Compare Food and Wine: The EuroChocolate Festival of Italy by Go Ahead Tours vs Country Roads of Umbria & Tuscany - Small Group by Insight Vacations
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Price From | Check price | $ 3,475 |
| Price Per Day | Check price | $ 348 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Standard |
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| Travel Themes |
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N/A |
| Countries Visited | ||
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Airfare included |
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| Meals Included |
9 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches and 3 Dinners |
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| Description |
Sip regional Brunello di Montalcino in the Tuscan hills. Walk among the life-sized chocolate sculptures lining Perugia’s EuroChocolate Festival. Learn the craft of Italian cooking in the birthplace of the Renaissance. Gastronomy takes on a new meaning in a country where eating and art have always been revered as one and the same (and trust us, there are many, many masterpieces to be discovered). |
Live 'la dolce vita' during this 9-day guided tour of Italy. Explore the Vatican Museums, where your VIP pass gets you behind-the-scenes access to the Bramante Staircase. Walk the narrow cobblestone streets of Siena to the shell-shaped plaza Campo and see the Torre del Mangia, the second-tallest tower in Italy. Visit a family-run olive mill, where a third-generation olive maker will share how its olives become the decadent oil you’ll taste at the mill. In San Gimignano, eat the best gelato in the world — literally. You’ll meet a world champion gelato maestro who will welcome you into his ice cream parlor to indulge in his favorite flavors. Alongside a Local Expert, marvel at the cathedral at the center of Florence: Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, nicknamed 'the Duomo' for its awe-inspiring crown made by a master goldsmith. |
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Florence today.
Day 2: Arrival in Florence
Meals:Dinner
Welcome to Italy! Meet your fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.
Day 3: Sightseeing tour of Florence
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Set off to see Florence, the city at the center of the Renaissance with a local guide.
• Visit the Duomo, Florence’s legendary cathedral
• Pass Giotto’s Campanile, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture
• Step inside the Basilica of Santa Croce, the burial site of many illustrious Italians, including Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo
• See the medieval Ponte Vecchio and the Palazzo della Signoria, center of Florentine life
This evening, join a local chef for a cooking class where you’ll make pasta by hand, create two kinds of bruschetta and craft tiramisu for dessert. Eat your creations for dinner with accompanying wines.
Day 4: Free day in Florence
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a full free day in Florence or add excursions.
Optional Excursion - Medieval Lucca & the Flavors of the Countryside $119*pp
Optional Excursion - Fiesole Villa Dinner $95*pp
Day 5: Siena via San Gimignano
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Included entrances: Wine tasting
En route to the enchanting city of Siena, stop in San Gimignano, “the city of beautiful towers.”
• Explore the small medieval town of San Gimignano on your own
• Sample some of the region’s fine wines and olive oils at a winery
• Arrive in Siena for this evening’s included dinner
Day 6: Montalcino & Siena
Meals: Breakfast, Light lunch
Included entrances: Wine tasting
Today, you’ll visit a winery and explore the vibrant cities of Montalcino and Siena
• Spend free time wandering the streets of Montalcino
• Taste three acclaimed Brunello grape wines and enjoy a light lunch
• Return to Siena, where a local guide shows you Siena Cathedral, home to major works of art by Donatello and Pisano, and the adjoining Piccolomini Library
• Stroll Siena’s medieval streets, stopping at the historic Piazza del Campo
Perugia2 nights Hotel info
Day 7: Perugia via Cortona & Lake Trasimeno
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Continue your travelers across the Tuscan landscape and into Umbria as you head toward Perugia.
• Explore the hillside town of Cortona on your own before visiting the Museum of the Etruscan Academy, home to an impressive collection of Etruscan artifacts
• Visit Lake Trasimeno, where Hannibal battled the Romans
• Enjoy a lunch of traditional Umbrian specialties
Day 8: Sightseeing tour of Perugia & EuroChocolate Festival
Meals: Breakfast
Set out on a guided tour of Perugia, the medieval town known for its Etruscan Arch before indulging in the famous (and delicious) festivities.
• See the Palazzo dei Priori, a medieval palace dating back to 1298, and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo
• Wander the tunnels of Rocca Paolina, Perugia’s historic underground city
• Savor chocolate delicacies while perusing the many chocolate “exhibits” on display at the EuroChocolate Festival
Day 9: Rome via Orvieto
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Journey across Umbrian valleys en route to Rome. Stop along the way in the Etruscan town of Orvieto for a wine tasting and lunch. Later, arrive in Rome in time for a farewell drink with your fellow travelers.
Day 10: Departure
Meals: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
Transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your stay to further explore the city of Rome.
Day 1: Welcome to Rome
Transfers to your hotel depart from Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 09:30, 12:30 and 15:30. Join your Travel Director at 17:30 to explore the Eternal City, passing the renaissance palaces and baroque churches scattered throughout the city. Get to know your fellow travellers over a pleasant Welcome Dinner as you dine at your hotel's restaurant, Unique al Palatino.
Hotel St. Martin, Rome.
Dinner with Wine
Day 2: Umbria and on to Perguia
Explore the Vatican Museums in the morning, where a local historian unveils the gems of the vast Papal art collection. Your special visit includes fast-tracked entry and behind-the-scenes access to the Bramante Staircase, a part of the Vatican normally closed to visitors. View the imposing Basilica of St. Peter, the largest in the world. Journey north to the Umbrian village of Baschi. Immerse yourself in the flavours and culture of the region and learn about the secrets of Italian food culture as you join Giovanni and his dog Chris for a truffle hunting session. Then join Chef Lorenzo for an entertaining pasta demonstration and delicious Highlight Lunch accompanied by Orvieto Classico wine. Join a Local Expert in Perugia to navigate the underground labyrinth of little streets, alleys and arches. Walk Corso Vannucci, resplendent in pale-pink stone, passing the princely Priors' Palace, cathedral and finely sculptured Great Fountain in the main square.
Sangallo Palace Hotel, Perugia.
Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
Day 3: Perugia Sightseeing & Free Time Relaxed Start
During a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, visit an artisanal workshop to meet Marta, recipient of a TreadRight Foundation grant, and her weavers. See how the fascinating art of loom-weaving textiles has been passed down through the generations and learn how this ancient craft is being preserved. Afterwards, you will be free to enjoy the many delights of Umbria's capital city. For dinner, choose your ideal ambience and palate-pleasing menu from a hand-picked selection of Perugian restaurants for your Dine-Around Evening. Buon appetito!
Sangallo Palace Hotel, Perugia.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 4: Assisi, in Search of St. Francis Relaxed Start
Journey to Assisi, one of Italy's most beautiful medieval hilltop towns, set high up in the mountains and enclosed by fortress walls. In the valley, see the famous Church of St. Mary of the Angels, much venerated as the place of St. Francis' death, then continue up Mount Subasio to the upper town. Step inside the massive, 13th century Basilica of St. Francis with your Local Expert to learn how Giotto masterfully painted frescoes that inspired a variety of Renaissance artists. Continue through the twisted groves that carpet the side of Mount Subasio.
Sangallo Palace Hotel, Perugia.
Breakfast
Day 5: Tuscany to Cortona, Siena and San Gimignano
Follow the shores of Lake Trasimeno to Cortona, one of the oldest hilltop towns in Tuscany. After free time to explore, continue to the narrow cobbled streets of Siena. Standing in the shell-shaped Campo, imagine the frenzied atmosphere of the biannual Palio horse race and see the superb 14th century Town Hall. Explore Siena with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the medieval Cathedral. Alternatively, sample panforte, a traditional Tuscan dessert. Travel to your home for the next three nights, a delightful villa near the medieval town of San Gimignano.
Villasanpaolo, San Gimignano.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 6: San Gimignano sightseeing and Free Time Relaxed Start
In the morning, your Travel Director will show you San Gimignano's medieval skyscrapers, serpentine streets and hidden squares. The town is also home to world champion gelato maestro Sergio Dondoli. At his artisan ice cream parlour on Piazza della Cisterna, the jaunty gelataio doles out his silky, frozen treats in a range of unique flavours for you to try. The rest of the day is at leisure; why not join an Optional Experience to Pisa and Lucca?
Villasanpaolo, San Gimignano.
Breakfast
Day 7: Florence and Tuscan Countryside Experience Relaxed Start
The morning is devoted to the Renaissance city of Florence. A fascinating walking exploration with a Local Expert takes you to the marble-clad cathedral crowned by Brunelleschi's dome. See the baptistery with its beautiful Gates of Paradise and Giotto's splendid bell tower. Walk on to Piazza della Signoria with its open-air gallery of Renaissance sculptures, followed by free time to shop for top-quality Florentine leather or gold. Toast to your travels during a delicious Farm-to-Table Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy tasting flavoursome dishes prepared with locally grown ingredients, sourced from the farm or nearby Tuscan region. Relax as the pairing of home-made pastas with the farm's own traditional Chianti wine rounds off your great Italian adventure.
Villasanpaolo, San Gimignano.
Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 8: Country drive to Ancient Rome
Leave behind the tower topped town of San Gimignano. Enjoy rolling Tuscan hills as you journey through the Italian countryside, making your way to Ancient Rome. On arrival, enjoy the afternoon at leisure.
NH Roma Centro, Rome.
Breakfast
Day 9: Arrivederci Roma
Bid farewell to the glories of Italy. Departure transfers arrive at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 07:00 and 09:30.
Breakfast
