Go shopping in the vibrant local market with a friendly host, and learn how to recognize the best produce of Italy. After you buy some fresh ingredients, you'll head straight to your host's home for an immersive cooking session. Learn how to prepare three of the most authentic local recipes and taste the fruit of your labor accompanied by a selection of local wines. You will have a workstation equipped with utensils and all the ingredients required to make the dishes. Experience the warmth of Italian hospitality and return home with something more than just souvenirs — classic Italian cooking knowledge that will stay with you for life.

Umbria is the hometown of famous saints St. Francis (the patron saint of Italy and founder of the Franciscan order), St. Clare (the founder of the order of St. Clare), and the equally famous St. Rita of Cascia. Born in Roccaporena in 1381, St. Rita was one of the most popular saints of the Catholic Church, with her related symbols being roses and figs. The Basilica was built in 1937 and consecrated in 1947, and the monastery where she lived for forty years was rebuilt in the 18th Century and houses the nuns of the Augustinian community. In between your exploring of the history of Umbria, you will have free time for lunch in a typical restaurant, and you may also choose to utilize this time off for personal prayer. Your trip then continues to Spoleto, a gorgeous Middle Ages uphill town in which you will discover Etruscan and Roman Age buildings such as a theater and the amphitheater which are located in the upper village. The Rocca Albornoziana houses 6 towers, a number of beautiful frescoes and the National Museum. The 14th century Ponte delle Torri, or "Bridge of Towers", is built on the remains of a Roman aqueduct, and stretches across a gorge towards the Rocca. At the conclusion of your day, you will be returned to Rome at approximately 7:00PM.

Picnic in the vineyards of a family farm and wine producer, located just 875 yards (800 meters) from the Basilica of Saint Francis, one of the most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy. The Mencarelli family has been producing fine wines and extra virgin olive oil for decades, and on this 2.5 hour lunch tour you will walk through their deep green vineyards, and learn about the wonderful world of Umbrian wines. A guided wine tasting of 5 wines makes you know the production. All around will be blue sky, ripe grapes, dusky olive groves, and centuries-old oak trees. Armed with a complimentary map, stop at information boards to learn more about wine and viticulture. Then, under the veranda of the vineyards, a picnic basket will be waiting just for you! Enjoy a glass of SAIO Assisi wine and sample typical Perugia bread, with extra virgin olive oil, pecorino cheese, cured meats from the Subasio Mountains, traditional Umbria Torta al Testo (a salty cheese bread), and Umbrian cookies. All wine glasses, place mats, plates and cutlery will be provided.

During this private lesson, you will learn how to prepare 2 pasta recipes and the tiramisu dessert from scratch. Your Cesarina will reveal the tricks of the trade of these iconic recipes. Have fun putting your cooking skills to the test and amaze your friends and family once home with an Italian meal! This experience is suitable for families with children of all ages.

Tour the holy shrines of Assisi on this full-day tour of Umbria, with pick-ups from Foligno, Spoleto, Todi, Perugia, and Gubbio. Explore the birthplace of St. Francis and learn more about Italy’s famous patron saint. Admire Roman ruins integrated into medieval houses, they're still lived in by locals! Among the historic monuments of St. Francis you will visit is the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where he first renounced the world to live in poverty. Go to the Convent of San Damiano to learn about Saint Claire, founder of the Order of Poor Ladies, and visit the Eremo delle Carceri (Carceri Hermitage) in the forest gorge above Assisi, where St. Francis came to pray. After lunch, drive to the walled town of Spello on the slopes of Mount Subasio, with commanding views of the Umbrian plains, groves of olives, and vineyards. There will be the chance to taste wines and olive oils during your tour, and if it’s a market day you can see the thriving trade of these ancient products still carried on to this day. You will also stop at the tiny hamlet of Collepino, perched in the forests between Assisi and Spello, it's a former settlement of shepherds and woodcutters.

Set off on a relaxing ride through the Umbrian countryside of medieval villages, fortified castles, and peaceful fields. Indulge in a traditional lunch with wine tasting at the end of your tour. Start from the hamlet of Torre del Colle and descend to the walled Roman town of Bevagna. Ride along the cobbled streets that trace the ancient amphitheater and then out into the Valle Umbra. Next, enjoy a ride through the lush, mostly flat fields all the way to a family-run organic winery. Climb a 300-meter (1,000-foot) hill to be rewarded with a wine tasting and homemade lunch at the winery before heading back to the starting point.

Try food shopping at a local market and traditional food shop along with your expert host. See the amazing produce and get inspired about the ingredients you’d love to experiment with. After choosing your ingredients, head back at your host's home in order to create and name two of your very own recipes. Using the 3-5 staple ingredients that captured your imagination, immerse yourself in a private cooking class. With expert guidance, you will learn how to prepare your chosen ingredients and make two of your own Italian creations.   Cultivate your creativity and confidence in the kitchen by adding an Italian flair to your dishes. Then, taste everything you have prepared accompanied by a selection of red and white local wines.

After meeting your guide at 10:30 AM, you will visit the Basilica of Saint Francis, which is world-famous for its 13th-14th century frescoes by the best painters of Italy at that time. Among those, the most famous is Giotto. From there, you will head to the main city square, Piazza del Comune. At the square, you will see one of the best-preserved Roman temples in Italy — Minerva's temple — which is surrounded by imposing medieval government buildings.  You will then head down to the old Roman ruins of the local amphitheater, which was reused in the Middle Ages as a quarry for stones to build local houses. You will see how the amphitheater was turned into a private neighborhood. From there, the view toward the Rocca Maggiore medieval castle is one of the best in the city. Through narrow alleys and medieval squares you will reach Saint Rufino’s Cathedral and Saint Claire's Basilica.  After free time for lunch, in the afternoon you will explore Sanctuaries and Franciscan Sites outside Assisi by driver and guide.  Your tour will start with the visit of Eremo Delle Carceri. “Carceri” is a metaphoric name given to this place which is nowadays an impressive old Franciscan friary built in the 15th C. on the mountain slopes. It incorporates the grottoes that were used by Saint Francis as a retreat. From there, you will also enjoy one of the most stunning views over the Umbrian Valley below.  After the hermitage you will be taken to the sanctuary of Saint Damiano, which is the place of Saint Francis' vocation. It is here, that the vision of the crucifix advising Francis to fix his church is said to have taken place. It was the starting point of Francis' new experience as a friar in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.  The last part of your tour will take you to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, which protects the tiny Porziuncola under its gigantic dome. This is the very small chapel where Francis and his first companions founded the Franciscan community, and also the place where Saint Francis passed away. 

Escape the hustle and bustle of Rome for the day on a full-day tour of Umbria, one of the most picturesque regions of Italy. Rich in vineyards, olive trees, and hill-top villages, the most famous site in the region is the UNESCO World Heritage town of Assisi. Upon arrival at this mystical place, learn about Saint Francis as you wander within the ancient walls. Built on the green slopes of Mount Subasio, the colorful houses of ink stone. narrow streets, flower decked balconies, and noble palaces provide beautiful views. A highlight of your time in Assisi will be a visit to the Basilica of St. Francis to see Renaissance masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue. After lunch, continue to Orvieto to admire the magnificence of its cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture with a glistening façade of stained glass, mosaics, and sculptures. Soak up Orvieto’s charms, and marvel at the countless churches scattered around its historic center. Transfer back to Rome for a hotel drop off in the early evening.

Join this cooking class to learn secrets about the famous local recipes, cooking exclusively with organic and seasonal products such as vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, local fine wines and much more. A famous Italian quote says that “a small barrel contains the best wine”. There is no better way to describe Umbria, a region in central Italy, rich with history, culture, and ancient beliefs. It also has some of the best medieval borghi, small towns or villages, still preserved as they originally were, Assisi, Perugia, Gubbio, Spoleto, and Orvieto, to name a few. During your hands-on cooking class, you will learn to prepare special and unique recipes that evoke the ancient flavors of traditional Italian cuisine. You will prepare, with the assistance of a professional local chef, famous and delicious recipes such as tagliatelle, a handmade pasta, and other famous Umbrian dishes. These recipes will surely impress your friends when you host your next Italian dinner party once you are back home. Only the finest local wines will be tasted during the classes, adding value to the fun and relaxed atmosphere. Don't miss this special and memorable day.