Day 1 - Saturday
Arrivals in Umbria in the afternoon after airport, train station, or hotel transfer pickups from Rome or Perugia – Check in to your rooms at the beautiful Castello di Monterone in the hillsides of Perugia. Relax, enjoy your surroundings, explore the castle, take a dip in the pool, enjoy the jacuzzi, and sauna, or stroll the picturesque gardens. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner in the castle’s dining room.
Day 2 - Sunday
You visit the Chiesa del Carmine Winery and estate in the Umbrian countryside for a tour and tasting followed by lunch paired perfectly with the Estate’s own wines. After lunch, return to the Castello where the afternoon is free for you to enjoy the castle lounge by the pool, and relax. In the evening, you head to nearby picturesque Montone, a quintessential Umbrian hilltop town, for a stroll followed by a sunset dinner overlooking the amazing Umbrian countryside with its famous burnt umber hues.
Day 3 - Monday
In the morning, you head to Assisi, the town made famous by the monk bearing its name and founder of the Franciscan Order, St. Francis of Assisi. A guided tour of Assisi is planned in the morning, with its historical back streets, piazzas, and the famous cathedral followed by lunch leaving time to visit many of the nearby shops. After lunch, you head back to the Castello for a hands-on cooking lesson and demonstration with dinner based on the lesson.
Day 4 - Tuesday
Perugia is perhaps best known for its gastronomy, ceramics, and of course chocolates! In the center of Umbria are produced some of the finest chocolates in the world. After breakfast, you enjoy a guided tour of Perugia, a bit of food tasting, and a visit to an artisanal ceramic maker which includes a demonstration.
One of the highlights of the day though, is experiencing a hands-on chocolate-making class in a chocolate lab perched above the town square. Guests then enjoy lunch on their own and have free time for shopping. In the afternoon, you head back to Castello di Monterone for a bit of relaxation followed by dinner at the Castello.
Day 5 - Wednesday
You begin the day with a drive through the countryside to a local Agriturismo, which is a combination farm and bed and breakfast, focusing on authentic and local farm-to-table cuisine. Here you’ll have a hands-on lesson with the local chef when you create your lunch.
A break in the afternoon at the Castello will be well deserved and then on to the town of Spello for dinner.
Spello is a well-preserved medieval walled town known for the abundance of picturesque flowers throughout the town. Each corner of town is more beautiful than the last. It’s a tradition to compete for the most beautiful terraces and doorsteps!
Day 6 - Thursday
When you’re in Umbria, no culinary vacation is complete without hunting for truffles! After breakfast, you join a local guide at the Chiesa del Carmine Estate to hunt for truffles in the surrounding countryside. These delicious gems will be used in your lunchtime cooking lesson. The lesson will take place in a beautiful demonstration kitchen created for cooking lessons.
The afternoon will be left open for relaxing at the Castello. In the evening, you take a drive to the beautiful town of Bevagna with its picturesque river meandering along the town’s edge. After a stroll through town, you will enjoy a world-class meal by a self-taught local restaurant owner and chef.
Day 7 - Friday
What trip to Italy is complete without shopping for some of the best locally produced artisanal products in the world? For this, you head to the area surrounding Lake Trasimeno. You’ll visit a picturesque winery featuring some of the best varietals Umbria is known for. Here there will be a tasting and lunch.
You’ll also make a stop at a local cashmere producer for a full immersion into what is still an active and thriving Umbrian business. The visit will include a tour of the factory, an explanation of how fine Italian cashmere is made followed by a visit to their showroom.
Afterward, there’s time for packing, then you enjoy your grand finale “Arrivederci Dinner” at the Castello.
Day 8 - Saturday
After breakfast, La Cucina Sabina will provide transfers to local airports, hotels, or train stations in Rome or Perugia.