Summary
Short description
A self-drive tour within the green heart of Italy
Highlights
- Escape to the rustic beauty of Umbria where medieval towns intersperse rolling valleys of pretty villages and award-winning vineyards
- Drive through backcountry idylls, marvelling at Renaissance masterpieces and staying in everything from manor house heritage to pilgrim’s inns
- Bring it all to life with a pair of cooking courses, a wine tasting session and spa indulgences
In Brief
- 1 Night Perugia
- 2 Nights Cortona
- 2 Nights Orvieto
- 2 Nights Torgiano
- 2 Nights Assisi
In pictures
About
Recommended for:
Food & wine | History & culture | Self-drive
Escape to the rustic beauty of Umbria where historic settlements intersperse rolling fields, pretty villages and award-winning vineyards. You'll begin with a private villa stay right in its green centre before turning to successive medieval towns and the region's stately capital, Perugia, a majestic town laced with masterpieces of both art and architecture. Along the way, a pair of cooking courses and a wine tasting session will introduce you to the region's world-famous cuisine while you stay in historic properties that showcase the best of the region. There's everything from manor house heritage to pilgrim's inns.
Day by day itinerary
Day
1
UK > Perugia
Begin your trip with complimentary airport lounge access before flying to Florence, collect your car and make the drive to the capital of Umbria. This ancient town has a unique aspect – the upper part was an Etruscan and Roman acropolis that today descends gracefully down to a collection of medieval quarters. Here, masterpieces of art and architecture are now incorporated into modern life. Wander its historic Corso Vannucci main street to link arched stairways and magnificent piazza lined with cathedrals, grand palazzo mansions and fountain flourishes. Don't miss out on the National Gallery of Umbria and the Collegio del Cambio for its celebrated frescoes by Perugino, one of the great masters of Italian Renaissance painting. For lovers of chocolate, head to the Perugina House of Chocolate and Museum just outside the city centre.
Stay: SINA Brufani, Perugia (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Days
2-3
Perugia > Cortona
After breakfast, head east onto the border of Umbria and Tuscany, from Torricella you will follow the banks of Lake Trasimeno, the fourth biggest lake in Italy, just slightly smaller than Lake Como, lakeside fishing villages merge into a landscape of vineyards, and fruit and vegetable farms, and isolated castles and towers which were originally built for controlling the road.
Your accommodation for the next two nights is the rustic luxury of Relais Corte dei Papi, an ancient farmhouse located in the Esse Valley just across the border into Tuscany, an oasis to enjoy Tuscan gastronomy with chef Giuseppe Masciopinto hand picking local Chianina meat and the best local suppliers. Also enjoy some of the 700 Umbrian and Tuscan wines in the cellar.
Stay: Relais La Corte Dei Papi, Tuscany (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Day
4
Cortona > Orvieto
Head south to arrive at Orvieto with its medieval beauty – surrounded by vineyards and cypress trees – is equally enticing and is reached by a charming drive through the Umbrian countryside. Break for lunch at any number of inviting farmhouse eateries along the way. On arrival, you'll stay in the Casa Vissani where you can experience Michelin starred haute cuisine and stay in splendid rooms
Stay: Casa Vissani, Orvieto (Superior)
Meals: B
Day
5
Orvieto
Orvieto lies on a spectacular rock of volcanic tuff – the ideal mantelpiece for one of Umbria's most historic centres. You'll have a full day to explore a town whose past bears traces of medieval pragmatism, Renaissance flourishes and Etruscan archaeology. You'll want to take in its Duomo's stirringly Gothic disposition that ranks it among Italy's finest, the town's stern 14th century fortress and the Bridge of Towers, a daring medieval work, 76 metres high and 230 metres long. Lastly, don't miss out on the trio of papal palaces.
Stay: Casa Vissani, Orvieto
Meals: B
Day
6
Orvieto > Torgiano
After a beautiful Umbrian breakfast, we recommend heading west and breaking up your journey with a stop at Spoletto; watched over by an imposing medieval fortress and backed by the equally impressive Apennines, it's a visual pastiche of Roman ampitheatres and Lombardian cathedrals. Continue to Torgiano. Here, you’ll check into the superb Tre Vaselle Resorte Solare; resting idyllically among Umbria’s picturesque valleys and olive tree groves, marble fireplaces, antique furnishings and authentic cotto flooring remember the villa’s 18th century aristocratic heyday. Its stunning rural vistas are best taken in when dining al fresco at the traditional restaurant or from the gorgeous pool.
Stay: Tre Vaselle Resort & Spa, Torgiano (Superior)
Day
7
Torgiano
After breakfast, a hands-on cooking lesson will introduce you to the art behind the region's famous gastronomy. Known as the 'Green Heart of Italy', Umbria's specialties include pasta sauces of grey-white truffles, porschetta roast suckling pig and immaculately prepared rustic soups. You'll get to taste your morning's work over lunch, wine-paired of course. If you've room, consider taking the short drive to nearby Castiglione del Lago, a well-preserved medieval location on Lake Trasimeno that seems to be governed by a "law of threes". Walls have three gates and the town features precisely three squares and three churches. We've also included entrance to your hotel's spa where you can replenish yourself with a range of luxury treatments.
Stay: Tre Vaselle Resort & Spa, Torgiano (Superior)
Meals: B L
Day
8
Assisi
After breakfast, continue your journey east to Assisi – a medieval town built on a Roman settlement. Capping a spur of Mt. Subasio, the views haven't changed much either with its privileged position overlooking much of the green vale of Umbria. Follow in the footsteps of pilgrims to the 13th century St. Francis Church, famed for its colourful frescoes by Giotto, before tracing the history of the region's favourite saint even further at St. Chiara, a fine Gothic basilica that contains the crucifix that spoke to St. Francis. For your time here, you'll stay at the Fontebella Palace, you will find Restaurant Il Frantoio, which is mentioned in the Michelin guide. It has over 300 wines in its cellar, and specializes in truffle dishes and homemade pasta.
Stay: Fontebella Palace, Assisi (Superior)
Meals: B
Day
9
Assisi
Today we recommend a trip to Montefalco. Termed the 'Balcony of Umbria', it's a 12th century pentagon where five gates and their associated lanes and churches point the way to a piazza that commands unrivalled views over the surrounding countryside. It's also particularly known for its viticulture – something you'll explore on a visit to Sagrantino di Montefalco, one of only two DOCG-standard wineries in Umbria. Here, a guided tasting will bring you through its finest varietals as a cooking class adds extra detail to Umbria's cuisine. Long unfairly overshadowed by its neighbour to the north – Tuscany – you'll learn why Umbria's traditional cuisine is finally getting the attention it deserves. The secret is in the farmhouse recipes.
Stay: Fontebella Palace, Assisi (Superior)
Meals: B L
Day
10
Departure
After breakfast, drive back to Florence Airport in time to catch your return flight.
Map
Pricing
Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.
Accommodation rating:
10-day Tailor-made self-drive
from £1,820 pp incl. flights
Superior/Deluxe
Apr & October
from £1,820 pp. incl. flights
May & September
from £1,985 pp. incl. flights
Valid for travel: April to October
Includes:
- Complimentary access to UK VIP departure lounge
- Return flights to Florence
- Car hire for 10 days Economy car
- 9 nights hotel accommodation on a BB basis
- Cooking Class at the Antonelli Estate followed by a 3hr group cooking school
- Tour of the wine cellar at Relais Corte dei Papi with over 700 Umbrian and Tuscan wines
- Free 1 hour entrance to spa on a daily basis (treatments paid locally)
- Entrance to wine museum in Torgiano
Terms & Conditions
Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.
Meet our experts
Speak to a tailor-made specialist on