TUSCAN COAST & HILLS | anticoitaliantravel

TUSCAN COAST & HILLS

JUNE 11-18, 2023

An Italian land and sea escape, exploring the walled city of Cortona and the sparkling Ligurian coast.

Spend 3 nights in the hill towns of southern Tuscany visiting farms, wineries, and medieval villages. Pecorino cheese, fresh pastas, bistecca Fiorentina, and Vino Nobile are just a few of the culinary gems of this area.

We then move northwest to Liguria for 4 nights, where brightly colored villages dot the coast where fish, pesto, focaccia, olive oil, and citrus are the stars, and the scent of wild herbs permeate the salt air. Follow the goat paths through vineyards that cling to the mountainside to taste the region's crisp, fruity, white wines and the rare schiacchetra, a sweet wine produced here.

Hotel Villa Marsili
Cortona, Italy

Your home in Tuscany for the week is Hotel Villa Marsili. Located within the walls of the picturesque Tuscan city of Cortona, Villa Marsili is within walking distance of the center of the village.

A gated entrance, 24 hour concierge, and all of the modern amenities of a luxury property await you. All guest rooms are all tastefully decorated and have a view of the lush, green Val di Chiana. Ceilings are adorned by frescoes and rooms are decorated with original and antique furniture.

A daily breakfast buffet is served in the hotel's softly colored dinning room, and in the evening guests can enjoy an aperitivo on the garden terrace before dinner.

DAY 1 WELCOME TO ITALY!

We will pick you up at the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence or Camucia-Cortona station, according to your needs depending on your arrival airport. Check into Hotel Villa Marsili, then meet for aperitivo followed by a welcome dinner at a local trattoria in the village.

DAY 2 COOK ON AN ORGANIC FARM IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY

Hands on cheese making class on an organic farm with lunch. Visit to the Renaissance hill town of Pienza afterwards in the Val d'Orcia. Dinner tonight in Cortona.

DAY 3 FULL DAY IN FLORENCE

Discover the very cool neighborhoods just across the Arno River today with a guided tour of the city's artisan workshops and history tour. The rest of the day is your's to explore the city. Aperitivo and dinner tonight in San Frediano, recently listed by Conde Naste as the "coolest neighborhood in the world".

The Ligurian Coast
"hotel diffuso" style

Liguria is like a watercolor painting come to life. Wake up to a landscape of pastel colored houses and the sound of fisherman selling their catch. The scent of freshly baked focaccia Genovese fills the air in the mornings and centuries old church bells truly are the best alarm clocks.

Each guest will have their own apartment or room at a boutique hotel in the village of Riomaggiore, in Cinque Terre. This is common in small towns, and is known as a "hotel diffuso", with rooms spread thought the village. Due to the unique design of the homes which are built onto the rock formations, large hotels are not permitted to be built in order to preserve this UNESCO site.

All accommodations have Wi-Fi and air conditioning.

DAY 4

TRANSFER TO THE COAST

Transfer to the coast today and check into your apartments for the second half of our trip. Wine tasting and lunch in the cantina at a local winery. Dinner tonight in Riomaggiore.

DAY 5

SAIL TO THE VILLAGES

One of the best views of the Cinque Terre villages is from the sea. We enjoy light lunch and wine aboard a private boat and sail to The Gulf of Poets in Portovenere. Stop to swim in the coves and visit one of the Cinque Terre Villages. Dinner on own tonight.

DAY 6

LIGURIAN COOKING CLASS

Rise early today as we head to Chiavari to make the local specialty street foods of focaccette, farinata, and Pasquelina pie with an Italian chef-food writer in her 18th century villa and enjoy lunch together in her garden. Free time in the center of Chiavari after lunch to visit the corzetti stamp shops. Dinner together.

DAY 7

WINE TREKKING & TASTING ON THE TRAILS

Follow the food and wine trails with a local guide through colorful streets, vineyards, and coastal paths. This is an easy trek on a downhill trail which is not crowded with tourists. Seafood dinner tonight one of the Cinque Terre villages.

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DAY 8 ARRIVIDERCI!

After breakfast we will depart Cinque Terre and return you to the Florence train station or Florence airport. A private driver is available at an additional charge for airport transfers to Pisa or Rome airports.

TUSCAN HILLS & COAST

$3,700.00 total cost per person, based on double occupancy

Included in price:

3 Night accommodations at Hotel Villa Marsili, Cortona Italy.
4 Nights at your own private apartment Riomaggiore, Italy.

Double Room, Queen size bed, air conditioning.

En-suite private bath, TV, Wi-Fi.

Breakfast daily.

2 Hands-on cooking classes

5 Lunches & 6 Dinners.

Wine included with all meals.

Private transportation costs during tour, and

transportation by boat or train between Cinque Terre villages.

All fees for excursions outlined in itinerary.

All taxes and gratuities.

Transfers to and from Florence, Italy.

Not Included:

International Airfare
Travel insurance

TRAVEL NOTE:

During certain legs of travel in Liguria we will be taking ferries and a short train ride (10-12 minutes as locals also do), as the Cinque Terre villages do not allow vehicles, and the national park's roads often do not have guardrails on many points along the mountainous coast.

Due to rainy weather conditions in previous years it is safer and

faster to use the train or ferry system when traveling between the Cinque Terre villages. For travel to other points in Liguria we will travel by normal modern highway.