Tuscany & Umbria Culinary Tour

Day 01: Florence Arrival | Welcome to Italy! Upon arrival at Florence airport please proceed through the Passport Control and collect your luggage inside the customs area. Just outside this area meet your driver who will transfer you to your Hotel in central Florence. The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Florence.

Day 02: Florence Cooking Lesson & Private Tour| Breakfast at the Hotel. In the morning market visit with the chef and cooking lesson, lunch will follow. In the afternoon your local Florentine guide will meet at the hotel and will lead you on a unique walking tour discovering secret spots of Florence, taking in unusual corners and hidden small squares. Florence’s rich past as the cultural centre of the Italian Renaissance can still be seen today in the wealth of art gathered here and in the preservation of its splendid architecture. The tour includes visits of the Duomo and the Baptistry, the Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, and the famous Accademia Gallery (entrance fee included). Overnight in Florence.

Day 03: Florence – Gastronomic tour | Breakfast at the Hotel. In the morning you will have a gastronomic tour with your chef, you will visit the best gastronomic shops, in the historic centre where you will taste Prosciutto, Tuscan cured meats and Parmigiano Reggiano, then you will visit the best cheese shop where you will taste best Italian cheeses ( sheep, goat and cow ). Then onto a superb artisan chocolate shop, the owner and master buys the best cocoa beans and produces his own excellent chocolate . our next stop will be at one of the most historic delicatessens in the city, which still represents a classic meeting place for Florentines as well as the preferred destination for lovers of specialties made with truffles. You will taste the famous sandwich with truffle paste. Your afternoon gastronomic tour will end at an well known, historic Enoteca where you will have a wine and olive oil tasting. Time at leisure in the afternoon. Overnight in Florence.

Day 04: Florence – Superb Organic wines & Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Chianti | Breakfast at the Hotel. Today you will enjoy a full excursion by car and English-speaking driver through the enchanting villages of the Chianti region. You will visit the small villages, an excellent cheese farm, an olive oil farm for olive oil and a flagship winery for a private guided visit and wine tasting. Your first “gastronomic ” stop will be in a superb cheese farm producing more than ten different types of sheep cheese, from traditional Pecorino to sophisticated Blue Cheese types which are served in the most prestigious delicatessen and restaurants in and around the Florence area. During the visit, the owner will illustrate how they manufacture their products while they show us their dairy and give us an overview of the farm. After the tour, there is a tasting of cheeses, olive oil and wines with further explanation of the products and wine and cheese pairing. In the afternoon you will visit a special flagship wine farm , close to the village of Panzano in Chianti. Vintners of Panzano are a close-knit group that unites to control quality production and promote organic & sustainable vineyard techniques. All the Vintners of Panzano share a strong passion for their work as vintners and winemakers, each of them making wine with their own grapes and running their winery directly taking care of all principal aspects. You will have a guided visit of the wine farm and a wine tasting. Overnight in Chianti

Day 05: Montalcino and Montepulciano | Breakfast at the Hotel. Today you will taste some of the most famous Italian wines: Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Your private driver-guide will pick you up from the hotel and drive you first to Montalcino. This ancient village is best known for its red Brunello di Montalcino wines, made with Sangiovese Grosso grapes. You will have a private visit to a Brunello producer such as the prestigious Poggio Antico estate. On the way to the winery, you can stop for a quick visit of the stunning ruins of the 9th century Abbazia di Sant’Antimo. At the winery, you will tour the cellars, the vineyards and take in the gorgeous views and taste Brunello “Riserva” and also Rosso di Montalcino. Lunch will be in the winery’s restaurant. After lunch, carry on to Montepulciano, a small village of Etruscan origin and one of the most beautiful hill towns in Tuscany. The Nobile wines of Montepulciano were the first to be given the ultimate quality level of DOCG certification. You’ll visit a top estate such as Valdipiatta or Avignonesi and enjoy a tasting of Vino Nobile wines. In the late afternoon, enjoy free time on your own in Montepulciano. Return to your Hotel in Chianti.

Day 06: Spoleto – Montefalco – Bevagna – Spello | After Breakfast a the Hotel meet your driver at the Hotel Lobby. Today on route to your hotel in Umbria, visit three of the most characteristic Umbrian towns: Montefalco, Spello and Bevagna. The tour starts with Montefalco. known as “the balcony of Umbria” because of the panoramic views it enjoys. After a brief walking tour of the town, you will get some free time. We will then visit Bevagna, another prosperous Roman settlement, where Roman aristocrats used to build their villas, which is nowadays a tranquil town whose streets are lined with lovely crafts shops, delicatessens, and trattorias. Our last stop is the hilltop town of Spello, a former Roman colony where large parts of the Roman fortifications remain intact. In Spello we will visit the church of Santa Maria Maggiore with its magnificent frescoes by Pinturicchio in the Cappella Baglioni. Late afternoon continue to your Hotel in Umbria.

Day 07: Umbria Cooking + Perugia Private Tour | Morning: Hands-on cooking class starts around 10:00 am. You will prepare a four-course lunch that you will eat at the end of the class, accompanied by our wines. After lunch transfer to Perugia, the capital city of Umbria. We will see the recently restored 13th century Fontana Maggiore, the Palazzo dei Priori which houses the National Gallery of Umbria and the Collegio del Cambio with its frescoes by Perugino and amble along Perugia’s elegant main street, Corso Vannucci. Lunch at leisure. In the afternoon you will head for the city of Assisi known throughout the world as the birthplace of Saint Francis. We will take a guided walking tour of the city and see the many important sights, including the spectacular Basilica of Saint Francis with its frescoes by Giotto. Late afternoon return to your Hotel. Overnight in Umbria.

Day 08: Citta di Castello – Gubbio | After breakfast at the hotel, meet your driver in the lobby. Today’s journey begins at Città di Castello, one of Umbria’s most visited tourist destinations, a place where ancient and contemporary art forms live side by side in perfect harmony. The tour of the town starts with a visit to Palazzo Vitelli and Palazzo Albizzini. Continue on to enjoy a visit to the Duomo Museum, located next to the cathedral. Last, but not least, there is the Pinacoteca Comunale, which occupies a part of the prestigious Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera and contains important renaissance masterpieces by Raffaello and Ghirlandaio. Lunch at leisure. In the afternoon visit Gubbio, a delightful medieval town, its center brimming with edifices of great historical and architectural importance such as Palazzo dei Consoli, Palazzo Pretorio and Palazzo del Capitolo dei Canonici. Another building worthy of visit is the Palazzo Ducale, now home to an excellent history museum. Late afternoon return to your Hotel. Overnight in the Umbria countryside.

Day 09: Umbria Cooking + Assisi Private Tour | Breakfast at the Hotel. Morning: Hands-on cooking class starts around 10:00 am. You will prepare a four-course lunch that you will eat at the end of the class, accompanied by our wines. After lunch you will visit the mystical city of Assisi, a beautiful medieval town based on Mount Subasio, overlooking a peaceful Umbrian landscape. Assisi is essentially known for the fact that it’s the place of birth of St. Francis in and that of Santa Chiara. You will visit the city and the famous churches like the St. Francis Church filled with spectacular frescoes by Giotto, and also the Eremo delle Carceri and the St. Damiano church. Late afternoon return to your Hotel. Overnight in Umbria.

Day 10: Umbria Hotel – Florence Airport | After breakfast at the hotel enjoy a Private Transfer from your Umbria Hotel to Florence Airport.

• 3 Nights Florence
• 2 Nights Chianti
• 4 Nights Umbria
• Private Transportation by Mercedes E or V Class with English Speaking Driver
• Private Guided Tours with Professional Local Guides | Door to Door Service
• Entrances to Museums, Galleries, Archeological Parks and other Venues
• Breakfast at Hotels, All Food & Wine Tours/Enogastronomic and Most Lunches.
• 24/7 Assistance and Support from our Ground Operational Office in Italy