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
May 27 – June 4, 2023 – group is full
We're all about celebrating life, new-found friends, and women supporting women.
JOIN ME FOR THE
Women’s Tuscany Tour of Your Dreams!
May 27 – June 4, 2023 – FULL GROUP
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.
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
- Picnics
- Thermal bath and spa visits
- Yoga
- Olive oil tasting
- Cheese tastings
- Most meals
- 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
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 $850.
LOCK IN 2022 PRICING!!!
$5,495 PER PERSON
if you book for October 2023 by January 1st
Pay $500 now to secure your spot
50% balance ($2,500) due by March 1, 2023
Remaining balance ($2,495) due by July 1, 2023
Can’t make it on this trip but want to stay in the know?
Meet Your Tuscany Travel Guide
Julie Hartigan
Julie Hartigan is an NYC-based Chef, Wellness, Mindfulness Coach, 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.
Any questions?
We’ve got answers. Click on the button below to view our most frequently asked questions and ask any specific questions you have yourself.
Daily Breakdown
Note: Itinerary and details are subject to change due to unforeseen closures or weather.
SATURDAY, MAY 27
Arrive in Florence by Saturday Afternoon 5/27
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.
SATURDAY, MAY 27
Pre-Tour Welcome Dinner
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, MAY 28
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 enjoy a group float down the Arno River at sunset with aperitivos in hand, discover an “only in Florence” Wine Window, and end our day with a fabulous 3-course wine-tasting dinner in a beloved local ristorante.
DAY 2 – MONDAY, MAY 29
Taste the Magic of Florence
Today we’ll shop and taste like the locals with a private Street Food Tasting tour of the historic Sant’Ambrogio Market – built in 1873 and the oldest central market in Florence! Later we’ll enjoy shopping, spa time, and if you like a climb the Duomo for a close up peek at frescoes. 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, MAY 30
Taste the Tuscan Countryside
Today we’ll leave Florence to start our time in the Tuscan countryside. First stop! A working olive oil farm and the beautiful town of Greve in Chianti for an exclusive, ultra modern Olive Oil tasting with a family run producer making 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, MAY 31
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 enjoy a private cooking and pasta making class for lunch and later do a walking tour with a local woman who’s part 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, JUNE 1
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) for relaxing outdoor yoga, a cheese-making tour and tasting, and a light farm-to-table lunch. Next, we’ll visit Volterra, a stunning under-the-radar walled town on a mountaintop that dates back to the 8th century BC Etruscan times. Famous for its alabaster and local crafts, we’ll enjoy a private walking tour with a woman who was born and raised in Volterra, step inside a historic palace still inhabited by the same family since the 15th century, and stop at a local wine bar! After a scenic dinner, we’ll return to our hotel.
DAY 6 – FRIDAY, JUNE 2
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, JUNE 3
A Final Celebration
This morning we’ll stretch our legs and take in the fresh air with a beautiful soft hike through the tiny, well-preserved Medieval village of Monticchiello and the Val d’Orcia countryside followed by a picnic lunch with a view. Afterwards we’ll enjoy the pool and park-like property at our hotel or a stroll through 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, JUNE 4
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!
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…
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
- Picnics
- Thermal bath and spa visits
- Yoga
- Olive oil tasting
- Cheese tastings
- Most meals
- 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
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.
Have More Questions?
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