7 DAYS/6 NIGHTS TO TUSCANY
Starting From: $2,400 (per person, based on Double Occupancy)
Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti, Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino
A tour to explore a region of sprawling vineyards, rolling hills, charming old cities, masterpieces of art and gourmandise: visit the magnificent Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance”, Siena, famous for the Palio horse race, the Chianti area, Montepulciano and Montalcino, known all over the world for their prestigious wines, San Gimignano with its tall towers; visit wineries and cellars, sample excellent wines, rare cold cuts, Pecorino cheese and olive oil, shop for delicacies in the many food shops.
What's Included:
- 6 nights in 4* charming hotels and historical residences
- Buffet Breakfast Daily
- 4 meals based on traditional regional dishes, including a selection of regional wines: 1 Slow Food welcome dinner at the hotel, 2 lunches & 1 dinner at “Osterie d’Italia” typical Slow Food restaurants
- 6 guided tastings of foods and wines from the Tuscany region
- Entrance fees to: Church of Santa Croce (Florence), Contrade Museum (Siena), 1300 Museum (San Gimignano)
- Guided visit of Firenze (half day)
- Guided visit of Siena (half day)
- 1 Slow Food Gift
- 1 Slow Food - Terra Madre presentation kit
- Arrival and departure airport transfers in Italy at scheduled times on Day 1 & Day 7
- Travel in state-of the-art, luxury coach buses
- Baggage Handling for the full duration of the tour
- Professional Tour Directors and licensed local guides as per itinerary
- Taxes
Options:
- Flights from your home city
- Additional dinners at the hotel
- Private transfers from/to the airports
** Local City Tax in Florence is NOT INCLUDED. Tax is to be paid to the hotel directly.
Call 1-800-ITALY-25 to book your vacation today!
Dates & Pricing:
Guaranteed Departure Dates 2012:
April 22nd SOLD OUT!
May 20th SOLD OUT!
June 24th SOLD OUT!
September 16th
October 14th
November 11th
Pricing: $2,400 (all departure dates)
per person based on double or triple occupancy
Single Supplement: $600
Note: Rates are per person and include round trip airport transfers in Italy at scheduled times. Airfare available from your hometown.
Day by Day Itinerary:
Day 1) Arrival
Arrival at Pisa airport and collective transfer to the hotel Villa Il Palagio, near Florence at 4pm. Settle in, meet your tour escort and enjoy a welcome drink and an introduction to the Slow Food philosophy, the activities of the Association and the products of the Tuscany region. Then enjoy a delicious traditional dinner with some excellent produce from the region including Slow Food Presidia products.
Overnight
Day 2) Florence
Morning departure for Florence. Walk through the historical center of this amazing city and visit the Santa Croce church, known as the "Pantheon of Italian Glories" where many illustrious Italians such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini and Machiavelli are buried. The tour also visits other religious buildings (the Baptistry, the Duomo and Giotto’s bell tower) and the houses of power in the old city (the Piazza della Signoria). Take a break at one of Florence’s oldest ice cream parlors, “Perché no!”, that offers more than 33 different flavors and a precise selection of raw materials (including pistachios from Bronte, a Slow Food Presidium product, saffron and cardamom). There will be a short talk on how the ice cream is made with some small samples. Enjoy a free afternoon to stroll along Florence's elegant streets, visit the Uffizi Gallery or shop at the leather market, then traditional dinner at Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino.
Breakfast, Ice Cream Tasting, Dinner
Transfer to hotel and overnight.
Day 3) Siena, San Gimignano
Morning departure for Siena. Guided tour of the most important and most beautiful architecture in the city, including the Museum delle Contrade (each horse in the famous ”Palio”, runs for a different Contrada or district). Sampling of some delicious traditional desserts like the Panforte in one of the most famous pastry shops in town. Free time for shopping before departing for San Gimignano. On the way to San Gimignano along the ancient Via Francigena, enjoy a lunch with some of the traditional local produce such as the Certaldo onion (Slow Food Presidium), and the organic extra virgin olive oil from San Gimignano at the little family-run farmhouse Il Castagnolino. Visit and have a talk on the techniques used in producing organic olive oil. In the afternoon visit the famous towers and the San Gimignano 1300 Museum: storyboards, multimedia exhibits, street scenes and a ceramic recreation of the city as it was back in 1300.
Breakfast, Dessert Tasting, Lunch
Return to the hotel and overnight.
Day 4) Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti
Entire day dedicated to discovering the Chianti hills along the Via Chiantigena (an ancient road connecting Siena with Florence crossing over the hills of Chianti). Stop off at Castellina in Chianti for a talk on aromatic herbs harvested and dried following the ancient techniques of Duccio Fontani. Lunch at the Osteria al Ponte in Gaiole in Chianti. Set off for the wonderful city of Greve, to visit the little historical town center and then head for the Podere Le Fornaci where there will be some sampling of organic cheeses (including baby goats cheese and fresh ricotta) made from the milk of the goats that graze in the Chianti hills.
Breakfast, Organic Cheese Tasting
Return to the hotel and overnight.
Day 5) Montepulciano, Pienza
Morning departure for Montepulciano, one of the most characteristic and intact medieval cities in Italy which from a height of 605 meters above sea level offers amazing views over the surrounding hillsides. Visit the Enoteca Contucci winery for a tasting, then explore the wonderful town center of Montepulciano where lunch will be hosted in the old Osteria dell’Acquacheta, with its rustic and familial atmosphere. Here, sample some of Tuscany’s best recipes (such as the Pici all’Aglione). In the afternoon, head for Pienza, the perfect example of a renaissance city, famous for its Pecorino cheese. Visit a Pecorino cheese producer and learn something about the cheese-making process and sample the fare.
Return to the hotel where there will be a tasting of a selection of local wines.
Breakfast, Wine Tasting, Lunch, Wine Tasting
Overnight.
Day 6) Montalcino
Morning departure for Montalcino, famous for its Brunello, one of the best red wines in the world. Montalcino, however, is also a beautiful art city which, from upon high dominates 3,000 hectares of vineyards (1,500 for Brunello alone). A visit to the Mastio della Rocca which is home to the Enoteca La Fortezza where it will be possible to buy some local products and the exceptional honey, a local specialty, and sampling some wine. Free time. A visit to one of leading wine producers in the area for a tasting and a tour of the cellars: Azienda Casanova dei Neri.
Breakfast, Wine Tasting
Return to the hotel and overnight.
Day 7) Departure
Early morning collective transfer for the Pisa airport. Arrival at the airport at 10am.
Hotels:
Hotel Villa Il Palagio 4*, Rignano sull’Arno (Florence)
Villa il Palagio is both an historical palace and a modern-style apartment-hotel. The structure includes over 30 apartments which combine all the comforts and amenities of a luxury home with the discreet professional services and facilities of a world-class hotel. Villa Il Palagio consists of several buildings of different periods, such as, the Villa, the Oratory and the barn, nowadays converted into stylish apartments. Villa Il Palagio offers its guests a wide choice of luxurious two, three and four rooms independent apartments, with contemporary furnishing. A wide green park with an amazing outdoor swimming pool & bar enhance the enjoyment of Villa Il Palagio guests.
Note: If a change in hotels, restaurants, wineries or other businesses becomes necessary for any reason, the hotels or other businesses substituted will be equivalent of those shown.
SLOW FOOD PRESIDIA AND OTHER RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Participants will have the unique chance of sampling several Slow Food Presidia products - high quality, traditional foods and beverages at risk of “extinction” - and other local delicacies from Slow Food recommended quality producers, such as:
· the Certaldo onion
· the Pienza Pecorino cheese
· the wine of Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello and Bolgheri vineyards
· the Florence’s oldest ice cream parlors, “Perché no!”
TYPICAL RESTAURANTS FROM THE “OSTERIE D’ITALIA” SLOW FOOD GUIDE
Tour participants will taste the delicious, authentic dishes of the regional cuisine eating at restaurants selected among those recommended by Slow Food in the “Osterie d’Italia” guide, small “trattorie” that still use fresh, local produce and traditional recipes for their dishes:
· Osteria i Diavoletti
· Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino
· Osteria dell’Acquacheta
· Osteria Al Ponte
WINERIES AND MORE
Tour participants will also have the opportunity to sample wines and/or local typical products at wineries, bakeries, pastry shops, fresh produce markets and more, such as:
· the Nobile di Montepulciano and other wines of the Montepulciano vineyards
· the Brunello and other wines of the Montalcino vineyards
· the aromatic herbs of the Chianti area
POINTS OF INTEREST: ART, HISTORY, CULTURE & NATURE
During the tour the participants will not only discover delightful food and wines but also the most interesting monuments, works of art, churches and natural landscapes of the region:
· Florence, the cradle of the Italian Renaissance, with the masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery, the Santa Croce church, the Baptistry, the Duomo and Giotto’s bell tower, the Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio bridge
· Siena, where the famous Palio race is run in the ancient Piaza del Palio square
· San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its wonderful medieval towers and the San Gimignano 1300 Museum
· the Chianti area, with its wonderful hills and vineyards, where some of the best Italian wines are produced
· Montepulciano, one of the most characteristic and intact medieval cities in Italy
· Pienza, the perfect example of a renaissance city, famous for its Pecorino cheese
· Montalcino, a beautiful art city which is famous for its Brunello, one of the best red wines of the world
CALL: 1-800-ITALY-25
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