Tuscany Villages Tour

Name: Tuscany Villages Tour
Brand: Italy With Pleasure
SKU: 1
Price: 2500 EUR
Availability: InStock

This tour opens up an array of wonderful sights in Tuscany – from the well known towns, through to producer visits and lesser known spots.

This allows you to visit the charming small towns of Tuscany, and to immerse yourself in the classic Tuscan countryside.  Only by getting into these harder to reach areas do you really get a feel for the heartland of this region.

The tour features a combination of cuisine, history and culture, as well as leaving time for you to soak up the atmosphere in these unmissable destinations. 

Some of our visits are missed by many visitors to Tuscany, as they are hard to find or not in the normal highlights list.

Tuscany Villages Tour Highlights

 Visits include San Gimignano (with its medieval towers), Siena, Volterra and Monteriggioni. 
See places that many people miss, such as ancient Etruscan structures and natural springs used by the Romans
Indulge in the Tuscan cuisine. As well as our meals together, we enjoy many items from the pasticceria such as ricciarelli and panforte.
Winetasting of Brunello di Montalcino
Dine in a 14th century abbey
Visit a private formal garden near Montepulciano
Visit the ancient Roman baths of Bagno Vignoni

Tuscany Villages Tour Itinerary

DAY 1 - Castellina in Chianti - Volterra 

We meet in Florence and head into the hinterland. The Tuscan countryside is one of the quintessential images of Italy, and the hill-top towns make for excellent visits for either dining or exploring. This is our plan for the week. 

Our first stop is the town of Castellina in Chianti, which features a small piazza alongside the 15th century castle. We enjoy the village atmosphere, and make time for a gelato or a coffee.

Next we view an Etruscan burial site nearby, the Tomb of Montecalvario. Etruscans were one of the early populations in Tuscany, in pre-Roman times. This tomb has four chambers partially underground in a burial mound, and was constructed in the 6th century BC.

We enjoy lunch at a restaurant in the countryside. This is our first introduction to the Tuscan cuisine, much of which is grown on in the surrounding fields. During the week we will continue our exploration of Tuscan cuisine, with a progressive discovery of the local cuisine.

We continue on to the town of Volterra. As well as the Etruscan and Roman features here, this is a classic Tuscan hill town. After we see some of the town together, you have time to look around yourself – wandering cobblestone lanes inside the ancient town walls, people watching in the piazza over coffe or aperol spritz, or browsing shops displaying the local craft of carving alabaster. 

We then reach our accommodation, the hotel Palazzo San Lorenzo. This is located in the town of Colle di Val d’Elsa, with a medieval town centre right outside the doors of our hotel.

Amanda from Australia writes: “Italy with Pleasure deserves more than 5 stars. The comprehensive tour was very carefully & thoughtfully arranged with a well paced ratio of sightseeing activities and long lunches. I was impressed with the Italian with Pleasure brochure full of everything you need to know and the maps given out at each town. Riccardo our guide is the most affable, caring, energised, knowledgeable guide you could wish for. He has a lovely personable nature and spent time with each of us. He clearly genuinely loves his work. Italy with Pleasure all make a good team with emphasis on attention to every detail for a safe comprehensive experience – congratulations!” (from Google Reviews)

MEALS: LUNCH (3 COURSES INCLUDING WINE) 

DAY 2 – San Gimignano - Tuscan cuisine 

This morning we travel to the town of San Gimignano. From a distance we start to see the medieval towers of San Gimignano, erected by the noble families in a bid to out do each other. 

San Gimignano is one of Italy’s most well-preserved medieval towns. Perched on a hilltop, it is a commanding presence dominating the patchwork of olives and vineyards in the valley below. San Gimignano’s narrow streets boast many artisan workshops. And there’s a particularly good gelateria in the piazza. After looking around at some lesser known features together, you will then have free time to explore the town independently. 

We move on to a villa in the countryside, here we are all involved in cooking lunch. Tuscany’s cuisine is renowned for the long history of simple ingredients being turned into delicious meals. Our chef will explain to you the fundamentals of the Tuscan cuisine, and we look around the property, harvesting some vegetables to use for our meal preparation. We then put our knowledge into action as we make our lunch. combination of traditional techniques and superb fresh ingredients. Today we learn how it’s made with a hands-on cooking lesson.

Our small group tour advantage: Your tour leader is your ‘safety net’. Many people appreciate having their tour leader to be able to turn to, whether it be for help getting something from a pharmacy / drugstore, or simply where to find the best gelato! While you are far from home, you can count on your tour leader and their support team for anything that you need to deal with.

MEALS: BREAKFAST, LUNCH (3 COURSES INCLUDING WINE) 

DAY 3 – Siena - the Abbey - Pienza

We spend the moring exploring the town of Siena. On a guided visit we look around various parts of town you’ll see how loyal the locals are to their zone – the area that they represent in the palio, the bareback horse race around the central Piazza del Campo. We continue on to see the cathedral, where you discover some interesting quirks of its construction and history. Once the capital of a republic, and arch rival of Florence, Siena has a rich and varied history. 

We also leave some time over lunch for you to see Siena independently. Most people head to a café for some of Siena’s renowned biscuits such as ricciarelli and cantucci. A great idea is to visit one of the historic cafes of the town centre, such as Caffe Poliziano, which started in the 1800s.

Our next visit is to an abbey called Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Located in the hills of Tuscany, this abbey is a medieval complex that established a complete system to maintain themselves, like a self sustaining village. This is still operating as a monastery, and you can buy wine made by the Benedictine monks.

We then arrive in Pienza, our next base. Here you will find the town centre, designed in the 1400s under the direction of the Pope, now with excellent restaurants and little shops selling the town’s pecorino cheese.

Sandra from USA writes: “We were looking for a small group tour that offered learning about the local culture of Italy, the cuisine and free time. Italy with Pleasure did just that and more! If you are looking for a small group tour to explore various regions of Italy, I would highly recommend Italy with Pleasure!” (from Google Reviews)

MEALS: BREAKFAST

DAY 4 – Bagno Vignoni - the Mill - Montepulciano

We depart for our first stop, a place called Bagno Vignoni. These are thermal pools that have been used since ancient Roman times. Back then they were prized for their therapeutic properties, and are still well patronised today. 

Next we stop in at a rural property that grows and mills flour. After a demonstration of the milling process, we enjoy a lunch with their homemade pasta (made from their own wheat), and other produce from their estate. This is farm to table at its best.

We move on to the town of Montepulciano. In this part of Tuscany the highly regarded Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is produced. We visit a winery and their historic cellars, sampling a range of their top wines. 

Our small group tour advantage: We give the tours a personal feel. With a maximum of 14 in our groups, the feel of our tours is like travelling with a group of friends. We make our tour the style that you want, for example our focus on good restaurants – the sort of places you’d choose yourself. And not cramming too much into one day. All this gives your time with us a less commercial feel and ensures that we maintain a relaxed atmosphere.

MEALS: BREAKFAST, LUNCH (3 COURSES INCLUDING WINE) 

  DAY 5 - MONTERIGGIONI 

Our first stop is the village of Monteriggioni, a rare example of a town still contained within the original 3th century walls, just as it was centuries ago. The small piazza and old stone buildings are simply charming, this village has a medieval feel. We allow time for you enjoy being in Monteriggioni, and to look around the central village. You can do a circular walk along the top of the town walls to enjoy the fantastic views, or simply relax in the piazza with a coffee or gelato

Lunch is in a restaurant contained within a 12th century monastery complex, the Monastery of San Salvatore. Originally this would house pilgrims en route to Rome, so we dine in a courtyard that has seen many centuries of monks walk its paving stones.

After lunch we return to Florence, where our tour ends in the afternoon. 

Our small group tour advantage: Our local insights help you to maximise your time. When you are in a country or region only for a week or two you want to make the most of your time. On our tours, we give you the local insights, the understanding of what you are seeing. Without this, you might recognise that a particular feature or building seems interesting, but not ever know the full story behind it. Guidebooks will detail the main monuments or museums but tend to be quite limited when you start to see the smaller (and often more interesting) sights.

MEALS: BREAKFAST, LUNCH (4 COURSES INCLUDING WINE) 

Tuscany Villages Tour Dates

Tuscany Villages Tour Cost and Inclusions

TOUR PRICE: €2600

Price is denominated in Euros. Price listed is based on twin share/double occupancy
Single supplement of €300 for solo travellers 

'Italy With Pleasure' provides a tour manager for the duration of the trip, on hand to support you as needed.
Accommodation in two 4 star hotels, the Palazzo San Lorenzo and Hotel Corsignano. We have selected these hotels for their quality, and as they are located centrally in towns you can enjoy walking to the piazza for coffee or gelato in the evening – living the Italian life! Hotel taxes are also included.
We provide visits at a number of significant locations, including entry fees and in some cases specialist guiding services. These tour visits expose you to a range of facets of the region, from historical features, gastronomical experiences, through to seeing how people live now.
We include main meals, either lunch or dinner, you’ll see these listed on the itinerary. We take great care in selecting each restaurant, and in consultation with each chef we design a menu that through the tour gives you an overview of Tuscan cuisine. We include wine with each meal, and alternative drinks as requested. Breakfasts are included at the hotels.
All transport during the tour is included. Travel is in a private air-conditioned minibus with a professional driver

Tuscany Villages Tour Accommodation

For this tour we stay in two Tuscan towns, and spending time in these places during your free evenings there is part of the tour experience.

Your first two nights are in the town of Colle di Val d’Elsa. We are in the historic part of town, our hotel is the Palazzo San Lorenzo. While this hotel is central, it also boast a garden and pool area, and a spa with wellness treatments.

Our next location is the town of Pienza. Famous for its pecorino cheese, Pienza has a relaxed ambiance and provides the perfect place for spending your Tuscan evenings. Here we stay at the Hotel Corsignano.

Both hotels are 4 star.

Tour Reviews

L Z

Italy With Pleasure curated an amazing itinerary and ultimately, experience in Puglia for our group of 7. Mark, our incredible tour guide, shared the history, highlights, and hidden gems in each glorious location. Daily, we shared delicious meals, all local recipes, made with fresh ingredients from the region…a true highlight of the entire experience. Each day had the right balance of group and free time and while I may be biased, I think our group was the best…a shared experience with amazing people from around the world!

This was the first time I joined a tour and it will not be the last. I have my eye on Sicily next! My entire experience with Italy With Pleasure was superb and I highly recommend them for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the beauty and culture of Italy.

P B

I can't thank the small tour group, Italy With Pleasure, enough for a fantastic trip to Puglia. The group size was perfect and our guide, Anita, was amazing, knowledgeable and so caring of everyone. This area of Italy for non-Italian speaking guests was the absolute best way to visit. I was amazed at the beautiful cultural sites in all the towns AND the fabulous late luncheons featuring the local specialties.Spectacular! I have never had such great food on a tour or anywhere.
Thanks again and I have already shared our great experience with a number of my friends and family.

J I

The tour was first class, excellent in every way. An amazing way to see & learn about Puglia. The accomodation, sightseeing, superb food & mini van with great driver and Anita leading the group was sensational.
We highly recommend this is the best way to see and learn about Puglia.
John & Anita