Compare Under the Tuscan Sun by Travel for All vs Tuscany Cooking Vacations: Treasures of the Tuscan Sun by Access Trips
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 5 days |
| Price From | $ 2,585 | $ 2,990 |
| Price Per Day | $ 323 | $ 598 |
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| Trip Style | Self-guided tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Luxury | Standard |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Description |
Living Under the Tuscan Sun is a dream vacation and Travel-for-All has the connections to make it fully accessible for your personalized Italian vacation. |
Explore the traditional hill towns of sun-kissed Tuscany on our sumptuous 5-day Tuscany cooking vacation. Wine-drenched hillsides, art-filled cities, and soft sunsets over swathes of olive groves and truffle forests—Tuscany epitomizes la vera Italia. The heart of our tour is the enchanting village of Cortona, the star of Frances Mayes’ inspiring bestseller Under the Tuscan Sun. You just might run into the town’s famous resident of Bramasole during a daily stroll to the piazza. Explore the region through its cuisine and, of course, through some of the best wines in Tuscany. Learn to cook an authentic Italian meal from local chefs, visit farms and nearby food producers, relax in lush, rolling vineyards, and sip and taste your way through iconic Montepulciano, Pienza, Siena. Hunt truffles with adorable truffle dogs. Dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant with an exclusive tasting menu. Our Tuscany culinary vacation is a relaxing getaway on its own, or continue exploring with visits to Sicily or Florence. |
Day 1: Arrive in Italy
Transfers from your international airport to “I Girasoli” are available on request. Dinner and overnight at Casa Vacanze I Girasoli; an inviting hotel nestled in a magnificent park, with rooms, bungalows and pools also accessible to people with mobility impairment.
Day 2: Pienza
After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a full-day self-guided tour of Pienza, lunch included. Pienza is famous for its local pecorino sheep’s milk cheese and you can taste and buy it at many little stores in the town.
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 3: Cooking Class
After breakfast at the hotel, take a half-day tour that includes a traditional cooking class. Your hands-on pasta cooking lesson is followed by a 3-course lunch in a traditional Tuscan farm.
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 4: Florence
Spend the day in Florence! After breakfast at the hotel enjoy a 3-hour guided tour in the morning, lunch included. Spend some free time in the afternoon before returning for dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 5: Day of Leisure
After breakfast at the hotel, you are free to spend the day at your leisure. You can relax by the pool or ask for a round-trip shuttle to Lucignano historical center (available on request).
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 6: Siena
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then experience a 3-hour guided tour of Siena with lunch included.
Spend some free time in the afternoon.
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 7: Cortona
Breakfast at the hotel is followed by a self-guided tour of Cortona with free time for lunch and a stop at the Valdichiana Outlet Village.
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”
Day 8: Departure
Breakfast at the hotel and departure (transfer available on request).
DAY 1: Your Tuscany Culinary Tour Begins
Meals: None
Welcome to Tuscany, Italy’s rustic, tranquil and historic heartland and home to world class wine and cuisine, lush rolling landscapes, and medieval hill towns. Your culinary tour of Tuscany begins as we pick you up from your Florence accommodations or the Florence airport. Our destination today is Cortona, the stunning setting for the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun.”
On our way to Cortona, we’ll visit Siena, arguably Italy’s most beautiful medieval city, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set on three hills in the Chianti region, Siena is a must-see on any visit to Tuscany. Siena’s heart is its central piazza called Il Campo, which is best known worldwide for the famous Palio di Siena, a horse race run around the piazza twice each summer. We’ll tour the ancient town on foot, stopping at its most renowned bakery to taste the local “Ricciarelli,” a traditional Sienese cookie made from almonds, sugar, and egg whites.
We’ll then all transfer to our lovely boutique hotel, walking distance to Cortona’s central piazza. Dinner tonight is at your leisure.
DAY 2: Cortona Walking Tour & Italian Cooking Class
Meals: Breakfast, tastings and Dinner
This morning we begin with a 3-hour walking tour of beautiful Cortona to uncover together its two thousand year history. Your local guide will introduce you to the town’s two main churches: the San Francesco Church, dating from the 13th century, and the Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral, rebuilt in the 15th century on the remains of an even older church. You’ll also visit the charming main town square, Piazza della Repubblica, home to Town Hall and several Renaissance palaces, before visiting the Etruscan Museum to discover Cortona’s central role in the Etruscan Confederation and into the Roman period. During the walking tour, we’ll also take a break for coffee and pastries with our guide to relax and immerse ourselves in the relaxed rhythm of local life. After the tour you’ll take time for lunch at your leisure.
This afternoon we will walk to the historic center of Cortona for one of the most interesting and traditional cooking classes in Tuscany. We’ll meet Antonella, an eclectic and talented chef who is also a journalist and expert on local culture. Her charming kitchen has a massive fireplace and a view of the ancient alleys and roofs of Cortona. Working with the best seasonal ingredients, Chef Antonella will guide you in the hands-on preparation of an unforgettable meal, from antipasto to dessert, including the local pici pasta with ragù. We’ll then sit down at the large kitchen table for our hearty dinner paired with the perfect wine. Saluti!
DAY 3: Pienza, Montepulciano & Wine Tasting
Meals: Breakfast and tastings
Our Tuscany culinary tour continues as we spend the day exploring the world-famous wine region of the Val d’Orcia. We’ll start with a tour of a local food producer, visiting for example a greengrocer, a butcher, or a beekeeper to learn the customs and traditions of rural life and sample a few delicious local products.
Our destinations this afternoon are the beautiful hill towns of Pienza and Montepulciano, famous for their excellent cheese and wine production. In Pienza you’ll enjoy a private guided tour to take in the main highlights of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the imposing Palazzo Piccolomini which offers breathtaking panoramas over the valley and was an iconic feature in Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet. We’ll also stop into an artisanal shop where the same family has been aging the finest local cheese for generations. You will have the opportunity to taste pecorino di Pienza cheese at different ages, as well as Italy’s famous balsamic vinegar.
From there we’ll continue to Montepulciano, where you’ll have some free time to enjoy a leisurely lunch and explore on your own. Then you’re in for a delightful surprise. Unbeknownst to most people, beneath the main square of Montepulciano lies an ancient Etruscan cavern that was converted to a wine cellar in the 16th century and has housed the finest regional wines ever since. After touring the cellars, we’ll taste several of Talosa Winery’s award-winning wines accompanied by local pecorino cheese and bruschetta.
DAY 4: Truffle Hunt & Michelin-Rated Dinner
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
One of the highlights of our Tuscany culinary tour is a truffle hunt, which takes place in a “tartufaia” (woodlands where truffles are found) on a family farm and vineyard. Together with our truffle expert and his trained dogs, we stroll through the woods as the dogs sniff out the precious truffles. You’ll even have the chance to handle the truffle dogs directly if you are interested. During the walk, our guide will give you an introduction to the world of Italian truffles, particularly the species of truffles in Tuscany. We’ll learn where and how the truffles are found, how to preserve them properly at home, how they are used in cooking, and what recipes complement them the most. After the hunt, we will head to the farmhouse with our new-found treasure, just in time for lunch al fresco that is paired with the lovely wines that are produced on-site. Our farm-to-table meal includes truffles and other local and seasonal ingredients, such as handmade pasta from flour milled on the premises, local meats and cheeses, and herbs from the garden.
For one of the highlights of Tuscan food this week, our dinner is at the Michelin-starred Il Falconiere, run by award-winning executive chef Silvia Regi Baracchi. This is a meal you may never forget!
DAY 5: Our Tuscany Culinary Tour Ends
Meals: Breakfast
Our culinary tour of Tuscany is over today, but if you want more, we can deliver! Ask us about our 3-day/2-night Florence extension, which you can enjoy either before or after your Tuscany cooking vacation.
