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To book this holiday please contact our Sales Team directly on
Combine the tastes of Tuscany with its medieval hill towns and Renaissance jewels on this very special tour.
Join a small group of like-minded foodies for a memorable break in the rolling Tuscan hills. Explore some of Italy’s most delightful corners, learn about the region’s rich culinary traditions and sample some of its renowned food and wine. Spend a morning at a cookery school in Florence, before discovering the glorious city on a tour. Visit Pisa and Lucca to enjoy more regional treats, and round off a wonderful holiday with a visit to a Tuscan vineyard just outside San Gimignano and a traditional Italian farmhouse lunch.
View a full breakdown of your holiday to help you plan your trip
Fly to Italy, meet your Tour Manager and transfer to your hotel close to the village of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, on the edge of the rolling, vineyard-dotted Chianti hills. Relax after your journey, begin to explore your surroundings, and perhaps head to a nearby restaurant for dinner, or dine in the restaurant adjacent to the hotel.
A very special day awaits. After breakfast you'll take a short coach trip north to the majestic city of Florence. One of Italy’s most iconic, enchanting cities, Florence is also home to the Giglio Cookery School. This morning, under the expert eye of Chef Marcella, you'll be introduced to some of the techniques and ingredients of Tuscan cuisine. The region is famous for its fresh vegetables, herbs, olive oil, rich sauces and pasta, and you'll join the chef to cook fresh tagliatelle with tomato sauce and a rich Tuscan chicken dish, and to learn the art of the perfect tiramisu, before sitting down to enjoy the fruits of your morning’s labours with a complimentary glass of wine.
This afternoon, walk off your lunch on a guided tour of Florence. See the city's magnificent domed churches, ancient piazzas and medieval Ponte Vecchio bridge - once the heart of the Florentine butchery trade but now lined with art dealers, craft workshops and tiny stores - before returning to the hotel this evening.
The Tuscan cities of Pisa and Lucca are full of breathtaking architectural treasures and the echoes of history.
In Pisa, a mesmerising medieval treasure trove on the banks of the River Arno, the green lawns of the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) are home to arguably Italy's most enduring landmark - the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa – and to the huge circular Baptistery, the marble- and mosaic-decorated Duomo and the elegant arcades of the Campo Santo cemetery. Discover the sights and sample cecina - a local focaccia-like bread made with chickpea flour.
Elegant, walled Lucca was the birthplace of the composer Puccini, and the museum at his former home, its ancient cathedral, the Torre delle Ore clock tower and the exquisite Piazza Anfiteatro, built around the city's Roman amphitheatre, are among the must-sees in this charming city. Visitors with a sweet tooth can try a slice of Buccellato - a ring-shaped cake filled with sultanas and raisins, and delicately flavoured with aniseed.
You'll round off your wonderful day with a visit to Volterra, high above the Cecina and Dell’Era valleys. Here ancient Etruscan walls surround beautifully preserved medieval streets and houses, at the heart of which you'll find a stunning Romanesque cathedral and the ornate Piazza del Priori,
lined with beautiful palazzi. The city also boasts one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in Italy.
Today’s included excursion takes you into the Tuscan countryside. Here, the charming farmhouse of Podere La Marronaia stands amid vineyards and olive groves beneath the watchful gaze of San Gimignano and its iconic tower-houses. You'll be treated to samples of locally produced wines, including crisp Vernaccia di San Gimignano, one of Italy’s finest whites, and a hand-harvested Chianti Colli Senesi red. There'll also be an opportunity to taste several organic olive oils (both extra virgin and flavoured) as you enjoy appetisers and snacks designed to complement the produce.
After your wine-tasting you'll have the afternoon free to explore San Gimignano, where 14 of what were formerly 72 towers rise above the town’s maze of medieval streets and piazzas, and look out across the exquisite rolling countryside around the town.
The final food-lovers highlight of your Tuscan holiday will be a typical Tuscan lunch served in the heart of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa. This pretty hill village's mix of ancient fortifications, crumbling monasteries, beautiful churches and ornate palazzi make it a perfect place for a pre-lunch wander. You'll be welcomed to lunch by Chef Tosca, who will prepare a delicious three-course menu of local specialities - a final delightful taste of Tuscany as your tour comes to an end.
The rest of the day will be left free, leaving you plenty of time to rest and relax at the hotel.
Bid "Arrivederci" to your hosts and transfer to the airport to board your flight home at the end of a marvellous tour crammed with unforgettable sights and gourmet experiences.
To book this holiday please contact our Sales Team directly on
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This small, modern family-owned hotel stands in pretty countryside about four kilometres from the centre of the hill village of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa.
If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.
Since some attractions visited offer free admission to visitors at certain times of year, we do not include entrance fees. These will be payable locally where applicable. This applies to excursions that are included in the price of your holiday and to excursions booked as optional extras.
New rules now apply on travel within Europe.
Note that these new rules do NOT apply when travelling within the United Kingdom or to the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland. You do require government issued ID when travelling by air though.
New rules apply when travelling to European Union countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure:
Call us now on |
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0330 160 7700 |
Booking Hotline | |
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Mon to Fri | 9am - 5:30pm |
Sat | 9am – 2pm |
Sun | Closed |
Bank Holidays | Closed |
Customer Services | |
---|---|
Mon to Fri | 9am - 4pm |
Sat | 9am – 2pm |
Sun | Closed |
Bank Holidays | Closed |