Tour Overview
| Duration | 8 Days / 7 Nights |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy — Tuscany Food & Wine Trail |
| Price From | $1,581 per person (twin share, Mega Sale 30% off) |
| Tour Style | Food & Wine / Culinary Immersion |
| Data Source | TourRadar — 2026 (Cosmos, 120 reviews / 5.0 stars) |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Montecatini
Welcome to Tuscany! Arrive in Montecatini Terme, a historic spa town nestled in the Valdinievole valley. Check into your hotel. Evening orientation walk through Montecatini’s Liberty-style architecture and thermal park. Welcome dinner at a local trattoria featuring ribollita (Tuscan bread soup) and Chianti wine. Overnight in Montecatini.
Day 2: Vinci — Leonardo’s Hometown & Bread Making
Morning visit to Vinci, birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. Tour the Leonardiano Museum with working models of his inventions. Afternoon hands-on bread-making class — learn the secrets of Tuscan pane sciocco (unsalted bread) and schiacciata from a local baker. Understand why Tuscan bread is unsalted (it pairs perfectly with the region’s salty cured meats). Overnight in Montecatini.
Day 3: Lucca Café Crawl & Olive Oil Tasting
Full day in Lucca, Tuscany’s most charming walled city. Morning bicycle ride on Lucca’s fully intact Renaissance walls — 4 kilometers of tree-lined cycling path with city views. Café crawl through the historic center: espresso at the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, artisanal gelato at a family-run gelateria, and buccellato (Lucca’s anise-scented sweet bread). Afternoon olive oil tasting at a frantoio (olive mill) in the Lucca hills — learn to identify Tuscan DOP extra virgin olive oil. Overnight in Montecatini.
Day 4: Chianti Wine Trail
Full day in the Chianti wine region. Drive the Chiantigiana road through vineyard-draped hills between Florence and Siena. First stop: a family-run winery in Chianti Classico for a tour of the cellars and tasting of Chianti Classico, Riserva, and the family’s own olive oil. Lunch of pappa al pomodoro and pecorino cheese. Second stop: a small organic winery for a comparative tasting. Visit Greve in Chianti’s triangular piazza and the famous Antica Macelleria Falorni — a butcher shop operating since 1806. Overnight in Montecatini.
Day 5: Tuscan Farmhouse Cooking Class
Drive into the rolling hills to a rustic farmhouse (agriturismo). Full day hands-on cooking class with Mamma Paola: prepare three traditional Tuscan recipes from scratch — pici (hand-rolled pasta), wild boar ragu, and cantuccini (almond biscotti). Forage for herbs in the garden. Lunch features everything you’ve cooked, paired with the farm’s own wines. Afternoon: learn to make pizza dough and top your own pizza for dinner in the wood-fired oven. Overnight in Montecatini.
Day 6: San Gimignano & Siena Desserts
Morning in San Gimignano, the “Medieval Manhattan” with its 14 stone towers. Gelato tasting at Gelateria Dondoli — multiple world champion gelato maker. Saffron tasting (San Gimignano produces Italy’s finest saffron). Afternoon in Siena: the fan-shaped Piazza del Campo, the magnificent Duomo. Dessert workshop — make ricciarelli (almond cookies) and panforte (spiced fruit cake), Siena’s medieval specialties. Overnight in Montecatini.
Day 7: Bolgheri & Super Tuscan Wines
Drive to the Bolgheri wine region on the Tuscan coast. The famous Cypress Avenue (Viale dei Cipressi) — 5 kilometers of towering cypress trees immortalized by poet Carducci. Visit a Super Tuscan estate — taste Sassicaia-style Bordeaux blends that revolutionized Italian wine. Afternoon: seafood lunch in the coastal town of Castagneto Carducci. Farewell dinner featuring bistecca alla fiorentina (Florentine T-bone steak). Overnight in Montecatini.
Day 8: Depart Montecatini
Morning visit to the Montecatini farmers’ market for last-minute purchases of Tuscan olive oil, wine, and pecorino. Transfer to Florence or Pisa airport. Arrivederci!
Inclusions
- 7 nights 4-star hotel in Montecatini Terme
- Daily breakfast, 4 dinners including farewell bistecca
- Farmhouse cooking class with lunch
- Bread-making class
- 2 winery visits with tastings (Chianti Classico + Bolgheri Super Tuscan)
- Olive oil tasting
- English-speaking guide
- All transport in air-conditioned vehicle
Why Gourmet Tuscany
- Chianti Classico — taste wines where they’re made in the world’s most beautiful vineyard landscape
- Hands-on cooking with Mamma Paola — learn the secrets of Tuscan grandmothers in a real farmhouse
- Super Tuscan wines in Bolgheri — the revolutionary wines that changed Italian winemaking forever
- Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano — three of Italy’s most beautiful medieval cities in one trip
- 120 five-star TourRadar reviews — one of the highest-rated food tours in Europe
