Tuscan Cooking and Culture Short Break

Highlights

  • Stay in a traditional Italian farm and sample their organic produce
  • Learn the secrets of real, authentic Italian cooking with the best quality ingredients
  • Visit some of the local historic towns and get to know the Tuscany lifestyle
From £834 pp
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What you'll do

Overview

Tuscany at its best. Visit unspoiled medieval hamlets, dreamy Tuscan towns, cook and eat delicious, locally produced food, indulge in incredible wines, and unwind on this 3-night holiday.

*Please note - solo travellers welcome to join a group with no supplement.

The charming region of Tuscany, renowned for its delicious food and fine wines, will be the setting of this 4-day Tuscan cooking and culture holiday. Tucked away on a wonderfully authentic Italian farm, nestled in the surrounding hills and valleys just 6km from the historic city of Arezzo, you’ll be able to unwind and relax as you drink in the slower Italian lifestyle.

In a rural, relaxed atmosphere you’ll learn timeless recipes, create your own beautiful pastas and local specialties, and sample organic extra virgin olive oil produced right there on the farm. You’ll also enjoy tasting wonderful local wines, including Chianti and Vino Santo dessert wine, all local to the region.

You will be perfecting Tuscan specialities including fresh pastas, accompanying seasonal sauces, traditional cookies with local almonds and chestnut honey, panna cotta and so much more by learning the local secrets and techniques that make Italian cuisine so special.

As well as experiencing all things food and wine, you’ll also get to visit local towns with a rich history and an addictively slow lifestyle in Arezzo and Cortona, where you’ll visit wineries, local food markets, and truly immerse yourself in Italian culture.

During this memorable Italian cooking and culture holiday, your host and Chef Fabrizio will be on hand to ensure every element of your holiday runs smoothly, to ensure you return feeling relaxed and satisfied with mouth-watering Italian cooking, as well as a great collection of new recipes and techniques to replicate for friends and family.

Arrival Day

Meet at the Arezzo train station or at the villa, and enjoy a typically Italian welcome with a garden aperitif buffet and Prosecco wine tasting.

In the late afternoon, dive in to your first cookery lesson which will cover the basics of Italian cuisine, during which you will prepare your evening meal of 3 authentic courses and a side dish.

 

 

Accommodation

Your Villa

Arezzo Tour & Free Time

After a delicious breakfast at the house, you’ll head to the historic city of Arezzo on a guided tour to see the city’s wonderful sites and picturesque locations. Lunch is at a local family-run restaurant. Spend the afternoon as you wish; relaxing by the pool with a glass of Chianti, exploring the surrounding countryside or reading a book in the gardens. In the evening, return to the house for a delicious pizza or calzone dinner prepared by your Chef and join in the preparation if you wish.

 

 

Accommodation:

The Farmhouse

Cooking Lesson & Winery tour

Today after breakfast, don your apron for another cookery lesson followed by lunch where you’ll eat the fruits of your labour together with delicious local wine. In the afternoon, there is a wine tour in a prestigious winery which is famous for its Chianti and Chardonnay. In the evening, sit down to a meal prepared by your Chef at the villa.

 

 

 

Accommodation:

The Farmhouse

Departure

Today is your last morning and after breakfast, check-out and you’ll be transferred back to Arezzo station for your journey home.

What's included

Included

  • Accommodation in an apartment based on staying in a twin/double apartment for 3 nights/4 days
  • You can check in any time after 4pm on day 1 and check-out by 11am on day 4
  • Breakfast each day at the house
  • 2 cooking classes (preparation of 3/4 course meal with drinks) on days 1 and 3
  • All lunches and dinners throughout your stay (please note that some meals are taken in local restaurants where soft drinks are included but wine is extra)
  • Tuscan wines during meals taken at the house
  • Prosecco tasting on your arrival evening
  • 1 half-day cultural excursions including transportation
  • A private wine tasting tour with dinner in a local restaurant
  • A return transfer to and from Arezzo train station
Your local host

Fabrizio

Chef Fabrizio was born in the Tuscan wine region of Arezzo in the 70’s and grew up surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Under the influence of his mother and grandmother, Fabrizio fell in love with cooking and the food from his region.

His family are local producers of Chianti and extra virgin olive oil and you’ll have the chance to taste these during your stay!

After obtaining a degree, he went to a hotel school in Tuscany before moving to Bournemouth in the UK to work as a chef. After that, the travel bug bit and he moved to various countries around the world to cook and experience new cultures, learn about different food and techniques in places as far afield as India, Thailand and Morocco.

Despit... Read All

Chef Fabrizio was born in the Tuscan wine region of Arezzo in the 70’s and grew up surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Under the influence of his mother and grandmother, Fabrizio fell in love with cooking and the food from his region.

His family are local producers of Chianti and extra virgin olive oil and you’ll have the chance to taste these during your stay!

After obtaining a degree, he went to a hotel school in Tuscany before moving to Bournemouth in the UK to work as a chef. After that, the travel bug bit and he moved to various countries around the world to cook and experience new cultures, learn about different food and techniques in places as far afield as India, Thailand and Morocco.

Despite his travels and experience, he credits his mother and grandmother as the ‘gurus of traditional cooking’. This is where he learnt his Tuscan cooking skills and passion for quality, organic, seasonal food.

Sustainability Efforts

What Sustainability Efforts are we Taking?

At Not in the Guidebooks we’re committed to empowering the local communities in Costa Rica. We work closely with the local people and their businesses to make sure that they receive a fair percentage of the money you spend on your holiday there. By partnering with local guides and suppliers, we’re able to create meaningful, authentic experiences that directly benefit the people who call this incredible country home.

Learn More

Location

Getting there

Nearest airports:
Florence (80km, 1 hour)
Perugia (110km, 90 minutes)
Pisa (150km, 2 hours)
Rome (250 km, 2 hours 30 minutes)

By train:
The nearest train station is Arezzo which is 5km away from the villa.

A return transfer service to and from Arezzo train station is included in the price, and pick ups are anytime after 12pm. Please be sure to provide your arrival and departure details at least 7 days before you arrive.

Please view more info about airport transfers in the FAQs at the bottom of the page

What our travellers are saying...

My husband and I stayed in a beautiful villa in Arezzo for a wonderful cooking holiday. Fabrizio is a great chef, he taught and cooked delicious Tuscany food for us. He also took us for sightseeing, wine yard etc. He helped to prepare a birthday cake for my husband that made our vacation perfect.

L Powell

Very relaxing and enjoyable few days. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

S Miller

I had a fantastic time with Fabrizio and Marina in Tuscany, they were so welcoming and made you feel part of the family. The cooking lessons were really good fun, I learnt a lot and had a great time in the process, the perfect combination. Overall I thought this was a really well planned and very enjoyable holiday and I would not hesitate recommending this to friends and family.

K Griffiths

FAQs

Who is it suitable for?

- Cookery and culture holidays are suitable for all levels from complete beginners to experienced cooks
- Minimum age 18 (under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult)
- All cooking classes are taught in English

I'm travelling solo - can I join?

- These cookery holidays make great singles holidays and singles are welcome to join an existing group
- Solo travellers can book a twin/double room for sole use for NO supplement
- To book a private single or shared room, email hello@notintheguidebooks.com or contact us via live chat (click on the ‘start chat’ link at the bottom of this page) or call us to check availability

When can I start?

- Holidays can start on any day from March to December depending on availability
- The cookery school is closed in January and February
- Cooking holidays are for 3 nights/4 days
- If you wish to stay for extra nights, please email to check availability for your preferred duration and we will do our best to accommodate you
- If dates appear ‘on request’, please email us hello@nitgb.com and we’ll check availability for your preferred day of arrival as quickly as possible

Can I get picked up or dropped off at the airport?

The pick up at Rome Fiumicino airport is planned at 2:30 pm (11:30 am from 2024) on day 1. If you want you can be picked up at a Hotel in Rome, but we need to charge € 60 extra. Private pickup and drop off for group tours.

Of course, we are always happy to support you to organize a private pick up/drop off only for you to let you join our small group tours listed in our calendar. Please keep in mind that a private transfer (before or after the planned one) from Vasto to Rome airport or city center costs around € 330.

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