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Overview Itinerary Reviews Hotels, flights & FAQ

Food & Wine: Flavors of Tuscany & Umbria

with Rome extension

When are you looking to travel?

This tour itinerary varies by year.

Duration: 10 or 12 days
Group size: 14-28
Reviews: 226

Taste the rustic flavors of central Italy.

Tucked-away towns make up the core of Tuscany and Umbria, while the cultural capital of Florence offers urban elegance and historic remnants from the Renaissance. From handmade pasta in heavy sauces to wood-grilled steaks, discover the simple, honest flavors for which central Italy’s medieval villages and sweeping countrysides are known.

Your tour package includes

8 nights in handpicked hotels
8 breakfasts
3 lunches
3 dinners with beer or wine
3 wine tastings

Included highlights

Florence Duomo
Tuscan cooking lesson
San Gimignano
Chianti wine tasting
Montalcino wine tasting

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Day-by-day itinerary

Overnight Flight1 night

Day 1: Travel day

Board your overnight flight to Florence today.

Florence3 nights

Day 2: Arrival in Florence

Included meal: Dinner

Welcome to Italy! Meet your fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.

Day 3: Sightseeing tour of Florence

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Set off with a local guide to see Florence, the city at the center of the Renaissance.

• View the legendary Florence Cathedral, known as the Duomo

• Pass Giotto’s Campanile, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture

• Walk past Piazza della Repubblica to the medieval Ponte Vecchio

• Stroll along the Arno River and through the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery to Piazza della Signoria, center of Florentine life

• Step inside the Basilica of Santa Croce, burial site of Michelangelo and Galileo

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. Savor your creations for dinner with accompanying wines.

Day 4: Free day in Florence

Included meal: Breakfast

Enjoy a free day in Florence or add excursions.

Medieval Lucca & Farmhouse Lunch

Excursion (additional cost)

Fiesole Villa Dinner

Excursion (additional cost)

Siena2 nights

Day 5: Siena via San Gimignano & Chianti

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

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 city's renowned gelato

This afternoon, continue on to Chianti to tour a winery and sample some of the region’s fine wines at an agriturismo, or farm stay.

Then, arrive in Siena for this evening’s included dinner of Tuscan specialties.

Day 6: Montalcino & Siena

Included meals: Breakfast, Light lunch

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

Day 7: Perugia via Cortona & Lake Trasimeno

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Continue your travels across the Tuscan landscape and into Umbria as you head toward Perugia.

• Explore the hillside town of Cortona on your own during free time

• Visit Lake Trasimeno, where Hannibal battled the Romans

• Enjoy a lunch of traditional Umbrian specialties

This afternoon, set out on a guided tour of Perugia, the medieval town known for its Etruscan Arch.

• See the Palazzo dei Priori, a medieval palace dating back to 1298

• View stunning artwork inside the 15th-century Collegio del Cambio

• See Perugia Cathedral and wander through the tunnels of Rocca Paolina, Perugia’s historic underground city

Day 8: Free day in Perugia

Included meal: Breakfast

Enjoy a free day in Perugia or add an excursion.

Assisi & Umbrian Farm Lunch

Excursion (additional cost)

Rome1 night

Day 9: Rome via Montefalco wine region

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Journey across Umbrian valleys en route to Rome. Stop along the way in the Montefalco wine region for a farewell wine tasting of red Sagrantino and white Umbrian wines, accompanied by a lunch of local specialties.

Then, arrive in Rome and join at local family at their home for a farewell apertivo. During this typical Italian cocktail party, you'll enjoy drinks and a buffet featuring local cheese, prosciutto, bruschetta, and more.

Flight Home

Day 10: Departure

Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your stay to further explore Rome.

Extension to Rome

Only in Rome can you sip cappuccino at a cafe in front of the Pantheon, buy grapes at a centuries-old market, and have an audience with the pope—all in one morning. For a mix of spectacular art, grand history, and exuberant street life, no other city comes close.

Rome2 nights

Day 10: Sightseeing tour of Rome

Included meal: Breakfast

Follow in the footsteps of the ancient Romans on a guided tour of the Eternal City.

• View the Arch of Constantine and soak up over 2,000 years of history in Imperial Rome

• Enter the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater of the Roman Empire

• See Circus Maximus, the stadium where ancient Romans raced chariots

• Pass by the Temple of Hercules Victor and the Theatre of Marcellus

• End your tour in the Jewish ghetto neighborhood, where you’ll stop at a local bakery to sample kosher Roman delicacies

Day 11: Free day in Rome

Included meal: Breakfast

Spend a full free day in Rome or add an excursion.

This evening, enjoy a farewell drink as you celebrate your trip with your fellow group members.

Iconic Sights: Vatican City

Excursion (additional cost)

Flight Home

Day 12: Departure

Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

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Reviews

226

4.7 average

Best Tour Ever

06/20/2019 by 2nd time traveler Jan B.

Go Ahead provided us the trip of a lifetime. There was a perfect balance of your and free time, the food and wines were delicious, and hotels were lovely and centrally located in neighborhoods and areas which provided ready access to shopping, dining, and seeing the sites. Katia deserves a big round...

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Incredible Tour

06/18/2019 by 2nd time traveler Stephen S.

This tour exceeded my expectations. The excursions out to the countryside to experience the regional food and wine with local producers was incredible. Their pride in their locale and work shined through. The people and sites in Florence, Sienna, Perugia, and Rome, as well as locales in between, ...

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Awesome Tuscan experience!

06/03/2019 by 6th time traveler Terry L.

Really enjoyed this Tuscan experience! We had a fun group, and Marta our guide made great suggestions for restaurants and areas to visit during our free time. We visited some great wineries and farms( we did all 3 excursions) and my highlights were the dinner at Machiavelli's house outside of Floren...

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Central Italy Food and Wine Tour

05/31/2019 by 2nd time traveler Ellyn R.

“The Flavors of Tuscany and Umbria Food and Wine Tour” was our very first GO AHEAD TOUR and we were quite reluctant to book a group excursion, as we have traveled a lot on our own, yet never with an organized tour. We were apprehensive as we had high expectations of the Italy tour, and to be honest,...

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Food and Wine tour

05/30/2019 by 2nd time traveler Gary D.

We took a leap of faith when we choose Go Ahead Tours as we only had the reviews that were posted on their site to make our decision. Shortly after booking our Wine and Food Tour we had a friend tell us they took the exact same tour with Go Ahead Tours and they loved it. Well the reviews that we r...

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Go Ahead Tours replied on 05/30/2019

Dear Gary, We work hard to create smooth and stres...

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Our reviews are authentic and unedited.

Hotels, flights, & FAQ

Here's the nitty-gritty—where you’ll stay, how you’ll get there, and what to know about your destination before you go.

Hotels

We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.

Grand Hotel Adriarico

This comfortable hotel is located in the city center. Guests enjoy a restaurant, spa, and fitness center. Nearby, you’ll find the Duomo, Santa Maria N...

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NH Excelsior Siena

This elegant hotel is located in La Fortezza neighborhood of Siena. Guests enjoy free Wi-Fi, a fitness room and a restaurant. Nearby, you'll find Piaz...

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Flights

Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.

Add our airfare package and you'll get:

Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
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24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes

Find out more about flights

FAQ

Passport & visa requirements

In order to enter Italy, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
There is no visa required for U.S. or Canadian citizens.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact your destination country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.

Tour pace

You will walk for about 3.5 hours daily across moderately uneven terrain, including paved roads and cobblestone streets, with some hills and stairs.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times.
Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.

Transportation & arrival information

Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Florence and depart from Rome.A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at your destination are included for travelers who have purchased their flights through Go AheadTours. Travelers who purchase their own flights may request airport transfers with Go Ahead Tours for an additional cost.
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.

Baggage allowance

Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.

Clothing & packing tips

We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).

Health

There are no major health risks associated with traveling to Italy.
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.

Cuisine

Tuscany is world-famous for its wine, oil, sauces, and pasta. Menus favor subtle, lighter pastas and desserts made with nuts, fruit, and honey. Try a dish featuring the region’s Chianina beef, perhaps the most prized breed of cattle in all of Italy. For wine, popular Tuscan reds include Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which are primarily made from the Sangiovese grape. Well-known white wines are also made around the San Gimignano region.
In Umbria, don’t miss sampling both the reds and whites produced around Orvieto and Perugia.
For more authentic meals, try local trattorias,small restaurants set away from the main piazzas. A typical Italian meal includes wines and the occasional beer, followed by a few sips of after-dinner drinks like_grappa_ or limoncello.

Electricity & air conditioning

Italy operates on the European standard 220-240 volts and use Types C, F, or L plugs with two or three small, round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotel may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.

Connectivity

Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.

Time zones

Italy is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm on tour.

Currency

You will use the euro on this tour.
Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.

Tipping

At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $7USD to $10USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Tips can only be paid in cash.

Purchasing excursions on tour

Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for optional excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.

Museums in Florence

If you are interested in visiting any of Florence's many museums during your free time, we recommend that you make reservations in advance. See uffizi.org for the Uffizi Gallery or accademia.org for the Accademia Gallery. Please note that the museums are closed on Mondays.

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44 Departures

Tour prices are per person, before flights, and based on two travelers per hotel room.