HEY GIRLFRIEND!
Don’t put off the trip of your dreams for “someday”
The time to live your best life is NOW
Women’s Tuscany Tour
October 21st-29th 2023
JUST 3 SPOTS LEFT FOR THIS GROUP
Can’t do Oct? GET ON THE List for future trips!
We're all about celebrating life, new-found friends and women supporting women.
JOIN ME FOR THE
Women’s Tuscany Tour of Your Dreams!
October 21st – 29th, 2023
You’ll enjoy small-group, Chef Julie-led tasting, cultural, & pampering experiences through Florence and the Tuscan countryside with other fun loving women just like you.
Come solo or grab a friend – you’ll make memories for a lifetime and return home inspired by the talented female chefs, winemakers, and artisans we meet on our tour.
LET’S GO!
What’s Included:
- 8 nights of 4-star hotels
- 7 full days of excursions and tours
- Transportation between Florence and all the Tuscan towns and locations
- Wine tastings
- Cooking classes
- A Truffle Hunt
- Thermal bath and spa visits
- Yoga
- Olive oil tasting
- Cheese tastings
- Most meals
Exceptions:
- You’ll have free time in Florence and Siena so 2 lunches and 1 dinner are open for you to explore
- Most meals are served with table wine and additional wine of your choosing by the glass or bottle will be available to purchase
- Massages will be available at several locations at an additional charge that goes directly to your massage therapist
- You’re responsible for your flight to Italy and flight or train to Florence before the tour
IMPORTANT NOTE: Your tour officially ends on Sunday 10/29 at around noon. We’ll check out of our hotel in Cortona for the 1 1/2-hour trip back to Florence as a group. You’ll be brought back to Florence to be dropped off at either the Florence Airport or Florence Train Station by noon to continue your travels abroad or home. Please note that any departures booked earlier in the morning may require private transport at your cost which we can help arrange.
We love authentic experiences and getting a true taste of another culture!
Trip Pricing
NOTE: Prices listed below are for shared rooms. A limited number of single rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis for an additional cost of $870
SHARED ROOM PRICING
$5,695 PER PERSON
Pay $500 now to secure your spot
50% balance ($2,600) due ONE WEEK AFTER BOOKING
Remaining balance ($2,595) due by August 1, 2023
PRIVATE ROOM PRICING
$6,565 PER PERSON
Pay $500 now to secure your spot
50% balance ($3,033) due by ONE WEEK AFTER BOOKING
Remaining balance ($3,032) due by August 1, 2023
You can review our full trip waiver here.
WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT upcoming TRIPs?
Meet Your Tuscany Travel Guide
Julie Hartigan
Julie Hartigan is an NYC-based Chef, Media Personality, and lifelong Travel Lover! She believes some of the greatest personal growth and most memorable moments in life come when immersed in another culture. Julie’s passion is exploring and sharing regional, authentic dishes, ingredients, wine, and cuisine with others.
She’s tasted her way through Japan, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Italy, France, and as many more to come as possible. Her trips are designed to be a fun-filled, life-changing experience for solo midlife women travelers where you’ll come home feeling joyful, alive, and transformed.
Does it feel like those incredible travel experiences are only for honeymoons, Bravo food travel shows, or Instagram influencers?
…Not anymore!
- Wish you could somehow, miraculously organize all your favorite people to finally take that trip with you?
- Listen between jobs, families, and budgets, (let alone everyone’s specific travel style!) we both know that trip will never happen.
- Tired of those “trying to make everyone happy” trips where you’re dragged to every historic site, battlefield, or tourist trap?
Welcome to the woman-centric trip of your dreams
- Return home relaxed (vs needing a “vacation from your vacation!)
- Throughout your trip you’ll enjoy massages, stretching, yoga, and spa soaks in thermal baths.
- You’ll be part of a safe, supportive community of fellow fun-loving women.
- Grab a like-minded pal or come solo to meet your new tribe of travel-friendly girlfriends.
Daily Breakdown
Note: Itinerary and details are subject to change due to unforeseen closures or weather.
Trip Kick Off: Arrive in Florence – Saturday October 21st
Note: If you like, you can arrive a day early to catch up on sleep from your flight and we can arrange for you to stay at our Florence hotel.
PS: they have a beautiful spa for massages!
See FAQ below for more details on travel options and adding on time to tour Venice or Rome after your Tuscany Tour.
For our first 3 nights in Florence we’re all staying at Palazzo Castri – a 4 star luxury boutique hotel in the center of the city with a heated pool, spa, and optional massages, facials, and pampering treatments.
Pre-Tour Welcome Dinner
Saturday October 21st
After checking in and decompressing from our travels we’ll kick things off together at our hotel the night before our touring starts to get to know your travel besties for the week.
DAY 1 – Sunday October 22nd
The Beauty of Florence
We’ll start our day with an exclusive tour of “Atelier of Female Arts in Florence” to see firsthand how local female artisans create traditional crafts, pottery, and leather (plus plenty of time to shop for the leather jacket of your dreams!) Later you’ll tap into your creative side with a tour of the Uffizi to see Renaissance artist classics or try your hand at oil painting in a private class.
Then we’ll discover an “only in Florence” Wine Window, stop by the stunning Duomo lit up at night, and end our day with a fabulous 3-course wine-tasting dinner in a beloved local ristorante to learn all about Tuscan wines.
DAY 2 – Monday October 23rd
Taste the Magic of Florence
Today we’ll shop and taste like the locals with a private tasting tour of the historic Sant’Ambrogio Market – built in 1873 and the oldest central market in Florence! Later we’ll enjoy free time to explore, spa time, or if you like a climb up the Duomo for a close up peek at frescoes and panoramic view. That night we’ll do as the Florentines do and take in the sunset with wine overlooking the city from the heights of Piazzale Michelangelo. You’ll end the day with dinner at a flower-themed osteria.
DAY 3 – Tuesday October 24th
Taste the Tuscan Countryside
Today we’ll leave Florence to start our time in the Tuscan countryside. First stop! A working olive oil mill near the beautiful town of Greve in Chianti for an exclusive, ultra modern Olive Oil tasting at a local farm that’s been producing olive oil since the mid nineteenth century. After strolling Greve we’ll enjoy lunch al fresco, an afternoon wine tasting at an award winning female run winery Castello di Monsanto, before checking into our next hotel just outside historic Siena and enjoying dinner in their stunning garden.
For Nights 3-5 we’re staying in a magical 4 star hotel Relais della Rovere in the Tuscan Countryside just outside Siena to easily visit the most beautiful towns and places in Tuscany. This posh hotel sits on a property that was originally a home to Benedictine Monks who built the estate in 1100. It was later home to popes and cardinals and now features a pool, spa, wine cellar, and park-like grounds to explore.
DAY 4 – Wednesday October 25th
Beautiful Medieval Siena!
In the 1300s this Medieval city was one of the most powerful in Europe and today we’ll take a step back in time to explore this highly walkable city including its infamous “Campo’ or town square where the annual “Palio” horse race has been held since 1482. We’ll start with a private cooking and pasta making class for lunch and later meet one of the female presidents of the Contrade (or districts who participate in the Palio race) . You’ll have free time to explore and shop before dinner at your choice of recommended restaurants or your new favorite local find.
DAY 5 – Thursday October 26th
Tiny Tuscan Hill Towns
After breakfast, we’ll head out for the day to a countryside Agriturismo (authentic working farms with in-house restaurant, events, and hotel) a cheese-making class, and a light farm-to-table lunch. Next, we’ll visit Volterra, a stunning walled town on a mountaintop that dates back to the 8th century BC Etruscan times. Famous for its alabaster – we’ll see how it’s carved plus step inside a historic palace still inhabited by the same family since the 15th century! After a scenic dinner, we’ll return to our hotel.
For nights 6 & 7 we’re staying at Villa Borga San Pietro, a 17th century villa with panoramic views just outside charming Cortona, famous for the book and movie “Under the Tuscan Sun”
DAY 6 – Friday October 27th
Women & Wellness
Prepare for some pampering today as we visit an outdoor spa for a soak in natural hot Thermal Baths, popular since Roman times and formed long ago by volcanoes! Next, we’ll tour the stunning hilltop town of Montalcino in the breathtaking Val d’Orcia famous for its Brunello wines. We’ll enjoy a private pottery demonstration from a local female artisan and then a once-in-a-lifetime art and music-themed wine tasting at award-winning Casato Prime Donne Winery. This all-woman-run winery founded by Donatella Cinelli Colombini is a flagship for equal opportunities for women in the wine world. We’ll end our day with a private dinner al fresco at our new hotel in Cortona.
DAY 7 – Saturday October 28th
A Final Celebration
This morning we’ll have a once in a lifetime experience being part of a Truffle Hunt (don’t worry, the dogs do all the work), Next we’ll visit the stunning Medieval town of Pienza and the Val d’Orcia countryside followed by a picnic lunch with a view. Afterwards we’ll enjoy the park-like property at our hotel or a stroll through historic Cortona before our blow-out, final, celebratory dinner, and experience. We’ll visit Michelin-starred il Falconiere for a private wine-sabering experience and dinner with one of Italy’s most esteemed and awarded female chefs Silvia Baracchi.
DAY 8 – Sunday October 29th
Return to Florence
After our final breakfast together and heartfelt goodbyes to our group we’ll say Ciao for Now and head back to Florence with a full heart and memories for a lifetime!
Your tour officially ends on Sunday 10/29 at around noon. We’ll check out of our hotel in Cortona for the 1 1/2 hour trip back to Florence as a group.You’ll be brought back to Florence to be dropped off at either the Florence Airport or Florence Train Station by noon to continue your travels abroad or home. Please note that any departures booked earlier in the morning may require private transport at your cost which we can help arrange.
You can choose to stay for additional time in Florence, take the train to Rome for a flight back home, or book optional, additional 2-day trips to Venice, or Rome to extend your time in Italy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You may be wondering…
That’s a big YES! These tours are specifically designed to be welcoming and fun for women travelling on their own to make new friends.
We’ll host several online meet and greet happy hours ahead of the trip where we’ll get to know each other and Julie will help coordinate a roommate for you for a shared room.
Nope! Just a $500 deposit to secure your spot and then payments are spread out over the months leading up to the trip.
Your trip includes:
- 8 nights of 4-star hotels
- 7 full days of excursions and tours
- Transportation between Florence and all the Tuscan towns and locations
- Wine tastings
- Cooking classes
- Truffle Hunt Experience
- Thermal bath and spa visits
- Yoga
- Olive oil tasting
- Cheese tastings
- Most meals
I designed this trip to be as “all-inclusive” as possible so you can plan your travel budget way ahead of time. Here are a few things that aren’t included:
➡ 1 or 2 meals on your own so you have free time to explore the cities of Florence and Siena but you’ll also get lots of recommendations for any budget (meals in Italy are much less expensive than in the US too!)
➡ Your flight to Italy and getting to Florence to join the group. (And don’t worry – I help you figure those logistics out.) Tip! Many women use travel points from their credit cards to book their flight and if you put the trip itself on your card you can get close to a free flight! Chase Sapphire has incredible travel bonuses.
➡ Inexpensive international medical insurance and if you like cancellation insurance. I’ll help you arrange that too.
➡ Optional massages or bonus activities like climbing the Duomo (not everyone is up for all the steps)
➡ Meals include house wine and we also have several wine tastings and cocktails on the trip. But if you’d like to purchase additional for yourself you can! Just like the food, wine in Italy is a lot less expensive than in the US.
We’ll be sending you additional information soon where you can specify a roommate if you sign up for this trip with someone. We’ll also be having online happy hour meet and greets before the trip so we can get to know each other and Julie can help guide you to a wonderful roomie match.
Yes! Italy is one of the most food friendly countries, particularly with gluten intolerances. You’ll be able to specify your specific dietary needs after signing up for the trip so Julie can make sure you’ll have delicious options throughout the tour.
Most major airports fly direct to Rome. From there it’s an easy $40 train ride to Florence. Julie will send all the details after you sign up for the trip and help coordinate your travels to link you up with fellow travelers. You can also opt to arrive to Italy early to spend a few days in Rome ahead of our tour and to adjust to the time difference. Or you can opt to arrive in Florence a day or two ahead of our tour. Julie can assist with those details.
Yes! If you’d like to stay in Italy a little longer while there, Julie will make a 2 day Rome or Venice package available for you to sign up for and can advise on trains too.
No problem! I’ll set you up a way to get inexpensive travel cancellation insurance so you can get your $ back at any time, for any reason.
Definitely! After you sign up for the trip I’ll be there to help you with the travel logistics. Most major airports fly direct to Rome and from there it’s an easy $40 train ride to Florence. I can even link you up with fellow women on the trip to travel with.
Yes! If you’d like to stay in Italy a little longer you can add on pre-booked time in Rome or Venice and you can even arrive to Florence early to stay at the same hotel.
Have More Questions?
I’m here to help! Put your information below so I can get in touch to answer them ASAP.
