Tuscany and Stay in an Agriturismo

In partnership with Agriturismo il Molinello we have designed an exciting 6-night agriturismo-based tour to get immersed in the real Tuscan life through visits to small, local producers. Meet the people behind your food and taste local recipes and wines with their makers, while learning about local traditions and culture.

See here for more info on Tuscany region.

Dates & Pricing

Minimum of 6 participants, maximum of 16, with a maximum guide-to-guest ratio of 1 to 8

DATES (7 days)
For dates, info and availability please contact us.

TOUR PRICE
Per person in double occupancy: from $3,490

Single Supplement: $540

For travel in 2021 and beyond, your tour is carbon neutral! In addition, we donate more than 1% of your trip price to food-literacy and environmental non-profits that share our values. (Details here)

Tour Highlights

Visits to two former Slow Food Presidia, and to wine, beer, cheese and olive oil makers
Exposure to local culture and history with native, bilingual, experienced Tour Leaders
Tasting foods and wines that demonstrate the best of Tuscan culinary heritage
Hands-on education learning about Tuscan cuisine
Visit to an Etruscan tomb
Up-close-and-personal experiences of Italian agriturismi and the methods behind Tuscan agriculture
Strolls through four must-to-see Tuscan towns: Cortona, Montalcino and the UNESCO Sites of San Gimignano, Siena, Pienza and Val d’Orcia
Daily walking opportunities for a healthy lifestyle
Traditional, local recipes to bring home with you!

What's Included

6 nights of accommodation at Agriturismo il Molinello
6 locally-sourced, home-made organic breakfasts
5 dinners with 3 or 4-course menus featuring foods from Slow Food Presidia
2 lunches including visits and tastings
1 visit and tasting at a small-scale Brunello producer and 1 at a micro brewery
1 cooking lesson and olive oil tasting at il Molinello
1 visit of ancient Abbey of Monte Oliveto
1 entrance to the thermal pools of San Giovanni
2 visits to Chianina cow and Cinta Senese pig breeders (former Slow Food Presidia)
1 walking tour of Siena with a certified guide
1 visit and tasting to a cheesemaker , 1 to a grain producer and 1 to an Etruscan tomb
Comfortable travel by 9-seat van for all transfers as described in the itinerary
Bilingual, professional Tour Leaders
First and last day transfers from/to train station in Terontola-Cortona
Local taxes and gratuities for luggage porters and restaurant servers during tour

What's Not Included

4 lunches and 1 dinner on your own
Alcoholic beverages at group meals (including wine and spirits)
Round-trip airfare and expenses to/from the tour
Trip cancellation, baggage loss or travel delay insurance (this optional coverage is highly recommended. See more info here)
Gratuities for your Tour Leader
Personal expenses, such as, but not limited to, phone calls, laundry, emails, snacks, gifts

Itinerary

Day 1 & 2 – Terontola-Cortona Train Station, Monte Oliveto Abbey and Montalcino

After a 45-mins private group transfer from Terontola-Cortona train station, check in and enjoy your new "home" for 7 days!

To begin, a nice walk through the countryside leads us to the Abbey of Monte Oliveto, a Benedictine monastery featuring frescoes that date back to the Renaissance time and the local farm run by the monks who make wine, olive oil and dried legumes. In the town of Montalcino, discover the world-renown noble nectar Brunello during a visit to a small-scale producer.

Other highlights of your stay here include a visit to nearby Etruscan tombs, a locally-made organic olive oil tasting, and dinner with homemade brick oven pizza with the owners of agriturismo Il Molinello.
Day 3 & 4 – Siena and San Gimignano

Next we explore the UNESCO sites of Siena and San Gimignano and visit the former Slow Food* presidium (project that promotes ‘endangered foods’) of Cinta Senese cured meats.

We say ‘former’ because the project was so successful that their foods are no longer at risk! The producers here share their story as you savor an unforgettable lunch, which of course includes tastes of their work.

*Slow Food is a non-profit organization founded in Italy in 1986 that promotes “good, clean and fair food” (the motto of Slow Food International). Today, Slow Food includes upwards of 100,000 members in more than 150 countries.

Plenty of activities are available, so please feel free to choose what you prefer. For sure, we suggest that you not miss out on some relaxation at the natural hot springs of San Giovanni and our hands-on cooking class followed by dinner at the agriturismo.
Day 5 & 6 – Val d'Orcia, Pienza and Cortona

And finally, soak in picturesque strolls through two more UNESCO sites: the Val (valley) d’Orcia and the town of Pienza. Here we visit a cheese maker and learn about their methods firsthand from the people behind this ancient and distinctive artisanal method.

On these days you also get to meet another former Slow Food presidium, the Chianina cow, through a visit with the breeder followed by dinner at the farm. Other highlights will feature a visit to a grain producer and a tasting at a microbrewery, after our visit to the town of Cortona and the Eremo delle Celle, an ancient monastery used by St. Francis of Assisi to pray and meditate. This place is sure to leave an impression for its stunning beautiful landscape and magical atmosphere.

Our last dinner features local ingredients and recipes served in a Slow Food Osteria d’Italia (similar to a trattoria, an ‘osteria’ is a simple, traditional Italian restaurant), recognized for its emphasis on protected ingredients such as local Slow Food Presidia.

Through meeting the people behind your food, tasting local recipes with their makers, and sampling the local culture and traditions, you can richly discover this magical corner of Italy on an unforgettable journey! What are you waiting for? Ti aspettiamo! (We are waiting for you!)
Day 7 – Terontola-Cortona Train Station

To request the itinerary as a PDF or to ask us any questions please contact us today!