Operated by Collette

Tuscan & Umbrian Countryside

From

CAD 5,349

Duration

11 days

Countries

Italy

Activity

active

Rating

4.5 · 56 reviewsvia Collette

The adventure

On a journey through the less-traveled country roads of Umbria and Tuscany, discover another side to the Italy you love. Stroll Assisi’s old city, and explore the Umbrian hill town of Spoleto, where the gilded façade of the cathedral rivals with the silvery sheen of the olive trees. Visit Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” In Siena, stand inside one of Tuscany’s most ancient piazzas. Admire the famous towers of San Gimignano and hunt for truffles in the Umbrian countryside. Delight in regional specialties and Italian wine with every dinner. Feel like a local as you discover the marvels of wine, cuisine, culture, and history.

At a glance

Duration

11 days

Route

→

Countries

Italy

Activity level

active

Style

Culture & History, Food & Drink

Group size

Day by day

View of a historic hilltop town surrounded by lush greenery under cloudy skies.

Your journey through

Italy

Showing Days 1-7

11-day itinerary

Day 1Overnight FlightOn a journey through Italy’s roads less travelled, discover its endless treasures from Rome to Umbria to Tuscany, and the marvels of wine, cuisine, culture, and history in between.

Capture of cityscape from airplane with FlySafair wing visible.

Overnight Flight

On a journey through Italy’s roads less travelled, discover its endless treasures from Rome to Umbria to Tuscany, and the marvels of wine, cuisine, culture, and history in between.

Day 2Rome, ItalyItaly’s dynamic capital city beckons. As arrival times will vary, there is no scheduled sightseeing today. Spend the day as you wish, exploring independently. Get a taste of the local culture and start your journey at a delicious welcome dinner.

Italy’s dynamic capital city beckons. As arrival times will vary, there is no scheduled sightseeing today. Spend the day as you wish, exploring independently. Get a taste of the local culture and start your journey at a delicious welcome dinner.

Day 3Rome - Spoleto - UmbriaOlive and cypress trees accent the Umbrian hill town of Spoleto. Stroll the historic streets with a local expert and see centuries of architectural history, from the ruins of the Rocca Albornoz castle to the gilded elegance of the Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta. Pause at a family-owned frantoio (olive presser), where olives are pressed each November.* After learning about the many varieties of trees and oil-making methods, join a tasting of the EVOO produced at the mill. Then, take in the splendors of country life in a pristine Umbrian hill town, your home for the next 3 nights.

Rome

Olive and cypress trees accent the Umbrian hill town of Spoleto. Stroll the historic streets with a local expert and see centuries of architectural history, from the ruins of the Rocca Albornoz castle to the gilded elegance of the Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta. Pause at a family-owned frantoio (olive presser), where olives are pressed each November.* After learning about the many varieties of trees and oil-making methods, join a tasting of the EVOO produced at the mill. Then, take in the splendors of country life in a pristine Umbrian hill town, your home for the next 3 nights.

Day 4UmbriaTravel to Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis. Set out on a walking tour of the old city with a local guide, learning about its history as you stroll the medieval streets. Visit the famous Basilica of St. Francis. Later, a local family welcomes you to their country home for lunch as their honoured guest. Share stories and make an Umbrian friend (or two).

Picturesque view of an Italian hill town nestled among lush green hills under a vibrant sky.

Umbria

Travel to Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis. Set out on a walking tour of the old city with a local guide, learning about its history as you stroll the medieval streets. Visit the famous Basilica of St. Francis. Later, a local family welcomes you to their country home for lunch as their honoured guest. Share stories and make an Umbrian friend (or two).

Day 5UmbriaIn the shadow of the Apennines, experience Umbria’s epicurean side. Join a local truffle hunter in search of the elusive fungi in the company of his trained, truffle-sniffing dogs. Sample the goods yourself during a rustic, home-cooked lunch before returning to your hotel in the late afternoon.

Scenic aerial view of a historic castle on a hill overlooking a beautiful lake and lush valley.

Umbria

In the shadow of the Apennines, experience Umbria’s epicurean side. Join a local truffle hunter in search of the elusive fungi in the company of his trained, truffle-sniffing dogs. Sample the goods yourself during a rustic, home-cooked lunch before returning to your hotel in the late afternoon.

Day 6Umbria - Pienza, Southern TuscanyLeave Umbria for the villages of Tuscany, nestled among the rolling hills and cypress trees of the Val d’Orcia region (UNESCO). Taste the flavours of the region at a dairy farm producing prized sheep-milk pecorino cheese. Snack on some of the cheesemaker’s creations and take in the views of the sparse farmhouses and open fields on your way to Pienza (UNESCO), a Renaissance village where flowers and plants adorn the cobblestoned streets. The evening is yours to eat, drink, and explore the local scene.

Umbria

Leave Umbria for the villages of Tuscany, nestled among the rolling hills and cypress trees of the Val d’Orcia region (UNESCO). Taste the flavours of the region at a dairy farm producing prized sheep-milk pecorino cheese. Snack on some of the cheesemaker’s creations and take in the views of the sparse farmhouses and open fields on your way to Pienza (UNESCO), a Renaissance village where flowers and plants adorn the cobblestoned streets. The evening is yours to eat, drink, and explore the local scene.

Day 7Pienza, Southern TuscanyEmbark on a journey through the undulating landscape of the Orcia Valley. Pause in the unique hamlet of Bagno Vignoni, whose central piazza is filled with thermal water once used to cure pilgrims who stopped here on their way to Rome. Then explore hilltop Montalcino, namesake to one of Italy’s great red wines, the Brunello. Tour a winery’s estate and cellar before indulging in a tasting of these noble red wines. Back in Pienza for an afternoon at leisure, maybe you’ll explore the countryside along one of the many white roads that cut through the farmland.

Embark on a journey through the undulating landscape of the Orcia Valley. Pause in the unique hamlet of Bagno Vignoni, whose central piazza is filled with thermal water once used to cure pilgrims who stopped here on their way to Rome. Then explore hilltop Montalcino, namesake to one of Italy’s great red wines, the Brunello. Tour a winery’s estate and cellar before indulging in a tasting of these noble red wines. Back in Pienza for an afternoon at leisure, maybe you’ll explore the countryside along one of the many white roads that cut through the farmland.

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