A Foodie Adventure through Tuscany

Explore Florence’s Renaissance past through the city’s historic centre. The Accademia Gallery is home to Michelangelo’s ‘David’, one of the finest sculptures ever created, and while there are many copies across the city, this is the real deal. You’ll also visit the church of Santa Maria del Fiore – the famous Duomo – to view Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome; the nearby Campanile of Giotto (bell tower); and Ghiberti’s enchanting ‘Gates of Paradise’, the door to the Baptistry.

Continue to the Piazza della Signoria, the centre of Florentine politics and home to a captivating outdoor sculpture gallery. Shopping, architecture and history will collide as you stroll over the Ponte Vecchio.

This tour is all about gelato – Italian ice cream. Learn how gelato was invented, see how it is made on the premises of a gelato parlour, and naturally, plenty of freshly made flavours will be tasted and compared.

Glide peacefully along the Arno River, floating by the Uffizi and passing under the Ponte Vecchio. You’ll see the city in a new way as you drift towards the Santa Trinita Bridge and Carraia Bridge as your guide recounts fascinating tales about the city and its architecture. The boat is steered manually by a Florentine ‘renaiolo’ (boat captain), meaning no engine noise.

After the tour, hop ashore, where your guide will continue showing the city’s monuments from different perspectives, ending with a visit to the Santa Croce church, housing the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and Rossini.

Learn how to cook like an Italian at this cookery class held in a local restaurant in beautiful Cortona. You’ll prepare a four-course Tuscan meal, including a starter, pasta dish, main course and dessert. You’ll be rewarded for your hard work as you sit down to enjoy the food you’ve made alongside a glass of tasty wine.

Montalcino is a beautiful hilltop town set within a full circle of fortified walls. Located in the Val d’Orcia National Park and surrounded by rolling hills and olive groves, it is home to an impressive fortress and is well known for its Brunello wine.

You’ll also visit Montepulciano, one of the highest hill towns in Italy. It is filled with pretty squares and offers spectacular views across the surrounding countryside. Montepulciano is famous for its Vino Nobile wines. In both towns, you will visit wineries and enjoy sampling their delicious wines.

Built on three steep hills and unchanged since medieval times, Siena is one of Tuscany’s most beautiful towns. Admire its major sites like the Piazza del Campo, where the famous horse race takes place every year, as well as explore quieter backstreets to appreciate Siena’s complex and rich history. You will be introduced to the stunning Gothic cathedral, where you’ll enjoy a panoramic view from the Facciatone.

Continue on to San Gimignano, famous for its medieval skyscrapers, high walls and narrow streets that typify the image of a Tuscan hill town.

Join in the fun of searching for truffles at a local farm, using trained dogs who will help sniff them out. You’ll head into the woods where your guide will explain the techniques used to successfully find them. You’ll then enjoy a truffle tasting and a light lunch.

Explore the charming Chianti area, a place renowned for its red wines and rolling hills. Visit a local winery, walk among the vines and, of course, taste some delicious wine.