Our Eco-Tours in Casentino, Tuscany and beyond..

All our tours can be personalized according to your interests and needs, and made shorter or longer to match your travel time and departure dates, as well as your personal and professional interests. As with all our tours, you tell us the dates you would like to start, and we will design your tour for free, with no obligation.

In other words, all our tours are self-scheduled, allowing for maximum flexibility and convenience.

What follows is ONLY a list of a very limited number of trips (trasnportation by cars or mini-vans) or walks in Casentino, Tuscany and Central Italy, but we do also offer a wide selection of eco-tourist excursions, such as :

 

• mountain-trekking (from 1 to 7 days) along the Central Italian Apennines or the Tuscan coast;

• horse-back and bicycle tours (from 1 to 7 days);

• fully-tailored walks/tours to selected areas (National Parks, rural areas, secluded towns and villages) and for specific purposes (potholing, botany, wildlife fauna and flora, rural culture, etc,).

We also offer the following services:

 

•   wine, cheese and olive oil tastings;

• visits to gourmet restaurants and traditional food processing farms (cheese, vegetables, processed meats, honey, jams, etc.).

Some of our Tours (for more info, please contact: info@ecotouringtuscany.com):

 

  CASTLES, MONASTERIES & FORESTS IN TUSCAN CASENTINO (7 days)

 -CASENTINO EXCURSION (1 day) - ENCHANTED FORESTS AND CHURCHES

  FLORENCE AND 'THE TASTE OF TUSCANY' (7 days)

  MUGELLO, FROM WHERE THE MEDICIS CAME – TRIP (6 days)

  SIENA AND SOUTHERN TUSCANY WALK (7 days)

  UMBRIA WALK (7 days)

  TUSCANY AND LIGURIAN CINQUETERRE (7 days)

  THE ‘TASTE OF TUSCANY AND UMBRIA' WALK (7 days)

 

For each tour option, please see our Tour Evaluation after tour details.

   

All trips requiring overnight stay in general include:

 

• All breakfasts;

• Luncheons or dinners, as indicated, with a focus on regional cooking in small, family-owned restaurants;

• full-time, professional Tour Leaders;

• Trip Manager to handle logistical details;

• Vehicle for touring and carrying baggage or resting walkers or bikers;

• entrance to museums, wine and olive oil tastings, talks, etc.;

• special, personal tours hosted by local experts;

• all taxes at hotels and restaurants;

• all land transfers to and from tour area, and during tour;

• travel guidance for pre/post-tour activities.                                                                         

 

CASENTINO

The Casentino is the name given to the upper valley of the Arno through which the river flows from its source at Monte Falterona in the Apennines towards Arezzo and then to Florence. Over the centuries this seemingly wild but highly cultured and beautiful land, has sheltered a succession of emperors, kings, saints, mystics and poets, often attracted by the peaceful isolation offered by its high peaks and ancient forests. St. Francis of Assisi received the stigmata here, the exiled Dante took refuge with the Counts Guidi in their castle at Romena and the natural beauty of the Vallombrosa pinewoods so inspired English poet John Milton that he immortalized it in his epic poem "Paradise Lost" of 1638.

 

  CASTLES, MONASTERIES & FORESTS IN TUSCAN CASENTINO (7 days)

The noble hill-town Poppi and Bibbiena in Casentino are the perfect family destination. Adults love the romantic hilltop towns with their medieval towers. And the kids? Those stories of boiling oil poured on enemies get them every time. Tuscany speaks to all ages. You’ll snap pictures of each other in the city of Arezzo and in the hill-towns of Casentino alike. On great country walks, we’ll stop for picnics unlike any you’ve had at home. Kids will be amazed to find some of their favourite foods among the exotic ones: we have arranged pizza-making lessons and gelato-tasting especially for their palates. The adults will enjoy the fine arts and late-Renaissance architecture of the towns as well as the countryside of Casentino where they will find fine shopping and perhaps the finest meals they’ll ever eat.

                                

The tour includes:

• Meeting a shepherd who shows how to make cheese, and quite a few stone, wrought iron and textile artisans;

• Swimming in the pool at an elegant ‘agri-tourist’ complex (if weather allows that..).

       

Departure Dates: Every Monday from early April through end October (2006 and 2007)

Starting Point: Florence

Ending Point: Florence

Trip Length: 7 days and 6 nights
2006 Adult Price (Twin-share Accommodation):  From € 1,600.00  (min. 4 participants)

Single Supplement: € 200.00

          

The Tour includes:

Transfers from/to Florence with air conditioned bus, mini-van or car;

All transport fares, luggage transfers and taxes;

English speaking guide for the seven days;

Guided tour of Arezzo;

Accommodation for the six nights in an elegant farm stays (equiv. to 3-stars) on a bed-and-breakfast basis;

Six buffet breakfast;

Six gourmet dinners;

One cheese and wine tasting;

One full-day of Tuscan cooking;

Visit to textile, stone and wrought iron artisan shops in Casentino;

Unlimited local wine with all meals;

Entrance fees to the castle of Poppi, the museum of La Verna and St. Francis church in Arezzo.

  CASENTINO EXCURSION (1 DAY) - ENCHANTED FORESTS AND ANCIENT CHURCHES

Nestled in a dense forest of oak, pine, beech and chestnut trees, the Abbey of Vallombrosa was founded by a Florentine nobleman in 1038 as a remote hermitage where like-minded aristocrats could live a life of austere prayer. It expanded throughout the 16th and 17th centuries to become a large and prosperous monastery and is still home to 20 monks. After a tour of the abbey, we will make our way to nearby Poppi. The town's splendid castle is the most important of those belonging to the Counts Guidi and it's crenulated tower overlooks the entire Casentino. It is one of the best-preserved medieval buildings in Tuscany. The courtyard, with it's boldly-conceived staircase, and the main reception chamber are much admired. Upstairs is a chapel frescoed in the 14th C. by Taddeo Gaddi, and an important library with incunabula and manuscripts. 

                              

Departure Dates: Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from early April through end October (2006 and 2007)

Starting Point: Florence

Ending Point: Florence

Trip Length: 1 day
2006 Adult Price : From € 100 (min. 4 participants)

 

The Tour includes:

Transfers from/to Florence with air conditioned bus, mini-van or car;

All transport fares and taxes;

English speaking guide for the whole day;

Lunch at a typical local restaurant with unlimited wine;

Visit to the Castle & town of Poppi;

Visit to the Benedictine Abbey of Vallombrosa;

Visit to the Castle and Pieve di Romena;

Wine tasting;

All entrance fees.

 

     

              The main square of Arezzo

  FLORENCE AND 'THE TASTE OF TUSCANY' (7 DAYS)

 

Which is the greatest Italian treasure: Michelangelo’s David or a perfect dish of gnocchi in butter with a sprinkle of fresh sage? We’re only half-joking when we argue that the landmarks of Florence, Siena and Tuscany’s gorgeous hill-towns, barely distract us from the wonderful food of the region. So we’ve given in to our appetites and arranged a few special departures that emphasize the tastes of Tuscany. As with every classic journey, we’ve planned walks so you’ll miss none of the historic or scenic high points. But we’ve also arranged visits to private and hotel kitchens for tips on how to create the classics of the Tuscan menu. We’ll have wine and olive oil sessions.

Visit to cheese-makers and bakers. Experience firsthand how Italians cook and eat at home. (And just think how much more your friends will enjoy your snapshots when you serve them with that bistecca alla fiorentina you whipped up for dinner).

We meet in Florence (3 nights) and plan generous time to explore the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, and the rest of the city’s Renaissance splendors on foot…spend a day in the countryside with a visit to a local shepherd…and accept an invitation into a friend’s farmhouse kitchen. We’ll take a leisurely stroll through the hilltop town of San Gimignano with its skyline of medieval towers. Then, crossing through fields of sunflowers, we will move on to Cortona (3 nights).

                              

We explore its ancient stone walls that date to early Etruscan times and wander the charming village streets. And in one of two cooking sessions, you’ll learn how to make Sienese specialties like pici (hand-rolled pasta). In the lovely countryside near Montalcino, we’ll take a vineyard walk and taste the famous Brunello wines.

              

 

Departure Dates: Every Monday from early April through end October (2006 and 2007)

Starting Point: Florence

Ending Point: Florence

Trip Length: 7 days and 6 nights
2006 Adult Price (Twin-share Accommodation): From € 1,950.00  (min. 4 participants)

Single Supplement: € 300.00

                 

The Tour includes:

Transfers from/to Florence with air conditioned bus, mini-van or car;

All transport fares, luggage transfers and taxes;

English speaking guide for the seven days;

One full-day guided tour of Florence;

One full-day excursion to Casentino;

One full-day excursion to San Gimignano;

One full-day guided tour of Cortona;

One full-day guided tour of Montepulciano and Pienza and Montalcino;

Accommodation for the six nights in 3-star hotel in Florence and in an elegant farm stays (equiv. to 3-stars) on a bed-and-breakfast basis;

Six buffet breakfast;

Six gourmet dinners;

One half-day cooking course;

One cheese and wine tasting;

All entrance fees.

  MUGELLO, FROM WHERE THE MEDICIS CAME – TRIP (6 DAYS)

In the Tuscan hills north of Florence lies a lush, fertile region known as the Mugello since antiquity. Rich in history, its abundant agricultural resources attracted Florence, which conquered the area in the 14th century. Fortified towns were swiftly built at Scarperia and Firenzuola, to control trade routes from Florence through the Appennine hills to Bologna and northern Italy. Today it is a beautiful, and largely unvisited region of ancient oak and chestnut forests, olive groves and vineyards, with cultivated fields on the slopes of hills crowned with picturesque villas and castles.

              

The castle of Cafaggiolo                                                                            The castle of Trebbio

 

Departure Dates: Every Tuesday from early April through end October (2006 and 2007)

Starting Point: Florence

Ending Point: Florence

Trip Length: 6 days and 5 nights
2006 Adult Price (Twin-share Accommodation): From € 1,250.00  (min. 4 participants)

       

 

The Tour includes:

Transfers from/to Florence with air conditioned bus, mini-van or car;

All transport fares, luggage transfers and taxes;

English speaking guide for the six days;

One full-day guided tour of Casentino;

Accommodation for the five nights in an elegant farm stays (equiv. to 3-stars) on a bed-and-breakfast basis;

Five buffet breakfast;

Five gourmet dinners;

One cheese and wine tasting;

One full-day of Tuscan cooking;

Visit to textile, stone and wrought iron artisan shops in Casentino;

Unlimited local wine with all meals;

All entrance fees.

  SIENA AND SOUTHERN TUSCANY WALK (7 DAYS)

You will have an opportunity to walk through the countryside and through pretty villages as well as walk up the 1,200 foot hill to San Quirico d'Orcia and ancient village that is well worth the effort. The village itself is a delight and the panoramas are amazing. You will visit the vineyard of Brunello wines. This is considered to be one of Italy's best wines and a visit there will undoubtedly lead to a tasting in the relaxing atmosphere.

You will also walk to Pienza. This town was planned and built by architect Bernardo Rossellino in 1449. The work was commissioned by Pope Pius II. The Pope was born in a remote little hamlet and is said to have always had an inferiority complex about his rural upbringing. To compensate, the Pope commissioned the building of an ideal town based on Renaissance principles. Walk into the piazza and turn around slowly and completely. Everything you see was built between 1459 and 1462. Unfortunately, the Pope did not have much time to enjoy his creation, as he died a few years following its completion. Your accommodations will be in a lovely guesthouse with private bathrooms.

 

         

        View of Siena

 

Departure Dates: Every Monday from early April through end October (2006 and 2007)

Starting Point: Florence

Ending Point: Florence

Trip Length: 7 days and 6 nights
2006 Adult Price (Twin-share Accommodation): From € 1,650.00  (min. 4 participants)

Single Supplement: € 250.00

       

The Tour includes:

Transfers from/to Florence with air conditioned bus, mini-van or car;

All transport fares, luggage transfers and taxes;

English speaking guide for the seven days;

One full-day guided tour of Siena;

One full-day guided tour of Montalcino and Pienza;

Accommodation for the six nights in an elegant farm stay (equiv. to 3-stars) on a bed-and-breakfast basis;

Six buffet breakfast;

Six gourmet dinners;

Two cheese and wine tastings;

One full-day of Tuscan cooking;

Unlimited local wine with all meals;        

All entrance fees.

  UMBRIA WALK (7 DAYS)

Umbria has been long disregarded by travellers to Tuscany, its more popular neighbouring region to the west. But Umbria has come into its own recently. It enjoys a gentle holly countryside crowned by high mountain wildernesses, crossed by fertile green valleys, dotted with many beautiful medieval hill towns. Due to its central location and its beautiful countryside, Umbria is often called Italy's Green Heart. This walk takes you through some of the wildest and most untouched parts of central Italy through the villages of Valnerina, an upland valley situated in Eastern Umbria. It is a land of craggy tree-covered slopes dotted with upland villages and fortified hamlets. Your walk starts in the peaceful fortified village of Preci, with its cobble-stone streets and Romanesque church. Nearby Norcia is known as one of the country's culinary capitals, offering delicacies such as white truffles, salamis and sausages. Norcia was once an independent commune during the Middle Ages and is the birthplace of Saint Benedict.

You will walk on The Piano Grande, one of Italy's highest inland plains with a superb selection of wildflowers. It is one of Italy's most wonderful landscapes and is completely deserted of human habitation except for the village of Castellucio. Onwards to the pilgrimage town of Cascia with its thousand year history and its great views over the Apennines, the spine of Italy, and to the mysterious village of Roccaporena where you can visit Saint Rita's miracle garden before continuing on to the unspoiled village of Monteleone di Spoleto. Most walks are between about three to about five hours in duration.

                              

Walking mainly on tracks and paths, occasionally steep. Walk between 7 and 13 miles per day with the option of shorter walks.

 

Departure Dates: Every Monday from mid-April through mid-October (2006 and 2007)

Starting Point: Rome

Ending Point: Chiusi, Tuscany

Trip Length: 7 days and 6 nights
2006 Adult Price (Twin-share Accommodation): From € 1,650.00  (min. 4 participants)

Single Supplement: € 250.00

           

The Tour includes:

Transfers from Rome and to Chiusi with air conditioned bus, mini-van or car;

All transport fares, luggage transfers and taxes;

English speaking guide for the seven days;

One full-day guided tour of Perugia and Assisi;

Accommodation for the six nights in a farm stays (equiv. to 3-stars) on a bed-and-breakfast basis;

Six buffet breakfast;

Six gourmet dinners;

One cheese and wine tasting;

Unlimited local wine with all meals.        

  TUSCANY AND LIGURIAN CINQUETERRE (7 DAYS)

Cinque Terre is formed by five once almost unreachable villages perched on rocks along the Ligurian Sea. For centuries, a connecting footpath was their only lifeline, but for us it's the scenic route into a remote and vibrant coastal culture. Beforehand, we spend four nights in the parts of Tuscany we love best; complete with hill-towns that rise out of silver-green olive groves, rich in homemade prosciutto and potato stuffed ravioli and the sunny vineyards of Chianti. Throughout, we'll explore the art history, and savour the food and wine. 

     

We meet in Florence and will drive to Greve, where a shepherd gives us a private look at how he makes sheep's-milk cheeses…and a chance to sample some of the traditional specialties. A walk leads to our hotel, part of an ancient "borgo" or group of stone houses built adjacent to an important monastery. In the lovely Chianti hills, a walk across the vineyards ends with a home-cooked lunch and wine-tasting. San Gimignano, crowned with more than a dozen medieval towers, is a stunning sight and the next day it shimmers in the near distance as we approach along a rural footpath. Along the Apuane Alps mountains, we drive to Santa Margherita, where our hotel overlooks the Ligurian Sea. By day, we walk to the colourful, isolated villages of the Cinque Terre—Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Rio Maggiore—with time out for shopping or a picnic in an olive grove. (If you'd like to skip any of the walking, there's a great little coastal train that runs between the villages.) A day's exploration includes the tiny monastery of St. Fruttuoso, reachable only by foot or boat, and after a seaside lunch, we shall sail to Portofino. On our final day, we conclude our time together in Pisa. 

                         

Difficulty of walk: Varying terrain over hills and footpaths.

 

Departure Dates: Every Monday from early April through end-October (2006 and 2007)

Starting Point: Florence

Ending Point: Florence

Trip Length: 7 days and 6 nights
2006 Adult Price (Twin-share Accommodation): From € 1,950.00  (min. 4 participants)

Single Supplement: € 300.00

           

The Tour includes:

Transfers from/to Florence with air conditioned bus, mini-van or car;

All transport fares, luggage transfers and taxes;

English speaking guide for the seven days;

One full-day guided tour of Siena and San Gimignano;

Accommodation for three nights in a farm stay in Chianti (equiv. to 3-stars) and for three nights in a local inn in Cinque Terre (equiv. to 3-stars) on a bed-and-breakfast basis;

Six buffet breakfast;

One gourmet lunch;

Six gourmet dinners;

One cheese and wine tasting;

One full-day boat tour to Portofino;

Unlimited local wine with all meals.

  THE ‘TASTE OF TUSCANY AND UMBRIA' WALK (7 DAYS)

Join us for a taste of Tuscany, in the area made famous by Frances Mayes' 'Under the Tuscan Sun' best-selling memoir. Here, the hills “shift gears” south and east of Siena. They roll in longer, gentler swells. Some are buried under cadmium yellow blankets of sunflowers. The land is seashell pink in the afternoon light. And by the time the transition between the provinces of Tuscany and Umbria is complete, we’re deep into the furthest reaches of Italian history, descending into hushed, carved Etruscan tombs, sipping crisp Orvieto wine on the shores of Lake Bolsena. We’ve recreated one of our personal-favourite trips of all time.

From the formal medieval city square of Siena (site of the Palio race), we venture into the equally alluring, but less explored land of Umbria. There’s Civita di Bagnoregio, the village they say is perched on top of the world. The wild horses of Monte Subasio…an outrageously beautiful 13th century convent nestled in the hills near Todi…and so much more. Altogether, it’s a novel journey into the glorious heartland of Italy in a style that few if any of your friends have yet to discover!

 

              

           

Difficulty of walk: Varying terrain over hills and footpaths.

 

Departure Dates: Every Monday from early April through end-October (2006 and 2007)

Starting Point: Cortona

Ending Point: Florence

Trip Length: 7 days and 6 nights
2006 Adult Price (Twin-share Accommodation): From € 1,750.00  (min. 4 participants)

Single Supplement: € 250.00

 

The Tour includes:

Transfers from Cortona and to Florence with air conditioned bus, mini-van or car;

All transport fares, luggage transfers and taxes;

English speaking guide for the seven days;

One half-a-day guided tour of Cortona;

One half-a-day guided tour of Siena;

One half-a-day guided tour of Perugia;

One half-a-day guided tour of Civita di Bagnoregio and Lake Bolsena;

Accommodation for six nights in local farm stays (equiv. to 3-stars);

Six buffet breakfast;

Six gourmet dinners;

One cheese and wine tasting;

Unlimited local wine with all meals.

Contact us at: info@ecotouringtuscany.com