11-Day Luxury Wine Tour of Tuscany

The Accademia is one of the pinnacles of Florence, set within the looming shadow of the cathedral’s renowned brick dome. Your guide will meet you at the hotel to explore the city, taking you from Giotto’s bell tower to the dramatic presence of Palazzo Vecchio and the glistening gold shops on the Ponte Vecchio. Once inside the Accademia Gallery, you can wander through the rooms that trace the lineage of music with instruments from Stradivari or demonstrate Michelangelo’s unparalleled talent as you gaze into the piercing eyes of David as the statue stands approximately 17 feet tall.

The magnitude of Florence’s artistic influence and power will come into focus during your private tour of the Uffizi Gallery. After meeting your guide, you will wander one of the world’s most important art museums to find the works of Caravaggio, Giotto, and da Vinci as part of an evolution of artistic aesthetics in Europe. You can also find the vibrant colors and lifelike personification of mythology in Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. The remainder of the day will be at your leisure to relax in the Boboli Gardens, wander alongside the Arno River, or indulge in a celebrated gelaterie.

To truly indulge in Tuscany’s flavors, you will start your discovery at an olive oil mill. Your private transfer will escort you to meet your guide through the olive orchards and around the traditional equipment used for pressing and bottling. You can sample the olive oil paired with local cheeses and bread to accentuate the layers of herbaceous and slightly bitter notes. You will continue to the charming villages around the Chianti region at your own pace, where you can view the artisan workshops, boutiques, and restaurants framed by the porticos of Greve in Chianti’s main piazza.

After breakfast, your private transfer will take you through the textured hills of the Chianti area to enjoy the views. Fields turn into olive groves and stone villages crown the hillsides as you arrive at a prestigious winery known for crafting traditional Tuscan wines. You may find notes of dried herbs and game as you taste the wine before continuing to the charming medieval town of San Gimignano. The 14 towers exemplify the former wealth and power of the local families, with the preserved walls and cobbled lanes providing an enchanting sense of history.

In the morning, you can spend time in Monteriggioni, a medieval town with monumental ramparts and fortified watchtowers. Once in Siena, the architecture seems to soar above the surrounding hills and evokes a soulful representation of Gothic history. The city may feel like an open-air museum as you stroll beneath the graceful tower hovering above Piazza del Campo or embrace the dramatic marbled facade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. The 56 panels inside the cathedral represent a distinctive mixture of local mythology and biblical stories exploring a culture in which both pieces share a single space.

In the morning, you will become immersed in the customs and culture of Tuscany by visiting a local market with your cooking class instructor. The colors and aromas of the season will highlight part of what makes the cuisine so special. Once in the kitchen, you will follow your guide’s instructions to make a delicious Tuscan tasting menu. You may find the aromas of olive oil, onion, or grilled eggplant as you create a dish typical of local cooking tradition resulting in simple but delicious dishes like robilita or potato tortelli.

In the morning, you will visit a winery in Montepulciano, where your guide will lead you through the estate and its historic cellars. During the tasting, you may sample Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to discover aromas of blackberry, plum, and tobacco leading to lingering notes of chocolate and pepper. In the town of Montepulciano, you can stroll along the cobbled lanes of winding along the hilltop to enjoy the views of the surrounding vineyards or the aromas of the traditional Tuscan restaurants. You can also spend time exploring the arcades and pools of Bagno Vignoni in the afternoon.

Pienza is a small town but feels like the gourmet epicenter of Val d’Orcia. Transformed in the 15th century into an emblem of Renaissance design, Pienza continues to embody the spirit of architecture, food, and tradition. Cheese and culinary shops line the cobbled lanes while walnut, ash trees, and grapevines blanket the surrounding hills and valleys. You may sample a number of local cheese to find aromatic herbs present in every bite. During your private cooking class, you may find the aromas of garlic sauce or enjoy the subtle flavors of bean and bread soup.

After breakfast, your private transfer will escort you south to Rome. On the way, you have the chance to visit Orvieto in the region of Umbria. The homes float atop a gigantic rock and overlook fields streaked with olive groves and grapevines. The medieval lanes weave between austere brownstone homes and Gothic churches captured in the exceptional mosaics and frescoes of the cathedral’s facade. Caves feed into the porous stone once used by Etruscans and open up to passageways and city gates. Upon reaching Rome, you can relax in the comforts of your accommodation.

In the morning, you can enjoy one more breakfast in Italy to embrace the beauty of Italy found in the simple pleasures of brioche and espresso. You have the option of extending your trip by exploring Rome or continuing south to the Amalfi Coast. You will transfer to the airport when you are ready for a quick connection that will bring an end to your luxury Italy trip. Once at the airport, you will have plenty of time to check in to your flight home.