Pienza, Montalcino and Tuscan countryside: day trip from Rome with lunch and wine tasting

Tuscany has so much to offer in the way of food, culture, and scenery that it can be overwhelming. To help make it more manageable, we’ve decided to pack it all into the perfect day trip, our Tuscany day trip from Rome.

The day starts when your expert, English-speaking tour leader picks you up in Rome in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle and whisks you off to the Tuscan countryside. Your first stop is the UNESCO world heritage hill town of Pienza. Here you’ll wander the beautiful streets, seeing views over the countryside and shopping for food and wine if you wish. Your tour leader will introduce you to traditional Tuscan delicacies like pecorino cheese and wild boar, and point out the best ceramics stores.

Next we’re heading over to an organic, family-run farm. After a tour of the farm, including a chat with the resident cheese maker, it’s time to sit down for a Tuscan feast of local, seasonal ingredients straight from the fields. The meal is capped off with a full tasting of the farm’s best sheep and goat’s milk cheeses with homemade honeys and jams. In between chats with the farm owners you will sip on local wines and enjoy incredible views over the famous Val d’Orcia region.

After lunch you’ll go to Montalcino, a hill town famous, among many other things, for its beautiful castle. With special, extended access tickets you can climb the lookout towers and gape at the views of the surrounding countryside or snap off a few pictures that will be the envy of all your friends back home.

To end the day you’ll visit an award-winning vineyard for a guided tour of the vines and wine cellar. And what would a visit to a Tuscan vineyard be without a full tasting? Try a flight of some of the region’s best wines and feel free to buy a bottle or two (once again, with no obligation) to stash in your bag.

We won’t spoil a perfect day with a large group. Enjoy an intimate group of 18 people or fewer with an expert, English-speaking leader to facilitate your journey and make introductions as well as an expert driver who knows the country roads better than anyone. Our goal is to give you a truly Italian experience that will leave you hankering for Tuscany long after you’ve returned home.

Sites visited:

• Pienza Town
• Organic farm in Val d’Ocia
• Montalcino Castle
• Renowned vineyard in the Montalcino region