Cooking and Walking in Tuscany
5 nights — from USD2450
Overview
Ingredients: hands-on cooking lessons with a master chef, fresh-picked vegetables from the local mercato, recipes handed down from one generation to the next, excursions throughout 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 along. It’s 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! Hmmmm, now THAT wasn’t so hard!
Highlights
- Learn to cook a full Italian feast
- Explore San Gimignano, Montalcino, Bagno Vignoni, Pienza, Montepulciano
- Enjoy countryside walks each day
- Visit wineries for private wine and olive oil tastings
Depart From: Florence
Finish In: Florence
Starting Dates: Any day, all year long
Fitness Rating: 1-4 (Ratings Explained)
“...a true treasure...”
We had a wonderful time in Italy. Our guide was a true treasure, and made our experience in Tuscany more special and rich that we could possibly have imagined. He went above and beyond the call of duty to make our time in Tuscany full and enjoyable and educational. We have traveled in many parts of the world, and have had guides in various places, so we know how rare it is to find someone with the combination of being so committed to his clients, so thoroughly knowledgeable, and so personable. We greatly enjoyed learning to prepare traditional Tuscan food in the traditional ways, and it was all delicious. In short, we would not hesitate to recommend a Girosole cooking and walking tour to others. Thank you also, for all your help and advice in our planning our tour, including the aspects that were not directly related to our tour. You also helped to make our trip a memorable, successful one.
Kathryn Angell
Itinerary Outline
Here is an outline of a suggested daily itinerary. You can shorten or lengthen this tour to fit your travel dates. For further information, please request a detailed itinerary.
- Day one: You are met by your guide upon your arrival in Florence and transferred to Montalcino where you’ll spend the next five nights. Along the way, you stop in San Gimignano to explore among its famous towers and finish the day with a tasting of Brunello.
- Day two: You begin the day with a walk in the area of Bagno Vignoni, an ancient Roman spa town. In the afternoon, you return to Montalcino for your first cooking lesson and afterwards dine on what you prepare.
- Day three: Featured today is a walk through forests and rolling countryside to the abbey of Sant’Antimo, a travertine jewel set among ancient olive trees. A wine-tasting follows in the afternoon.
- Day four: A walk from the village of Monticchiello brings you to Montepulciano, famous for its Vino Nobile. Back again in Montalcino, you enjoy your second cooking lesson, as well as the results of your inspirations.
- Day five: Today is devoted to a walk to the village of Pienza. The village is considered a Renaissance gem, and is famous too for its pecorino cheeses, of which you enjoy a tasting.
- 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
We suggest the following inclusions based on the proposed itinerary (above) and prices (below). Keep in mind that you can modify these as per your own preferences.
- 5 nights accommodations with en-suite facilities
- breakfast each day
- 2 cooking classes/dinners with a local chef
- full-time, professional Tour Leader
- 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
- 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.)
“...incredibly charming...”
My husband and I just returned from our cooking and walking tour in Tuscany. I can’t praise the tour enough. Michelangelo was a first class guide. He was a knowledgeable of both the country side and the history of the areas we visited. He also has a terrific, upbeat personality and went out of his way to make us feel comfortable. Costanza was not only a great cook, but incredibly charming. Her family welcomed us with open arms and made us feel as though we were part of the household. I will never forget our last dining under the stars as the family prepared the brick over pizza. It was a vision implanted in my memory. If you need a recommendation from someone, don’t hesitate to call me.
Joanna Leefer
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. Single Supplements (sing. supp.) are charged on single occupancy rooms only. All prices are quoted per person in USD.
| accomm. level |
2-3 p |
4-5 p |
6+ p |
sing. supp. |
| comfort |
2820 |
2650 |
2450 |
410 |
| select |
3140 |
3040 |
2720 |
620 |
| first class |
3770 |
3560 |
3350 |
830 |
| deluxe |
5030 |
4820 |
4650 |
930 |
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).
