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Route Rating Level 1 to Level 2

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Premiere Inns
  • From $4,598
    To $4,698 pp dbl. occ.
  • (+$1,480 for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. More Info

6 DAYS, 5 NIGHTS
ROLLOVER DATES BELOW FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
2008 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
ROLLOVER DATES ABOVE FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
TRIP NOTES

All meals included in trip price.

Cancellation Policy

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Meet / Depart

Florence, Italy

Special Interest

Cooking, Culture & History, Fine Wine & Cuisine, Romance &/or Honeymoon, Swim

My Backroads

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Contact Us

Call: 800-462-2848
or 510-527-1555
Fax: 510-527-1444
E-mail us

801 Cedar St.
Berkeley, CA 94710

Business Hours:
7 days a week
from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Time

Or contact your travel agent

Tuscany Cooking Walking

Tuscany Walking & Cooking

In the Kitchen with Tuscan Masters

Tuscany is the perfect place for the perfect pairing: exhilarating activity and heavenly cuisine. And thanks to our long-standing and special relationships in this charming region of Italy, we’re able to connect you with the local people and bring you closer to the Tuscany (and food!) they know and love. By learning about the history and seasonality of traditional ingredients, shopping in local alimentari (grocery stores), slowing down and making food the focal point of the day, you’ll soon discover that this trip nourishes your body as well as your spirit.

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Days 1-2 Gaiole in Chianti

Meet in Florence Take a walking tour of Florence followed by a professional cooking course and lunch Stay at the magnificent Castello di Tornano, former home to the Ricasoli family Amble from castle to castle along wooded trails, through stone villages and orderly vineyards Explore the sleepy village of Gaiole in Chianti, a wine-production center  Prepare dinner together with a local chef, sampling the best vintages of Chianti Classico from the Tornano vineyards.

Day 3 Radda in Chianti

Hike through the heart of Chianti to historic Radda, where time seemingly stands still  Enjoy a delicious picnic on the grounds of a farmhouse, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves Get a taste of the past by preparing ancient Tuscan recipes at the medieval Palazzo Leopoldo.

Days 4-6 Greve in Chianti

Linger in Volpaia’s quaint piazza before strolling into the Monti del Chianti for a panorama of the region  Soak up views of the Arno and Arbia Valleys  Explore the medieval hamlet of Montefioralle, looking for the house marked with a "V"—the birthplace of Amerigo Vespucci   Show off your culinary skills one last time during a cooking class in the kitchen of a private villa.

Route Rating What's this? Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Each offers options for more or less activity, so you can decide exactly how much you want to do day by day.

Lodging What's this? Our lodgings are divided into three different categories.

Premiere Inns:These lodgings possess both elegance and authentic regional flair.

Casual Inns:These lodgings are comfortable and appropriate to the areawith such characteristics as authenticity, scenic settings and proximity to our activities.

Deluxe Camping:We set up the tents (and take them down), handle every camp chore and perform culinary magic.

Detailed Itinerary

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Guest Trip Reviews

Fantastic trip! Beautiful scenery, unbelievable food, great accommodations and two wonderful trip leaders.
Rosa Carrick - Fremont, CA

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All Raves and Reviews

For more than 29 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Tuscany tour experts. For walking tours and hiking tours in Europe Italy, trust our in-depth connections. To see all our Europe Italy walking tours and hiking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Europe Italy biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Europe Italy multisport tours click here.

Tuscany Walking & Cooking

EXCLUSIVE VILLAS: Premiere Inns

Castello di Tornano

Gaiole in Chianti (2 nights): This spectacular 9th-century castle perched on a hill just outside of Gaiole in Chianti features spacious guest rooms, in-room massage and a swimming pool in the ancient moat.

Palazzo Leopoldo

Radda in Chianti (1 night): Located in the historic center of Radda in Chianti, this 14th-century palatial townhouse offers guest rooms that are stylishly decorated with some of the estate’s original furnishings.

Villa Vignamaggio

Greve in Chianti (2 nights): With gardens, pools and tennis courts, this classic Tuscan villa, nestled in lush vineyards, is known for its award-winning wines.

Tuscany Walking & Cooking Tuscany Walking & Cooking

Castello di Tornano

Tuscany Walking & Cooking

Route Rating

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Level 1  2 Route Options Available
  • Guided Walking Tour 1 hour
  • 1.6 miles
  • 500 feet elevation gain
Day 2
  • Levels 1 to 2 2 Route Options Available
  • 3.7, 6.5 miles
  • 0 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 3
  • Level 1  2 Route Options Available
  • 4, 4.8 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
  • Guided Walking Tour 1 hour
Day 4
  • Levels 2 to 3  2 Route Options Available
  • 5.2, 7.6 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 5
  • Level 1  2 Route Options Available
  • 3.5, 4.6 miles
  • 0 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 6 
  • Level 1  1 Route Option Available
  • Optional 1.7 miles
  • Conclusion of Trip
Tuscany Walking & Cooking Tuscany Walking & Cooking

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking
& Hiking
1 2-3
hours		 10-20
miles		 2-5
miles
2 2-4
hours		 21-30
miles		 5-7
miles
3 3-5
hours		 31-40
miles		 7-9
miles
4 4-6
hours		 41-55
miles		 9-11
miles
5 5-7+
hours		 56-75+
miles		 11-13+
miles