US departure
To make the most of their vacations, many of our Guests depart the USA a few days early to spend a day or two in Florence, Rome, Pisa, Milan or Lake Como before picking up their car and heading to The Villa on Saturday for the beginning of your Adventures To Tuscany Expedition… Whether you choose to get Italy’s classic red Fiat Cinquecento, or perhaps a sporty Alfa Romeo convertible, you’re sure to have a great time driving the winding roads of Tuscany on your journey to The Villa in Chianti…
Friday
Day 1 - Saturday
Welcome to Tuscany
Arrival day – Today’s the day we’ll all meet at The Villa when you arrive Saturday for your amazing drive down through Tuscany to the Villa… All guests should plan to arrive at our Villa between 4pm to 6pm for check-in. There’s always a lot of anticipation & excitement in the air on arrival day as you get the first glimpses of The Estate and meet with the other Tour Guests… We’ll be waiting for you with chilled Prosecco, and we’ll all get together for our “Welcome to Tuscany” orientation party on the Terrace and around the pool… We’ll enjoy a little wine and sample local Tuscan specialties as we get acquainted with each other, stroll around the Estate, and tour the Villa as we outline our amazing adventure for the upcoming week. We’ll stop by the kitchen to introduce you to our private Chefs Angela & Giuseppe, and get a sneak peak at what they’re preparing for tonight’s Tuscan feast… Our dinner this evening will be served outside on the Terrace under the loggia. After tonight’s dinner we’ll all get together on the Terrace over a couple glasses of wine to discuss people’s experiences on their trip over to Italy, and also discuss the coming week’s Itinerary, and what to expect for tomorrow’s adventure! Our included Wine, Prosecco & Beer bar will, of course, be open throughout the evening and the excitement of our first day arrival always ends up as a very festive party!
Day 2 - Sunday
Radda-in-Chianti and Castello Di Albola Grand Tour, Wine Tasting and VIP Luncheon
The coffee and juice bar will be setup early this morning for the early risers, and our Grand Tuscan Hot Breakfast Buffet will be available for casual dining inside or outside in the loggia. After yesterday’s travel, today will be a bit more relaxed… We’ll get in our cars this morning and head down into one of The Chianti Classico’s most famous hill towns, Radda-in-Chianti, to discover and explore our “home-base village…” We’ll gather in the Piazza in front of The Church of San Niccolo for a short Walking Tour & Orientation to the village... and then we’ll make recommendations and allow you free time for shopping and sight-seeing. Radda is a wonderful village that sets high in The Chianti Hills with expansive views… This is a nice village to shop for leather, art and pottery, and the ladies will love that there’s several shops specializing in beautiful Italian leather purses and shoes! We’ll meet up back at the Church and head up to the Wine & Olive Oil Estate of Castello di Albola for our private VIP guided Tour of the magnificent Wine Production Facilities, Cask Rooms, Wine Cellars and Castle grounds… This Tour and tasting will be a great “primer” to help you feel confident with your wines throughout your vacation… After the Tour, we’ll enjoy a wonderful Alfresco Luncheon in the beautiful Courtyard at Castello di Albola… After the Luncheon we’ll head back to the Villa, and there will be time to freshen up, go for a swim… or stop by The Wine Bar on The Terrace for a little refreshment… We’ll serve wine & appetizers this afternoon around the pool and Terrace starting around 6:30 and then we’ll all get together this evening for another of Chef Angela & Giuseppe’s fabulous Mediterranean Dinner Parties… After dinner this evening we’ll gather out on the Terrace to enjoy some of Tuscany’s famous wines and go over some of the details of tomorrows fun adventure… There will be music & dancing… evenings on The Grand Terrace always turn into a party!
Day 3 - Monday
The Chianti Classico Road Rally
The coffee and juice bar will be available early this morning as will our Hot Tuscan Breakfast Buffet. This morning we will leave for our all day Chianti Classico Road Rally… an exciting experiential excursion into “The Hill Towns of Chianti.” We’ll line the cars up road rally style out in front of the Villa… we’ll outfit each car with large colorful “Rally Decals” (see decals on left) and one of our nifty two way radios! Our Chianti Classico Road Rally is a non-competitive fun rally specifically laid out for exploration, discovery and tons of fun throughout the amazing backroads, hamlets, wineries and quaint villages of The Chianti Hills… We’ll follow each other caravan style thru these winding back roads, through vineyards and olive orchards keeping in constant touch on our walkie talkies… We’ll stop for great vistas… walk through charming villages… for those that want, we’ll grab some lunch at one of our favorite Osterias in Panzano… perhaps a little shopping… maybe an occasional espresso or gelato… We’ll stop by his shop to see if Italy’s most famous Butcher, Dario Cecchini is in town! Our Chianti Classico Road Rally is a favorite with guests offering incredible opportunities to “Eat, Pray and Fall in Love” with Tuscany! Tonight, Chefs Angela & Giuseppe are sure to delight us with more of their Culinary skills with another fabulous Mediterranean Dinner Party… Usually on this day we try to have our “La Cucina Rustica” party in the Farmhouse Kitchen! This will be an incredibly action-packed day, and for those that want to savor every minute, we’ll probably gather out on the Terrace for an after dinner cordial and some special wines, and discuss the days highlights and our plans for tomorrow’s activities in Siena! And of course, there’ll be a party on The Terrace!
Day 4 - Tuesday
Insider’s Adventure Tour of Medieval Siena… Festival del Bianco with Aromatica Duo and our Wood-Fired Pizza Party
We’ll have our coffee and juice bar and Breakfast Buffet available very early this morning, as we’ll be leaving early for our all day excursion into the amazingly beautiful walled city of Siena… We’ll line up our cars rally style, turn on our private radios and motor out of the Villa early this morning to meet our Adventures To Tuscany Tour Guide Stella under the Bell Tower in Piazza del Campo for an amazing 3 hour walking tour featuring the incredible history, culture, art & architecture of one of Tuscany’s most famous and beautiful cities… Lunch today, and the afternoon in Siena will be “on your own and at your leisure” and recommendations will be made for restaurants, sight-seeing, and shopping. You can choose to grab a simple Panini and sit picnic-style in the Piazza for a quick and inexpensive bite to eat, or go all out for a big Italian luncheon at one of the famous Trattorias overlooking the Piazza… Siena is a wonderful town to shop for gifts, souvenirs, art, leather, shoes, clothing and pottery… And most shop keepers will gladly ship purchases back to the US. We will meet back at the Clock Tower later this afternoon, jump in our cars and take the scenic route through the Chianti hills back to The Villa. There will be time to take a swim and to freshen up for the evening’s Grand Event, our Festival del Bianco! (The White Party – we encourage everyone to dress in white for tonights big party). And tonight we have something really special at the Villa…. Live acoustic musical entertainment on The Terrace with a really special band; Aromatica Duo! This is all inclusive Italy at it’s very best! Tonight our Chefs Angelina & Giuseppe will also be doing something extra special: Our Wood Oven Fired Pizza Party! Feel free to jump in and toss a pie! This party will be a memory of Tuscany you’ll never forget…
Day 5 - Wednesday
il Dolce Far Niente
Today we celebrate Summer In Tuscany the way Italians love to do – il Dolce Far Niente! We’ll have the coffee, juice bar and Breakfast out a little later this morning as, after last night’s Festival del Bianco Celebration, most of our guests like to sleep in a little. After yesterday’s very active day in Siena & lat night’s big party, today will be a day that the Italians have so famously described as “il dolce far niente…” or “the sweetness of doing nothing…” This is a free day and guests are welcome to do whatever they choose…We’ll have a full day of relaxation to enjoy this incredible Estate, The Villa and the surrounding property… There will be no rushing around to get ready to go anywhere… This day has always been a favorite of our groups! Guests may want to consider putting on their swim suits and spending the day around the pool with a good book or taking a hike through the vineyards… Some of our guests choose to use this day to take the train into Florence… Others jump in their car to run into Radda or Castellina for lunch & a little shopping… We usually take a handful of guests over to a friend of ours who has a little hand-made pottery shop outside of Radda-in-Chianti: La Ceramica… And others choose to experience a traditional Tuscan activity: Truffle Hunting with the Dogs! We’ll be putting out a Fresh Panini & Pasta Luncheon Buffet today for casual outdoor dining, and we’ll of course have our Wine, Prosecco, Beer, and soft drink bar “La Bella Vita” set up outside all day under the Portico… And later in the afternoon, we’ll start our “Under The Tuscan Sun” swim-party for fun and relaxation all afternoon! Of course Angela & Giuseppe will be around in the Afternoon preparing yet another fabulous Alfresco Dinner Party!
Day 6 - Thursday
Magical San Gimignano and Our Tuscan BBQ Swim Party
Today again our Coffee, Juice Bar and Breakfast Buffet will be a little earlier as this morning we will leave for for another incredible all day discovery excursion… We’ll be going to one of Tuscany’s most famous villages, San Gimignano, the city of towers… We’ll meet our Adventures ToTuscany Tour Guide Stella just outside the historic gates and walls for an amazing 2 hour walking Tour of this magical medieval village, with it’s fortified walls and breath-taking towers. San Gimmy is a shopper’s paradise! After the Tour, you’ll have all afternoon as free time to enjoy a long leisurely lunch, perhaps climb one it’s famous medieval towers, or go shopping in all of San Gimmy’s incredible shops. We’ll meet up later this afternoon at the gate to the village for our drive back thru the Chianti Hills to The Villa. Today will be our Famous Tuscan Steak & Ribs BQQ Party! Giuseppe will be cooking Tuscany’s most famous & delizioso specialities: Bistecca Fiorentina, Rosticianna & Salsiccia Toscana over a hot a blaring hot Olive & Oak Wood fire in the massive FarmHouse Kitchen Fireplace! This will be a meal you’ll never forget! We’re sure there will be lots of stories to tell over tonight’s incredible dinner, and later we’ll stop by “La Bella Vita” for an after dinner cordial & a few glasses of wine on the Terrace and give you the inside scoop on tomorrow’s magical day at the world famous Dievole Wine Estate… and you’ll never guess what happens tonight on The Terrace… perhaps another party!
Day 7 - Friday
The Tastes of Tuscany at Dievole or Badia a’Coltibuono Wine Estates and Celebration of Tuscany Party
After a very active week, this morning will be a good morning to sleep in a little, as the afternoon and evening will turn in to a grand celebration! We’ll be putting out the Coffee, Juice Bar and Breakfast a little later this morning as we’ll have a little extra time before we leave for the Winery for our exclusive VIP Tour of the historic grounds & Wine making facilities & Wine Cellars… with Guided Wine Tastings and lastly our Grand Alfresco Luncheon “The Tastes of Tuscany” in their beautiful Gardens overlooking the Vineyards. These historic Wine Estates set high in The Chianti Hills with just fabulous grounds and outstanding views. You’ll feel how special these places are the moment we get there! This day is a day we save for our last full day in Tuscany as it’s very, very special, and the perfect way to wind down an adventurous week! We’ll take a special scenic route to head back for our special Celebration of Tuscany Party tonight at The Villa… Angela & Giuseppe promise something very special tonight and this will be a magical evening with singing and dancing outside under a beautiful Tuscan sunset, and of course our Wine Bar, “La Bella Vita” will be open throughout the evening!
Day 8 - Saturday
Ciao Tuscany!
So it’s been an incredible week filled with with wonderful memories here in Tuscany and today is our last day at the Villa, and you might want to be up early to relax, take-in and enjoy this last Tuscan sunrise… We’ll have the Coffee, Juice Bar and an abbreviated Breakfast open early today to aid in those that might need to leave really early… We’ll get together out on the Terrace for our official “Adventures to Tuscany” group picture and we’ll get the cars lined up for our last departure, as check-out time is 9:00 am… We’re sure as you take that last drive down The Villa’s long beautiful driveway thru the vineyards, you’ll be talking about when you’re coming back!
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