NOVEMBER 2023
NOVEMBER 5-12
tHIS IS A full 7 DAY TRIP, flights from us should depart on 11/4 to arrive on 11/5 and depart on 11/12
*Note that itinerary is subject to change
Day 1
Arrive in Florence and drive through the scenic rolling hills of Tuscany to our first home, Relais di Fizzano, located in the heart of Chianti with 360 views of rolling hills dotted with vineyards and olive groves. We will be greeted with a welcome drink. After settling in to our private apartments, the owner will take us on a tour of the estate. Relax and shake off jet-lag while taking in the 360 views of Toscana. Dinner together at their restaurant with a tasting of traditional Tuscan items.
Day 2
Depart in the morning for Siena! In Siena we will have a walking tour of the City Center including the Piazza del Campo where the famous Palio horse race happens twice every year. We will have free time to shop and have lunch on our own. After bopping around the ancient city center, we will meet for a private guided tour and aperitivo (aka drinks & snacks!) with the owner of a private historic palazzo, home to Siena's only private theater. After some fun, we will head back to our home in Chianti, Fizzano, and have a dinner of their gourmet selection - the Chef here once operated a 2-star Michelin restaurant - definitely a treat.
Day 3
Today will be a special day that Franco and Carli haven’t even experienced yet. We will be driving around the rolling hills of Chianti to a special Estruscan town - Volterra. We will visit a unique cheese producer who has a beautiful agriturismo where we will have a cheese course, followed by a tasting of course (yes, paired with wine) followed by a beautiful lunch. After a leisure lunch, we will go into the walled city of Volterra where it’s oldest known date is 8th century BC. It be old. We will have a guided tour as well as free time - note that all the guided tours are optional if you’d like to roam on your own. For dinner, we will visit our good friend Sveva who happens to live in a medieval castle. She will show us true hospitality with a home-cooked meal paired with her interesting wines she makes from her vineyard there.
Day 4
This day, we pack our bags & head out from our little home in Chianti Classico to go up North to our OG home - Fattoria Lavacchio. Most of you know or have heard us talk about this incredible place, and maybe you’ve had the wine. Before we get there, we have some magic rolled up our sleeves. First, we may or may not have a guided ride in our own vintage Fiat 500 through some beautiful back roads, only stopping for lunch at a vineyard for a special tasting at a private castle. After this epic trip, we will head north (probably on the bus so we can indulge in more wine) and before arriving at Lavacchio, we will stop at a famous butcher shop that Franco loves. We will have a tasting of their meats, cheese and wine. This will be a good time to stock on any snacks too! When we get to Lavacchio we will check into our rooms and then go on a guided tour of their estate with a tasting. Dinner will be held in the main house, just below our rooms.
Day 5
After our farm fresh breakfast as Casabella (the main house in which our rooms are located) we will begin our journey in to the scandalous world of Olive Oil. We will head to the nearest olive trees and begin to pick, comb and collect Tuscany’s gold. After our harvest we will have a nice big lunch poolside of classic Tuscan grilled meats drizzled with delicious olive oil. Once we finish lunch we will depart to visit the olive mill that Lavacchio uses and see first hand how the liquid gold is made. After our visit we will have an amazing meal with our dear friends who have a quaint restaurant along the river in town, with views of the old Medici bridge. Our friends who put out a multi-course meal paired with bright green olive oil - though their hospitality will be what really tops this evening. *Note, this dinner is not included in price. It will be 50 euros per person which includes 4 courses with endless wine! They also bring out the grappa and magnums of fernet every time we visit - so we always tip like crazy!
Day 6
Firenze! We will leave in the late morning for an unforgettable day in Florence. We begin our day here with at a local market where they sell seasonal fruits and vegetables, artisanal meats, cheeses and other locally made products. You can also find some cheap vintage clothes being sold outside as well! Franco and Carli can take anyone who is interested on a little walking tour to see the big landmarks like the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella, Palazzo Vecchio, etc. Or there is all day for free time to wander around, visit a museum, grab some lunch, shop. We will meet again around 5pm to go have an epic tour of a private palace right in the city center, hosted by our friend - the prince! He will show us his families heirlooms and history, while causually saying how Da Vinci stayed there and drew much of his famous drawings within the walls. At the end of this crazy tour, we will have a drink on their rooftop where we will have an incredible view of Florence. After our drinks, we will have a white glove dinner with him. After dinner, we plan to GO OUT! This night will be a perfect night to go bar hopping since it’s Friday in Florence. We already gave our partners a heads up that we will be needing to arrange a taxi or two late lol.
Day 7
Morning Truffle hunt! we will hunt for the treasure in Fattoria Lavacchio's beautiful woods rich with this golden fungi and other ancient relics buried in the woods, left by the Etruscans. With our findings, we will partake in a cooking class to make the tuscan classic: Fresh pasta with shaved truffles. Lunch will follow with wine pairing. After lunch will be free time to experience reserved excursions that will take place at the vineyard (Massage, horseback riding, Ceramics) - I certainly suggest we all horseback ride! Our farewell dinner will be at the vineyard.
PRICING
The cost for our friends is $3000 per person for double occupancy - for single occupancy it is $3,400. (note this is $2,200 less than our actual pricing - and we didn’t even cut out anything! Super bang for your buck)
Price includes:
-7 nights in a room at an award-winning agriturismos
-18 meals while in Tuscany (with wine) including a white glove dinner held in private palace (a meal only for royals!)
-Private transportation in Italy including all fees for excursions
-Cooking class by renowned chef
-Specialty tours in three different cities
-Endless tastings at several estates, all guided by the family.
*Note that most lunch and dinners come with three glasses of wine. If we want more than that - which hell to the yes - we will need to purchase it. It’s all pretty reasonable, even for the best stuff.
Cash or Check preferred, if paying with credit card we will add an additional 3-3.5% charge.