the Orcia Valley. The serene landscape that’s inspired poets and artists for thousands of years was the perfect setting for idyllic scenes.

Today we’ll depart with our private driver to the lovely village of Borgo Vignoni. Here, we’ll enjoy one of Italy’s most spectacular open-air hot springs with this trip in the Tuscan countryside. We’ll visit the spa at the nearby resort and relax in front of the breathtaking view of rolling fields and cypress trees.
We can also explore the old settlement, which is different from the others.
In traditional town centers, there is a main square; in Bagno Vignoni there is a pool in the center, 150 ft long and 90 ft wide, from the bottom of which bubbles up the water from several hot springs, whose therapeutic qualities have been renowned since antiquity.

Our private driver will drive us through the magnificent Umbrian countryside to Orvieto, renowned for its wine and olive oil. The medieval town sits majestically on the cliffs.
We’ll visit and explore the town, checking out the stunning cathedral, considered one of the most important in Europe, and walk down the many narrow cobblestoned lanes.
Then we’ll have a delicious lunch in a family run restaurant, and an extraordinary visit of its underground tunnels and passageways, which were built more than 2500 years ago by the Etruscans. This is a unique experience!
Next, we head to the striking village of Civita di Bagnoregio, which has only 14 residents, making it the least populated town in Italy! Once abandoned due to frequent earthquakes, Civita has been resurrected thanks to a number of artists who discovered the town and restored it. Perched atop a steep hill, the town is an extraordinary place, accessible only through a pedestrian bridge built in 1965. There are no cars in Civita, where time has stood still for the past several hundred years.
After this, we continue onto Rome, and get settled at our centrally located hotel for two nights.

We’ll take a private transfer to Vatican City in the morning, where we’ll have an unforgettable experience with a skip-the-line tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. An expert guide will passionately lead us through the fascinating Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, with the legendary Michelangelo’s frescoes, providing us with historical facts and leaving us plenty of time to take photos and to absorb the breathtaking beauty of the masterpieces.
Next, we’ll enter Saint Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest church building, where we will admire some Baroque masterpieces and the breathtaking statue of “Pietà” by Michelangelo.

The tour finally ends in Saint Peter’s Square with its marvelous Bernini columns. We will admire Saint Peter’s dome, created by Michelangelo, and the balcony where the Pontiff gives the blessings. Here we will see Sistine Chapel’s roof (where white or black smoke signals if a new Pope has been selected) and the famous obelisk in the middle of the square.
At the end of the visit, we’ll have some time on our own for lunch in the Vatican area.
After this, we meet our private driver who will show  us around the city center, where we will see the main attractions of the Eternal city like Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Navona Square and much more, before dropping  us off at our hotel at the end of the tour.

That evening we’ll enjoy a three-course farewell dinner with music and show in one of the most renowned restaurants of the capital city.

Our guide for the week will transfer us to the Rome airport (FCO) for our journey home.