The Tuscan Vacation Sampler

Highlights for the Tuscan Vacation Sampler

• Walk into a Tuscan painting, past iconic cypress trees and sculpted hills.
• Meander through the cobbled lanes of a living renaissance town.
• Visit the medieval walled cities of Montalcino, Cortona, and more.
• Discover authentic cheese and leather shops as you wander through serpentine alleys.
• Hike along paths used for centuries by the Etruscans and Romans.
• Taste famous wines of Chianti, Bruenllo, and Vino Nobile.
• Follow in the footsteps of the ancient Romans as you hike past working farms and vineyards to the Romanesque Abbey of Sant’Antimo.
• Wine tasting of some of Italy’s finest wines from large and small vineyards
• Try your hand at authentic Italian cooking.

*Personalized departures available. Use our concierge service to plan based on your dates of travel and preferred hotels. Choose your dates and let us do the rest. Any day of the week, any month of the year!

What makes our trips special? We do all the work. All you have to do is pack. You can join one of our groups or create your own. Departures are guaranteed for personal departure dates. Our advertised prices are for group of 4 or more people traveling together. If you are a private group, prices are provided based upon request.

PLAN A TRIP

Try this sample itinerary or ask us to create one for you especially for you. *All prices in US dollars.

DAY 1 SAN QUIRICO/MONTALCINO

In the morning our guide will pick you up in Florence for a transfer to the Tuscan countryside. After a typical Tuscan lunch in the medieval village of Montalcino or in the Tuscan countryside, your guide will take you for a walk through ancient Roman roads that pass through the Brunello vineyards for which the region is famous. There is time before our welcome dinner to relax by the pool, weather provided, sip a glass of local wine before dinner, or visit local shops.

The walk: 3.1 miles /5 kilometers
Accommodations: Palazzo del Capitano (First Class) Catiglione del Bosco (Luxury)

Day 2 SAN QUIRICO/PIENZA

Tuscany is best known for its art, history, food and wine. Today has it all. We begin with a hearty Tuscan breakfast. Next, walk to the picture-perfect Sant’Antimo for a visit to the Benedictine monastery. We’ll walk through cool forests and rolling hills covered in olive groves and vineyards. If you’re lucky, you will come across grazing chianine – white cattle weighing up to one ton. Sant’Antimo is a Romanesque Abbey that dates from the 12th century. The monks still chant at specified times. A picnic lunch will be included today as well as a tasting of the famed Brunello wines.

End the day in Pienza, a renaissance town with initial construction by decree of Pope Pius II. In contrast to the narrow alleyways of medieval towns, the original design of Pienza placed an emphasis on making the blue sky visible between buildings. During your two-night stay in Pienza, you’ll have a chance to visit local cheese shops that specialize in pecorino – pungent cheese made from sheep’s milk. Mmmm! Dinner is on your own tonight and the choices are plentiful.

The walk: 9 miles/ 14 kilometers
Accommodations: Palazzo del Captiano (Deluxe) or Catiglione del Bosco (Luxury)

DAY 3 WINE AND WALK

We begin with an early morning walk to the village of Montichiello. Afterwards, there is a car transfer to Montalcino, known for its rich Sangiovese Vino Nobile. We will take a walking tour of Montalcino or Montepulciano and of course taste some of the local wines.

Today you will feast your eyes on in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Val d’Orcia. Imagine nature that is beautiful enough to be designated as a world heritage site. Such is the Val d’Orcia, the natural beauty that you will experience today. The Val d’Orcia is about Tuscan wine and cuisine, cultural gems to explore, nature walks and biking, off-the-beaten-track itineraries, and so much more.

The walk: 4 miles/7 kilometers
Accommodations: Palazzo del Captiano (Deluxe) or Catiglione del Bosco (Luxury)

DAY 4 CORTONA

Today you are treated to a guided walking tour of Cortona and the surrounding hills made famous by Frances Mayes in Under the Tuscan Sun. Visit the Etruscan museum. The Etrurians formed the basis of what we know today as Italian food and family culture. They bred the first chianine, white cattle weighing nearly one ton and famed for Florintine steak. Tonight you’ll share a farewell dinner in the company of your guide.

The walk: 8 to 10 miles/ 12 to 14 kilometers
Accommodations: Villa Marsili (Deluxe), Villa di Piazzano(Luxury)

DAY 5 RETURN TO FLORENCE

After breakfast, our guide will transfer you and your luggage back to Chiusi train station. Transfers to Florence can be arranged upon request.

Or, add a luxury spa retreat

Spend 2 nights in the regenerating power of thermal waters amid rolling hills and cypress woods. Spectacular panoramic pools are filled with the natural heat of the thermal springs. Discover a new dimension of well-being and reach a higher level of harmony. Relax in the unmistakable style of Italian hospitality meets the essence of pure wellness.

INCLUDED: 5 nights accomodations at deluxe hotels, all breakfasts, 3 dinners, 1 lunch, wine tasting, full time certified local guide, luggage transfer, all hotels transfers, guided walking routes, hotel taxes and tips, ferry to Capri, archaeological expert in Pompeii, tips and gratuities for included meals & hotels, and more.

NOT INCLUDED: Airfares, airport taxes, travel insurance (mandatory), pre and post trip arrangements, personal purchases, mini-bar services, alcohol unless specifically included, taxes, FICAV contribution, tips for the guides. We are happy to booking your flights and assist with pre and post travel arrangements.

All bookings through Voyages GAMSPS Travel, Quebec Licensee.

 *Starting prices based on Deluxe hotels. For Luxury hotel pricing nor the spa extension please email us info@eviative.com

Personalized Departure Dates: All trips can be organized to suit your individual needs and preferred departure dates. Supplemental charges may apply.