Taste your way around Tuscany and visit Siena

Itinerary

1. Day

   1

   Arrive in Pisa

   Pisa, Italy

   Today you'll arrive in Pisa and check in at your centrally located hotel, around 10 minutes' walk from the Central Station.

   In the early evening, your tour manager will join you in the hotel reception for a welcome meeting before you head out on a brief orientation stroll, taking in the beautiful Campo del Miracoli and the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, reminders of a time when Pisa was one of the Mediterranean's most important maritime powers.

   Afterwards, you'll head out to a local restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner and a mouthwatering introduction to the cuisine of Tuscany.

2. Day

   2

   Livorno

   Livorno, Italy

   After breakfast at the hotel, you'll set out for a visit to Livorno, a port city known for its seafood, its Renaissance-era fortifications and the enchanting Venezia Nuova quarter with its network of canals.

   You'll spend some time exploring the huge Neoclassical Central Market, Vettovaglie, the second largest indoor market in Europe. The market is a great place to mingle among the Livornese, bartering and going about their everyday shopping.

   You'll enjoy a street food lunch sourced from the torteria stands at Vettovaglie, washed down with a glass of regional wine or an authentic espresso.

   After lunch, you'll begin your journey south to the Val d'Orcia, stopping on the way at the walled hilltop town of Montalcino. Here, you'll have some free time to explore and the chance to enjoy a wine tasting of the famous Brunello di Montalcino wine that grows in the surrounding vineyards.

   Later on, you'll arrive in the walled, mediaeval village of Buonconvento, where you'll have a free evening to eat out in one of the town's excellent restaurants.

3. Day

   3

   Pienza

   Pienza, Italy

   Today you'll take in the stunning Tuscan countryside on a hike to a nearby farm, Pieve a Salti, where you'll hear the story of how the Prandi family converted the farm to organic production.

   Look forward to a delicious lunch in the restaurant here, which serves up typical Sienese and Tuscan dishes using produce from the farm and wines from the local area.

   You'll then head to Pienza, a classic hilltop town and jewel of Renaissance architecture that UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.

   Pienza is known for its pecorino cheese and you'll get to sample some of this town's delicious produce at the Armellini family's cheese shop in the town. Pecorino is produced in quite modest quantities, around Pienza with only some 20 companies producing the cheese made from the milk of just 3,000 sheep.

   After some free time in Pienza you'll head to the beautiful city of Siena, where you'll stay for the next two nights.

4. Day

   4

   Siena

   Siena, Italy

   Today is all about discovering the fabulous mediaeval city of Siena, with its magnificent Gothic architecture and its famous sweet treats.

   You'll explore the city on a walking tour, which will take in the magnificent central square, Il Campo, and the awe inspiring grandeur of the Duomo overlooking the Via di Citta and the Piazza del Campo, a with ancient buildings, and overlooked by a 100 metre bell tower. This renowned piazza is used for the famous Palio horse race twice a year, where horses and their riders hurtle dangerously around the square to the delight of the crowds.

   Siena is famous for its cakes and biscuits and in the afternoon you'll pay a visit to a local pasticceria to learn the stories behind traditional Sienese cakes like ricciarelli (almond cakes with a soft centre covered with icing sugar), cantucci (crunchy cookies studded with almonds) and panpepato (a dense, dark, spiced, dried-fruit-and-nut-spiked cake).

   After sampling some cakes, you'll visit the small family-run pasta shop Pasta Fresca Siena, where over 30 different types of fresh and dried pasta are produced, for a pasta making demonstration.

5. Day

   5

   Chianti

   Chianti, Italy

   This morning you'll visit the magnificent Ricasoli Wine Estate, centred around the mediaeval Brolio Castle.

   The cellars are located at the foot of the castle and you'll enjoy a tasting of Castelli di Brolio wine followed by a tour of the estate.

   Next is a visit to the pretty little town of Greve with its beautiful Piazza Matteotti surrounded on three sides by portico-covered boutique shops, artisan workshops and restaurants. It's a lovely place for a stroll and an alfresco lunch.

   While here, you'll also have the option to visit the Pruneti olive oil mill to learn all about the production of and taste some of the high quality extra virgin olive oils that are exported all around the world from this historic farm.

   You'll then head to San Gimignano, a beautifully preserved example of a classic Tuscan medieval hilltop town with fourteen towers creating a unique skyline. This is your base for the final three nights of your holiday, where you'll stay in a historic building on the main square with a fabulous view of the surrounding countryside from its rooftop terrace.

6. Day

   6

   Volterra

   Volterra, Italy

   This morning you'll pay a visit to the Fattoria Lischeto farm, close to the walled town of Volterra.

   This 240 hectare farm was established by Giovanni Canas in the 1980s and is known for its cheeses, made from the milk of the 800 plus sheep that graze here on the organically managed pastures and fodder.

   You'll take a guided tour of the farm, learning all about the farming and production processes before enjoying a truly farm-to-table lunch of authentic home-cooked produce, a blend of classical Tuscan and Sardinian recipes in keeping with traditional farmhouse cooking.

   In the afternoon you'll head into Volterra and enjoy some free time to explore. Volterra's history dates from before the 8th century B.C. and it has remains from the Etruscan, Roman and Medieval periods. As well as sites such as the Roman theatre, city walls and Etruscan acropolis, Volterra is famous for its alabaster, a light-coloured stone, and many small workshops around the town sell objects crafted from this material.

7. Day

   7

   San Gimignano

   San Gimignano, Italy

   This morning is free for you to enjoy San Gimignano at your own pace.

   You may choose to climb to the top of the Torre Grossa, the tallest of the town's towers, or pay a visit to the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Experience at the Rocca di Montestaffoli, the town's highest point. Here, you'll learn all about the history and production of this intense white, whose grapes are grown in the Val d'Elsa and which was Italy's first DOC wine. And of course a tasting is part of the Experience.

   After lunch you'll meet up with the group to visit and indulge in an ice cream from one of San Gimignano's most famous gelateria, Dondoli. Sergio Dondoli's gelato has won many awards and is renowned for its use of high quality Italian grown ingredients.

   You'll then head to Fattoria San Donato, a family-run farm producing Vernaccia wines and olive oil. You'lll take part in a hands-on cooking class and get an introduction to traditional preparation techniques and ingredients.

   You'll enjoy a final farewell dinner tonight at the farm, tasting the fruits of your labours alongside other delicious dishes.

8. Day

   8

   Departure

   Pisa, Italy

   After a final breakfast at the hotel, you'll depart San Gimignano and transfer to Pisa Galileo Galilei International Airport where the tour comes to an end.