Explore the spectacular countryside off the beaten tracks in central Italy, with a sprawling network of vineyards, olive groves, and rolling hills. Your fabulous food and wine tour includes tasting the region’s finest fare and its most exquisite locally produced wines and cheeses. You will have time to pepper in a bit of history in Umbria’s hilltop jewels, Perugia and Assisi, with architecture dating back to the Etruscan civilization. You will also take in Renaissance artwork and ancient stone castles in picturesque medieval villages across the region. At the end of your tour, you will be discovering the marvellous Val d’Orcia region, whose picture-perfect landscapes are ideal for travellers with a passion for Italian food and wine.
4 night at Monastero di Cortona - Hotel & Spa (4-star)
4 nights accommodation
4 breakfasts and 1 lunch
6 activities
Orvieto
Basilica di San Francesco di Assisi
Acqualagna Truffle Hunting Tour
Guided Tour of Assisi
Food Tour in Val D’Orcia
Wine Tasting at Boscarelli or similar
Airport transfer
Entrance fees
Ground transportation
Licensed English speaking guides
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Italy!
You will arrive in Italy by air, pick up your car at Rome’s airport, and head to the lovely town of Orvieto. Lunch in a typical trattoria will start your food and wine experience. After lunch, you will continue with a private, guided tour of this stunning hilltop town. Orvieto is probably Umbria's most peculiar town, built high up on a volcanic rock of tufa-stone. After the guided tour, you will proceed to Cortone where you will reach your hotel.
Day 2: Truffles and chocolate in Umbria
In the morning, you will drive to the north of the Umbria region, famous in Italy for its delicious black and white truffles. This northern area of Umbria, close to Tuscany, is one of the few areas in Italy where it is possible to hunt the precious and gorgeous White Truffle. You will join a walk accompanied by the truffle hunter and his trusty dog in the woods, a truffle reality par excellence in the green heart of Italy. In the afternoon, you will join a guide for a private tour of the nearby town of Perugia with its beautiful historic centre. Perugia is also the hometown of delicious chocolate, the famous "Bacio Perugina", which you'll try in a local chocolate store to taste pralines.
Day 3: Explore Assisi and Spello
After breakfast, you will drive to Assisi for a private guided tour. Don't miss St. Clare Basilica; Piazza del Comune with the medieval buildings and the interesting Roman sacred construction named Minerva temple and St. Francis Basilica, the cradle of medieval European art, whose church was built upon the Saint’s tomb. For the afternoon, you will proceed to the beautiful medieval village of Spello where you can admire its white and pink stone houses and the breathtaking renaissance fresco by Pinturicchio in the Cappella Baglioni. You can spend the afternoon at leisure exploring the region.
Day 4: Foodie Tour in Val d’Orcia
After breakfast, you will drive to Pienza and start your full-day foodie tour of Val d'Orcia. You will visit a cheese farm where you will have the chance to see the techniques of production and taste some good Pecorino cheese. You will also visit this beautiful medieval village before driving among the iconic hills of the Val d’Orcia to Montepulciano where you will have an unforgettable wine experience at a winery in the area famous for the “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano”.
Day 5: Departure Day
It is the last day of your food and wine tour! You will end the tour where it began, and return your car back to the airport.
Location
5-Day Gastronomic Self-Drive Through Central Italy
