A Trip Between Tuscany and Le 5 Terre to Reclaim the Joy of Travel

Italian Academy - the Place To Go Italian -

A 9 Day Tour Staying in Two Villas in the Awe-Inspiring Tuscan Countryside Discovering its Secret Gems, its Earthy Traditional Food and the Sense of the Italian Dolce Vita.

This tour is for a group of 7 people Only

Start date:

September - first week

What’s included:

Pick-up from Fiumicino airport and Stazione Termini in Rome.
Accommodation in a villa near Lucca and in a villa in the Chianti area.
A private minibus for all land transportation.
Drop-offs at the end of the tour.
All meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Two cooking sessions.
Italian conversation sessions & games every day (optional).

What's not included

Aerial time.
Wines and drinks.
Anything not specified as included.

The cost for everything mentioned above is $3450 CAD

One thing should be said about Italy, wherever you go and whatever you do, you can see that small and big have largely the same weight. Take a small place like San Gimignano or a big place like Florence, they might be very different in size but they are equally worth your while.

This 9 day tour organized by Italian Academy makes good of this idea and plans to takes you to big places like Florence, Pisa and Siena and small places like Barga, Monteriggioni and San Gimignano.

The concept behind it is to use a quintessentially Italian country house as a base camp and go on daily excursions discovering the best places, food and wines in the area. You will also be taking part in two cooking sessions at the villa and a daily program of Italian conversations. The whole trip’s idea is to let everything unfold at a slow pace for a traveling experience that’ll put you in touch with the real heart of Italy.

You’ll wake up every morning to breakfast on an outdoor patio immersed by countryside epitomizing everything that is good about Italy. You’ll discover awe-inspiring villages, genuine food and recipes you didn’t know existed, and you’ll wonder why nobody else has flocked to these places before.

This is your opportunity to fall into a chapter of a flawless Italian story.

The Villa

DAY 1 - Barga near Lucca

The program starts with the pick -up at Fiumicino airport or Termini railway station in Rome and a drive to the idyllic villa near Lucca.

The evening will be spent at the enchanted Barga - not far from Lucca - for a traditional meal at a special restaurant within the intact medieval city walls of this beautiful village.

The dreamy village of Barga, near Lucca.

Day 2 - Lucca

The day will start at the country house with a home-made Italian breakfast in the garden by the pool overlooking Lucca’s valley. Then at around 10:30 am our minibus will head for Lucca on a day trip exploring the monuments and the food of this medieval cozy town.

A stroll along Lucca’s intact city walls will feel like traveling back in time. The visit of Lucca will continue with a walk in its amphitheater piazza and sightseeing its dome and main churches.

Lunch will take place at Salumeria Ciacco tasting the renowned Tuscan bruschette and cured meat taglieri.

Dinner at the villa

The evening of day 2 includes an all hands-on-deck cooking session at the country house’s kitchen - we’ll be making a tasty meal based on some of the most traditional Tuscan recipes.

Day 3 - Pisa & Wine-Tasting in Volterra

After the usual mouth-watering Italian breakfast at the villa, you’ll be heading for Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa . Then we’ll take a short ride to Volterra, a frozen-in-time village immersed in the glorious Tuscan countryside. Once there we’ll all go to podere Marcampo for a wine-tasting tour.

Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa

Il Teatro del Silenzio

Lajatico, Andrea Bocelli's Hometown

Cique Terre Express, the train chugging along le 5 Terre coastline

Day 4 - Le 5 Terre

This is the day to visit le 5 Terre in Liguria. After a short ride to La Spezia we’ll all hop on Cinque Terre Express, a train that will take us along the stunning cinque terre coastline. The first stop is Monterosso for a walk in the charming streets of this quaint village. Then lunch at Vernazza and a walk in Manarola and Riomaggiore

dinner at the villa

After such a busy day we’ll be heading back to the villa to recharge your batteries or to take part in an all hands-on-deck cooking session at the country house’s kitchen -

Day 5 - San Gimignano

On day 5 we’ll hit the road to reach our second country house in Chianti area . On the way to the villa we’ll stop off for a visit at the glorious San Gimignano and its amazing medieval towers.

dinner at the villa

Day 6 - Siena & PIenza

You’ll be exploring the glorious city of Siena with its grand piazza hosting the renowned palio (a frantic and dramatic horse race) every summer. At lunch we’ll have a snack at Antica Salumeria.

Dinner will be served at Pienza at the Osteria Sette di Vino with a selection of cured meat based taglieri, and earthy local dishes.

Day 7 - Monteriggioni

Monteriggioni is a magic, tiny medieval pearl surrounded with intact city walls in sea of rolling hills. Walking through its cobbled streets will be an experience in its own right that’ll stay with you for long time.

At lunch you’ll be tasting a to-die-for meal at Osteria Torrione in Poggibonsi sitting in an outdoor patio overlooking the glorious Tuscan countryside.

Day 8 - Florence

In the morning you’ll be walking through the cobbled streets of this magnificent city discovering its monuments, its quaint shops and delicious food. Florence. On the way back to the villa we’ll stop off at a wine making farm for the ultimate - Wine-tasting experience (at Azienda Agricola Picena).