Art, Wine and Food in the Tuscan Heartland
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Depart on your overnight flight to Florence
Day 2: Arrive in Florence and met by your guide who takes you on an overview of the city followed by lunch at an Enoteca as you discuss the upcoming activities. You enjoy dinner at the hotel overlooking the Arno River and Ponte Vecchio. (L, D)
Day 3: After breakfast, your guide will take you to the Uffizi where you will learn the evolution of Renaissance art by studying the works of Giotto, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Botticelli and Raffaello. After lunch you visit to see the works of Michelangelo including the world-renowned “David”. This evening we take you to one of our favorite Florentine restaurants. (B, L, D)
Day 4: In the morning you will visit Il Canapone, a 40 seat restaurant famous for its authentic and innovative cuisine. You will spend the morning learning the basics of Tuscan cuisine and then make a lunch which you enjoy with wine. After lunch you visit some of the artisans of Florence including those working in leather and creating marbleized paper. After your visit the car will be waiting to take you into the Chianti countryside. (B, L, D)
Day 5: Along with your guide you spend the day in the Chianti countryside not only tasting the wine but also the olive oil and balsamic vinegar that also comes from this area. While in the town of Greve, birthplace of Verrazano, you have the chance to try seasoned meats in a butcher’s shop in existence for four hundred years. (B, L, D)
Day 6: Your first stop today will be the hilltop town of Montepulciano which at one time considered itself to be the equal of Siena. The architecture is interesting but the real focus here is the red wines including Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and Rosso de Montepulciano. You stop in the town of Pienza to sample their famous Pecorino di Pienza cheese before arriving at the town of Montalcino, birthplace of Brunello de Montalcino. (B, L, D)
Day 7: You have the morning at leisure to relax by the pool, take a walk in the countryside or a mountain bike through the olive groves. Following afternoon tea, you join the hotel’s chef for a walk in the herb garden to select ingredients for the dinner you will help create. You also spend time with the sommelier selecting the wines to accompany the meal. After working on the meal with the chef you get a chance to enjoy the four course meal accompanied by the wines selected. (B, L, D)
Day 8: Your driver will take you to the airport for your return flight to the US (B)
Accommodations
While in the Renaissance City of Florence
Standing on the south bank of the River Arno, the Hotel Lungarno offers you your very own ‘room with a view’ with stunning aspects over Florence – the cultural capital of the world. A monument to the Renaissance, few cities can rival Florence. And, at the heart of it all is the Hotel Lungarno. The large windows in the lobby frame the masterpiece view of the Ponte Vecchio and the palazzi that face the river. The interior design is a smart balance of ivory toned fabrics and ocean blue carpets, with details that recall the elegance of an aristocratic Florentine home. Guest rooms are luxurious, even dramatic, and splendidly appointed. Privileged access to the restaurant, Borgo San Jacopo, provides a delicious view equal to its timeless Italian home cuisine.
While touring the Chianti Countryside
Villa Bordoni, a sophisticated country house hotel, nestles in the grey-green hills immediately above the town of Grieve, in the heart of the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany. This 16th century noble villa commands an extraordinary vantage point over the unspoiled Chianti hills and their biblical landscape of vineyards, terraced olive groves and forest. Villa Bordoni is now proud to be among Condé Nast Traveler’s “60 Best New Hotels in the World”.
Prices
$4,827 per person based on 2 traveling.
$3,598 per person based on 4 traveling
$3,086 per person based on 6 traveling
For more information or to book Art, Wine and Food in the Tuscan Heartland, please contact us.