Compare Walking in Tuscany by Exodus Travels vs Tuscany Gourmet Cooking Holiday by Caspin
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 7 days |
| Price From | $ 1,890 | $ 3,399 |
| Price Per Day | $ 236 | $ 486 |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Internal airfare and ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | All breakfasts, five lunches and five dinners are included. Continental breakfast with a choice of cereal, bread, yoghurt, eggs and fruit, plus milk, fruit juice and teas/coffee. Packed lunches are provided on walking days with a buffet-style selection of meat, cheese, fish, salad, bread and salad mix, such as panzanella, plus a cake and fruit. Starters include Garfagnana soup, pesto pasta, bresaola or risotto with locally made bread, water and Braccicorti red wine. Main course can be stuffed peppers and courgettes with local cheese and pancetta, roasted meats, locally caught trout or a vegetarian dish such as aubergine and mozzarella bake with home-grown vegetables and salad. Each meal is finished with a small dessert of homemade tiramisu, panna cotta, gelato or fruit salad and on occasions followed with homemade grappa or amaretto. Vegetarians are usually well catered for in this area. If you have a gluten-free diet, we recommend taking items with you, as it is not easy to purchase gluten-free products locally. | N/A |
| Description |
Garfagnana, close to the much-loved trio of Lucca, Pisa and Florence, is one of the best-kept secrets in Italy and the perfect base for guided walking holidays in Tuscany. Lying between the striking peaks of the Alpi Apuane and Apennine ranges, the astonishing Garfagnana landscape is a far cry from the rolling hills of southern Tuscany. But that provides us with abundant hiking opportunities, which, along with picturesque mountaintop and lakeside villages coupled with warm local hospitality, make for a wonderful trip. Please note: Most departures for this trip have been graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate); however, if you’re looking to push yourself, join one of our Activity Level 5 (Challenging) departures to tackle more difficult treks and spend a night in a mountain refuge. For a day-by-day schedule for each Activity Level, see the itinerary. Please check the Dates & Prices tab to confirm the Activity Level rating for each departure before booking.Walk the mountainous region of Tuscany |
The gourmet cooking holidays take place at Molino di Bordone, among the Tuscan and Umbrian hills, only minutes from the beautiful Etruscan walled town of Cortona. This is an ideal setting for a tasty week of culinary adventure, gourmet food & fine wines. Cookery demonstrations and lessons are by traditional and professional chefs. The culinary holiday Caspin offers you is an experience covering many aspects of family and refined cuisine. Seasonality and quality of ingredients are paramount and you use the freshest ingredients available from local producers, weekly markets and organic gardens. Skilled chefs provide you with the knowledge to recreate with confidence when you return home. A delightful selection of excursions compliments the program to medieval hill towns, ancient abbeys & Etruscan sites, Renaissance frescoes, classical concerts, vineyards & wineries, olive oils, pecorino cheese & wine tastings. On top of the quality tuition by exclusive chefs, visits to wineries and the experience of making world famous pecorino cheese. You will get to meet and travel with likeminded people, and of course you will receive our custom culinary book to take home, with all our favourite recipes. |
Day 1 Start Braccicorti
We gather at Agriturismo Braccicorti, approximately 4mi (6km) from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana and two hours from Pisa Airport. You can refresh yourself with a dip in the pool, before we gather for a welcome briefing later in the day. Please note: Most departures for this trip have been graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate); however, if you’re looking to push yourself, join one of our Activity Level 5 (Challenging) departures. This itinerary provides a day-by-day schedule for both Activity Levels. Please check the Dates & Prices tab to confirm the Activity Level rating for each departure before booking. If you have extra days at hand and are willing to extend your adventure, consider booking additional nights in Pisa or Florence. Speak to your Sales Consultant for more information on our ‘Pre-Tour’, ‘Post-Tour’ and ‘City Extension’ packages.
Day 2 Walk through Orecchiella National Park to Pania di Corfino (Activity Level 3)
Day 3 Apuane National Park to Monte Sumbra (Activity Level 3)
Today we drive 40 minutes to the small village of Vianova and begin our walk into Alpi Apuane National Park. Much of our initial ascent is on a wide forest track that continues through beech woods to our first viewpoint across to the face of Pania della Croce and the Omo Morto range. From here, we take a footpath ascending to a limestone plateau where there is an optional ascent to the summit of Monte Sumbra (5,791ft/1,765m). Weather permitting, we will enjoy an uninterrupted view of the Alpi Apuane range, the Ligurian coast and the enormous spine of the Apennines. After lunch on the summit, we retrace our steps back to the limestone plateau, before heading down through the trees following one of the old charcoal trails back to the minibus. On the return to Braccicorti, we stop in the lovely town of Careggine (time permitting). Walking distance: 10mi (16km); ascent: 2,205ft (672m); descent: 2,205ft (672m); maximum altitude: 5,791ft (1,765m)
Day 4 Circular walk from Braccicorti to medieval market town Castiglione di Garfagnana (Activity Level 3)
With a change of guide for the day, we walk directly from the farmhouse at 1,345ft (410m), firstly visiting the new town of Villa Collemandina before heading to the church and learning about the history of the area. After, the route follows tracks, quiet lanes and footpaths through the local farmland and villages allowing us a real insight into local life. Midway through the day, we will arrive at Castiglione di Garfagnana at 1,788ft (545m), a small but beautiful medieval town. Castiglione is also the place where the largest and most popular chestnut festival in the region is held each autumn, celebrating the chestnut tree and the growth of truffles and mushrooms. After lunch, we cross a 13th-century bridge below the town leading into more farmland and back to Braccicorti on easy tracks. Walking distance: 12mi (19km); ascent: 476ft (145m); descent: 476ft (145m); maximum altitude: 1,788ft (545m)
Day 5 Free day to visit Lucca, the Cinque Terre, Florence or Pisa
Today is free to enjoy any of the following optional activities: one-hour train journey to visit the stunning fortified city of Lucca; 20-minute taxi and 90-minute train journey to the coastal Unesco World Heritage site of the Cinque Terre; 2hr 30min train journey to visit the capital city of Florence, home of Michelangelo's David; or the 90-minute train journey to Pisa where you can ascend the leaning tower and walk along the beautiful river Arno. There are also plenty of options closer to home. Relax with a good book at the farmhouse and make use of the sun loungers and outdoor pool, take a walk down to Lago di Pontecosi for lunch or take a 10-minute train ride to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana for lunch and a walk to the old castle.
Day 6 Campocatino and San Viviano’s Hermitage (Activity Level 3)
A 25-minute drive to Lago di Vagli, with its submerged village and impressive Monte Sumbra backdrop, will bring us to the start point for the day: Vagli Sotto. From here, we walk on a small footpath to the town of Vagli Sopra where we continue to ascend on a section of the pilgrimage walk through chestnut woods to arrive at the 16th-century shepherds’ village of Campocatino. Wandering through the village and seeing the beautiful, terraced meadows, protected by the impressive wall of Roccandagia, it is easy to understand why the shepherds chose this location. From here, we continue to our highest point for the day at 3,904ft (1,190m) before descending through the trees to San Viviano's Hermitage. Built into the rock face, the tiny hermitage is said to be where San Viviano lived before his bones were discovered in 1993. It is now used as a chapel and pilgrimage site. Our descent takes a rarely used mountain path with views across the valley before arriving back at the bus. Walking distance: 8mi (12.5km); ascent: 2,067ft (630m); descent: 2,067ft (630m); maximum altitude: 3,904ft (1,190m)
Day 7 Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park and the summit of Monte Prado (Activity Level 3)
We start the day with a 40-minute drive to the small ski area of Casone. Walking through beech woods brings us to the beginning of the Crinali ridge, a section of the 994mi (1,600km) Apennine ridge in the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park, offering some of the most impressive views of the week. Look below to see the fiery colours of the forest between the ridge line of Tuscany and the opposite ridge of Emilia Romagna. We take an easy path along the undulating ridge, leading up to the peak of Monte Prado, the highest in Tuscany at 6,739ft (2,054m). After lunch, we retrace our steps before descending on another route through woodland back to Casone, where there is a bar to enjoy a well-earned drink. Walking distance: 10mi (16km); ascent: 2,428ft (740m); descent: 2,428ft (740m); maximum altitude: 6,739ft (2,054m)
Day 8 End Braccicorti
This morning we’ll enjoy one final breakfast, before saying a fond farewell to Agriturismo Braccicorti, which may feel like a home-from-home by now.
DAY 1 : Cortona
Meet at Terontola station, Cortona, easily reached from Rome or Florence. Relax and settle into your accommodation in Cortona which will become your home for the week. Join us for a welcome cocktail party while the chef prepares a Tuscan Feast as we introduce you to the week’s activities.
DAY 2 : Exploring Cortona
Visit Cortona’s 12th century Franciscan hermitage, a spiritual and tranquil place just outside the Etruscan city walls; then enter Cortona through one of the ancient city gates to explore its medieval streets, monuments and bustling piazzas. A guided tour of the Etruscan museum and some free time to indulge in a gelato follows, but don’t spoil your appetite before a tasty picnic lunch in the shady tree lined park. In the afternoon we return to our tuscan country kitchen for Cooking Lesson 1.
DAY 3 : Montepulciano, Vino Nobile Wine country
Visit the wine country of Montepulciano and taste Vino Nobile at a winery before entering the historic town’s 16th century gates to stroll along the main street lined with magnificent buildings and ancient wine cellars. Visit a small, family run cheese-making farm and taste different varieties served with pears honey & marmellata. Then continue to Pienza a renaissance jewel and UNESCO world heritage site famous for its pecorino cheese. In the afternoon follows Cookery Lesson 2.
DAY 4 : Montalcino, Brunello wine country
Travel to the walled hill-town of Montalcino, famous for Brunello, one of Italy’s finest wines. From the battlements of the Rocca castle look down upon magnificent views of the UNESCO world heritage Val D’Orcia and Monte Amiata. Cheese and wine tasting in the Enoteca of the castle which offers a wide selection of Brunello’s. Visit the cellars of a well-known winery and then the picturesque Abbey of Sant’Antimo, built by Charlemagne where the monks still celebrate mass in Gregorian chant. Return journey is a spectacular drive through the countryside of the Val d’Orcia. In the evening enjoy Cooking Lesson 3.
DAY 5 : Siena & Chianti wine country
Travel through the idyllic countryside of Chianti Classico and taste wine at Castello di Brolio whose family created the blend for this world famous wine. In the afternoon we are accompanied by a Sienese art historian on a walking tour of the heart of Siena. We visit one of the most richly decorated cathedrals in the world with masterpieces by Duccio, Pisano, Lorenzetti, Donatello, Pinturicchio and Michelangelo. In the campo square we learn about the world famous Palio horse race and the traditions of its people.
DAY 6 : Farmers market excursion
Tour to the local fresh produce market. Free time to relax. Optional afternoon tour to a local Thermal Springs Spa (entry not included). The day concludes with Cooking Lesson 4
DAY 7 : Departure
Drop off (9.00-10.00) at Terontola station for onward travel.
