The red hue of a perfect bottle of wine shines like a ruby. The scent of freshly made pasta emanates from a restaurant located in a historic cellar. Chestnut trees and olive groves fill the open Tuscan valleys, leading you to far-reaching vineyards and medieval hilltop towns. Your custom tailored food and wine tour of Tuscany takes you on a unique blend of wine and culinary experiences set in the world-renowned countryside of Tuscany. Tuscany is where the cuisine is as artful as the region’s Renaissance...
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
A Tuscan Introduction
Florence is the capital of Tuscany, brimming with artistry from the architecture to the cuisine. The fame of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Dante Alighieri precede the glory of the city. The aroma of creamy gelato drifts out of the award-winning gelateria, “Perche No!” The scent of freshly made pasta wafts upwards from the succulent sauces showcased on a street-side café table.
One of our Italy tour operators will arrange for a transfer to greet you at Florence International Airport. As you are driving to your hotel, you feel like the imagined flavors of the city have already captivated you. You have thought about sitting alongside the Arno River savoring espresso with the sound of the current lapping against the riverbanks.
In the evenings, the low hum of Gregorian chants fills the have of San Miniato al Monte, overlooking the skyline of Florence. The small and historic artisan shops on the Otrarno, the opposite side of the river, fill with handmade jewelry and leather goods. The city is exactly how you imagined it: contemporary energy inside a Renaissance shell.
For dinner, you venture into a typical 14th-century building to find a delectable restaurant highlighting the succulent cuisine of Tuscany, including sliced tender beef with regional Pecorino cheese. To accentuate each dish, you have a paired wine chosen directly from the antique family cellar.
What's Included:
Day 2
Absorbing Tradition
Day 3
Touch of the Enthusiast
Day 4
Towers and Cellars
Day 5
Between History and Essence
Day 6
A Different View of Tuscany
Day 7
Sunlight to Sunflowers
Day 8
Nobles of the Tuscany
Day 9
Always More than Average
Trip Highlights
- Discover one of the most pristine wine regions in Tuscany
- Explore the historic wine traditions of a small Tuscan town outside of Florence
- Visit the charming Island of Elba, home to stunning beaches, fresh seafood, and incredible local wines
- Indulge in the succulent flavors of a cellar restaurant with a seasonal menu inside Florence’s historic city center
- Sample two of the most notable wines produced in Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
- Delight in a half-day cooking course inside a historic castle where you can learn the true flavors of the province utilizing the local garden and farm
Detailed Description
The true splendor of Tuscan cuisine is that there are endless ways to experience it. On your 9-day food and wine tour of Tuscany, your culinary excursion will take you through the treasured towns and scenic landscape. You will have a unique experience, sampling wines, indulging in local flavors, and basking in the artistry of simple tastes that lead to complex wonders.
Your Tuscany tour begins with your arrival at Florence International Airport. Your private transfer leads you into the stunning city where you have the remainder of the day at your leisure. Sample the beatitudes of the streets and in the evening, savor a Tuscan tasting menu at an award-winning restaurant where you can dine on a seasonal menu with a specialized wine pairing.
The following day, you travel to a small town near Prato, known as Carmignano. Embark on the town’s winemaking traditions, as it is one of the oldest wine producers in Tuscany. You venture to Chianti, a region south of Florence and celebrated for its rolling hills, emerald hues, and fabulous wines.
Visit the main town of Greve and tour a nearby villa, home to a farm and vineyard. After sampling the wine, you will have a remarkable cooking course that will immerse you in more of the regional flavors and characteristics of the surrounding soil. The following day, you visit the stunning medieval streets and towers of San Gimignano, tasting the popular Vernazza wine. Then, stroll around the Etruscan town of Volterra where you can dine in a cave-like wine bar. In the town of Bolgheri, you will discover the exquisite flavors of Sassicaia wine in a historic city center overlooked by many visitors to Tuscany.
The following day, you venture by ferry to the Island of Elba, touring the historic port town of Portoferraio. When you return to mainland Tuscany, your private transfer escorts you to the charming city of Siena, located atop the hills and maintaining traditional cuisine close to the hearts of locals. On your way back to Florence, you visit the enchanting medieval towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano. Each town is world-renowned for their famous wines produced around their own hills and enjoyed inside their historic city walls. The following day, your private transfer meets you in the hotel lobby and escorts you to the airport where you will board your flight home.
Starting Price
$4,100 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.9 stars based on 5950 reviews.
Zicasso’s travel company was wonderful in planning our trip on short notice and in line with our requests and preferences. Their suggestions of what to do and where to stay were perfect. And when we accidentally got off on the wrong island, the travel company quickly got us new ferry tickets to get to the right place. It was all seamless.
Reviewed By Sherry G.
This trip was the greatest week of our lives! Everything planned was better than I could have imagined. The private drivers being coordinated behind the scenes made the trip so easy and removed all the stress of trying to navigate a new country. Every driver and our tour guide was so nice and I feel like we made friends with all of them.
My favorite part of the trip was definitely the cooking classes and that every tour was private and intimate for my wife and I. The connections Zicasso’s travel agent hooked us up with made the trip the most memorable experience. Our travel agent and the travel company took special care of all the tiny details of the trip; our hotel knew it was my birthday and had a special surprise for me! I’m beyond thankful for the perfect honeymoon they provided my wife and I.
Reviewed By Branson S.
The accommodations and private tours were worth the extra money. Our drivers were professional and helpful.
Reviewed By Claudia R.
The overall trip was great. The weather was terrific and the countries we visited had so much to see. Zicasso's tour company did a good job of balancing relaxation with fun. Each of the guides we had was so pleasant and shared so much information with us. They were very attentive to our needs.
Reviewed By Nisha V.
Wow, where to begin. This trip was an absolute dream.
When I first spoke to Zicasso’s travel consultant, I told her my main travel concern: traveling with nine- and 15-year-old boys as a single mom in Italy. I was excited to take the trip with them, but I really needed something that was meticulously planned to take away the nerves of having to navigate alone with two kids. She listened and executed the most beautiful trip.
She planned activities that captured the attention and imagination of a fourth grader and a teenager. And the experiences were unique. Probably the highlight of the trip was a truffle hunt with the hunter and his dog in the countryside outside of Florence. My oldest wants to move to Florence and start hunting! We had a personalized cooking class, a private Vespa tour of Rome, and a delicious and informative art and food tour, among other amazing experiences. As we were sending photos back home, I got so many requests for our itinerary because it was so special and unique. Both boys were hard-pressed to choose which part they liked best.
The hotels she selected were beautiful, comfortable, and right in the heart of the cities and attractions we wanted to see. When we encountered a small hiccup (by our hotel, not our travel agent), I contacted her and she responded right away, getting us a free room upgrade and free dinner! We felt very taken care of.
Aside from the amazing activities and locations we saw, the trip was fantastic because everything was so seamless. We always had a private driver arranged, pre-booked train tickets, and even someone to make sure we made it on time for our flight home. I never had to worry about a thing. It was also telling that every tour guide we interacted with had only glowing things to say about our travel agent and her keen attention to detail and organization.
If you're planning on visiting Italy, this travel company is the travel agency you need to select. It takes any of the stress and guesswork out of the travel process, and all you have to do is show up and enjoy.
Thank you so much! You helped us make some amazing memories!
Stephanie
Reviewed By Stephanie S.
This was possibly the best vacation we have ever taken. A fitting trip to mark our 25th anniversary, we will remember our days in Positano and Sorrento forever. Everything was perfect and the service and support were extraordinary.
Zicasso's travel specialist and the other people were always super-helpful and friendly. The hotels they chose for us in particular were exactly what we wanted. I can’t think of a single issue. Transport, transfers, etc., were perfect. The only bad part was that we had to return to normal life afterwards! We highly recommend our travel company to anyone! Grazie mille!
Reviewed By Mauro A.