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Overview

Cooking at Il Falconiere in Sunny Tuscany

Chef Silvia Baracchi ready for a cooking class in TuscanyJoin us for this special 7-night cooking vacation in beautiful Tuscany! We are also offering an additional 4 nights in Florence for those interested. 

The beautiful Relais il Falconiere estate is located just three kilometers from the historical city of Cortona. The property boasts a small, luxury hotel spread over several small villas, a spa, a winery, and a fabulous Tuscan restaurant run by Silvia Baracchi. Within an easy distance of Montepulciano, Pienza, Assisi and more, Il Falconiere puts you in the heart of Italy!

For many generations il Falconiere was the Baracchi family home before it was converted into a luxury hotel. The Baracchi family still manages the property and will personally take care of you during this fantastic cooking vacation, giving the hotel a warm and inviting atmosphere. Our special week with Pittsburgh cooking instructor Dorothy Tague will take place in a private 8-room villa on the heart of the estate, just a stone’s throw from the spa and restaurant.

Your exclusive culinary week will feature amazing cooking classes, a visit of the family winery, and fabulous excursions to nearby towns.

We are also offering a special 11-night version of the trip win 4 additional nights in Florence for anyone interested! Two more cooking classes, a food and art tour, the David statue, and even a special afternoon walk in nearby Fiesole…. perfection!

Come join us under the Tuscan sun for this once-in-a-lifetime culinary tour of Italy!





Trip Details

Your special cooking week in Tuscan with Dorothy Tague will include:

  • deluxe accommodations at a private villa, part of a Relais & Chateaux hotel
  • cooking classes with Silvia Regi Baracchi, the chef of a Michelin-Star restaurant, and her staff
  • meals as indicated, including wine
  • visits of Cortona, Montalcino, and Montepulciano
  • farm visit with cheese-making
  • and more!

Itinerary

Kitchen in TuscanyBelow is the 7-night Tuscany itinerary. Click on “11-night itinerary” to see details about adding on 4 nights in Florence at the end. 

Day One

  • Welcome cocktail around 8:00 pm with Silvia Baracchi, your host.
  • The aperitif will be followed by a delicious dinner in the hotel’s fabulous Michelin-star restaurant.

A bottle of Baracchi SyrahDay Two

  • After breakfast, your first cooking lesson of your Tuscany cooking vacation, perhaps based on Frances Mayes’s famous stay in Tuscany immortalized in the book and movie Under the Tuscan Sun. Your menu might include: eggplant roll with prosciutto and mozzarella, pici pasta with tomatoes and herbs, beef loin with shallots and balsamic, and poached pear with cheese and sabayon.
  • Lunch to follow accompanied by great Tuscan wines.
  • Afternoon at leisure. You can relax in the Thesan Spa (which has a Sauna, Turkish bath, Hydro massage pool, and Chromo Emotional shower) and perhaps schedule a wine therapy relaxation massage .
  • In the evening, take a guided walk around Baracchi’s vineyards and winery on a Tuscany wine tour and learn about the process of wine making, from the vineyard to the bottle.
  • A wine tasting will follow with dinner at the Michelin-star restaurant.

Market in Cortona TuscanyDay Three

  • Breakfast.
  • In the morning your Tuscany food tour will continue with a guided sightseeing tour of Cortona, setting of the book and movie Under the Tuscan Sun.
  • Lunch at a typical trattoria in town.
  • Return to Il Falconiere for the next cooking lesson.
  • Dinner to follow based on your efforts, wine included.

View from the RelaisDay Four

  • After breakfast  your Tuscany culinary vacation continues when you depart for a visit to a local farm, where you will see sheep, chickens, rabbits, geese, and other animals. You will also get the milk for your cheese-making class, and will enjoy lunch to follow.
  • This afternoon enjoy a visit of Montepulciano. You will love the stunning landscape of the Val d’Orcia, and will have the opportunity to taste Rosso di Montepulciano and Brunello wines. Dinner while you are out or back at the relais.
  • Return to the estate.

Making pici pasta with Chef Silvia at the cooking school.Day Five

  • Breakfast, then enjoy a free day to relax at the estate or to journey out for individual explorations. We can make reservations at the spa, you might just relax at the villa, or you may want to explore other parts of Tuscany. The train station is a short taxi ride away and from there you can visit a number of Tuscan towns.

Cooking under the Tuscan SunDay Six

  • Breakfast and enjoy a leisurely morning. Perhaps take a walk around the estate, or enjoy more time in Cortona.
  • This afternoon, transfer to the nearby Locanda del Molino in Cortona for another cooking class.
  • Dinner to follow.

Deluxe room at the relais.Day Seven

  • Breakfast. Then your Tuscany culinary vacation continues with a visit of amazing little Tuscan towns of the Val d’Orcia and a special truffle hunting experience (or, in case of bad weather, another activity will be proposed).
  • Lunch out during the excursion based on local food specialties.
  • Back at the Relais, enjoy the last cooking lesson, menu based on Etruscan cuisine. Your menu might include traditional wild herb pie with parmesan fondue, “gnudi” pasta with ricotta cheese, local lamb in a crust of Tuscan bread, sautéed greens, and berry cake with mascarpone cheese mousse.
  • Dinner to follow.

Day Eight

  • Breakfast.
  • Departure. We hope you have enjoyed your Tuscan culinary vacation and Tuscany wine tours and we await your return!

Interested in 4 additional nights in beautiful Florence? Click on the “11-night itinerary” to see details. 


Kitchen in TuscanyInterested in just the 7-night Cooking under the Tuscan Sun trip? Click on the “7-night itinerary” button to see details. 

Day One

  • Welcome cocktail around 8:00 pm with Silvia Baracchi, your host.
  • The aperitif will be followed by a delicious dinner in the hotel’s fabulous Michelin-star restaurant.

A bottle of Baracchi SyrahDay Two

  • After breakfast, your first cooking lesson of your Tuscany cooking vacation, perhaps based on Frances Mayes’s famous stay in Tuscany immortalized in the book and movie Under the Tuscan Sun. Your menu might include: eggplant roll with prosciutto and mozzarella, pici pasta with tomatoes and herbs, beef loin with shallots and balsamic, and poached pear with cheese and sabayon.
  • Lunch to follow accompanied by great Tuscan wines.
  • Afternoon at leisure. You can relax in the Thesan Spa (which has a Sauna, Turkish bath, Hydro massage pool, and Chromo Emotional shower) and perhaps schedule a wine therapy relaxation massage .
  • In the evening, take a guided walk around Baracchi’s vineyards and winery on a Tuscany wine tour and learn about the process of wine making, from the vineyard to the bottle.
  • A wine tasting will follow with dinner at the Michelin-star restaurant.

Market in Cortona TuscanyDay Three

  • Breakfast.
  • In the morning your Tuscany food tour will continue with a guided sightseeing tour of Cortona, setting of the book and movie Under the Tuscan Sun.
  • Lunch at a typical trattoria in town.
  • Return to Il Falconiere for the next cooking lesson.
  • Dinner to follow based on your efforts, wine included.

View from the RelaisDay Four

  • After breakfast  your Tuscany culinary vacation continues when you depart for a visit to a local farm, where you will see sheep, chickens, rabbits, geese, and other animals. You will also get the milk for your cheese-making class, and will enjoy lunch to follow.
  • This afternoon enjoy a visit of Montepulciano. You will love the stunning landscape of the Val d’Orcia, and will have the opportunity to taste Rosso di Montepulciano and Brunello wines. Dinner while you are out or back at the relais.
  • Return to the estate.

Making pici pasta with Chef Silvia at the cooking school.Day Five

  • Breakfast, then enjoy a free day to relax at the estate or to journey out for individual explorations. We can make reservations at the spa, you might just relax at the villa, or you may want to explore other parts of Tuscany. The train station is a short taxi ride away and from there you can visit a number of Tuscan towns.

Cooking under the Tuscan SunDay Six

  • Breakfast and enjoy a leisurely morning. Perhaps take a walk around the estate, or enjoy more time in Cortona.
  • This afternoon, transfer to the nearby Locanda del Molino in Cortona for another cooking class.
  • Dinner to follow.

Deluxe room at the relais.Day Seven

  • Breakfast. Then your Tuscany culinary vacation continues with a visit of amazing little Tuscan towns of the Val d’Orcia and a special truffle hunting experience (or, in case of bad weather, another activity will be proposed).
  • Lunch out during the excursion based on local food specialties.
  • Back at the Relais, enjoy the last cooking lesson, menu based on Etruscan cuisine. Your menu might include traditional wild herb pie with parmesan fondue, “gnudi” pasta with ricotta cheese, local lamb in a crust of Tuscan bread, sautéed greens, and berry cake with mascarpone cheese mousse.
  • Dinner to follow.

The Duomo of Florence seen from the distance during a tour of Tuscany with The International Kitchen.Day Eight

  • Breakfast. Bid a fond farewell to Chef Silvia and her staff.
  • Departure for Florence.
  • Check in to your hotel, time to settle in and relax.
  • Three course welcome dinner tonight at a local restaurant in the authentic San Frediano quarter (left bank of the river Arno, about 20 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by taxi.)
  • Overnight.

Visiting the Ponte Vecchio on a Florence food tour.Day Nine

  • Breakfast at the hotel.
  • This morning, meet your licensed Florence guide for a 4-hour guided tour combining the art highlights of this amazing city with visits of local food specialty shops and markets where Florentines purchase their fresh seasonal ingredients. You will find out why Florence is a top spot for Tuscany food tours as you taste local cured meats and cheeses and learn about the Italian way of life. The tour will also include a visit of the Accademia Gallery to see the famous David of Michelangelo.
  • At the end of the tour your guide will drop you at the Mercato Centrale for lunch on your own. The Mercato Centrale is a place where food is “lived,” it is prepared by artisans who know it deeply and who have been preparing it generation after generation. Each store has its own workspace and makes its own specialities, making it a perfect place to discover authentic Florentine dishes at a fair price.
  • Dinner tonight on your own.
  • Overnight.

View of Florence from Fiesole.Day Ten

  • Breakfast at your hotel. Head to the Sant’Amrbogio market to meet Chef Barbara who will help you select ingredients for your first cooking class. Barbara is a native Florentine, chef, and sommelier who has been offering cooking classes with The International Kitchen since 2003. After the market visit, head with her to her lovely home in the town of Fiesole, just outside of Florence and a wonderful place to visit in its own right. It is a rare opportunity to head out of the city to experience the life of real Tuscans! Your cooking class with lunch will follow. (Transportation is provided to her home, but you make your own way to the market in the morning).
  • After lunch, you will have a 3-hour Fiesole walking tour. Under the guidance of your expert guide, you will discover Fiesole, the sky above Florence, the nature and the Florentine hills surrounded by fields of olive trees – so close and yet so far – from the city. You will cross the path of the Via degli dei, the ancient Via Flaminia Minor, the Etruscan Road that crossed the Apennines mountains at least 200 years BC.
    During the trip, you will have a break, tasting fragrant bread and extra virgin olive from a local farmer. It won’t be a tourist experience, but a little adventure: of local life away from the crowds.
  • Transfer back to your hotel. Dinner on your own – if you are still hungry!

Fruit and vegetable market in narrow Florence street, Tuscany region of ItalyDay Eleven

  • Breakfast at the hotel.
  • This morning, head to a cooking atelier for your last cooking class. (The cooking atelier is about a 15 minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride from your hotel.) You will start with a unique walking visit of local “botteghe,” or shops, in the area to select ingredients, always a highlight. You might visit the local butcher, vegetable vendor, and cheese shop. Your Tuscany cooking class will focus on signature Tuscan recipes and will include a four-course menu.
  • Lunch to follow paired with local wines.
  • Afternoon free for shopping and individual explorations. You may want to visit the nearby Boboli Gardens or Palazzo Pitti Museum, or to walk through the famous Rose Garden of Florence to the Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset and enjoy one of the most famous panoramic views in the world.
  • Farewell Dinner tonight at a local restaurant known for the best Florentine Steak !
  • Overnight.

Close up of the Duomo during your tour of FlorenceDay Twelve

  • Arrivederci Toscana! Group transfer to Florence airport.

 

Cooking under the Tuscan Sun Trip Details

Included in the 7-night Tuscan Cooking Vacation

Accommodations

7 nights accommodation in the Villa la Scuderia on the Falconiere estate

Food & Beverages

  • Daily breakfast
  • 5 lunches, with wine
  • 6 dinners, with wine

Classes & Instructors

Four of your cooking classes will feature traditional Italian and Tuscan recipes with Chef-Owner Silvia Baracchi, or one of her chefs. The fifth class will be a special cheese-making experience! 

Excursions

  • Guided visit of Cortona
  • Visit to local farm with cheese making
  • Visit to Montepulciano with wine tasting
  • Seasonal discovery of  the Val d’Orcia with a truffle hunt

Transfer Details

  • Group transfers included from/to the Florence airport or train station.

Miscellaneous

Spa services are not included but can be reserved. The spa’s relaxation area is open to guests by appointment. Treatments are also available (prices subject to change without notice):

  • Antioxidant bath €100
  • Tuscan vineyards wine-based peel, bath, and massage €280
  • Olive oil face and body treatment €280
  • Facials from €140 for 60 minute treatments
  • Body treatments from €145 for 50 minute treatments
  • Massages €90 for 30 minutes/€145 for 50 minutes
  • Manicures from €40
  • Pedicures from €60

Not Included

  • City tax, paid locally
  • Airfare
  • Trip insurance
  • Gratuities
  • Meals except as indicated

Included in the 11-night Tuscany & Florence Cooking Vacation

Accommodations

  • 7 nights accommodation in the Villa la Scuderia on the Falconiere estate
  • 4 nights in a centrally located 4* hotel in Florence (Hotel Santa Maria Novella or similar)

Food & Beverages

  • Daily breakfast
  • 7 lunches, wine included
  • 8 dinners, wine included
  • local products tastings

Classes & Instructors

Four of your cooking classes will feature traditional Italian and Tuscan recipes with Chef-Owner Silvia Baracchi, or one of her chefs. One class will be a special cheese-making experience! In Florence you will experience a market visit and cooking class with a chef at her private home in the hills outside the city, as well as a cooking class at a local cooking atelier. 

Excursions

  • Guided visit of Cortona
  • Visit to local farm with cheese making
  • Visit to Montepulciano with wine tasting
  • Seasonal discovery of  the Val d’Orcia with a truffle hunt
  • Food and Art tour in Florence, with skip-the-line tickets to see Michelangelo’s David
  • Sant’Ambrogio market visit and botteghe visit
  • Guided walking tour of Fiesole and the hills around Florence

Transfer Details

  • Group transfers included from/to the Florence airport or train station.

Miscellaneous

Spa services are not included but can be reserved. The spa’s relaxation area is open to guests by appointment. Treatments are also available (prices subject to change without notice):

  • Antioxidant bath €100
  • Tuscan vineyards wine-based peel, bath, and massage €280
  • Olive oil face and body treatment €280
  • Facials from €140 for 60 minute treatments
  • Body treatments from €145 for 50 minute treatments
  • Massages €90 for 30 minutes/€145 for 50 minutes
  • Manicures from €40
  • Pedicures from €60

Not Included

  • City tax, paid locally
  • Airfare
  • Trip insurance
  • Gratuities
  • Meals except as indicated

Accommodation Information

The Falconiere estate is comprised of number buildings, including the beautiful villa la Scuderia, which was originally the estate’s stables before being restored into a luxurious private villa. The villa faces the pool and boasts 8 bedrooms on two floors – 2 deluxe, 2 suites, and 4 junior suites – as well as a sumptuous living room. 

The relais is part of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux chain, and all rooms offer both elegance and comfort with antique furnishings, wonderful fabrics, and views of the olive groves and vineyards. 

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If you choose to participate in the 4-night Florence tour May 10-14, accommodations will be at a centrally located 4* hotel in the heart of Florence.

Cook under the Tuscan Sun with Dorothy Tague Pricing & Dates



7-Night Cooking under the Tuscan Sun Pricing:

(excludes additional nights in Florence)

7-night Program

US$5175 per person based on double occupancy

  • Add US$525 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)

Click on “11-night pricing” for the cost of the full 11-night Tuscan Sun + Florence trip.  

30% deposit due to confirm booking.*

Balance payment due 90 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!

*Group will be confirmed and deposit processed when 8 rooms have been sold.

 


Special 7-Night Trip

This special one-time only week is available May 3-10, 2025.


Special 11-night tour Pricing:

(includes 4 night Florence extension)

11-night Program

US$8100 per person based on double occupancy

  • Add US$925 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)

Pricing reflects the full Tuscan Sun 7-night itinerary PLUS the additional 4 nights in Florence.

30% deposit due to confirm booking.*

Balance payment due 90 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!

Tuscany group will be confirmed and deposit processed when 8 rooms have been sold.

Florence extension requires 4 people minimum to operate.

Click on “7-night pricing” for the cost of just the 7-night Tuscan Sun trip. 


11-Night Tuscan Tour Dates

This special one-time only tour with Florence extension is available May 3-14, 2025.

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We Can Help Plan The Best Cooking Tuscan Vacation!

Enjoying a cooking class during your Italy cooking vacation in Tuscany.

Whether you need help with your flights or want additional nights or tours in Italy, we are always here to help.

We might not be able to pack for you, but we can always help with to make your Italy culinary tour complete.

Contact us for more information! Contact Us

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