Italy: Tuscany a la Carte

Throughout Tuscany pastoral scenery and centuries of history come together in a blend of sculpted
landscape, medieval masterpieces, and perfectly paired food and wine. Its natural bounty and cultural
wealth are captured in a walking itinerary enhanced with in-depth explorations of artistic, culinary, and
artisanal traditions. This Walking à la Carte tour includes a world of options—additional cultural and
regional opportunities—along with plenty of walking. The choice is always yours.
    Our first steps follow the Arno River, where you discover the true Florence in the neighborhoods
surrounding the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, to the panoramic city view from San Miniato al Monte.  The route leads to the towered town of San Gimignano in the heart of fertile Tuscan countryside, replete with Etruscan and Roman ruins and source of Vernaccia wines. A short drive away is Siena, where a full day immerses you in its Palio horse race traditions and invaluable Gothic art and architecture. Your second home base of Radda in Chianti is, as its name implies, ensconced amidst vineyards of Chianti wine, country estates, and working farms.
    Selected to immerse you in the relaxed pace of Tuscan life, hotels are ideally located in San Gimignano’s pedestrian center and at the edge of town and country in Radda, where poolside views overlook rows of vines, and shops and boutiques are a short walk away. The serious business of eating and drinking is a crucial part of local life; therefore mealtimes and tastings are celebrations of carefully tended products in every setting—vine-covered farmhouses, an olive-oil mill, or a restored 11th-century monastery.