Tuscany tours, walking and wine tasting in Italy
Highlights
Pisa | Florence | Tuscany wine tasting | Tuscany walking trails | Greve | Montefioralle | Fonterutoli | San Gimignano | Visit to Tuscan Wine School | Three wine tastings
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
Toll free 1-866-821-6866 Calling from outside the US? rosy@responsibletravel.com
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Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your vacation will help support conservation and local people.
Activity:Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a walking trip. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem in certain places and therefore our trip leaders encourage clients to stick to advised routes in order to minimise this. We do believe in leaving no more than footprints, although this tour does encourage clients to have a positive effect by engaging with locals, using cafes and restaurants, and investing in traditional gifts and local produce. By visiting a number of places of interest and offering additional optional excursions, we support those who run these trips and the upkeep of historically important sites.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Accommodation and Meals:
We will spend seven nights at Villa Casalta- a charming renovated farmhouse in the heart of Chianti. The villa is family-run and staff members are local to the region, meaning we have a more positive impact on local economy: local employment opportunities are created and income generated is reinvested in the area. Surrounded by incredible vineyards and woodland, the farmhouse has access to some very fresh, local ingredients, including renowned Chianti wines, olives and olive oil. Many meals are provided and will include a number of regional specialties including locally cured meats on crostini, Tuscan bean soup, fish stew, homemade pasta and Florentine steak. The owners are environmentally conscious and try to minimise negative effects on their natural surroundings by paying attention to recycling and energy conservation.
Local Craft and Culture:
We arrange for three wine tastings over the course of the trip, where we learn about local wines and how they are made. This includes a session in the farmhouse, one in Villa Il Palagetto, where excellent Vernaccia wines are produced, and a short course at the Tuscan Wine School. These are great opportunities to support local suppliers and to encourage the traditional methods of local wine production. We also engage with local culture by visiting many places of interest- for example, Siena, with its many galleries and impressive gothic cathedral, and small mediaeval villages such as Greve in Chianti and nearby Montefioralle, where prized Chianti wines are grown.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
Activity:Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a walking trip. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem in certain places and therefore our trip leaders encourage clients to stick to advised routes in order to minimise this. We do believe in leaving no more than footprints, although this tour does encourage clients to have a positive effect by engaging with locals, using cafes and restaurants, and investing in traditional gifts and local produce. By visiting a number of places of interest and offering additional optional excursions, we support those who run these trips and the upkeep of historically important sites.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Accommodation and Meals:
We will spend seven nights at Villa Casalta- a charming renovated farmhouse in the heart of Chianti. The villa is family-run and staff members are local to the region, meaning we have a more positive impact on local economy: local employment opportunities are created and income generated is reinvested in the area. Surrounded by incredible vineyards and woodland, the farmhouse has access to some very fresh, local ingredients, including renowned Chianti wines, olives and olive oil. Many meals are provided and will include a number of regional specialties including locally cured meats on crostini, Tuscan bean soup, fish stew, homemade pasta and Florentine steak. The owners are environmentally conscious and try to minimise negative effects on their natural surroundings by paying attention to recycling and energy conservation.
Local Craft and Culture:
We arrange for three wine tastings over the course of the trip, where we learn about local wines and how they are made. This includes a session in the farmhouse, one in Villa Il Palagetto, where excellent Vernaccia wines are produced, and a short course at the Tuscan Wine School. These are great opportunities to support local suppliers and to encourage the traditional methods of local wine production. We also engage with local culture by visiting many places of interest- for example, Siena, with its many galleries and impressive gothic cathedral, and small mediaeval villages such as Greve in Chianti and nearby Montefioralle, where prized Chianti wines are grown.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
6 Reviews of Tuscany tours, walking and wine tasting in Italy
Reviewed on 20 Oct 2019 by Philip Bell
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Lovely walks. Wine tasting. Great food.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Good walking shoes. Early starts so be prepared.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very good! Fantastic scenery.
Reviewed on 12 Sep 2019 by Ronda Fogel
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
It was not that memorable
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Unfortunately the operator dropped the ball on this particular tour. A combination of a new inexperienced tour leader, dirty poorly maintained accommodation
and inedible food. My expectation of the actual tour itself was different from the reality. No transport to and from town on days off. I would not recommend
until the issues are resolved.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Not at all
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Poor
Read the operator's response here:
Reviewed on 08 Oct 2018 by Tony Hadfield
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The walk to San Gimignano and the tour of Sienna
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be prepared for walks over some rough and/or steep terrain.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes as we were encouraged to use local restaurants and visit local shops and museums
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very good
Reviewed on 22 Oct 2018 by Janice Eastman
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The beautuful Tuscan countryside.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Take walking boots there is some rough ground.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
No. Taking van everyday but one to starting point
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Well organised and lovely accommodation
Reviewed on 27 Sep 2017 by Anne Monks
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The stunning views of the coastline during the walks.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be aware there is significant elevation during the walks. Paths are generally easy, but include many steps up and down.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Our tour operator provides support of a locally run hotel.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very good.
Reviewed on 01 May 2016 by Susan Sargeant
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Viewing the city of Florence from the Viewpoint of Piazza Michaelangelo
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Come prepared for any kind of weather. We had wind, rain, thick cloud and hot sunshine.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Very much so. We stayed in a very lovely converted farmhouse, ate in local restaurants, shopped in small towns and villages, and tasted the local Chianti Classico in several wineries.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
A wonderful mixture of fabulous walks through forests and vineyards, local history, culture in Siena and Florence, a fabulous cookery course in a nearby restaurant, and several most enjoyable and informative wine tastings.
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