Tuscany — Family Style

This fun-filled week is specially designed for families with children traveling together, who want to expose their kids to the beauty and magic of Italy through a playful immersion in its history. Through a delightful blending of past and present, the Italian culture and cuisine will truly come to life for everyone.

This experience includes lots of food, fun, facts, and even a battle! From the grounds of an organic cheese farm in Chianti, to an authentic medieval dinner set in a castle, to the inside of a gelato factory in Florence, you’ll get to experience Tuscany in a way that is family-friendly, full of discovery, and equally engaging for both children and adults.

Highlights

• Seven nights at a 17th century Tuscan farmhouse, near Siena
• Visit to an organic goat cheese farm, with cheese-sampling
• Hands-on cooking class for the children who will prepare lunch for everyone
• Private winery tour with wine-tasting for the adults
• Privately guided tours of the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries in Florence
• Traditional Tuscan dinner, mid-week
• Gelato making class and tasting competition in a gelato factory
• Participation in the recreation of a battle over a castle in the Middle Ages
• Sharing the bounty of an authentic Medieval dinner set in a castle with live entertainment
• Pizza making party the night before departure

Savoring Chianti

This flavorful day features a visit to a family-run, organic goat cheese farm nestled in the hills of Chianti. Here you will learn how genuine Italian goat cheese is made and sample a variety of local cheeses. The children will participate in an entertaining, hands-on cooking class (taught by the farm owner!), while the adults receive a private tour of a boutique winery and taste a variety of Chianti labels. At the end of the day a scrumptious Italian feast featuring local products (and prepared by the children!) will be enjoyed by all in the tranquility of the rolling countryside. A wonderfully relaxing way to have family time, share experiences of the day, and let the kids show off their newly acquired culinary skills.

Fascinating Florence!

Florence … a city filled with art and architecture, museums and churches, history and culture, food and wine, and of course, people. With a special focus on the needs and attention spans of children, your private guide will take you on a fun-filled morning tour of the Uffizi Gallery, home of Renaissance Art masterpieces by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and countless others. At midday, your guide will escort you to a lively local trattoria where you can sit outdoors on the edge of a piazza and enjoy lunch, family-style. In the afternoon you’ll pay a visit to Michelangelo’s magnificent ‘David’ at the Galleria dell'Accademia. And just in time for dessert you’ll attend a gelato-making class culminating in a yummy gelato tasting competition!

The Middle Ages Come Alive!

The day begins with transportation to a medieval castle in a typical Tuscan village. Upon your arrival, costumed actors dressed for 13th century battle will greet you and randomly divide your party into two ‘families’. Next, you’ll participate in the dramatic recreation of a battle that actually occurred between two medieval families over possession of a castle! After the battle, the two families will celebrate a full-hearted reconciliation feast with authentic medieval food and drink, served in original period setting and style by costumed waiters and staff. Throughout the meal and evening, a variety of musicians and performing artists will regale the guests in the tradition of medieval royal entertainments.

Customize this experience

If you prefer, we can custom design a unique Experience for you and your group, incorporating some of the activities in this Experience as a starting point. We’ll be happy to suggest alternate activities that reflect your personal tastes and preferences. Please call or email us — let us know what special touches would make this vacation one that you’ll always cherish and remember. We’ll work with you to combine unique, one-of-a-kind moments (some that take place right at your home!) with thoughtfully coordinated excursions to ensure that you have a joyful, enriching experience.

Guests will stay at Casale di Larniano, a genuine Tuscan ‘podere’ (farmhouse) with exceptional views, located near Siena. Other villa options are available for this Experience (price varies with choice of villa).

Your private guide will escort you to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, home to some of the greatest works of Renaissance art.

The entire family will enjoy relaxing over a delightful outdoor lunch on the piazza in Florence.

The pizza-making party on the night before your departure is one of the highlights of this experience.