Tour notes

What makes this tour a unique experience?

• You’ll start every morning with a guided mindful yoga class surrounding by a beautiful countryside landscape
• You’ll taste a supreme quality local wine.
• You’ll learn the secrets of local culinary tradition in a fun cooking class – vegetarian and vegan friendly.
• You’ll indulge in a supreme-quality accommodation surrounded by vineyards – the ultimate relaxation!
• On this tour the transfer from/to Florence airport is included (possible also from/to Pisa airport at an additional cost).
• On this tour we’ll be staying in top-quality agriturismo (family-run former country homes that have been turned into charming and elegant guesthouses).

All of our LocalWonders Travel tours include a passionate expert local leader who will become your “local friend”, opening up for you the most authentic side of Italy. Our local leaders are professional and knowledgeable and take pride in providing hassle-free experiences for our guests.

Is this the tour I want?
Though the main activities on this adventure involve food, wine, and yoga, there will be also and exciting easy bike ride. Travelers with limited mobility should also note that, as is common throughout Italy, there may be some stairs to climb.
Single travelers will stay in an ensuite twin room shared with a fellow traveler of the same sex. However, if you’d prefer a single room to enjoy during your trip, you can do so by purchasing a Single Supplement— your own room, your own way.
Our expert local professionals aim to provide an informal, friendly style while upholding our professional and high-quality standards. If an authentic but top-quality experience is what you’re after, you’re in safe hands with us.

Joining point

Airport or train station in Florence. Should you arrive at Pisa airport we can arrange a pick with a private car with driver at an additional cost.

Finishing Point

Airport or train station in Florence. Should you departs from Pisa airport we can arrange a transfer with a private car with driver at an additional cost.

Note on Taxi

Taxis in Italy are generally white cars with the word TAXI written on the top. At airports and train stations, they are parked at Taxi Stations right outside the building. For your own safety, do not take unauthorized “taxis”.

Cancellation Policy

Carefully read the cancellation policy in section 11 of the Terms&Conditions before booking.

Accommodation and Single Supplement

Accommodations on our tours include a double or twin room with en-suite bathroom for our guests. Single travellers are matched with a fellow traveller of the same sex to share a room. If you’d prefer a single room to enjoy during your tour, you can purchase a “single supplement” (your own room) for 195 euros.

Note: We do our best to book your single room in the same hotel as the rest of our group; however, on the rare occasion that space is not available at that hotel, you will be booked into a different hotel of the same or higher class located within walking distance from where we’re staying.

Occasional alternative accommodation: on rare occasions, it might happen that we have to make a change to the hotel reservation or split the group between two different hotels. Please be assured that in all cases we book in replacement rooms at hotels of the same or higher caliber. Those new hotels will adhere to the same strict quality criteria we always use.

Daily City Tax: depending on the hotel and the city, sometimes there’s a city tax added to a room charge (between 1 and 10 Euros per person per night). Our tour costs include this City Tax – no additional charge

Extra Nights: should you wish to add extra nights to your stay here in Italy, either before your LocalWonders tour begins or after your tour has ended, we can help to make those arrangements. Simply select “additional accommodation” when filling in your Booking Form and we’ll be in touch to finalize the details.

Travel Insurance

We want our guests to have a truly care-free experience on our tours, and safety and comfort are our main focus. In that sentiment, travel insurance is compulsory for all our tours and we require our guests to have travel insurance medical and repatriation coverage with a liability limit greater than 200,000€ (or corresponding currency in your country of origin).
Further, while not compulsory, we also highly recommend that our guests’ insurance also covers cancellation, damages against third parties, property and people, as well as damages stemming from any trip-related events (loss of luggage and personal effects, theft, physical harm or delay).

Need help? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the LocalWonders team at any time. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about our insurance policy and, while we don’t sell insurance, we can suggest a variety of good travel insurance providers should you need.

Passport and Visa

Non European Union citizens are required to bring along a passport with an at least 6-month validity from the date of entry in Italy and – depending on nationality – travel visas. For  more information on visas, please check on the following link of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you’re not sure about the documentation that you’ll need for your trip, we highly recommend contacting the Italian Embassy or Consular Offices nearest to you for further information. LocalWonders Travel tour participants are responsible for having required travel documentation (see Section 17 of our  Terms&Conditions). LocalWonders Travel cannot assist you in getting the passport or visa required to travel to Italy.

Though in other countries might be different, in Italy for safety reason, at your arrival at the hotel, your passport will be required by the receptionist for the check-in and the registration procedure.

Professional Liability Insurance

LocalWonders Travel carries Professional Liability Insurance as well as Tour Operator’s Insolvency Insurance (required by European law). For more information see our Terms & Conditions.
None of these cover cancellation or passenger’s medical and repatriation insurance.

Transport Means

On this tour we will travel by private transfer with a driver, because the places we will visit are not connected by public means.

Health Conditions

Please read the itinerary and tour notes carefully to see whether or not this tour is right for you. Though no specific training is required for this tour, all of our guests need to be in good physical health. In order to ensure the safety of all of our guests, those with certain medical conditions or limitations might not be able to join parts of our tour.
As concerns vaccinations, please contact your personal doctor.

Cultural Heritage and Stairs

In a country like Italy of such rich heritage, there are many amazing buildings and structures to explore. To do so, there is some stair-climbing involved.

Conduct Guidelines

When moving as a group and – especially – when traveling by train, timeliness is extremely important. In order to ensure that all of our guests are able to enjoy each of the activities planned for this tour, we ask that everyone makes sure to be on time. Should one of our group members be late on the day of departure from the hotel and therefore expose the group to risk of missing the train or the transfer, the tour leader and the rest of the group will go ahead without them. (Of course, that group member will be encouraged to join us again later but will have to cover any associated expenses.)

The following activities and behaviours are strictly forbidden during our tours:

• Use or possession of illegal substances or drugs (including marijuana)
• Exploitation of prostitution
• Any form of discrimination or verbal and physical violence towards anyone, including other group members, the tour leader, and hotel personnel

Failure to follow these rules shall lead to direct dismissal from the tour with no right to any refund whatsoever.

Tour Leader/Director

A professional LocalWonders Travel tour leader/director will accompany you on your trip. The tour director will plan trip details and logistics taking all of the hassle and worry out of organizing travel (from trains, tickets, restaurant recommendations, reservations and tips for how to make the most of your free time). Your tour director will be your trusted point of reference throughout the entire trip, making sure that everything goes smoothly.
The tour director will provide authenticity and fun introducing you to the authentic side of Italy, providing interesting (and entertaining) information about the places you are visiting and showing you the best spots, usually only discovered by the locals (including favourite local restaurants).

During “free time”, the tour director is not compelled to join the group; however he will always be available in case of need.

Note:  In Europe there is a difference between TOUR DIRECTOR and TOUR GUIDE. If you’re looking for an in-depth introduction to Italy history or art (like a guided museum visit, city tour, or similar), your tour director will be happy to help you to find a skilled and certified tour guide.

Safety

Italy is a very safe country, so long as common sense is used. In busy places like train, bus and metro stations pick-pocketing may be an issue, but following some simple rules will help to ensure you don’t lose your valuables:

• Never leave your belongings unattended
• Keep your documents and money in a neck wallet or money belt
• Keep your purse or daily pack in front of you when traveling by train and bus
• Do not accept help with your luggage by anyone not wearing a uniform

Luggage Tips

We don’t have baggage restriction and on this and tour we will travel by private transfer with a driver. Our guests comfortably use a variety of luggage types, including backpacks, suitcases, duffle bags and trolleys.

Do not forget:
– Travel documents: passport, visa (if required), travel insurance, tour notes
– Photocopy of main passport pages, visa and travel insurance
– Money belt
– Personal medications/prescriptions and a small travel first aid kit
– Comfortable and good walking shoes (better if with non-slip soles)
– Small day-pack for daily excursions
– Electrical adapter plug (see below for electrical outlets information)
– Sunscreen (summers can be very hot, even more than 30° C)
– Swimsuit
– Sunhat and Sunglasses
– A shawl (in churches exposed shoulders and arms are not permitted)
– Clothes and personal effects as you prefer (evening attire not required on our evenings out)
– Attire in case of rain and wind (i.e. a folded and lightweight poncho with a hood)
– A lightweight sweater in case of chilly evenings
– A warm sweater and a jacket if travelling from late October to April

General Useful Information

Electrical Outlets: in Italy electrical current is 220-230 volts at 50 hertz. Italy uses a round, 2-prong plug, type C or F.
Italy Country Code for international calls: the country code for Italy is 39. When calling Italy from abroad dial +39 followed by the area code and the phone number you desire to call. Alternatively, you can replace the + with the National Exit Code of the country from where you are calling.

Weather

Italy’s climate varies based on season and location. Italy has got hot summers and cold winters, with the southern areas of the country experiencing milder winters and hotter summers. Italy has got four seasons, winter (21 December – 20 March), spring (21 March – 20 June), summer (21 June-20 September) and autumn (21 September – 20 December). Winter is generally cold and rainy (average temperature in the northern areas 0-6°C and 10-14 °C in the southern areas), spring and autumn are mild and dry (average temperature in the northern areas 13-20°C and  15-20°C in the southern areas) and summer is hot and generally without rain (average temperature in the northern areas 20-23°C and  22-27°C in the southern areas). For more information check The Climate in Italy.

Currency and Budget

The Euro is the official currency in Italy. There will be ATMs in almost all the places we visit.
Your tour with LocalWonders Travel includes transportation and activities as per itinerary, several meals, and accommodation. It does not include tips/gratuities, additional meals, attractions, or personal expenses. For the meals not included on this tour, we suggest budgeting a daily amount, and while that will vary for everyone, 30-40 euros per day is considered a reasonable amount.

Tipping Guideline

Should you wish to tip for excellent and professional service, you should feel welcome (though not required).Tips are not compulsory in Italy (as they are in other parts of the world) though they are becoming more common and they can be significant for the people who have taken care of you during the tour. Here are a few guidelines:

Tour director: 4-6 euros per person per day

Local guides: 1-3 euros per person

Restaurant 1-2 euros per person (or 10% of the service in case of high class restaurant)

Hotel porters (if present) 1-2 euros per person

Please feel free to tip higher, lower or not tip at all depending on your judgement on the service and what you deem right.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival day
Benvenuti in Italia! Welcome to Italy! Our driver will meet you at Florence airport to take you to your beautiful relais immerse in the Tuscan countryside. Your tour starts at 6:00 pm with a Welcome Meeting where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travelers. (Upon arrival at the hotel you’ll find a note telling you where this welcome meeting will take place.) Following the meeting, you’ll enjoy a typical Tuscan dinner.

What’s included

– Transfer on a private car with driver from Florence airport to your accommodation

– Meal: dinner

– Daily city Tax

Accommodation: Relais Villa Olmo or similar

Day 2: Mindful yoga and bike ride
Say good morning to the sun and to the beautiful nature around you, joining your morning yoga class. You will have some time at your leisure for breakfast, then you will hop on a bike and follow your tour leader for a scenic bike ride in the Tuscan countryside. Here, the hills and the vineyards form an impressive landscape where colors blends with shapes in beautiful harmony. You’ll be back to your relais in the afternoon, where you can enjoy some relaxing time.

What’s Included

– Mindful yoga class

– Bike ride

– Meal: breakfast

– Daily city tax

Accommodation: Relais Villa Olmo or similar

Day 3: Mindful yoga, wine tasting and vegetarian cooking class (vegan friendly option)
Start the morning with a yoga class surrounded by the peaceful and beautiful Tuscan countryside. You can then enjoy a restoring breakfast with local products. You will have the whole morning and the lunch time at your leisure: you can relax by the pool or walk in the countryside. In the afternoon you will join a delicious wine tasting followed by a cooking class (vegetarian and vegan option available). You will learn the typical Tuscan culinary tradition, but vegetarian style. At the end of the cooking class, you will enjoy a delicious dinner with the food you prepared.

What’s included

– Mindful yoga class

– Wine tasting

– Cooking class

– Meal: breakfast, dinner

– Daily city tax

Accommodation: Relais Villa Olmo or similar

Day 4: From Langhe hills to Turin City Center
You tour has come to the end. We hope you’ll take home amazing memories. Our driver will take you to the airport on time to board your flight.

What’s Included

– Transfer to Florence airport on a private car with driver

– Meal: breakfast

What is included?

• The assistance of a professional local leader for the entire trip
• Accommodation in a top-quality relais
• Mindful yoga class in the morning
• Wine tasting in
• Cooking class with lunch
• Bike ride
• Several meals: 3 breakfasts, 2 dinners
• Transfer from/to airport
• An extra-small group (of 10 guests max.)

What’s extra?

The following items are not included in the tour cost:

• Flights
• Single Supplement” (but you can add this!)
• Anything that is not specified to be included