Village Vacations in Italy 2026 Tours in Umbria and Tuscany
We fill up quickly—and for good reason. If you’re dreaming of a getaway where every detail is thoughtfully handled, we’ve got you covered.
Comfortable transportation
Our “Small Group, Slow Travel” tours let you unpack once and truly settle in. Enjoy six-day trips featuring relaxed visits to other villages, a cooking class, and a vineyard tour.
Spend your time in each village exactly as you choose—wander cobblestone streets, meet locals, explore museums and churches, or linger in shops and cafés. It’s your vacation, and we believe you should enjoy it your way. That’s the beauty of touring Village Vacations in Italy.
Our boutique accommodations offer an authentic Italian experience, providing a warm, welcoming place to start each morning with a bountiful breakfast and to unwind each evening with a delicious meal prepared with fresh seasonal ingredients by our own Chef Leonardo at your “Home Away from Home” for the week in the hills of Umbria near the village of Panicale.
Boutique Accommodation
Pool with a view of Lago Trasimeno
6 Incredible Day Trips
Assisi
Assisi is a majestic town filled with beauty and deep spiritual significance—the birthplace of St. Francis in 1182. You’ll enjoy a guided tour through this extraordinary city, followed by time to explore, shop, and enjoy lunch at your own pace.
Piazza Del Comune in Assisi
Cortona (Tuscany)
Cortona, made famous by Frances Mayes in Under the Tuscan Sun, is perfect for strolling, shopping, visiting museums, and exploring charming boutique stores. Enjoy lunch on your own, at your own pace. Before we head back to the villa, I’ll let you know where to meet me for a fun Prosecco Party.
A medieval palace turns into a family-owned jewelry store.
Festival & Outdoor Market in Cortona
Cooking Class in the Hills of Umbria
Learn the secrets of authentic Italian cooking during a hands-on cooking class in beautiful Umbria at Il Fontanaro. Afterward, savor the dishes you’ve created—paired with wine on a terrace surrounded by birdsong, conversation, and flowing glasses.
Learn the secrets of Italian cooking while you make four different pastas and sauces
Your hands will love making the dough, and you will enjoy every bite!
Pienza (Tuscany)
A jewel of Renaissance Tuscany, Pienza is renowned for its harmonious urban design and stunning views of the Val d’Orcia. Reimagined in the 15th century by Pope Pius II as an “ideal city,” it features the elegant Palazzo Piccolomini, the beautiful Pienza Cathedral, and charming streets filled with artisanal shops. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pienza is also beloved for its famous pecorino cheese.
No need to worry about directions or parking, we take you everywhere
Deruta
Our first stop is Maioliche Artistiche Tassi, where you’ll witness the entire process of creating Deruta’s iconic hand-painted pottery. Afterward, enjoy lunch on your own at Taverna del Gusto in the Centro Storico, or wander through additional ceramic shops, such as Antica Fornace Deruta, with its 1,000-year-old kiln that you can walk into.
Every piece in this shop is hand-made and hand-painted.
Just one of the many patterns to feast your eyes on
Vineyard Tour – La Querciaolana, Panicale
Relax among the vineyard hills while enjoying award-winning wines paired with a light lunch at La Querciolana Vineyard. It’s an idyllic setting and a perfect way to savor the flavors of Umbria with the ideal wine.
Lunch & wine tasting at La Querciolana in Panicale
A repeat guest enjoying a glass of wine at La Querciolana
Grape Squishing (September & early October)
Channel your inner Lucy and squish grapes the old-fashioned way! Costumes are encouraged for even more fun. You’ll also enjoy a vineyard tour, learn about the wine-making process, and savor lunch paired with wine tastings. This week sells out quickly and is our most popular—perfect for a “Girlfriends Get-Away.”
Miss Noreen squishing grapes, Lucille Ball Style
Olive Harvest Week (Late October)
Join the locals in picking olives during the annual harvest, then share a traditional “Harvest Lunch” with everyone. It’s one of my favorite experiences—there’s nothing like working alongside the community. Afterward, we’ll visit a frantoio (olive mill) to see the entire production process from start to finish. Your taste buds will thank you—another fantastic day spent embracing local life. Details here: Olive Harvest Week.
Pick with the locals
Olive Harvest lunch with wine flowing
Fresh-pressed olive oil straight out of the tap!
Available 2026 Tour Dates
Spring Tours
April 19–26. (Three Rooms Available)
May 3–10 (Five Rooms Available)
May 17–24. (Two Rooms Available)
Fall Tours
September 6–13 (Grape Squishing, three rooms available)
September 20–27 (Sold Out)
October 4–11 (Grape Squishing, Sold out)
October 18–25 (Olive Harvest Sold Out)
Includes:
Accommodations for the week
Breakfast every morning
Two lunches
Dinners prepared by our chef and served with wine
Transfers from and to Leonardo Da Vinci Airport
Six-Day Trips with Transportation and Escort to
Assisi-Cortona-Pienza-Deruta
Cooking Class
Vineyard Tour, Wine Tasting & Light Lunch
Special Dates for:
*Grape Squishing & vineyard tour with wine tasting & lunch*
*Olive Harvest Day in the Fall with lunch and a visit to the Frantoio & watch your olives get pressed into liquid gold*
Everything listed on the tour is included except airfare and travel insurance.
For more information and rates, email Nedra Marie Bottieri at Nedra@VillageVacationsInItaly.com
Guest’s Experiences and Reviews
“The most perfect Italian experience!”
Where do we begin? Nedra plans everything so beautifully—quaint accommodations, seamless transportation, and unforgettable tours. The wine stomping, pasta making, and pottery visits were wonderful. With breakfast and dinner included, our group of nine loved ending each night together over a fabulous meal. A trip we will never forget. Thank you, Nedra! Peg & Ted G
September Trip Guest (2025)
“Slow-paced, meaningful travel with incredible daily excursions.”
I’m on the Sept. 6–13, 2025 trip right now—and I’m already encouraging you to book 2026! All breakfasts and dinners are included with delicious local wines. We’ve visited Assisi, learned to make pasta and desserts in a local home, and even stomped grapes dressed as Lucy and Ethel! Our group of nine like-minded travelers is happy, entertained, engaged, and never hungry.
Guest Review
“Nedra took care of every single detail.”
Our stay with Village Vacations in Italy was outstanding. Our group started as strangers and left as friends. Chef Leonardo was a true gem, and every tour was special. We couldn’t be happier with the experience.
First-Time Visitors to Italy
“A journey of a lifetime.”
This was our first trip to Italy, and Nedra made it enjoyable and easy from start to finish. She thoughtfully selected each destination and activity. The villages were magical, and the villa was the perfect home base for slow travel. Accommodations and food were fabulous. We’ll be back!
Village Vacations in Italy offers something rare: the chance to experience Italy not as a tourist but as an honored guest. Whether you’re wandering through medieval alleys, sharing meals with local families, or gazing over vineyard-filled valleys, you’ll discover a quieter, deeper Italy—one you’ll want to return to again and again. I promise you an unforgettable vacation.
Former flight attendant Nedra Bottieri made a life-changing trip to Italy twenty years ago to re-discover her family heritage. Now with dual citizenship, she has a second home in Umbria.
Through her company, Village Vacations in Italy, she organizes and hosts small group tours based in small villages in Umbria and Tuscany, normally customized tours for private groups. Groups have included yoga workshops, writing workshops, and groups of family and friends. Nedra draws on her extensive experience and relationships to plan special accommodations and activities to meet each group’s needs and dreams. Experience “La Dolce Vita” in Italy!
To learn more about her tours, see www.villagevacationsinitaly.com
Slow Travel Tours is an affiliation of small-group tour operators who offer personalized trips in Italy, France and other European countries.
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