Italy - Secret Tuscany

Day 1

A morning departure (this will be in the early hours of your departure date) we travel south to Dover for our ferry crossing to Calais. We then continue to the Novotel Dijon Sud hotel for our overnight stay (Evening meal included).

Day 2

After breakfast at the hotel we continue our journey to the Grand Hotel Impero, Tuscany.

Day 3

Today we can take a leisurely stroll into the centre of the authentic little Tuscan town of Castel del Piano, just a 10-minute walk from our hotel on the flat. We enjoy free time here to explore and perhaps treat ourselves to some local delicacies. We return to our hotel in the afternoon, where we enjoy a delicious tasting of olive oil, truffle and honey.

Day 4

This morning we visit the beautiful medieval town of Montepulciano; the journey through the Val d’Orcia in southern Tuscany is simply stunning and ticks off one of those ‘must do’ drives. We have some free time to explore Montepulciano before enjoying a wine tasting at Fattoria Pulcino where we try the famous ‘vino nobile’, which is unique to Montepulciano. We continue on to the lovely pink walled renaissance town of Pienza this afternoon, where we have free time for lunch. On the way back to our hotel, we make a pitstop to visit an authentic cheese factory, Il Seggiano, for a tasting.

Day 5

Today we spend some time on the coast, starting with a visit to the capital of the Maremma region of southern Tuscany, Grosseto. We have time to explore, sip a coffee and enjoy the shops and medieval architecture in this stunning city before continuing on to the charming coastal town of Castiglione della Pescaia. Here, we can spend some time relaxing, wandering along the pretty seafront and enjoying some local seafood for lunch. We arrive back at our hotel late afternoon with some time to relax in our hotel or stroll back into Castel del Piano.

Day 6

We enjoy a morning excursion to Siena, perhaps the most classic of the Tuscan towns and considered by many to be one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities. We embark on a 2-hour walking tour to introduce its highlights before having time at leisure to wander the cobbled streets of this medieval centre and marvel at the beautiful Piazza del Campo main square, where the famous Palio horse race takes place each year. After free time for lunch, we visit the extremely authentic family run winery, Azienda Agricola Trottolo, located close to the famous Montalcino region, where we enjoy a tasting of some superb, local red wines.

Day 7

Today we depart the hotel and travel back to the Novotel Dijon Sud hotel for our return overnight stay (Evening meal included).

Day 8

We depart after breakfast and continue the journey home.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner