Fall in Umbria & Hidden Venice

Highlights of our Fall in Umbria & Hidden Venice tour:

Three nights in a wonderful family-run hotel near St. Mark’s square
Tour Venice’s historic Jewish Ghetto
Evening cicchetti (Venetian tapas) dinner at our favorite local haunt
Visit lagoon islands on a traditional Venetian fishing boat

LENGTH

11 days/10 nights

HIGHLIGHTS

Venice boat trips, a Florence mini tour, and foraging and cooking in the country

DATES

Nov. 2-12, 2024
Nov. 1-11, 2025

TRIP SIZE

Up to 10 guests

Enjoy a Venice less traveled, and Umbria’s bountiful autumn

SALE: $6099 (Regularly $6,399)

Per person, based on double occupancy
10 spaces remaining
Single supplement available

It never gets too crowded here in Allerona, but Venice is another story! That’s why we added this off-season pre-Allerona extension, which takes in La Serenissima after at least some of the crowds have gone home. This 11-day, 10-night tour starts in Venice with an itinerary that’s great for first-timers or Venice veterans alike, then follows with our Immersive Umbria experience — a study in contrasts, for sure!

Day 1: Welcome to the 'Lagoon City'

Our tour convenes late morning in the lobby of our hotel. If you’re flying into Venice’s Marco Polo Airport on the first morning of the tour, a driver will meet you there for a group water taxi transfer to the dock closest to our hotel. If you’re already in Italy, you can arrive by train to Venice’s Santa Lucia Station and we’ll arrange a water taxi. If you’re already in Venice, make your way to the hotel.

We’ll drop our bags (if early check-in is not possible) and head right to lunch at a casual, locally owned restaurant.
After lunch, we’ll take a 2-hour Venice orientation tour that includes entry to Basilica San Marco. You’ll also have some free time to rest up from your flight or explore Venice on your own.
This evening, we’ll meet for a light dinner — or is it a heavy snack? — of authentic Venetian cicchetti, or tapas.
Afterwards, you can wander on your own, find more cicchetti, grab a gelato, and marvel at Venice’s nighttime glow.

Accommodations: Novecento Boutique Hotel or similar
Meals: Welcome lunch, dinner

Day 2: The Jewish Ghetto & Artisans of Venice

Today, we’ll take an intimate look at a lesser-known aspect of Venice’s history — that of its Jewish community — and visit local artisans.

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll meet our guide and take a less tourist-trod path to the Venetian Ghetto, the historic Jewish district, for a tour that includes a sampling of kosher Venetian specialties.
We’ll enjoy a canalside lunch in Cannaregio, one of Venice’s more “lived-in” districts.
After lunch, we’ll visit an artisan’s bottega. Based on the group’s interest, this may be a leather maker, a gold leaf artisan, a mosaic artist or a gondola-maker’s studio.
Late afternoon and evening are yours to wander and explore.

Accommodations: Novecento Boutique Hotel or similar
Meals: Welcome lunch, dinner

Day 3: The Lagoon Islands

On this day of adventure, we’ll head to the northern reaches of the Venetian Lagoon, learn about the origins of Venice and meet some of the people working to protect the lagoon’s fragile ecosystem.

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll travel by private water taxi to Burano, the technicolored island of fishermen and lacemakers, where we’ll get a private tour of the island.
From Burano, we’ll cross over to Torcello, traditionally regarded as the original settlement of the Venetians. After a tour of this small, sparsely populated area, we’ll have lunch at one of the few restaurants on the island.
After lunch, we’ll meet a local crabber and fisherman who will take us on a tour of the pristine outer reaches of the lagoon on a traditional bragozzo fishing boat.
After a late afternoon return to Venice, your last dinner in Venice is on your own.

Accommodations: Novecento Boutique Hotel or similar
Meals: Welcome lunch, dinner

Day 4: Goodbye, Venice, & Hello, Allerona

Today we’ll radically switch gears — from the watery cityscapes and touristy buzz of Venice to the hillscapes and quiet lanes of Allerona — with a quick peak at Florence along the way.

After early breakfast at the hotel, we’ll take a water taxi to Santa Lucia Station, from where we’ll travel first class on the fast train to Florence’s Santa Maria Novella Station.
Our private van driver will meet us at the station to collect our luggage while we do a down-and-dirty 2-hour walking tour of Florence — hardly enough to do justice to this marvelous city, but we hate the idea of just passing through and not stopping to look around!
After lunch at a rustic Florentine trattoria, we’ll meet our driver and drive about 2 hours to Allerona.
Check into your rooms and find a snack waiting, and have a few hours to rest and chill. This is your home for the rest of your stay!
We’ll take an early evening tour of Allerona, where you’ll learn about the history of the village and some of its special places and hidden corners.
We’ll enjoy a welcome aperitivo and dinner in a private cantina.

Accommodations: A private room in a comfortable guesthouse in Allerona
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: Orvieto

On this full day, we’ll get to know Orvieto, the beautiful medieval city with Etruscan roots and a magnificent 14th-century cathedral. On the 20-minute ride to Orvieto, we’ll explain a little of the city’s history (and maybe a little about how Liz and Paolo met here!).

We’ll meet our guide for a tour of Orvieto’s centro storico (historic center) followed by a visit to the Duomo.
Lunch at our favorite trattoria in Orvieto
After lunch, we’ll visit one of Orvieto’s many underground caves, carved out over the millennia for storage, shelter and raw materials, and do a ceramics workshop.
Return to Allerona for the evening and dinner at our lovely fine-dining restaurant

Accommodations: A private room in a comfortable guesthouse in Allerona
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Olive Picking & Village Life

We’ll stay close to home and get a taste of rural life and traditional Umbrian cooking, family style:

If the olive gods shine on us, we’ll get an early start to olive picking. If it’s too late in the season for olives, we’ll sub this with mushroom hunting or some other outdoor activity, weather permitting.
Bring your appetites to a private lunch, prepared and hosted by Paolo’s mom, Franca, and sister, AnnaRita. Friends who’ve visited us recall “lunch with Franca” as the highlight of their stay.
Free time after lunch to rest and relax.
Tour of a village palace, the ancestral home of a local family, followed by tasting of local olive oil, wine and other products, including a bruschetta-making lesson.

Accommodations: A private room in a comfortable guesthouse in Allerona
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, light dinner

Day 7: A Little Bit of Lazio

We’ll dip into Lazio, one of the region’s bordering Umbria, and visit one of the area’s most enigmatic sights.

Civita di Bagnoregio, la città che muore, or the dying city, sits on a dramatic tufa plateau just a short distance from Orvieto. We’ll walk across the long bridge — the only way to access the nearly-deserted town — and spend some time exploring and taking photos.
We’ll have lunch at Civita, then stop for a fantastic photo op of Orvieto.
On the way back to Allerona, we’ll stop for a wine tasting at a cantina with cellars built by the Etruscans.
This evening, those who still have some energy and appetite can join us at the bar just outside of town for drinks and snacks (walking, or transport provided).

Accommodations: A private room in a comfortable guesthouse in Allerona
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, light dinner

Day 8: Cooking with Franca

Sleep in, or take a morning walk along the strada bianca, the gravel road that runs through the countryside. Liz will provide directions and maybe give you a dog to walk!

Mid-morning, we’ll head to Franca’s kitchen for a cooking lesson. Handmade pasta and roast chicken are on the menu.
At lunch, we’ll dine on the delicious food we prepared earlier, followed by a grappa tasting.
Your afternoon is free to rest and digest.
In the evening, we’ll provide snacks, or you can dine on your own at our restaurant in town.

Accommodations: A private room in a comfortable guesthouse in Allerona
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, evening snack

Day 9: Tuscany & the Umbrian Bosco

Weather permitting, we’ll spend most of the day outdoors, learning about the ancient Etruscans, thermal baths and foraged foods.

This morning we’ll head up to Parco di Villalba and meet our friend Adio for coffee, followed by a ~2-hour nature hike, where he’ll offer an informal lesson on edible wild plants and herbs.
We’ll end our walk at the cozy, wooded Hosteria di Villalba, for a lunch of traditional Umbrian specialties and local wine.
From there, we’ll head to San Casciano dei Bagni and get a tour of the major Etruscan and Roman archaeological site that’s recently come to light there. Then it’s off to a luxury thermal spa for a swim, in pools where water bubbles from underground at a constant 104F.
This evening, it’s pizza party time!

Accommodations: A private room in a comfortable guesthouse in Allerona
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10: Orvieto & Fond Farewells

On our last day in Umbria, you’ll have time to shop for souvenirs in Orvieto and make one of your own.

We’ll start with a handmade marbleized papermaking session with our friend Lamberto.
Lunch and the afternoon in Orvieto are on your own.
Late afternoon, we’ll meet at Piazza Cahen and take the funicular — a one-of-a-kind experience — down to our waiting van.
This evening, we’ll enjoy a festive cookout and say arrivederci to Allerona.

Accommodations: A private room in a comfortable guesthouse in Allerona
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 11: Goodbyes & Transfers

We’ll say our farewells and, depending on your onward schedule, we’ll get you transferred to Rome airport or Orvieto train station.

Meals: Breakfast

INCLUDED:

Water taxi transfer from Venice airport or train station to hotel
First class, high-speed train from Venice to Florence, with van transfer to Allerona
10 nights accommodation with breakfast, including 3 nights in a central Venice hotel
Mini-tour and lunch in Florence
Almost all meals and wine, except where indicated
Ample snacks on the nights we don’t do dinner
Local transportation via minibus with driver
Private dinners and tastings and a cooking lesson
Private tours

EXCLUDED:

Airfare or train fare to or within Italy (other than train from Venice)
Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
Tips for drivers and guides
Optional meals and drinks not included in the tour itinerary
Souvenirs and incidentals