Our Tuscany Untour is a perennial favorite, and ranks among our most popular Untour destinations. It is hard to beat the views here in the Orcia Valley, south of Siena. With its stark rolling green hills, cypress trees, and vineyards, its landscape is so distinctive that the area was named a UNESCO World Heritage site for natural beauty.
Established in the mid 90s, the Tuscany Untour has its own brand of magic. But don’t just take our word for it. Here is what some of our 2018 guests had to say, including some nice recommendations for the area.
We fell in love with the location of our apartment. It was so beautiful! The apartment. The wine and olive oil provided by Anna. The feel of being at the vineyard. The mountain villages nearby. The common area/Wi-Fi building [a special lounge space open to guests] was enchanting and relaxing, with amazing views.
– The Dolans, who combined their Tuscan farm stay in Ada Teresa with a week in Florence. (That’s Mr. Dolan in the photo below.)
Tuscany was so much more than we expected. We loved the people, the towns, our apartment, and, of course, the wine. Getting from one town to another was easy with the pre-programmed GPS (worth it!). Conversely, living in Montalcino and having the chance to really explore our “hometown” was delightful. We can’t wait to go back.
– Barbara Wilson, who combined Tuscany with an Amalfi Coast Untour.
Poggiarellino was wonderful, as we knew it would be. We went to Buonconvento and Montalcino (of course), San Gimignano, Casole d’Elsa, Montepulciano, and La Foce for a garden tour. We took Anna & Lodovico [their hosts] to lunch at La Romita in Montisi for a wonderful meal, and we stopped in Pitigliano on our way back to Rome. We watched the crew plant grafted Sangiovese roots in the newly-plowed fields, completing our observations of the wine making process. We had already seen vine-pruning, harvesting, bottling, and labeling and packaging.
– The Graves, who have been to Tuscany with us 5 times and have taken UnTours in other destinations, including Switzerland, Germany, and London.
We visited Arrezzo (to see the Piero della Francesca frescoes), Cortona, Assisi, and Orvieto. All were well worth seeing. We also visited the unspoiled coast of Tuscany and the town of Ercole, a day trip that proved very relaxing; and we visited the town of Murlo and its Etruscan museum. These sights were recommended in your materials but not in our commercial guidebooks. Tuscany is such a quiet, beautiful part of Italy, where every medieval town, of which there are many, has a rich artistic and political history and its own personality. Of course, the crown jewel of medieval Tuscany is Siena, just 35 minutes away from our apartment.
– Palma Fleck, who stayed at Le Chiuse, one of our most popular farms.
Staying in one city for multiple days allowed us to experience life in other cultures and truly take in the beauty of the area. The printed guides for each city were thorough and quite informative. Having an Untour host in each city was tremendously helpful and eased our minds about being in a different country.
– Jennifer Tunstall, who stayed at the Piazza apartment in the town of Montalcino and added a week in Venice to their Untour.
I was so pleased with UnTours that I would gladly book another trip through them. It was truly a grand experience for me! I liked the beauty of my surroundings at my accommodation, and the safe feeling I had while staying there.
– Connie Kramer, who stayed in Geranio, on a farm with warm hosts and soaring views.
See for yourself. Consider booking a Tuscany Untour for this year or next. And please report back!