Spend 10 unforgettable days getting to know Tuscany and all of its beauty. This custom small group tour is designed to expose travelers to Tuscany's must-sees as well as some smaller gems that will be of particular interest to wine lovers. As you make your way through the Tuscan countryside, you will admire picturesque rolling hills, charming Medieval towns and historic monuments. Begin with a relaxing afternoon in Saturnia to get acquainted with the Tuscan lifestyle. After departing Saturnia, you will visit a variety of Tuscan locales including Pitigliano, Pienza and Siena as well as the Chianti region and beautiful verdant valleys like Val D'Orcia. Along the way you will taste a wide variety of Tuscan wines from the famous Chianti Classico to the Vernaccia di San Gimignano and many more in between. The final days of the tour will be spent in Florence to give you the opportunity to explore everything this iconic Renaissance city has to offer. From breathtaking landscapes dotted with quaint towns to remarkable wine and culinary traditions, falling in love with Tuscany is guaranteed!
10 Day Tour of Tuscany, Italy and its Wines and Food!
Lets go! Located in central Italy, Tuscany is a region that boasts everything an eager traveler could ask for. With its legendary art, timeless architecture, delectable wines, delicious cuisine and stunning landscape views, it is no wonder Tuscany is consistently rated as one of the top 25 best destinations to visit in Europe. This region is home to some of the world’s finest wineries, most talked about pieces of art and architecture, and features the most idyllic Italian scenery there is. With so much to see and do, Trips 2 Italy has created a premiere 10-day adventure through the Italian countryside. With a knowledgeable tour guide leading your group and an itinerary packed with all the quintessential Tuscan experiences you desire, this Italian getaway promises to capture the absolute best that Tuscany wine country has to offer.
Tuscan Wine
If Tuscany could be known for just one thing, it would be its splendid wine, which is expertly crafted by skilled artisans who call the rolling hills of the Italian countryside home. As the birthplace of some of the world’s finest wines, such as Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino di Scansano and wines made from the exalted Sangiovese grape, Tuscany’s wine scene is as full-bodied and rich as the decadent, fine wines it produces. With so many regions of Tuscany boasting exquisite wineries, a trip to this part of Italy guarantees an itinerary bursting with wine-centric activities and tours. Our Tuscany Wine Tour package includes five fantastic wine tastings, to allow each member of your group a chance to savor some of the region’s most renowned vino. From learning about red wine production in Scansano to touring the cellars of an organic winery outside of San Gimignano, your group will be fully immersed in the magic of Tuscany’s wine culture.
The pinnacle of your trip will surely be gazing upon the Val di Chiana and Val D’Ocia valleys that are tucked within the rolling hills of Tuscany and feature vineyards as far as the eye can see. When we think Tuscany, we picture quaint farmhouses, stunning countryside views and acres of grapes just waiting to become superb Italian wine. This is exactly what you and your group will experience in these breathtaking valleys.
Cuisine Of Tuscany
A trip to Italy is not complete without experiencing the true food of Italia, and the Tuscany region offers some of the world’s most well-renowned dishes. Famous across the globe for its expertly yet simplistically prepared food, Tuscan cuisine is created with seasonal ingredients, locally farmed meat, and fresh grown produce. The gentle countryside of Tuscany serves as the perfect land on which to raise cattle and grow seasonal produce, so the local cooking style pays homage to the ingredients by requiring no complicated seasoning or overworked recipes. Instead, the local food highlights the true beauty and flavor of each ingredient that is used to create the dish, resulting in a hearty, simple and rustic plate.
This package includes an amazing and relaxing welcome dinner for your group in lovely Saturnia, as well as a special farewell dinner at one of Florence’s charming restaurants. As for the days in between, you and your group will experience a full range of Tuscan cuisine in many of the region’s rustic trattorias local restaurants, and even a special lunch in one of Chianti’s local butcher shops. For a truly unique experience, your group will attend a fully interactive cooking class in Siena, where trained local chefs will share the secrets of Tuscany’s specialties. In addition, your package includes daily breakfast to fuel you and your group for the exciting tours and activities to come.
Italian Art & Architecture
Those who value fine art will be in awe of Tuscany’s legendary art museums. Exhibitions in Tuscany boast art from many styles and periods, making it a go-to destination for those seeking art history and culture. Home to some of the world’s most recognizable and inspired Renaissance art, from Michelangelo’s famed statue “David” to Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus”, the Tuscany region houses elite museums that are recognized by art aficionados worldwide. During your scheduled free time in Florence, perhaps you and your group would enjoy a trip to the Galleria dell’Accademia (“Gallery of the Academy of Florence) or the famed Uffizi Gallery, which displays works of art from such masters as Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and many more.
Architecture in Tuscany is an art form all its own. Every section of Tuscany offers something completely unique and mesmerizing. From Etruscan ruins and Medieval monuments in Pitigliano to stunning Basilicas and the Duomo in Siena, your group will lay eyes on architectura lfeats unlike anything you’ve ever seen. During free time in Florence, your group may even choose to take an excursion to visit the legendary Leaning Tower of Pisa.
History
As a region with a rich historical background, your trip would not be complete without some activities that highlight Tuscany’s roots. To understand the history of Tuscany is to truly deepen your appreciation for this vast, traditional part of Italy. Each personally guided tour included in your package will provide interesting and insightful commentary on Tuscany’s past. While in Florence consider visiting one of Tuscany’s 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Historic Synagogues and Cathedrals are reflective of the region’s deep religious traditions, and your group will enjoy touring the Siena Cathedral. As one of Tuscany’s most amazing sites, the Siena Cathedral features an unbelievable marble floor that was painstakingly constructed by laying down countless bits of marble one by one.
As one of the most fascinating locations in the world, Tuscany is considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance, earning Florence the nickname, “The Cradle of the Renaissance.” Through your guided tours and personal time to explore the cities, your group will experience firsthand how Tuscany’s history has formed and crafted every aspect of life in this region.
Local Life
From wine tours and museums to walking tours and cooking classes, your Tuscany Wine Tour package was crafted specifically to surround you and your group with all the uniquely Tuscan experiences one could want. However, to experience the local culture, you and your group should take advantage of scheduled free time during which you can freely roam and explore. After all, what would visiting such a legendary locale be like without immersing yourself into the local culture?
Walk the medieval alleyways of Siena or visit the Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo in Florence. Dine in local cafes and shop for locally crafted goods. Take advantage of this wonderful and unique opportunity to see exactly what everyday life in Tuscany is like for the locals.
Bursting with exciting tours, unique experiences, breathtaking views, and of course exquisite wine, our Tuscany Wine Tour package is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the food, wine, art, culture, and history of Italy’s crown jewel.
Day 1 : WELCOME TO ITALY
Board your overnight flight and leave the United States. Your Italian Adventure has begun!
Day 02 : SATURNIA and relax at the Saturnia Thermae
Arrival at Fiumicino Airport.
Benvenuti in Italia!
Your tour escort will be waiting for you once you exit baggage claim at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport and together you will travel to Saturnia, famous for its sulfurous thermal springs. Saturnia is part of the Maremma area of southern Tuscany, featuring plenty of greenery and coastal plains.
Once you arrive in Saturnia and check into your hotel, you will have plenty of free time to enjoy your hotel’s thermal baths and spa treatments; you deserve a bit of relaxation after such a long flight!
Your first meal in Tuscany will be a Welcome Dinner with all of your small group’s travel companions to celebrate the beginning of your adventure in Tuscany. (D)
Day 3: SATURNIA, PITIGLIANO, SCANSANO with Morellino di Scansano
After breakfast, you will check out of your hotel and travel to the medieval town of Pitigliano, which is perched at the top of a rocky cliff. Sights include Etruscan ruins, monuments from the Medieval and Renaissance periods, and the historic Synagogue. Interestingly enough, Pitigliano is referred to as the “The Little Jerusalem” because of the strong Jewish community that has been present in the town for centuries. Upon arrival you may choose to explore Pitigliano on your own or with your tour escort. Lunch will be on your own to be enjoyed in one of the many rustic trattorias.
In the afternoon, your group will journey to Scansano, which is the heart of the Morellino di Scansano red wine production. Here you will take a tour of a local winery and sample what is considered to be the Maremma area’s most renowned wine. Upon finishing the tour, you will depart the Maremma area and travel to the Medieval city of Siena.
The countryside surrounding Siena is quite different from the Maremma area, but just as breathtaking. Once you arrive in Siena you will check into your centrally located hotel. In the evening you will have plenty of free time to begin exploring Siena on your own.
When you are ready to enjoy dinner, be sure to sample typical recipes from the area such as pici pasta, which was invented in Siena. (B,T)
Day 4: VAL DI CHIANA, VAL D’ORCIA, PIENZA, MONTALCINO and ST. ANTIMO ABBEY with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Upon finishing breakfast, you will spend the morning exploring two breathtaking areas of the Tuscan countryside: Val di Chiana and Val D’Orcia. Both valleys are filled with everything that is usually associated with the Tuscan countryside including rolling hills, ancient farmhouses, characteristic cypress trees and of course vineyard after vineyard of grapes waiting to become superb Tuscan wine.
Your first visit will be at a local winery where you will witness the process followed to carefully craft Tuscan wine. The tour of the winery will begin in the vineyards and end in the cellars to give you a complete picture of wine production. Once the tour concludes, you will enjoy a lunch featuring typical delicacies paired with locally produced wines, such as eminent Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Next, you will continue traveling through the hilly Tuscan countryside to arrive in the Renaissance town of Pienza, which is located at the peak of a hill. Pienza is renowned because it embodies the Renaissance concept of an “ideal city”. These ideal cities were designed following scientific principles and were meant to be in complete harmony with the surrounding environment. Few were actually realized, but Pienza is considered to be best surviving example of an ideal city. While exploring Pienza on your own or with your tour escort, be sure to try the local “Pecorino di Pienza” cheese, which is made from sheep’s milk—you won’t regret it! The next stop will be Montalcino where you will visit another winery. This time you will learn about Brunello di Montalcino production, another superb Tuscan wine, and of course, you will have a chance to sample it as well.
Then you will journey back to Siena and spend some time relaxing at your hotel, if you wish, or take stroll along the Medieval alleys around your hotel.
Dinner tonight will be on your own once more and we encourage you to continue trying local specialties, such as a steak made from the locally-raised Chianina cattle. (B, T)
Day 5: SIENA
After finishing breakfast at your hotel you will spend the entire day discovering the beauty of the city famous for its Palio horse race: Siena.
First you will enjoy a private guided walking tour of Siena’s historical city center during which you will stop in Piazza del Campo, the large square where the Palio is held each year. While in Piazza del Campo you will admire the Torre del Mangia that, together with the building it is attached to, Palazzo Pubblico, has become a symbol of the city of Siena.
You will also stop by the Basilica of San Domenico where relics of Siena’s own St. Catherine can be venerated. The tour will end with the Duomo of Siena where you will admire masterpieces by various important artists including Donatello and Bernini. While inside be sure to look down at your feet; the floor of Siena’s Cathedral was carefully constructed by inlaying countless different pieces of marble and it is a true magnum opus! Once you finish the tour you will have the rest of the afternoon to visit new parts of the city or enjoy various other activities such as shopping for artisan goods or climbing to the top of the Torre del Mangia for the best views in all of Siena.
This evening you will participate in an interactive cooking class during which Tuscan chefs will reveal some of their secrets.
For dinner tonight you will enjoy the fruits of your labor. (B,D)
Day 6: CHIANTI with Chianti Classico Wine
Today will be dedicated to Tuscany’s foremost wine region: the Chianti area. As you may already know, Chianti wine is so popular not only because of its high-quality, but because of its exceptional versatility, which allows it to accompany a variety of dishes. The Chianti region is strikingly beautiful and also filled with history thanks to the numerous generations of local families that have dedicated their livelihoods to crafting perfect Chianti wine.
You will travel through Chianti’s country roads lined with cypress trees that wind around gentle rolling hills to reach a local estate where you will enjoy a unique lunch with a variety of meat-based dishes (though vegetarian options will be available as well upon request).
Next, you will travel to a characteristic Chianti wine estate to experience the process of Chianti production starting with the careful picking of the grapes in the vineyards to the barrel-aging in the cellar and the eventual bottling. Of course, the tour of the estate will conclude with an unforgettable tasting of the inimitable Chianti wine.
In the evening you will journey back to your hotel in Siena and dinner tonight will be on your own. (B, L)
Day 7: SAN GIMIGNANO with the Vernaccia Wine
Today after breakfast you will check out of your hotel then make your way to the crown jewel of Tuscany: Florence. However, before arriving in Florence the group will stop in the enchanting town of San Gimignano, which is famous for its remarkably preserved medieval towers. Upon arrival you will have plenty of free time to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site either on your own or with your tour escort. We highly recommend climbing to the top of the town’s defensive walls to admire breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.
After leaving San Gimignano, you will stop at a unique winery that specializes in organic wine. The owners will give you a tour of the estate and for lunch you will sample some of the organic produce grown on the estate paired with the local Vernaccia di San Gimignano wine. In the afternoon you will make the final leg of the journey towards Florence.
After checking into your centrally located hotel in the heart of the Cradle of the Renaissance, you will say goodbye to your tour escort.
For the rest of the afternoon you can spend some time exploring Florence on your own or relaxing. Dinner tonight will be on your own once more and we highly encourage you to try a Florentine specialty such as bistecca alla fiorentina. (B, L, T)
Day 8: FLORENCE
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and then start your private guided walking tour of the historical city center of Florence. During the tour you will admire the highlights of Florence’s endless art and architecture.
The first stop will be the Duomo of Florence, which dominates the city’s skyline thanks to the enormous dome designed by Brunelleschi. Adjacent to the Duomo is Giotto’s splendid Bell Tower and the Baptistery whose entrance was nicknamed the “Gates of Paradise” by none other than Michelangelo. The last stop will be the Ponte Vecchio, which is the oldest bridge in Florence and hosts the city’s most renowned jewelers.
After the tour you will have the opportunity to sample more Florentine recipes during lunch on your own, and then you will have time at your leisure to continue discovering the secrets of Florence. Art lovers may wish to stop by the Galleria dell’Accademia to admire various masterpieces up close, including Michelangelo’s David.
In the evening, you will have plenty of time at your leisure to enjoy dinner in a local restaurant of your choice.(B)
Day 9: FLORENCE
Your final day in Florence can be spent however you wish as you will have the morning and afternoon to yourself.
First, you could spend some time shopping for the leather goods that Florence is famous for or stop by the Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo to get a feel for daily life in Florence. If you wish to see more art, you could visit the Uffizi Gallery, which is filled with works by all the renowned masters including Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Botticelli, and more.
You could also take an excursion to nearby Pisa to climb up the legendary Leaning Tower. Your final meal in Tuscany will be a farewell dinner with everyone in your group at one of Florence’s most characteristic restaurants.(B, D)
Day 10: GOODBYE ITALY
Today you will need to wake up early to check out of your hotel and travel to Florence’s airport to board your flight back home. Arrivederci!
PACKAGE START AT $4,288.00 INCLUDES:
- Round Trip USA Airport - Italy Economy Class Airfare.
- Private transportation with minibus and Driver (approx. 8 hrs per day as per itinerary)(*);
- English speaking Tour Escort from Day 2 to Day 10 (approx. 8 Hrs per day as per itinerary) (*) ;
- 1 night accommodation in 5 star Hotel in Saturnia;
- 4 nights accommodation in 4 star Hotel in Siena city center;
- 3 nights accommodation in 4 star Hotel in Florence city center;
- Daily breakfast;
- 1 Welcome Dinner in Saturnia;
- 1 Farewell Dinner in Florence;
- 1 Lunch in Butcher shop in Chianti;
- Winery visit with wine tasting in Scansano area;
- Winery visit with wine tasting and light lunch in Montepulciano area;
- Winery visit with wine tasting in Montalcino Area;
- Winery visit with wine tasting and light lunch in San Gimignano area;
- Winery visit with wine tasting in Chianti Classico area;
- 3 Hours private local guide in Pitigliano;
- 3 Hours private local guide in Siena;
- 3 Hours private local guide in Florence;
- Entrance tickets to Siena Cathedral;
- 1 Hands-on Cooking Class with Dinner in Siena;
- Hospitality city tax which varies by city and hotel category;
- Porterage service;
- Vat Taxes and service Charges.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
- All Land & Air prices: Additional U.S. & Foreign Departure Taxes and Surcharges Fee(s) assessed by the Airlines;
- Extra beverages during meals;
- Others Entrance Fees to Monuments or Museums, Tips, Extras.
- Optional Travel Insurance
- All that is not listed under “PACKAGE INCLUDES”.
GENERAL CONDITIONS:
The itinerary may be reversed or modified for technical reasons.
(*) If 8 or less Participants, your English speaking Tour Escort will also be your private Driver from day 2 through 6.
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