April 2 - April 8 | 2024
6 Nights
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Day 1
You will arrive on your own to the farmhouse today. Cocktails will be served in the evening in the living room around the large stone fireplace or, weather permitting, outside on the panoramic veranda.
A special Welcome Dinner will be served thereafter, where you will get to know your guide and discuss plans for the week.
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Day 2
After a leisurely morning join us for a pecorino cheese tasting and then an afternoon rest or swim. In the late afternoon you will take a cooking class in the farmhouse kitchen. You will learn to make a traditional Tuscan meal, from antipasto to dolce, completely from scratch. This hands-on class starts with a trip to our vegetable garden to pick whatever is fresh. Menu items will include the Tuscan pasta pici, traditional sauces like ragu’, and other local specialties, such as cantucci. These famous, almond-based cookies are dipped in the local sweet wine known as Vin Santo.
You will receive the recipes of everything you learn to make so you can keep the tastes and memories of Tuscany alive when you return home. Enjoy the dinner you helped prepare with the group paired with Chianti wine.
Trip to Florence
Day 3
A classic walking tour to discover the most popular sights of Florence, the tumultuous history, the legends, and the short stories. See most fascinating masterpieces and learn from your personal tour guide about the making and molding of this fabulous city while strolling around the narrow alleys.
Start with Florence’s most famous Cathedral, the Duomo. As you admire, externally, the colored marbles and the statues decorating the Bell tower, you’ll discover how the architect, Brunelleschi, had to re-learn knowledge lost for more than a millennium to build the cathedral’s world-famous dome. Here see also the famous romanesque Baptistery.
At Piazza della Signoria, admire the towering Palazzo Vecchio, visiting the original site for Michelangelo’s ‘David’, where an exact replica stands.
Visit the marvelous Accademia Gallery with its treasure: Michelangelo’s David.
In the end, continue to Piazza della Repubblica, the ancient Roman forum that later became the city’s Jewish ghetto. Top it all off with a stroll on the Ponte Vecchio, one the most picturesque bridge in all of Florence.
PIENZA
Day 4
Start your morning at Pienza Coffee, a local coffee producer in Pienza. To achieve a perfectly blended cup of Italian coffee, you will learn how the coffee beans are roasted using oak wood and air cooling.
Spend the morning exploring Pienza before heading back for an afternoon of leisure.
day trip to SIENA
Day 5
Siena, a Unesco World heritage site, is located south of Florence and extends over three hills. The city center dates back to the 14th century and it’s still perfectly preserved; it is characterized by the division into 17
medieval quarters, each of which embellished with colorful symbols. The city is a fascinating concentrate of historical, artistic and religious sites but at the same time it is extremely lively due to the presence of numerous shops, artisans
Tour Highlights: Piazza del Campo (Town Hall Square) Fountain of Joy - Mangia Tower - Palazzo Pubblico - Via di Città, Via dei Pellegrini - Stop at a Bakery - Cathedral Square: Duomo and Santa Maria della Scala Hospital
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Day 6
In the afternoon, we will go to the nearby ancient Etruscan town of Montepulciano, set nearly 2,000 feet above sea level and offering superb views over the surrounding countryside. Inside its walls and fortifications, you will find winding, hilly streets and a wealth of Renaissance-style palazzi and churches. Shop for Tuscan leather goods and cashmere along the main street or discover local artisan shops on the small vicoli around the square.
You will then be treated to a special farewell dinner at TSP in the evening, where you can exchange contact information with other guests, share photos of the trip and reminisce about your favorite moments of this unique Tuscan trip.
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Day 7
You will return to the airport on your own and return to the USA
$4,100 per person double occupancy
This package includes: 6 nights at a farmhouse, breakfast everyday, 6 other meals (either lunch or dinner), private bus transportation for day trips, private guides for the tours, a wine tasting, cheese tasting and one cooking lesson.
This package doesn't include: Airfare, Transportation to and from the airports, travel insurance and any city taxes.
It is recommended that you purchase airline tickets flying into Rome and returning to the United States from Rome.
Payment: Deposit of $500
CONTACT US at Ciao Amici to learn more about this experience, prices and to book your trip.