8 Days | Florence to Rome
Spend time in the Tuscan countryside in landscapes dotted with farmhouses and castles all while experiencing Italy in perfect harmony with the land. Hike the same paths spiritual pilgrims once walked long ago, sit down for a picnic lunch in the vineyards of Lamole di Lamole and learn about the food and drink you consume in a storybook setting. Italy has long been known for its atmospheric cuisine, on this trip you’ll get a taste of Tuscany and its own unique identity and thousand-year-old history.
Prices from $5,399 CAD per person
Florence
Rome
With golden light stretching across the rolling green hills, the Tuscan countryside is calling. The pace here is slower, coinciding with the wine produced in the region which is meant to be savoured rather than gulped. Throughout this picturesque adventure, move through Tuscany and Umbria by walking from village to village. Your first day sees you begin the trek in the village of Strove walking the Via Fancigena until you cross the Elsa River on foot, wading ankle deep in the blue water. Welcome to Tuscany, and to Italy, we invite you to find you inner serenity in the countryside.
After an informative morning welcome briefing with your CEO you will travel to San Gimignano for a visit before today’s trek. Discover one of the most well preserved Italian medieval sites by marvelling at both the Gothic and Romanesque architecture of the historical centre, and by sampling some of the regional delights at lunch in town. Your trek begins after lunch, heading to the final destination of Colle Val d’Elsa.
Hotel Palazzo Pacini (or similar)
Meals included: Lunch
Monteriggioni is your quintessential Tuscan medieval walled village. Follow part of the ancient Francigena way into Siena. Step back in time as you walk past donkeys in green pastures and lush vineyards as the Tuscan countryside unfolds before you. Walk up to the main door of the Hermitage of San Leonardo al Lago and knock-your local host will be waiting. Enter and admire the frescoes painted throughout the church.
After visiting the village of Monteriggioni, trek along paved and gravel paths passing farms and vineyards. Arrive at your agriturismo in time for an al fresco farmhouse lunch and some well deserved wine. Later continue your journey to the Porta Camollia, the traditional Francigena access to Siena. Explore Siena with your CEO. From Siena take the bus back to your hotel for a free evening.
Hotel Palazzo Pacini (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch
Chianti, recognized for its namesake red wine, lies between Florence and Siena in the very centre of Tuscany. Begin the trek from Montefioralle- a small town forming the perimeter around an historic castle. Trek from the wavy hills of the Chianti region, along the dusty dirt road that winds through rows of vineyards and the silvery foliage of olive groves, before reaching the provincial road that leads to the hamlet of Panzano. Your reward for another beautiful walk? Lunch at a local winery with a pairing of local wines of course.
After a decadent and leisurely lunch, continue on to Greve in Chianti, considered the “gateway” to the Chianti region. Greve in Chianti is formed around a beautiful triangular piazza, at the centre of which is a statue of the explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, one of the town’s most illustrious sons, who went down in history for discovering the bay of New York. End the day relaxing with a cold drink at your Tuscan Villa perched above the vineyards.
Borgo Casa al Vento (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
From medieval village to medieval village, through the vineyards of Chianti, your walking today sees you leaving Volpaia walking up towards Monte Querciabella, the highest point of the day. Carry on to Poggio del Quercetino and then downhill to Lamole, famous for its terraced vineyards, where you take a luscious rest in the form of a picnic lunch among the vines.
After lunch, sample four varieties from the local Tuscan estates, continuing to learn not only about the process of wine making in Tuscany, but about the people who make their life here in Chianti. Tonight enjoy a special wine pairing dinner.
Borgo Casa al Vento (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
UNESCO World Heritage site Val d’Orcia extends from the provinces of Siena to Grosseto, offering up some of Tuscany’s most picturesque vistas. The Pienza loop trail begins in historic Pienza, a Renaissance city commissioned by Pope Pius II. From Pienza, pass the Romanesque parish church of Corsignano as you make your way through the green and gold undulating hillside dotted with Cypress trees. After a short time, enter the Strada dei Gladiatori, the exact setting of the panoramic countryside scene from Ridley Scott’s film ‘Gladiator’.
Your morning walk concludes just in time to sample another Tuscan favourite, pecorino cheese. A tasting of locally produced pecorino and ricotta cheeses is served with a glass of Montepulciano wine. After indulging in a glass of Montepulciano wine, it’s only fitting to visit the town itself. A local guide welcomes you to this ancient hilltop town and provides an in depth walking tour of the old centre. Here we leave Tuscany and head into Umbria to Città della Pieve.
Your OMG Stay: Hotel Vannucci
Meals Included: Breakfast
Walking the Italian countryside is the ultimate gift to yourself. Taking the time to step away from the hustle of your everyday life to intentionally move at a slower pace. Italy is about living and eating well. Speaking of eating, it’s time to spend the morning with a local chef learning to prepare some of Italy’s most loved dishes. A tagliatelle with ragù perhaps, or a creamy tiramisú. Buon Appetito!
After you devour the fruits of your cooking labor, alongside a few glasses of delicious wine, the afternoon is yours to spend at leisure. A local guide will lead a walking tour of Città della Pieve, our home while in Umbria, known as the birthplace of renaissance painter Pietro Vannucci.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch
Your OMG Stay: Hotel Vannucci
Admittedly, Rome is one of those cities that is pretty OMG worthy on its own. If you have an entire week, its a great city to get lost in, wandering from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. To make the most of your time in Rome, you get to choose between a walking tour or a fully guided Vespa tour. No matter which way you choose to explore Rome, you will experience the very best the city has to offer.
Take a short orientation walk of Rome after arriving to the hotel. If you are up for more walking, join your local Roman guide and walk the historical centre, visiting Piazza Barberini and Piazza di Spagna. Drop a coin into the Trevi Fountain and sip a cappuccino in Piazza Navona. If you are ready for less walking, more adrenaline, hop on the back of a Vespa with a professional driver and whiz through Rome from Trastevere to the Colosseum and lots more.
Bettoja Atlantico Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
Your adventure has come to an end, and you can depart at any time.
Meals Included: Breakfast