Community Globetrotters
Community Globetrotters - Luxury Cultural Experiences
Tuscany & Umbrian Countryside: Authentic Cooking Classes
May 21, 2024 to May 31, 2024
Italy
Tuscany & Umbrian Countryside | Authentic Cooking Classes
11 Days from $3,399 per person
5/21/24 - 5/31/24
On a journey through Italy’s roads less traveled, discover its endless treasures from Rome to Umbria to Tuscany, and the marvels of wine, cuisine, culture, and history in between.
Embark on an enchanting 11-day journey through Italy's hidden treasures, from Rome to Umbria to Tuscany. Explore historic towns, visit Gothic cathedrals, indulge in olive oil and wine tastings, and enjoy home-hosted lunches with locals. Discover the beauty of Pienza and San Gimignano, and enjoy guided tours of Siena and Florence, uncovering the history and art of these incredible cities. Your unforgettable adventure comes to a close at a restored Tuscan villa, leaving you with cherished memories of Italy's roads less traveled.
11-Day Itinerary
May 21 | Day 1: Overnight Flight
May 22 | Day 2: Welcome to Rome! Italy’s dynamic capital city beckons. Get a taste of the local culture and start your journey at a delicious welcome dinner at Dinner Kolbe Hotel Rome.
May 23 | Day 3: Rome - Orvieto - Umbria. Enjoy breakfast & dinner at Antica Dimora Alla Rocca. Olive and cypress trees accent the Etruscan hill town of Orvieto. Stroll the historic streets with a local expert and visit the prominent Gothic cathedral to gaze at a remarkable Signorelli fresco. Continue to discover Orvieto on your own this afternoon. Eat, drink, and disappear into the local scene before taking in the splendors of country life in a pristine Umbrian hill town, your home for the next 3 nights.
May 24 | Day 4: Umbria - Spoleto - Olive Oil Mill - Umbria. Enjoy breakfast & dinner at Antica Dimora Alla Rocca. Medieval palaces command the foreground of ancient Spoleto. In the shadow of the Apennines, embark on a walking tour to see centuries of architectural history, from the Ponte delle Torri aqueduct to the gilded elegance of the Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta. Explore more of Spoleto on your own before learning about olive oil at a family-run frantoio (olive presser). Venture into a local restaurant in the Nera Valley, where you’ll enjoy a cooking class in a former 12th-century abbey. Dig in to your handcrafted meal for dinner.
May 25 | Day 5: Umbria - Assisi - Home-Hosted Lunch - Umbria. Enjoy breakfast & lunch at Antica Dimora Alla Rocca. Travel to Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis. Set out on a walking tour of the old city with a local guide, learning about its history as you stroll the medieval streets. Visit the famous Basilica of St. Francis. Later, a local family welcomes you to their country home for lunch as their honored guest. Share stories and make an Umbrian friend (or two).
May 26 | Day 6: Umbria - Pecorino Cheese Farm - Orcia Valley - Pienza. Enjoy breakfast & lunch at Hotel Corsignano. Leave Umbria for the villages of Tuscany, nestled among the rolling hills and cypress trees of the Val d’Orcia region (UNESCO). Taste the flavors of the region at a local pecorino cheese farm. Snack on some of the cheesemaker’s creations and take in the views of the sparse farmhouses and open fields on your way to Pienza (UNESCO), a Renaissance village where flowers and plants adorn the cobblestoned streets.
May 27 | Day 7: Pienza - Bagno Vignoni - Brunello di Montalcino Winery - Pienza. Enjoy breakfast at Hotel Corsignano. Traverse the Tuscan countryside to the unique hamlet of Bagno Vignoni, whose central piazza is filled with thermal water once used to cure pilgrims who stopped here on their way to Rome. Then explore hilltop Montalcino, namesake to one of Italy’s great red wines, the Brunello. Tour a winery’s estate and cellar before indulging in a multi-sensory tasting, pairing wine with music. Back in Pienza for the evening, maybe you’ll explore the countryside along one of the many white roads that cut through the farmland.
May 28 | Day 8: Pienza - Siena - Chianti Region. Enjoy breakfast at Villa San Lucchese. Take a guided walking tour through Siena, delving into the local history as you learn about the world-renowned Palio Horse Race. Enjoy free time to explore more of this hilly town, perhaps visiting its cathedral or the town hall’s frescoes. An afternoon drive through Tuscany’s Chianti Region takes you to the restored Tuscan villa* where your hotel is located.
May 29 | Day 9: Chianti Region - Florence - Chianti Region. Enjoy breakfast at Villa San Lucchese. Explore Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance,” with a local expert on foot. Wander along the glittering storefronts on the Ponte Vecchio, where gold shops adorn the only Florentine bridge to survive WWII. You’ll also take in the Palazzo Vecchio, the Piazza della Signoria, and Santa Croce. Take some time on your own to explore the city’s seemingly endless treasures, both historic and modern. Return to your Tuscan villa in the evening.
May 30 | Day 10: Chianti Region - San Gimignano - Chianti Region. Enjoy breakfast & dinner at Villa San Lucchese. Choose** how to explore Tuscan landscape because it’s your choice! Join a local truffle hunter in search of the elusive mushroom and sample the goods yourself -OR- take to the countryside on an ATV adventure along winding dirt roads, followed with a taste of truffle bruschetta. Spend your afternoon in San Gimignano,** whose beautiful 13th-century medieval towers stand tall over the surrounding vineyards. As the sun begins to set, gather with your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner of Tuscan specialties.
May 31 | Day 11: Chianti Region - Tour Ends. Your journey through Tuscany and Umbria comes to a close today in your restored Tuscan villa.
Trip Highlights
|
Your Tour Includes:
Must-See Inclusions:
Cultural Experiences:
Culinary Inclusions:
|
Highlights
|
Available Packages
Price Per Person (Double Occupancy)
Unavailable as of
January 12, 2024
$3,399.00
Deposit: $349.00 per person
Price Per Person (Single Occupancy)
Unavailable as of
January 12, 2024
$3,999.00
Deposit: $349.00 per person
Extra Options
Pre Tour Extension - 2 Nights in Rome
Unavailable as of
January 12, 2024
$1,598.00
Start your Italian sojourn with a 2-night stay in the eternal city of Rome. Shop side-by-side with locals at one of the city’s oldest farmer’s markets before rolling up your sleeves for a chef-led cooking class. Experience an ‘after hours’ visit to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, including a happy hour drink. Spend a full day exploring Rome at your leisure or join an optional walking tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum before setting off to discover the charms of the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside.
*This tour may require additional flights, which will be purchased and booked later in the reservation process. Please note: in-tour and extension flight pricing is not included in the tour rate.
Collette's Optional Trip Protection Travel Insurance
Unavailable as of
January 12, 2024
$449.00
Collette’s travel protection plan offers you a full refund for the price of the tour, right up to the day prior to departure, minus the small cost of the waiver. Travel protection plans are designed to protect your vacation investment, your belongings and most importantly, you! Before you purchase any of the plans we offer, please review the plan information that applies to your purchase.