8-day wine tour Umbria, Italy

Program

DAY 1 : ARRIVAL PERUGIA – ITALY (D)

Today you will arrive in the largest city in Tuscany, Florence, unless a direct flight is available to Perugia from your nearest departure airport. Upon arrival, you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel to Perugia, the capital of Umbria, also known as the Green Heart of Italy. After check-in at your hotel you are expected for a welcome drink at the bar of your hotel. Then, you will start to discover the beautiful medieval city centre where apparently little has changed in the last 400 years. A relatively less frequented town with pretty cobbled alleys, vaulted staircases and squares framed by solemn churches and beautiful Gothic palazzis (mansions). Reminders of the city’s vibrant and often gory past can be found everywhere, from ancient arches and medieval basilicas to Renaissance frescoes by Perugino and Raphael, among others.

But while history resounds everywhere, Perugia also has a lot of fun to be enjoyed with full terraces of cafes, music lovers who come to the city in July for the Umbria Jazz festival, one of Europe’s best jazz festivals. In the evening you will have the opportunity to enjoy the lively atmosphere after a typical dinner in a local restaurant. You will be served a dish with as a specialty game meat prepared according to the Umbrian tradition. All this accompanied by a delicious Sangiovese wine.

Overnight.

DAY 2 : PERUGIA – GUBBIO (B, L, D)

After a nice breakfast at the hotel, you will leave today for Gubbio, a town that looks like it came out of a medieval painting. Densely packed grey buildings coexist on the steep slopes of Monte Ingino in a picturesque amalgamation of tile roofs and 14th-century turrets. Your local guide will take you through the bumpy alleys and show you all the secret spots. And for those who are not afraid of heights, there is even the option to take the cable car up to Mount Ingino and its St. Ubaldo Basilic for a fantastic view over the pine forest. Lunch is served in a historic wine restaurant in the city centre.

In the afternoon you will leave the city of Gubbio. On the way back to Perugia you will stop at a wine estate overlooking a noble castle from 1600. Your local host will tell you all the secrets about their production of their niche white and red wine. After a walk through the vineyards, you have the opportunity to do a wine tasting in the beautiful wine cellar, accompanied by olive oil and bread, also locally produced. Dinner is served in a panoramic restaurant with an incredible wine list, which will satisfy even the most spoiled of palates.

Overnight in Perugia.

DAY 3 : PERUGIA HILLS WINE ROAD + PERUGINA CHOCOLATE SCHOOL (B, L, D)

Today’s program will be entirely devoted to the outskirts of Perugia. After breakfast you will visit one of the most famous wine regions around Perugia, Colli Perugini (the hills of Perugia). The morning will be devoted to the discovery of red and white wines such as Chardonnay, Grechetto, Pinot grigio, Trebbiano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese. After the visit to the wine cellar and a walk through the lush vegetation, you will be offered a wine tasting with local specialties of cold cuts, cheese, truffle and olive oil croutons, torta al testo (flatbread) for a light lunch.

Your excursion will be completed with a visit to MUVIT, the wine museum in Torgiano, housed in a 17th century palace with its interesting focus on the relationship between wine and different types of art from ancient times to today. In the afternoon, you will get a sweet treat with the opportunity to visit the area’s most famous international brand outlet: Perugina ! Here you attend a chocolate workshop. With the help of the chocolate master, you create and taste your own chocolate creation, while discovering the traditional techniques and all the secrets of this beloved ingredient. Dinner will take place at a wine estate just outside Perugia, with the most amazing view over the green hills.

Overnight in Perugia.

DAY 4 : ASSISI (B, L, D)

After breakfast, you will travel towards Assisi where your local guide will give you the feeling of being immersed in the city’s sacred history. Within a beautiful landscape of plains stretching down in a picturesque way and the beautiful wooded surroundings, the Monte Subasio mountain rises steeply. Here you can easily venture yourseld into the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi who was born here in 1181. However, you don’t have to be religious to be struck by Assisi’s beauty. Enjoy the pristine historic centre and the UNESCO-protected Basilica di San Francesco, home to one of Italy’s most celebrated artistic masterpieces. Lunch will take place in a local osteria under beautiful stone vaults.

The visit to the city will continue in the afternoon, along with a stop to taste Tozzetti and Vin Santo (local sweet wine biscuits that are believed to have miraculous effects on the suffering people during the pest age around 1300). Your last dinner in Perugia will be offered to you in a gourmet restaurant with the opportunity to try the famous Umbrian truffle (depending on the season).

Overnight in Perugia.

DAY 5 : SPELLO – SAGRANTINO WINE AREA (B, L, D)

After breakfast you will say goodbye to Perugia and head towards the southern part of Umbria. The first stop of the day is in Spoleto, considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy with its pink stone houses and Mount Subasio in the background. The fortified walls and the flourishing alleys further complement this beautiful decor. Another geographically protected product of this region is the fruity and aromatic olive oil. Lunch is therefore served in an old olive oil estate with the opportunity to visit and try the products. The day cannot end without discovering another wine route through the Sagrantino wine region. The wine discovery takes place around the village of Montefalco, another beautiful medieval village, with the tasting of the local Sagrantino di Montefalco and Montefalco Red wines. These go perfectly with a delicious meat dish. After the last visit, you will check in at your hotel in or near Spoleto where you will also have dinner.

Overnight in Spoleto.

DAY 6 : SPOLETO – TODI (B, L)

After breakfast, the morning is dedicated to discovering the city of Spoleto together with your local guide. This small town is considered one of the most beautiful cities and is often unknown to most travellers. The town is dominated by a formidable medieval fortress. Ancient arches and an almost intact amphitheatre tell of its rich past as a strategic Roman settlement, while a series of Romanesque churches bear witness to a golden age in the early Middle Ages. In 570 the Lombards made it the capital of their duchy. During the three centuries that followed, it flourished and for a short period became one of the most important cities in Italy. Lunch is a full dip of fresh homemade pasta such as strangozzi with spicy tomato sauce, or with truffle, or with Norcia sausage and cream.

In the afternoon you will leave Spoleto to go to Todi located in the valley of the river Tiber that flows through the capital Rome, among other places. Of Etruscan and Roman origins, Todi is best known as a wine city with wines such as Grechetto and Todi (both red and white). In the late afternoon we will reach Orvieto and the evening is free for a dinner of your choice.

Overnight in Orvieto.

DAY 7 : ORVIETO WITH ROMAN ETRUSCAN WINE ROAD + CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO (B, L, D)

Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will start to discover Orvieto, built on a volcanic rock above fields covered with vineyards, olive groves and cypresses. But what sets the city apart from its medieval neighbours is its breath-taking cathedral. One of the greatest Gothic churches in Italy, this extraordinary gem is stunning inside and out, with a sensational facade and frescoes that some say rival those of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. Most importantly, Orvieto is on the Roman Etruscan wine route. You will therefore be offered lunch here with wine pairing in a wine cellar carved out of tuff that is typical of the area.

In the afternoon you will have a final stop at Civita di Bagnoregio, unfortunately known as the “dying city” due to the constant erosion of the rocks on which it was built over 2,500 years ago. It is considered one of the most unique places in all of Italy. After the visit you will return to Orvieto for a delicious farewell dinner where you will taste the unique cuisine, which, due to the location of the city, is a mix between Tuscan, Umbrian and Roman.

Overnight in Orvieto.

DAY 8 : DEPARTURE

After breakfast and check-out from your hotel, you will be transferred to Rome airport in time for your flight home or Perugia if direct flight available. Depending on the flight departure time, it is possible to stop at the beautiful city of Viterbo, the largest city in the north of Lazio. Viterbo is a little medieval overlooked gem with a charming historic centre and a relaxed, provincial atmosphere… you can also extend your trip to Rome, one of Italy’s other beautiful wine regions and islands such as Sicily, Sardinia or Tuscany. Ask us about the possibilities for a tailor-made offer without any obligation.