These optional experiences are the difference between a good trip and the trip of a lifetime. Carmela has personally chosen each one — they are extraordinary moments that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. Book early, as spaces are limited.
Optional Experiences are booked on tour — simply speak to Carmela when you board the coach. Prices are in euros, per person. Payment by card or cash. We strongly recommend booking on Day 1 to guarantee your place, as these experiences fill up fast.
Visit beautiful Cortona, one of the oldest hilltowns in Tuscany and the setting of Francis Mayes' beloved memoir Under the Tuscan Sun. A scenic panoramic drive with our Local Expert takes you to a recently-unearthed Etruscan Temple and to see Ms Mayes' actual creative hideaway, the famous Casa Bramasole. Then a leisurely walk through the historic centre with breathtaking views over Lake Trasimeno and the Val di Chiana.
You've read the book or seen the film — now stand inside the story. Cortona is one of those places that makes you understand why people leave everything behind to live in Italy. Don't pass it by.
Escape to one of Umbria's most enchanting secrets — Spello, a perfectly preserved hillside town still wrapped in its ancient Roman walls. Accompanied by a Local Expert, you'll ascend through ancient arches and cobbled lanes where every house cascades with hanging terracotta pots bursting in colour, and churches sanctify almost every street corner. This is Italy as it has been for a thousand years, completely off the tourist trail.
At just €31, this is the best-value experience on the entire tour. Spello doesn't appear in most guidebooks — yet it is more beautiful than almost anything you'll see in Italy. This is the local secret Carmela wants you to discover.
Step inside one of Tuscany's most captivating walled cities with a Local Expert who will bring it all to life. Enclosed within beautifully preserved 16th-century Renaissance walls, Lucca invites you to slow down and lose yourself in hidden piazzas, artisan boutiques and tree-lined promenades. A leisurely walk through the medieval centre leads to the magnificent Piazza dell'Anfiteatro — built directly on the foundations of a Roman amphitheatre. Free time follows to savour a local treat at your own pace.
Lucca is the Tuscany that tourists haven't yet found — a city so perfectly preserved it almost feels staged, except it's entirely real and entirely lived-in. If you love Italy, you'll love Lucca. The guided walk alone is worth every cent.
An evening that captures the soul of Tuscany at the table. Journey into the countryside to a welcoming local restaurant where the chef prepares regional dishes using freshly sourced ingredients straight from the local farmer's market. Each course — from hand-rolled pasta to slow-braised meats — brings Tuscany's extraordinary culinary heritage vividly to life in an authentic, intimate and utterly beautiful setting. Wine flows. Conversation flows. This is Italy at its most generous.
This is not a tourist restaurant. This is where Tuscans eat. Carmela has chosen this venue because it delivers a genuinely local experience — the kind of meal you will still be talking about years from now. Do not miss this.
End the tour the only way it deserves to end — with a Roman feast. Gather with your travel companions for an unforgettable evening of authentic Roman cuisine, delicious drinks and that unmistakable Italian warmth that makes a dinner table feel like the centre of the universe. Wood-fired pizzas, handmade antipasti, poured wine and an atmosphere that pulls you straight to the heart of the Eternal City. This is your last night in Italy — celebrate it properly.
The final evening of any trip is the one you remember longest. This is the moment when everyone at the table thinks: "How lucky are we?" Don't spend it alone in a hotel room. Come and celebrate this extraordinary journey together.
These optional experiences are Carmela's personal recommendations. She knows every one intimately and will be delighted to help you choose. Book early — places are limited and they fill up fast.