Three day Italian cooking and hiking in Tuscany
Looking for a shorter getaway without missing out on authentic Tuscan cooking?
If a full week of cooking classes stretches your budget or doesn’t fit into your holiday plans, our Three Day Italian Cooking and Hiking break is the perfect choice.
On select weeks at Torre del Tartufo, you can join us from Thursday to Sunday for a taste of Italian culinary life in a relaxed and welcoming setting.
Under the guidance of Franco Palandra, our passionate and entertaining chef, you’ll roll up your sleeves for hands-on cooking classes that bring the flavors of Tuscany to life. And because Tuscany is as much about the land as it is about the kitchen, on Saturday morning Franco, also an avid hiker,will lead you on a scenic countryside walk, ending with a rustic picnic to complete your adventure.
This short escape offers the perfect balance of cooking, nature, and fun, giving you a true Tuscan experience in just a few days.
Day by day
Enjoy two afternoon cooking classes, a full-day excursion takes you to charming Tuscan towns for cheese, olive oil, and wine tastings, ending with a relaxed dinner back at the villa. On Saturday morning, join Franco for a scenic countryside hike and a rustic picnic—an authentic taste of Tuscany both in and out of the kitchen.
- Free transfer from Arezzo train station if staying at Torre del Tartufo
- Check-in at the villa from 11:00 am onwards, in time for lunch at 13:00
- Welcoming lunch
Introduction given by your chef and a chance to get to know each other. - Tuscany Cooking lesson – starts at 15:00
- Dinner
- Breakfast
Departure excursion
You will visit a wine and olive oil estate for oil and winetasting, then pay a visit to a wine estate for a wine tasting and make your way to a cheese and meat Farm for lunch and cheese and meat tasting. After lunch you will stop in a local town for a gelato or visit a ceramic or fabric factory and then go back to your villa after an exciting, fun-filled day to have a light, informal dinner at the villa.
- Breakfast
- Hiking: The hike takes you up Alpe di Catenaia in the Foreste Casentinesi Park, a 7.5 km (4.6 mile) loop through shaded beech forests. It’s a moderate trail—about 2.5 hours with a 300 m elevation gain—so good shoes and some fitness are needed. Starting at 1,187 m and peaking at 1,414 m, it offers refreshing summer temperatures of 22–25°C, so bring a light jacket for when it gets cool under the trees.
- Picnic lunch in the countryside
- Tuscany Cooking lesson starts at 15:00
- Dinner
- Breakfast
- Departure
