Combination Tours> Italy> Hiking and Cooking in Italy

Italy: Hiking and Cooking in Italy
Tuscany/Umbria, Italy - 7 nights


For a truly unique vacation let us introduce you to Tuscany: a world of history, beauty and gastronomic riches. This is a tour that has something for everyone, be it the fitness enthusiast, the history buff, or the food and wine connoisseur.

Since ancient times, Italy has been a center of artistic and culinary delights and nowhere is this more evident than in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza and Assisi— all UNESCO World Heritage Sites— are just a few of the stops along our road of discovery. We have arranged the itinerary to allow time to explore the incredible areas you’ll see, and taste the local cuisine. The riches of the region will be apparent as you hike, explore and eat your way through some of Italy’s most beautiful and inspirational scenery and cities of art.

This tour is designed specifically for people who possess a dichotomous nature in which opposites are not only welcomed, but nurtured. We delight in a luxurious meal supported a bevy of local wines, but we also feel that this meal can be lifted into the sublime if it’s been preceded by a day hiking through the hills, absorbing the ambiance. A hard day of physical exertion is every bit as rewarding as a day lounging pool side, lost in the deep colors of the Mediterranean.

Carpe Diem!

Day One

We will meet you at the train station in Poggibonsi, just outside Florence, and shuttle you to Poggio Alloro. After settling in, we’ll have a welcome cocktail before enjoying our first meal of authentic Italian cuisine. Lodging: Fattorio Poggio Alloro

Day Two

Today we visit two of the famous hill top towns of Tuscany and the historical Abbey, Sant' Antimo. A full day is planned today, with plenty to keep our senses reeling. First, we’ll hop in the van for a quick shuttle to wine country for a visit at the classic hill top town of Montalcino, home of the famous Brunello wine. From there we’ll begin our 3-hour hike to the famous Sant’Antimo Abbey. (For anyone interested in spending more time exploring the town, and perhaps sampling the famous wines of the region, the van will meet up with the hikers at the Abbey). Sant’ Antimo is a glorious monastery, isolated in a timeless landscape of fields, olive groves and wooded hills. The hike is scheduled to arrive at the Abbey in time to experience Vespers as celebrated by the monks in haunting Gregorian chant. This is the only place in Italy where the practice is still continues. Afterwards, an amazing lunch at our favorite trattoria just above the Abbey.

Then it's on to the “Citta Ideale” of Pienza, a UNSECO World Heritage Site, setting for both Minghella’s The English Patient and Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet. Pienza is also the capital of Tuscany's cheese zone, famous for its Pecorino cheese. So, of course, we’ll have to sample it before ending our day with an afternoon cooking class. Lodging: Hotel Chiusarelli

Day Three

Today we will take in the life and moods behind the medieval walls of San Gimignano and Siena, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With our Italian guide, we will explore these fascinating cities at a leisurely pace so there is enough time to linger at the sites that call to your soul and make your senses yearn. A visit to Siena is never complete, though, without a stop at Enotica Italiana, which offers an excellent selection of Italian wines and a cool, refreshing gelato on the most famous of piazzas, Piazza del Campo. The day will end with a wine tour and sumptuous dinner at one of the region’s famous wineries, Dievole. This gorgeous feast is prepared by the winery chefs and enjoyed in their private cellars, complete with guitar serenade. A highlight for everyone who has experienced this tour! Lodging: Il Chiostro di Pienza

Day Four

We move on to Umbria, Tuscany’s charming, more quiet brother. After breakfast, we’ll jump in the van for a short drive to Cortona, home of the famous book Under the Tuscan Sun. We will take the morning to explore this lovely town, full of historic & culinary delights. A hike to the summit of the town is a must, passing by the mock-Romanesque church, Santa Margherita and Fortezza Medicea. We will enjoy lunch here as well as a tasting of the area’s famous olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Afterwards we’ll head to Il Poggiolo and our first cooking class there. For dinner tonight we’ll experience the utter perfection that is Italian pasta… but first we’ll have to learn to make it! Lodging: Agriturismo Poggiolo

Day Five

A quick shuttle will bring us to Assisi, once the home of the great Saint Francis. Here you will have a chance to view the superb Giotto frescoes before enjoying a hike to Spello, a charming little town nestled in the Umbrian hillside. In Spello, where renowned paintings by Pintericchio and Norberto can be admired, we will end the afternoon with a wine- and food-tasting at Enoteca Properzio with our host Roberto Angellini. Here you will sample some of the best Umbrian wines, pestoes, cheeses and olive oils that have made the region famous. Lodging: Agriturismo Poggiolo

Day Six

After a morning walk through the olive groves and vineyards, it’s off to the fascinating city of Perugia with its amazing fountain and subterranean town. Explore the hidden tunnels and paths of the buried old city before moving above ground to the citta d’arte. Don’t forget to taste the delectable Baci chocolates, another of Perugia’s claims to fame. For the culinarily inclined, we will again partake in an afternoon cooking class with Christina and Alfonsa and enjoy the fruits of these labours tonight at dinner. Lodging: Agriturismo Poggiolo

Day Seven

A visit in the morning to the highlight of Southern Umbria, Orvieto, celebrated for its colorful ceramics and white wine. Orvieto is an Etruscan town, dominating the valleys far below from their brown-red cliffs. These cliffs are made up of soft tufo stone, which has been used to carve out tombs since ancient times. En route back to our inn, we’ll stop for a tour and tasting of the region’s olive oils. Then back to Agriturismo Poggiolo  for our farewell dinner.

Day Eight

After we reminisce about our adventures at our good-bye breakfast, we’ll head back to the Perugia train station and begin our journeys homeward or beyond! We hope that all your travels will be as wonderful.

*Details subject to change

Group Size:
Minimum: 4 people/Maximum: 12 people

Operator reserves the right to cancel any tour prior to departure for any reason and, in such an event, a full refund of all monies received will be returned. We will do our best to provide 30 days notice of cancellation to give ample time to make other travel arrangements.

Operator is not responsible for additional expenses such as nonrefundable "Advance Purchase" airline tickets. Travel insurance is highly recommended.



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