Secluded Tuscany Tour ~ Italy

We fly to Pisa airport where we meet our tour manager and travel to the delightful walled city of Lucca to glimpse its charming piazzas, elegant lanes, and exquisite churches. We continue to the small town of Castel del Piano, where we check in to our hotel, the Grand Hotel Impero, for the next six nights. A welcome prosecco or spritz accompanied by local delicacies precedes a rich Tuscan buffet dinner at our hotel, where we enjoy the chance to get to know our fellow travellers.

Meals included: Dinner

We travel to the Renaissance hill town of Montepulciano, soaking up the ‘can’t–miss’ landscapes of southern Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia en route. There is free time to admire Montepulciano’s handsome piazzas, palaces and churches before we leave for the nearby authentic Bindella Wine estate for a tour and taste of some delicious wines of Montepulciano region. Finally, we visit the pink–walled Renaissance town of Pienza, where you have time free for lunch at a restaurant of your choice. As we journey back to our hotel, we pause to sample local cheeses at the Il Seggiano cheese factory. This evening we enjoy dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we can take a leisurely and level stroll into the centre of Castel del Piano about 10 minutes’ away on foot. We enjoy time free to explore here and maybe sample some local delicacies on our wanders. Afterwards, we drive to the spa resort of Chianciano Terme for a wine-tasting at a traditional winery. This afternoon brings a fabulous tasting of typical Tuscan olive oil, honey and flavourful truffles at our hotel before we sit down to dinner in the hotel restaurant. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast we head toward Tuscany’s Tyrrhenian coast for a day of sightseeing. Winding through undulating landscapes dotted with cypresses, we arrive at tucked-away Grosseto, the capital of the Maremma region, and a pretty place to explore. You may want to use free time here to visit the city’s medieval-style square, relax over frothy cappuccinos or browse the shops. Our tour continues to the castle-topped seaside town of Castiglione della Pescaia there is further free time to relax and stroll the picturesque seafront before savouring a succulent local seafood lunch. After returning to Castel del Piano this afternoon, enjoy time to unwind or stroll into the town before dinner at our hotel. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we venture into neighbouring Umbria to experience the history-steeped hill town of Orvieto. Perched on a volcanic rock, this striking place once controlled the trade route between Rome and Florence, and boasts a majestic Gothic Duomo, fresco-painted churches, medieval palaces and subterranean Etruscan-era caves and tunnels. The unmissable sight here is the golden Duomo façade, which shimmers in the sun and boasts 14th century reliefs of biblical scenes. After absorbing this and other sights, we enjoy lunch at a wonderfully authentic restaurant burrowed into the volcanic rock. While the homemade fare here is terrific, the highlight is descending the restaurant’s stairway into the Etruscan catacombs below – unforgettable! This evening we enjoy a light dinner in the hotel restaurant. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Nowhere exemplifies a classic Tuscan town better than Siena and this morning we immerse ourselves in this UNESCO-protected gem. During a half-day walking tour introducing its treasures and storied past, we visit its ethereally beautiful, oval-shaped Piazza del Campo, (the backdrop for the twice-yearly Palio horse race), the Gothic–Romanesque Duomo and other sights. Following our guided tour, you have time spare to meander the cobbled streets and have lunch at a restaurant by yourself. Our last stop is the classically Tuscan, family-run Azienda Agricola Trottolo winery, nestled near the celebrated Montalcino wine region, where a tasting of excellent local reds awaits us. This evening we enjoy dinner in the hotel restaurant. 

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

On our transfer to Pisa airport, we stop in the historic walled town of Volterra for a farewell lunch of classic Tuscan fare – a special finale before we catch our flight back to the UK.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch