Olive Harvest 2021 - Itinerary*

Day 1 

We will all meet for the first time near the Florence Train Station where our luggage will be collected and transported to the historic town of Arezzo.  Group members may wish to spend a few days in Florence prior to beginning our 7-day adventure.

We will board a train in Florence for Arezzo and enjoy the amazing Italian train system that will literally take you anywhere throughout Italy.

Arriving in Arezzo we will tour this wonderful town before boarding our tour bus for our Inn in Caprese Michelangelo where Michelangelo was born.

Arriving in Caprese Michelangelo we will find our rooms for the week and then meet for our first group dinner enjoying authentic country Tuscan cuisine.

Day 2 

Our first full day together will begin with breakfast, an optional yoga and meditation class and/or a short hike into Caprese Michelangelo.  After breakfast and the class/hike we will take a tour of the house where the great Italian Sculptor, Michelangelo was born.

From our Inn, his house is just a 5-10 minute walk up the hill above our rooms.  We will visit his birth home as well as visit the museum dedicated to his incredible life.

After visiting Michelangelo’s home and museum we will board our bus for the charming Chiusi della Verna.  While visiting “La Verna” we will have the opportunity to attend a wonderful Monastery service dedicated to the life of St. Francis of Assisi.

In the evening we enjoy a wonderful Caprese Michelangelo tradition, classic Italian pizza at Il Boschetto.

Day 3 

After our morning breakfast and of course an amazing Cappuccino we are off to the olive groves to help one of our favorite mills with the harvest.

After we have some lunch on your own we will visit another one of our favorite olive mills (frantoio) to see how our olives are turned into amazing oil.

After a little rest back at our Inn it’s pizza night!!!  We will be off to the lovely village of San Giustino where will find the consensus best pizzeria in the Valtiberina, Dedalo, for dinner.

Day 4 

After breakfast on Sunday we are off to the wonderful town of Greve in Chanti. Nestled in the famous Chianti region of Tuscany, we will be so fortunate to attend the Greve in Chianti Wine Festival. During our morning in Greve we will have the opportunity to sample some of the finest wines in all of Italy.

Heading back to Caprese Michelangelo after lunch in Greve, today is the Chestnut Festival in Caprese. Once we arrive we will find booths set up all the way up to Michelangelo’s house showing and tasting every possible chestnut use. It is perhaps the highlight of the year in our lovely village of Caprese Michelangelo.

In the evening we will head to our personal favorite restaurant in all of Tuscany for a group dinner.

Day 5 

Our day 5 together will be a busy one as we head to the incredible town of Siena.  Siena has an amazing history as a previous capital of Tuscany and huge battles with Florence between the 13th and 15th centuries, some won by Siena, but eventually Florence had the upper hand and Siena was incorporated into Florentine territory and administration.

The architecture of Siena is very unique compared to many Tuscan towns and we are certain you will love exploring the town on your own while making sure you visit the Siena Duomo, perhaps the most spectacular in Tuscany.  And of course, Siena is also home for the Palio, the amazing horse race around the town’s main piazza pitting neighborhoods against each other in this spectacular event.

Leaving Siena mid-afternoon we will need to hurry back “home” for our final group dinner.

Day 6 

Our last full day together we will begin the day with an amazing Japanese Tea Ceremony.  Following this we are off to our favorite town in all of Tuscany, Anghiari.

Anghiari in an undiscovered treasure as all will learn. It is not only the home of the famous Anghiari Music Festival but also the home of Busatti fabrics. We hope we will have the opportunity to visit their historic fabric looms while exploring all the quaint parts of Anghiari.

In the evening we will enjoy our final meal together while reminiscing about our week together.

Day 7 

Finally our adventure ends.  After a final leisurely breakfast (remembering the views from our morning breakfast room seen here) and yoga class, we will board our bus mid-morning for the trip back to Florence.  From the train station (SMN) in Florence we will make sure you all have appropriate transportation to your next destination, hotel, or airport.

For those interested, we will also be very happy to provide a short walking tour of key important sites in Florence.

Famous throughout the world, Florence (or Firenze in Italian) has such marvelous sites including the Duomo, the Ponte Vechio, the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia housing Michelangelo’s sculpture of David, and so much more.  Adding a few days in Florence to your Tuscany visit will certainly be worthwhile.

We will be sad for our adventures to end but hope you will have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the “authentic Tuscany” few have the opportunity to experience.

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