Winter in the Warm Heart of Italy: Tuscany, Umbria, Thermal Springs, Wine & Renaissance Cities

Your journey begins in Rome, where your private driver will meet you for the beautiful drive north into the rolling countryside of Lazio and Umbria.

Your first stop is Civita di Bagnoregio, one of central Italy’s most extraordinary hill towns. Perched dramatically on a volcanic plateau and reached by a pedestrian bridge across the valley, Civita feels almost suspended in time. Enjoy time to explore its tiny lanes, stone houses and sweeping views before continuing toward Umbria.

From here, travel to Orvieto, rising spectacularly from a plateau of volcanic rock. Discover its medieval historic center and magnificent Duomo before enjoying a taste of the region through a local wine experience featuring the wines and flavors of the Orvieto countryside.

Later in the afternoon, continue into the green heart of Umbria and check into your countryside spa resort. Settle in, slow down and enjoy your first opportunity to experience the region’s tradition of wellness, with time to relax in the thermal and spa facilities.

This evening, gather for a welcome dinner featuring the seasonal flavors of Umbria, a fitting beginning to your journey through the thermal waters, hill towns, vineyards and landscapes of central Italy.

Begin the day slowly, with breakfast and a leisurely morning at your spa resort. Enjoy time in the wellness facilities, take a swim, book an optional treatment, or simply relax and take in the peaceful Umbrian countryside.

Later, depart for Assisi, one of Italy’s most beautiful and spiritually significant hill towns. Set against the slopes of Monte Subasio, Assisi is forever connected to St. Francis, whose life and message have drawn pilgrims and travelers here for centuries.

Explore the medieval streets and historic center with your guide, visiting the magnificent Basilica of St. Francis, home to extraordinary frescoes and one of the most important artistic and religious sites in Italy. Along the way, discover Assisi beyond the Basilica, its stone lanes, hidden corners, panoramic viewpoints and remarkably preserved medieval character.

After your guided visit, enjoy some time at leisure to wander through Assisi at your own pace, stop for an aperitivo or simply take in the atmosphere as the afternoon crowds begin to disappear.

Return to your Umbrian retreat in the late afternoon, with the evening at leisure to enjoy the spa and dinner at the resort or nearby.

After breakfast, enjoy another relaxed start to the day before setting out for Perugia, Umbria’s elegant hilltop capital and one of central Italy’s most fascinating historic cities.

Explore the atmospheric historic center with your guide, discovering medieval streets, grand piazzas and remarkable layers of Etruscan, Roman and Renaissance history. Walk along Corso Vannucci to Piazza IV Novembre, admire the Fontana Maggiore and Palazzo dei Priori, and experience the network of ancient streets and passageways that gives Perugia its distinctive character.

Today is also an opportunity to discover the flavors for which Umbria is known. Enjoy a tasting of regional specialties, which may include artisan chocolate, local cheeses, cured meats, olive oil and Umbrian wines, wh Perugia & the Flavors of Umbria

ile learning about the traditions and producers behind them.

After the guided experience, enjoy some time at leisure for lunch, a coffee or simply wandering through the historic center at your own pace.

Return to your countryside retreat later in the afternoon, with time to relax and enjoy the spa before your final evening in Umbria.

Tomorrow, the journey continues west into Tuscany and the spectacular landscapes of the Val d’Orcia.

After breakfast, leave Umbria behind and journey into southern Tuscany, where vineyards, cypress-lined roads, ancient farmhouses and medieval hill towns unfold across the extraordinary landscapes of the Val d’Orcia.

Your first destination is Montepulciano, one of Tuscany’s great wine towns. Perched high above the surrounding countryside, its Renaissance palaces and steep stone streets conceal historic wine cellars carved deep into the rock beneath the town. Enjoy time to explore before experiencing a tasting of the celebrated 'Vino Nobile di Montepulciano' accompanied by local specialties.

Continue through the Val d’Orcia to Pienza, the Renaissance hill town famous for its beautiful architecture, sweeping views and exceptional 'Pecorino di Pienza'. Enjoy time to wander its lanes, discover local food shops and taste the cheeses and flavors that have made this small Tuscan town famous.

From Pienza, the journey continues through some of Tuscany’s most photographed countryside, but this is not simply scenery to pass through. The Val d’Orcia is a place to slow down, stop, photograph, taste and experience.

By late afternoon, arrive at your Tuscan thermal retreat and check in for the next stage of your journey. As the temperature drops outside, slip into the naturally warm mineral waters and watch the Tuscan landscape settle into evening.

This is Tuscany at its best in the quieter months: wine in the cellar, pecorino in Pienza, empty country roads and warm thermal waters waiting at the end of the day.

Overnight at La Posta in Bagno Vignoni. 

 https://www.lapostahotel.it/it/

Today, there is nowhere you need to be.

After several days exploring the hill towns, vineyards and landscapes of central Italy, this day has deliberately been left entirely unscheduled.

Wake when you wish and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before spending the day at La Posta Hotel, an intimate five-star thermal retreat in the historic village of Bagno Vignoni, in the heart of the Val d’Orcia.

Slip into the hotel's naturally heated thermal pools and spend the morning surrounded by gardens and views across the Tuscan countryside. Move between the warm mineral waters, spa and relaxation areas, book a massage or wellness treatment, read beside the pool, enjoy a long lunch, or simply do absolutely nothing.

There are no guided visits today. No departure times. No monuments to check off a list.

This is a day to slow down and experience something Italians have understood for centuries: sometimes the greatest luxury is simply having nowhere else to be.

As afternoon turns to evening, return to the thermal waters, enjoy an aperitivo, and settle into another quiet evening in the Val d’Orcia.

Today, Tuscany comes to you.

After breakfast, say goodbye to the thermal waters of the Val d’Orcia and depart with your private driver for Siena, one of Italy’s great medieval cities.

Meet your local guide for a private walking tour through Siena’s beautifully preserved historic center. Discover the magnificent Piazza del Campo, heart of the city and home of the legendary Palio horse race, and learn about the ancient Contrade, the neighborhood communities whose rivalries, traditions and identities remain an essential part of Sienese life.

Continue through Siena’s atmospheric streets to the extraordinary Duomo, one of Italy’s most striking Gothic cathedrals. More than simply seeing Siena’s monuments, your guide will help bring the city to life, revealing the stories, traditions and centuries-old rivalries that are easy to miss when exploring on your own.

By late morning, leave Siena behind and travel north into the rolling hills of Chianti Classico.

Here, among vineyards, olive groves and stone farmhouses, visit a carefully selected wine estate for a private introduction to the wines of Chianti. Tour the cellar, learn about the region’s winemaking traditions and sit down for a leisurely Tuscan lunch accompanied by a tasting of the estate’s wines and local extra virgin olive oil.

There is no need to rush. This is the kind of lunch Tuscany was made for.

Afterward, continue through the Chianti countryside toward Florence, arriving later in the afternoon. Check into your hotel and enjoy the remainder of the evening at leisure.

From the medieval streets of Siena to a table overlooking the vineyards of Chianti, today brings together two very different expressions of Tuscany before your journey continues into Florence where you will check into the incredible Villa Cora one of the leading hotels of the world with an incredible spa.  

After breakfast, meet your private local guide for a relaxed morning discovering Florence, when the city is at its most atmospheric and considerably quieter than during the busy summer months.

Walk through the historic center, taking in the magnificent Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and some of the smaller streets and neighborhoods that reveal another side of Florence. Your guide will bring the Renaissance city to life through the artists, families and personalities who shaped it.

The morning includes reserved entrance to the Accademia Gallery, where you will come face to face with Michelangelo's David, one of the great masterpieces of the Renaissance.

Following your tour, the rest of the afternoon is deliberately left unscheduled.

Enjoy a leisurely lunch, browse Florence's boutiques and artisan shops, or return to the Helvetia & Bristol and spend the afternoon enjoying the hotel's beautiful spa.

After a week of traveling through Umbria and Tuscany, there is nowhere you need to be and nothing more you need to see.

Tonight, enjoy a special farewell dinner in Florence, celebrating the final evening of your journey through the heart of Italy.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and a final morning in Florence. Depending on your departure time, you may choose to return to the spa, enjoy one last walk through the city, or simply relax over coffee before continuing your journey.

When it is time to depart, Italy Vacation Specialists can arrange your private transfer to Florence Airport or Santa Maria Novella railway station, as well as any onward transportation required.

And your Italian journey does not necessarily have to end here.

If you would like to stay longer, our team can arrange additional nights in Florence, extend your travels to Venice, Rome, the Italian Lakes, the Dolomites, the Amalfi Coast or elsewhere in Italy, or create a completely customized continuation of your journey. We can also arrange private drivers, high-speed rail tickets, airport transfers, additional guided experiences, restaurant reservations and other services you may need before returning home.

Your journey through Tuscany and Umbria may come to an end today, but we hope you leave with something more than photographs: memories of quiet hill towns, long Tuscan lunches, exceptional wines, warm thermal waters and the pleasure of experiencing Italy at a slower pace.

Wherever you would like to go next, IVS can take care of the journey from here.

Arrivederci, and until the next journey.