Tie on your aprons for a five-day cooking experience in the City of Art, Florence. Florence dazzles with beauty, art, history, culture, and – food and wine. During your stay, check into our 4 – Star property close to the Piazza della Signoria, Santa Croce, the Accademia and Uffizi museums. Indulge in beautiful shopping, lunches, and excursions to hidden places with charm! During your stay, experience hands-on cooking classes with Chef Lorena and prepare Tuscan cuisine with our chef – taking you from the marketplace where locals buy the freshest ingredients to the kitchen where our chef will show you how to prepare farm-to-table ingredients of the season.
You’ll visit an award-winning vineyard and cantina in Chianti and experience a wine tasting with the property’s Sangiovese, Chianti, and rose wines. Taste their organic extra virgin olive oil too. After a visit to the vineyards and cantina, we will visit the wine tasting room and enjoy a Tuscan light lunch where you will learn about biodynamic wine growing and making while tasting the wine. This visit is an extra special one with an expert wine maker and olive oil producer in the rolling hills of Tuscany. During your stay, you’ll explore Florence on a landmark tour discovering the City of Art’s beautiful piazzas and palazzos, shopping and wine shops with an aperitivisit Siena, the beautiful medieval town with its famous piazza and home of the Paleo horse arena. Check in, relax and enjoy your aperitivo before your Welcome Dinner and Chefs Tasting Menu.
Cooking Classes
Tie on your aprons and learn how to prepare Tuscan recipes with Chef Lorena in hands-on cooking classes. Her passion started when she was a child and saying, “cooking is always in my heart and soul.” She uses only local seasonal ingredients from the Sant Ambrogio Market transforming farm-to-table ingredients into delicious, full-course lunches and dinners. Learn how to slice, dice, mix and sauté making Tuscan bruschetta, homemade pasta and sauces, main courses and desserts. During your cooking class experience, you’ll visit Sant’Ambrogio Market and learn about zero kilometer – meaning less than a kilometer away – products grown and made by farmers and artisans who sells their seasonal fruits, vegetables, artisan cheese, salami, herbs and spices, bread and pastries, and wine daily. The experience is a food lover’s dream!!!
Tuscan cooking is cucina povera, poor man’s or farmer’s cooking – an old expression that means using simple and genuine ingredients to create delicious cuisine. Grilled meats, such as the classic Fiorentina steak, are a staple food, as are Tuscan crostini, pappardelle and gnocchi and Pecorino Toscano cheese. In each class, you will will learn how to prepare antipasti, fresh pasta and sauce, main course, and dessert with a toast of local wine included.
Tuscan antipasti include bruschetta, grilled bread garnished with sun-dried tomatoes, chicken pate with capers and herbs, and creamed green olives, salami, Prosciutto and artisan cheese. Learn how to prepare crespelle alla FIorentina, Florentine crepes filled with spinach and ricotta, and ribolitta, a hearty bean stew made with white cannellini beans, vegetables, and grilled Tuscan bread.
Learn the secrets of making Pici all’aglione, a Tuscan rustic pasta served in a rich tomato and garlic sauce; tagliatelle ai funghi porcini, handmade pasta with mushrooms; ravioli di ricotta, handmade pasta stuffed with ricotta; and cannelloni, tube-shaped pasta stuffed with mushrooms and roasted squash.
Tuscan main courses include Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a special cut of steak from the Chianina cattle – an ancient Tuscan breed known for its precious meat and delicate taste – grilled over red-hot charcoal. There is also cinghiale in umido, braised wild boar cooked slowly with red wine, herbs, and vegetables, served with polenta, and arista di maiale, roast pork loin in a garlic, rosemary, and white wine, served with roasted rosemary and potatoes. There’s also branzino al cartoccio, sea bass prepared with parsley, garlic, and capers. Vegetarian and gluten free menus are available upon request.
Discover the art of making Tuscan desserts including ricciarelli, a classic cookie made with almond flour; castagnaccio, a Tuscan cake made with walnuts, pine nuts, and rosemary; biscotti di Prato, a twice-baked biscuit made with almonds, then dipped in Vin Santo, blessed wine; and schiacciata alla Fiorentina, a sweet flat cake garnished with olive oil.
Florence
Food, art and romance blend in Florence where ancient cobblestone streets are lined with caffès and trattorias that spill out onto piazzas. There are Renaissance paper makers, old world bookshops, leather boutiques, wine shops and the famous Santa Maria Novella perfume shop, home to the monks and nuns of times past.
Florence, called the City of Art, is home to the Uffizi and Accademia museums with an impressive collection of Renaissance art from the Florentine greats – Leonardo DaVinci (Adoration of the Magi), Michelangelo (Davide), Botticelli (Primavera) and Giorgio Vasari (the Vasari Corridor).
The city’s stunning architecture is exemplified by the Cathedral with its magnificent dome built by Brunelleschi, while the charming gold and jewelry shops of the Ponte Vecchio perch over the Arno River reflect on the waves of water. Each neighborhood of bella Firenze reflects centuries of Royal families, literature, art, architectural mastery, innovation and evolution, and best of all – food and wine.
Siena
During your stay, visit magnificent Siena for the day with our driver. Set between olive groves and vineyards and rolling green hills this UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the distance you can see the ancient bell towers upon arriving its ancient medieval towers. Walk through Porta Camollia, the oldest gates into Siena whose inscription reads; Cor magis tibi Sena pandit which means Siena opens a heart bigger (than this gate), dedicated to those who pass through it. Once inside the walls, visit the Piazza del Campo, the main square of the city of Siena, and unique for its shell shape, and renowned throughout the world for its beauty and architectural integrity, as well the place where the Palio di Siena, horserace, takes place twice a year. There’s also the Duomo, a great example of Italian Romanesque architecture originally built to be one of the grandest cathedrals in Europe. Discover Palazzo Pubblico, home to Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s frescos, and meander along narrow walkways discovering the ancient city’s past, stop and enjoy an apéritif of coffee or wine in any one of the caffés, wine bars, trattorias and gelaterias. Enjoy a slice of panforte, an ancient spice cake made with cinnamon, almonds and citrus with sweet glass of Vin Santo, literally meaning, blessed wine.
Shopping with the Chef at Sant’ Ambrogio Market
Join Chef Lorena as she starts the morning with an early morning visit to the Sant’ Ambrogio Market located in the ancient neighborhood of Camaldoli. Artisan vendors display their seasonal products. It is magical scene as vendors shout out their specials of the day, and Florentines select Pecorino cheese, Tuscan bread, fine quality meats and sausage, fish, and vegetables and fruits of the season. Wine, spices, herbs and pastries are on display for food lover’s and afficionados. A visit to the Sant’ Ambrogio, dating back to 1865, is an experience like no other!
Florence Accommodations –Select from 3 or 4 – Star
3 Star – Renaissance, Stylish & Historical
In the very heart of Florence is our boutique accommodation set in a Renaissance palazzo overlooking the River Arno. Comfortable, cozy and adorned with all the modern amenities, the historical property offers a spacious terrace caffè, a professional staff and a beautiful central location. The property is a short walk from the Museum Uffizi Musuem, restaurants and artisan shops. Step into newly renovated rooms, complete with Italian linens, comfortable bedding and large windows, ensuite private baths in every room with showers, hairdryers, and air conditioning. An elegant Renaissance breakfast room serving farm fresh eggs, artisan breads and cakes and jams, cheese, salumi and ham, assorted fruits and cereals, yogurt, cereals, Nutella and tea, coffee, espresso and cappuccino. Dine outside on the terrace, sip and swirl a Chianti wine or an afternoon tea and soak up the Florentine lifestyle. The terrace overlooks the River Arno.
4 – Star Luxury Boutique with Sweeping View Overlooking the Arno River
Check into our 4-Star boutique property set in the heart of Florence and overlooking the Arno River. The doorman greets every guest with a buongiorno, then carries your luggage to your room. Walk into the marble entryway with Florentine décor along with our reception extraordinaire and concierge who welcome you like family and take care of your every whim. Check in and relax in the bright and newly renovated rooms – charming and elegant while keeping the old Florentine with the new. Select rooms have sweeping view of the Arno and all rooms are furnished with comfortable modern beds, adorned with large windows, ensuite private baths with showers, bathtubs, hairdryers, air conditioning, and a large-screen TV included. Modern touches blend with old world tradition – a marble staircase connects each level leading to a rooftop deck that is available for all guests.
The rooftop deck is a quiet vantage point with a 360-degree view overlooking the City of Art. Breakfast is served daily in the breakfast room starting with cappuccino, espresso or tea, along with farm-fresh eggs, Tuscan breads and cakes, cornetti, fresh fruit, yogurt, jams and honey. In the later part of the day, an Italian aperitivo featuring Prosecco, Bellini and Aperol Spritz are served on the outdoor terrace overlooking the Arno River. Conveniently located on a quiet piazza and a short walk to the museum and landmarks – Uffizi Museum, the Duomo, Santa Croce and Ponte Vecchio – this 4- Star property is the Crown Jewel accommodation during your stay.
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Itinerary – 5 Days, 4 Nights
Day 1 – Benvenuto and Chef’s Welcome Dinner
- Transfer from Florence Airport or Florence Santa Maria Novella Train Station and check in to the property.
- Check in and relax.
- Enjoy your Cooking Vacations’ Welcome Bag with Prosecco toast.
- Later in the evening, enjoy your Welcome Dinner featuring a full-course Chef’s Tasting menu including antipasto, fresh pasta and sauce, main course and dessert.
Day 2 – Landmark Tour of Florence and Cooking Class 1
- Breakfast is served.
- Following breakfast, meet your English-speaking guide for a landmark tour of the city from the Piazza della Signoria, over the Ponte Vecchio to Santa Croce, and onto the Mercato Sant Ambrogio. Discover Florence in all its splendor with historical notes on its ancient past, food, and culture. During your tour, take time out in a beautiful caffe and enjoy a Florentine apertivo with our guide.
- with our guide.
- Take time out for lunch on your own with suggestions provided.
- Later in the afternoon, tie on your aprons for your first hands-on cooking class! Learn to prepare handmade Tuscan pasta such as Pici all’aglione, a rustic spaghetti-like pasta in tomato and garlic sauce, veal chianina sauce, or wild boar sauce; tagliatelle ai funghi porcini,handmade pasta with mushrooms; ravioli di ricotta, handmade pasta stuffed with ricotta; and cannelloni, cylindrical pasta stuffed with mushrooms and roasted squash. Our chef advocates farm-to-table using local seasonal ingredients.
- Following your hands-on cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was made in the cooking class with wine included.
Day 3 – Shop with the Chef Market Tour and Cooking Class 2
- Breakfast is served.
- Following breakfast, meet our Chef and experience Sant’Ambrogio Market in Florence to select ingredients for your cooking class.
- Tie on your aprons and prepare traditional Tuscan cuisine in your second hands-on cooking class. Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the class with wine included.
- Following your cooking class, shop, visit a caffe or any one of the museums Florence has to offer.
- In the evening, enjoy dinner on your own with suggestions provided.
Day 4 – Wine Tour – Tuscan Olive Oil Tasting, Wine Tour & Tasting Lunch and Siena Tour
- Breakfast is served.
- Following breakfast, meet our driver for a full-day excursion to an award-winning winery followed by a visit to Siena.
- The begins with a visit to an award-winning wine maker in Chianti. Tour the winery’s vineyards, olive groves, and cantina learning about the property’s vast vineyards and its organic biodynamic farming. In the cantina, learn about the importance of wine barrels, aging and bottling.
- Following the tour, enjoy a Tuscan lunch with olive oil tasting and wine pairing included.
- After lunch, transfer to Siena with our driver.
- Explore the city’s central square Piazza del Campo, home to the Palio horse race, marvel at the Biblioteca Piccolomini or climb the Torre del Mangia for a magical view over the city’s red rooftops.
- Following Siena, return to the property.
- In the evening, enjoy dinner on your own with suggestions provided.
Day 5 – Arriverderci
- Breakfast is served.
- Check out of the accommodation and transfer to the airport or train station.
- Arrivederci!
Program Includes:
- 5 days and 4 nights in Florence in a charming 4-star hotel set in the most magical place in Florence.
- Welcome Dinner with the Chef’s Tasting Menu including an antipasto, fresh pasta, main course, and dessert.
- 2 Hands-on cooking class preparing a full-course Tuscan menu with an antipasto, fresh pasta and sauce, main course and dessert. Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in class with wine included.
- 1 Shop with the Chef at the Sant Ambrogio Market.
- 1 Landmark Tour of Florence with an English-speaking guide
- Full-day excursion to an award-winning winery, vineyard and cantina with:
- Wine Tour and Wine Tasting lunch included.
- Excursion to Siena driver with private driver.
- Round-trip transfers from Florence Airport or Train Station.
- A Cooking Vacations’ Welcome Bag with chef’s apron, recipes and Prosecco.
- A copy of Lauren’s book “It’s a Dream Place — Stories & Recipes of Food, Love, and the Amalfi Coast.”
Program Prices
$4,495 per person based on 2 guests in the 4 – Star Boutique property in a Superior Room overlooking the Arno River.
$3,495 per person based on 2 guests in the 3 – Star Deluxe property in a Superior Room.
For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into our already scheduled group.