Tuscany escape: Florence, Siena and Val D'Orcia – RY Marketplace
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– 5 days, 4 nights in Florence and Siena
– cooking class at a local pasta making in Florence- Wine tasting at an historical abbey- Truffle hunt experience + truffle menu lunch at the farm in Val d’Orcia
– trip to Bagni San Filippo considered the oldest natural and at the same time man-made spa in the world
Who This Trip Is Good For
– anyone interested in the Italian culinary heritage
– anyone interested in renaissance art and architecture
– anyone interested in medieval villages, scenic roads and landscapes of the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Florence and pasta class in local Florentine home
You will meet a private driver at Pisa airport. It will take around 1.30h to get to Florence, where you will be checking in a design hotel situated in the Santa Maria Novella district in the heart of Florence. The interior of this hotel is eclectically inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy and is full of allusions to this work: scenes from heaven and hell are playfully alternated and guide you through the virtues and vices of Dante’s world.
You will be having free time to enjoy the hotel, as it’s itself an experience. San Paolino restaurant is the lively center of the historic palazzo. A lush courtyard garden, a traditional Negroni bar and an Alimentari for groceries, snacks or an aperitivo complete the culinary offering.
Around 6pm by taxi, you will be visiting a local Florentine home and learn how to make traditional Italian dishes with this hands-on cooking class. Discover the secrets to turning out authentic, hand-rolled pasta and gnocchi with a variety of sauces while enjoying insights about the city’s culture and cuisine from your local host and instructor. Enjoy your experience by starting it with Bruschetta “al pomodoro e basilico”, pecorino cheese, prosecco wine and finish it by sitting down to feast on the fresh dishes you’ve prepared together. Vegetarian option available.
After the class and the dinner you will be drive back to the hotel.
Day 2 – Florence private guided tour 3h
After breakfast at your hotel you will be meeting your local guide in Piazza della Repubblica with an initial introduction on the history of the city before continuing on to Piazza San Giovanni and the Duomo to reach Dante’s sestiere. You will be stopping at the splendid Bottega to know the story of traditional Florentine goldsmithing between past and present, and then you will be reaching Piazza della Signoria. You will cross Ponte Vecchio towards Piazza Pitti, Piazza Santo Spirito and Piazza del Carmine, the heart of the Oltrarno district, to end at the Vecchio Conventino da Manufatto Fiorentino, where the leather craftswoman Barbara dell’Acqua will welcome us in her Bottega, where she creates leather artefacts made in Tuscany with professionalism and care. The Conventino also hosts the Literary Café, so you will be able to end at the Café with an aperitif’.You will be having free time for the rest of the day to enjoy Florence on your own, but we strongly suggest you to explore Bobolo Garden and Palazzo Pitti.You will explore the place where the Medici family once lived. Built in 1457 and designed by Brunelleschi, the building is now a museum with numerous wings, as well as separate museums. Discover the Palazzo Pitti which comprises a series of galleries and rooms, including the Palatine Gallery. Then continue your exploration to see the collection of sculptures dating from the 16th through the 18th centuries, along with a series of Roman antiquities. The gardens, nearly 111 acres, extend to modern Fort Belvedere.
Day 3 – Wine Tasting in an historical abbey
After your breakfast at the hotel, you will be picking up by a private transfer to drive to a medieval abbey in the Chianti countryside, where you will enjoy a wine tasting.
This old abbey and farm with a millenial tradition was declared a National Monument. You will taste the Chianti Classico and the Chianti Classico Riserva which is considered one of the best! The experience includes: guided tour, tasting of their top wines and small snack.After the tour & wine tasting, you can enjoy the traditional Tuscan dishes which is situated in the original but refurbished stables, and with elegant contemporary flair, the restaurant’s atmosphere is warm and welcoming, while the surrounding garden enhances the overall mood. The menu offers a variety of options (included vegetarian) like pasta, risotto, fillet beef and season vegetables. Lunch will be à la carte.
In the early afternoon we will be heading to the beating heart of Tuscany, where there is a place where time has stopped and relaxation is guaranteed. It is the Certosa di Maggiano, an antique monastery where beauty, design, tradition and nature co-exist in total harmony. Surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, the elegant indoor lounges were designed by the famous architect Renzo Mongiardino.
You will be having time to explore Siena on your own. Through a pleasant walk through the narrow and steep streets of the historic center, you’ll see the ancient and modern urban layout and find panoramic points that overlook the three natural ridges, pedestals on which the city has taken substance over the centuries. Visit: Piazza del Campo, Torre del Mangia Tower, Duomo Santa Maria della Scala.
Day 4 – Truffle hunting, lunch at a farm in Pienza and Bagni San Filippo to end the day
After your breakfast at your hotel, you will be having a full day experience, that will start with a unique natural experience walking through the area of the Crete Senesi around the famous area for the precious truffle in S.Giovanni d’Asso to discover the secret of the nature guided by local expert truffle seller with his trusted dog, that nose on the ground, he will guide you walking in group among the clays and the Tuscan landscape. The area is famous for the Summer Truffle, the Marzuolo but in particular the clays of this medieval village are renowned for the quality of the White Truffle of the Crete Senesi.After the exciting truffle hunting, you will come back to the farm and have a guided tour of the farm you can see with your own eyes what it means to live a peasant life today here in the Orcia Valley. You will also have lunch at their Agriturismo : 4-course lunch (starters and cheese platter of farm raw milk cheeses, first course and main course with truffle, dessert, water, wine produced by them and coffee).After lunch, you will be driving to Pienza (5minutes), where you will be having time to explore on your own.
Built on a hill that dominates the Val d’Orcia. It’s a completely intact, elegant Renaissance town, proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity site (1996) for its important example of Renaissance urban planning, architecture and monuments.Visit: Piazza Pio II, Cathedral of the Assunta, Palazzo Piccolomini, Archaeological Museum of Pienza, Panoramic path “Camminata Panoramica, and the Old Town.
After a long day of activity, you will be stopping at a beautiful natural hot spring in the forests of Tuscany. During a visit, you will be amazed by the hot sulfur springs, which bubble directly from the earth into the midst of untouched nature. Bagni San Filippo is considered the oldest natural and at the same time man-made spa in the world, fed directly by a hot spring. bring swimsuit, towel and flip flops with you!
Day 5 – Departure day
After breakfast, you will be checking out and a private transfer will drive you back to Florence. Accordingly, to the group needs, we can either drive you back to the Florence airport or to Santa Maria Novella railway station.
What’s Included
– Private transfer airport to the hotel in Florence
– 2 Nights in a 4 stars design hotel in Florence city center in a superior double shared room
– Taxi to cooking class and back to the hotel in Florence
– cooking class and dinner at a local pasta making in Florence on day 1
– 3h private guided tour in Florence on day 2
– Private transfer from Florence to a hotel in Siena
– Wine tasting at an historical abbey
– 2 nights at Certosa di Maggiano in an antique monastery just 2km away from Siena city center
– Private driver full day (8.30 am to 5.30 pm) to Val D’orcia and back to the hotel in Siena
– Truffle hunt experience + truffle menu lunch at the farm in Val d’Orcia
– Private transfer from the hotel in Siena to Florence airport
What’s Not Included
– Ground Transportation – Airport transfers in Palermo- Lunch Day 1,2,3
– Dinner Days 2,3,4
– Insurance
– Tips for vendors and guides
Know Before You Go
– Minimum Needed: 8 people
– Maximum Capacity: 8 people
– Booking Deadline: 7th November 2022
– Weather Dependent: Yes – If any activities need to be changed or cancelled, you will be notified within a reasonable time frame.
– Difficulty Level: Medium – This trip requires a lot of movement, for that we have included all private transfers
– Special Clothing Required: No
– Special Dietary Restrictions: No – Dietary needs to be catered for as needed upon request
– Accommodation – Superior or deluxe room double occupancy
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Suggested Flights – November 2022Please do not book flights until this trip has been confirmed Sicily Palermo to Pisa |
What is the refund policy?
For questions concerning refunds, please email [email protected]. Please note most bookings made within 24 hours are fully refundable. Bookings made outside the 24 hour policy are not eligible for a refund. Please keep in mind, we will automatically refund bookings that are disrupted by extreme weather conditions, last minute cancellations from our suppliers or the minimum number is not met by the booking deadline.
What happens if my booking is changed/cancelled due to weather?
We’ll control the weather. Just kidding! Remote Year can’t control the weather or many other factors that go into planning events. In the event of a change due to weather, the City Manager will do their best to provide a make-up option. Due to last minute changes and busy monthly schedules, we cannot guarantee it works for everyone but we’ll do our best! If you are not able to attend the make-up date(s), we will fully refund your booking.
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Yes! We welcome your friends and family coming to visit you while you travel the world. Please refer to our Friends and Family policy: Friends & Family (visitors of active Remotes and active Citizens) may be granted access to private Remote Year events, Local Experiences, Side Trips, Community Events, Local Amenity and Services at an extra cost determined by the Marketplace or City Team. Remote Year reserves the right to deny access to Friends / Family who are over using Remote Year services. To avoid abuse of services, non-active Citizens, op-out Remotes, or Remotes who have left a Program can not use services as Friends & Family of Active Remotes or Active Citizens.
I haven’t received a booking confirmation email, can you help? If I cannot attend, can I transfer my ticket to someone else?
Yes, you may transfer your ticket to another Remote, Citizen or Family/Friend. Please notify the City Manager as soon as possible to confirm the change. Please note, in the case of special dietary requirements, we might not be able to accommodate special requests on last minute changes. Any bookings that require advanced ticketing linked to an individual’s ID might not be approved.
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As a non-active Remote or Citizen, you forego access to any private Remote Year events including Core Experiences, Local Experiences, Community Events, Local Amenity and Services through the Marketplace. Exemptions will be made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the City Manager.
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