Highlights
- guided walk in the Florentine hills or casual city walk
- 6 guided walks through Tuscany
- visit of the medieval towers of San Gimignano
- wine-pairing lunch at a local producer of Vernaccia
- guided visit of the beautiful city of Siena
- pecorino cheese and olive oil tasting
- visit of the open-air thermal baths at Bagno Vignoni
- wine-tasting in Montalcino
- 7 nights in charming accommodations
Trip price includes
- 7 nights accommodation in 3 and 4 stars hotels
- all breakfasts
- 2 wine-tasting lunches
- 5 dinners
- guided visit of Siena
- visit to cheese farm and tasting
- all transfers and luggage transfers as per itinerary
Not included
- 5 lunches and 1 dinner
- drinks other than water at meals
- activities not listed in the itinerary
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival in Florence
Independent arrival in Florence. We haven’t scheduled a meeting this evening to allow for relaxed arrivals, so you’re free to arrange your own dinner (we’re happy to provide suggestions!). Overnight Florence. Dinner not included.
Days 2-4: San Gimignano Area
Follow your guide this morning to explore the highlights of Florence before heading to the countryside; OR – for those who have already spent time in Florence – head into the hills for a lovely morning walk through the narrow lanes and woods above the city. Spend the next 3 nights near the fascinating city of San Gimignano, whose 14 Medieval towers still remain from an original 72. You also visit the nearby hilltop town of Volterra, which was an important Etruscan city 2,500 years ago, as well as fabulous Siena, which rivaled Florence for control of trade and banking in the region for centuries. We offer beautiful walks each day to accompany the cityscapes, though any of our tours could become “light active” where you add more cultural experiences in place of the walks. 3 nights near San Gimignano.
Days 5-7: The Val d’Orcia and the landscapes of the Crete Senesi
We head south today into the iconic scenery of the Orcia river valley (the Val d’Orcia), whose vast wheat fields billow with green in the spring and spread out in browns and tans in the fall. Every view is dotted with cypress trees and the occasional stone farmhouse as we explore the historical hilltop towns nearby. See Pienza, former home to Pope Pius II and now the center of pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese production, and Bagno Vignoni, whose natural thermal waters bubble up right in the town square. We’ll make sure to try plenty of the region’s world-famous food and wine too! 3 nights near Pienza.
Day 8: Tour Ends
We offer one group transfer to the Chiusi train station (on the line to Florence and Rome), or if your guide is driving back to Florence you can hitch a ride with them.
Getting there and away: You can fly directly into the Florence airport, which is well connected to a variety of European hubs, or take a train from Rome or Milan. Chiusi is also on a train line for easy onward connections.