From Florence, enjoy the beautiful
views of Tuscany and Umbria

When you take the Taste of Italy - Private Tour in Cortona, Lake Trasimeno & Montepulciano, you will think of Italy...its history and culture. Dream of Italy...the rolling landscapes of the Renaissances artists. Imagine Italy...the food and the wine. Combine it all in this tour that takes you off the beaten track to experience just a taste of all that is so essentially Italian in Tuscany and Umbria.

You'll first drive to the town of Cortona, which has changed little since the Middle Ages. More recently depicted in the Oscar winning film La Vita è Bella and described by American novelist Frances Mayes in Under the Tuscan Sun, Cortona is enjoying a renewed popularity. Here, you can stroll through the historic centre, discovering its hidden corners and absorbing the atmosphere of this picturesque town. Afterwards, a drive along the shores of Lake Trasimeno takes you to taste, with an opportunity to purchase, some of the many local products (olive oil, cheeses, salami and ham) of this region.

In the afternoon, the drive is through the gentle hills of the Chianti Region, reaching the hilltop of Montepulciano. The deep ruby red wine, Vino Nobile, of this town is famous the world over. You'll visit one of its oldest wine cellars, carved out of the tufo rock, to discover some of the secrets of the winemakers and, of course, to taste the final result.

Tour Highlights:

~ Discover Cortona - a picturesque town
~ Shores of Lake Trasimeno
~ Purchase local products
~ Chianti Region
~ Vino Nobile wine

IMPORTANT:

~ The drivers are English Speaking Drivers (ESD) - are all very experienced and used to hosting foreign tourists. They are all extremely familiar with the sights you will undoubtedly want to visit. If you have made a list of "must-sees" for any city you'll want to visit, ESD's will gladly take you wherever you may want to go. If by chance, however, you did not have the time or inclination to make detailed plans before traveling, the driver will design an itinerary that will include all the highlights. ESD's will offer only very basic information about the sights you will see.
~ Comfortable walking shoes recommended.
~ All tours can be personalized and/or combined on request. In order to provide clients with the best-in-class service, the English speaking driving guide will give running commentaries of what you are seeing and he will allow you enough time to visit each site avoiding the expensive charges of hiring a private guide.
~ Due to strict Italian laws & regulations that protect officially licensed guides, the driving guides can comment and explain the sights only from inside the car, but are not allowed to do so once they are outside the vehicle.

Rates Include:

~ Tolls, parking, luggage handling
~ Driving/guide service
~ Use of vehicle
~ Fuel
~ Airport waiting time - 45 minutes

Not Included:

~ Client's meals, food and beverages unless otherwise specified in the program
~ Entrance fees to Museums or Monuments
~ Gratuities at your discretion
~ Ferry tickets where required
~ Additional hours
~ Anything not expressly mentioned as included
~ Airport or dock transfer waiting times beyond the scheduled departure or commencement time

Frequently Asked Questions:

How much should we tip?

Tips in Italy are not mandatory, but it's customary to give them in proportion to the quality of the service received. It's not a fixed percentage as it is in the US, but usually is simply an amount proportional to how much the service fulfills or exceeds the guest's expectations.

Are the prices per person?

No prices are not per person; prices are per vehicle for the indicated range of persons involved.

Testimonials:

"Pink sand, yellow houses, beautiful red flowers, turquoise blue water, and an amazing guide...we're sure we just visited heaven." -- Alice K., Philadelphia, PA

"We were very happy with the services we received from our driver. He was very pleasant, the ride was smooth, the vehicle was very new and clean and we arrived in plenty of time at the airport. There were no hassles whatsoever about the price of the transfer - it was the price we had been quoted, so there were no surprises in that respect and that made us happy. While we were on the cruise ship, I told another couple that we were planning to use your company for our transfer and they made arrangements with you as well. When we got home I emailed them to ask if everything worked out alright with their transfer. They said the driver was there right on time as promised (they left even earlier than we did!). They were very happy with everything as well. Since I am a travel agent I will put your company's name and contact information on our agent forum website. We share a lot of information and comments about different companies and their services and agents like to use companies that are referred by other satisfied agents. I hope this will bring you some additional customers. Thank you very much." -- Connie M. USA

Tour includes hotel pick-up and drop-off. Rates are PER-VEHICLE in US Dollars. Please reserve online, or call us toll-free at 800-208-4421.