GIROSOLE

italy walking tours

Cooking and Walking in Tuscany

Ingredients: a gorgeous 15th century private villa (in first class), hands-on cooking lessons with a master chef, fresh-picked organic vegetables from the family garden, recipes handed down from one generation to the next, excursions into Chianti and the Val d'Orcia with your own private guide, walks in the Tuscan countryside each day. Add them together, mix well, and then go relax by the pool with a glass of Brunello. Serves you and whoever else you'd like to bring. Our cooking and walking in Tuscany tour is the perfect Italian vacation – great fun, totally relaxing, and fulfilling to the point of...well... just try to eat another gnoccho – we dare you, just try! Hmm, now THAT wasn't so hard!

Highlights

Stay in a private 15th century villa near Fiesole
Learn to cook a full Italian feast
Explore Fiesole, Chianti, the Val d'Orcia, San Gimignano and Volterra
Enjoy countryside walks each day
Visit wineries for private wine and olive oil tastings

Itinerary Outline

Here is an outline of a suggested daily itinerary. You can shorten or lengthen this tour to fit your travel dates. Please note that the following itinerary is based on first class accommodations. Comfort and Select accommodations are also available, with a modified itinerary. Request a detailed itinerary using the contact form below:

Day one: You are met by your guide upon your arrival in Florence and transfered to the villa where you spend the next six nights. After a light Welcome lunch, you explore Fiesole, followed by a walk to Settignano.
Day two: Following a walking tour of Florence's historic center, you return to the villa for your first cooking lesson: the preparation of antipasti and primi. In the evening, you dine on what you prepare.
Day three: Featured today is an excursion into Chianti, with a walk near Greve and Montefioralle. After lunch in an historic residence, you visit a winery for a private tasting of wine and olive oil.
Day four: You begin the day with a cooking lesson concentrating on the preparation of secondi and contorni. After a lunch of what you've prepared, there's a guided excursion to San Gimignano and Volterra.
Day five: The morning is free to further your explorations of Florence, Fiesole or to simply relax by the pool of the villa. In the afternoon, you enjoy your third cooking lesson: the making and uses of various types of breads.
Day six: Your guide helps you on your way to your next destination with a transfer to Florence train station or airport.

What's Included

5 nights first-class villa accommodations with en-suite facilities
5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 dinners
full-time, professional Tour Leader
cooking lessons with a local chef (3 lessons in first class, 2 otherwise)
guided walks each day
special, personal tours hosted by local experts
wine and specialty foods tastings
paid entrance to all included activities
all land transfers to and from tour area, and during tour
all taxes and service charges at hotels and restaurants
travel guidance for pre/post-tour activities

(Not included are airfare, wine and other beverages with alcohol, personal purchases such as laundry, phone calls, frigobar items etc., and anything not specifically included above.)

Pricing

We price this tour for the following categories of accommodation. We also tier-price based on your group's size. You can keep your tour private to your own group or you can open your tour for other travelers to join, thereby taking advantage of our tier discounts. All prices are quoted per person in USD.

accomm. level	2-3 p	4-5 p	6+ p	sing. supp.
comfort	2690	2490	2290	390
select	2990	2790	2590	590
first class	3590	3390	3190	790

Scheduling

You can schedule this tour to start on any day of the week, all year long. As with all our tours, you tell us the dates you would like to start your tour, allowing you the maximum in flexibility and convenience (full explanation).

What's next?

Write to us using the form below, and we'll send you the detailed itinerary for this tour and other relevant information.

Or proceed to our booking area to book this tour now.

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Comfort

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Tour at a Glance

Cooking & Walking in Tuscany

6 days / 5 nights

from USD2790

Personalize this tour to your travel dates, budget, accommodations, activity level and interests

Departing from:

Florence

Finishing in:

Florence

Starting dates:

Any day of the week, all year long (discounts apply November through March)

Fitness rating:

1-4

(ratings explained .. )

Our trip was wonderful and generated a lifetime of memories. We are still talking about the trip with our friends, and sharing the recipes we learned there. Our knowledge of wine has also shown dramatic improvement thanks to the wise council of our guide – Michaelangelo. The photos we took on this trip have helped to keep this great trip in our minds.

Thank you, and all of the Girosole staff, for putting together such a wonderful experience. We have now added Italy to our list of magical places in the world.

Doug and Karen Douglas