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Cooking and Walking in Umbria
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Best Italy Food and Hiking Tours
The Umbrian countryside is unlike any other landscape in Italy. The gentle green Sibillini Mountains rise above wildflower meadows that stretch as far as the eye can see. Birds, including cuckoos and skylarks, serenade as visitors to the Sibillini National Park pass lakes and ancient villages. Flowers cover the mountainside and paths. This beautiful atmosphere will captivate as you explore the valleys, ancient woods, and ruins of abandoned castles on this exclusive Italy food and hiking tours in Umbria.
Your stay will be at an exquisite, family-owned hotel in the town of Norcia, one of Italy’s culinary capitals. Known for its cured meats, its cattle, its amazing cheeses, and other products like lentils, this part of Umbria is a perfect setting for our cooking vacations in Italy.
Umbria Italy Food and Hiking Tour Details
Norcia, Umbria, is an amazing location for a cooking vacation in Italy and for our Italy food and hiking tours. It is rife with amazing local products to explore during the cooking classes and food product tastings. Your 6-night cooking and hiking in Italy tour includes:
- accommodations at a premier 4* hotel
- hands-on cooking classes with the staff of a Michelin-starred restaurant
- visits of Spoleto, Assisi, and Montefalco
- a truffle hunt and wine tasting
- two days of panoramic hiking
- and more!
Itinerary
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Day 1 – Sunday
- Transfer from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Palazzo Seneca in Norcia.
- This afternoon, enjoy a welcome drink and a short presentation on your cooking course.
- Enjoy a dinner at Ristorante Vespasia of Palazzo Seneca (beverages not included).
- Overnight.
Day 2 – Monday
- After breakfast, your introduction to Umbrian cooking gets underway with your first cooking class. Sample menu (subject to change):
- Umbricelli pasta with black truffle
- Lamb “porchetta”
- Chocolate cake
- Lunch based on your efforts.
- In the afternoon, experience a black truffle hunt. (In the months of May and September, another activity may be substituted).
- Dinner tonight will be at traditional dinner at Granaro del Monte (local wine included).
- Overnight.
Day 3 – Tuesday
- Breakfast.
- Your hike today will be from Castelluccio to Monte Patino, a 12 km hike with 400 m elevation. The ring has easy gradients and leads to beautiful views on the Piani di Catelluccio to the beech woods, to the high pastures that seem suspended over Norcia. The panorama there spans 360 degrees over the Umbria mountains, the Sibillini Mountains, and the Laga mountains.
- Late lunch on your own.
- Dinner at Ristorante Vespasia in Palazzo Seneca (3 courses, beverages not included).
- Overnight.
Day 4 – Wednesday
- After breakfast, depart for an excursion to legendary Assisi, the city of Saint Francis, with time to explore on your own.
- Lunch on your own.
- Afterwards, it’s on to the famous town of Montefalco, land of the Sagrantino red wine, where you will visit a local winery and taste wonderful wines.
Return to Palazzo Seneca and dinner at Granaro del Monte (local wine included). - Overnight.
Day 5 – Thursday
- Following breakfast, begin your second cooking class. Sample menu (subject to change):
- Tagliatella pasta with Norcina sauce
- Porchetta Maialino
- Lentil and ricotta tart
- Lunch based on your efforts.
- In the afternoon, visit the town of Spoleto.
- Return to the hotel. Ristorante Vespasia for dinner (3 courses, beverages not included).
- Overnight.
Day 6 – Friday
- Breakfast.
- Start your second hike in Castelluccio, a little village in the National Park of Sibillini. You’ll gently descend from Castelluccio’s plateaus to the “Pian Piccolo” and walk through endless wildflower meadows at the foot of one of the most beautiful Sibillini mountains. After passing a beautiful lake, climb through the woods full of beech trees. The return hike will take you along the ridge between Sibillini and Laga Mountains, which offer breathtaking views of the Umbrian countryside below. Late lunch on your own, perhaps in one of the little villages.
- Your farewell dinner in Ristorante Vespasia.
- Overnight.
Day 7 – Saturday
- Breakfast and then final farewells before transferring to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.
Trip Details
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Included in Your 6-Night Umbria Cooking and Hiking Vacation
Accommodations- Six nights in a 4* Relais & Chateaux hotel
Food & Beverages- Daily breakfast
- Two lunches
- Six dinners
Classes & InstructorsLearn the secrets of Umbrian cooking using the wonderful ingredients of this gastronomically rich region. Your two classes will take place in either the original house of the Bianconi family, or in the wonderful, well-equipped kitchen of the Vespasia Restaurant, which was awarded a Michelin star in November 2015. They will be led by restaurant’s chef or one of their sous-chefs.
Excursions- Black truffle hunt (weather and season permitting)
- Two days of panoramic hiking
- Visit to Assisi and Montefalco, with time to explore on your own
- Wine tasting in Sagrantino
- Visit of Spoleto, with time to explore on your own
Transfer Details- Roundtrip transfers from/to Rome airport. (If you are staying in Rome we can request a hotel pickup, which will depend on the hotel location.) Please note late arrivals or early departures may incur a surcharge.
Not Included
- Beverages with meals at the Ristorante Vespasia
- Gratuities
Accommodation Information
Your accommodations for the week are located in an Umbrian palace, the lovely Palazzo Seneca in Norcia. The hotel dates back to the 16th century and has been recently restored by the Bianconi family to offer elegant rooms and amenities. The skilled restoration, with a particular attention to detail and history, along with the work of the best Umbrian craftsman, have made this palace a unique and worthwhile destination.
Sitting room at the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia, home for your authentic Italy cooking vacation
Library at the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia, home for your authentic Italy cooking vacation
Detail at the the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia, home for your authentic Italy cooking vacation
Bedroom at the the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia, home for your authentic Italy cooking vacation
Double room at the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia, home for your authentic Italy cooking vacation
Elegant room at the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia, home for your authentic Italy cooking vacation
Double room at the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia, home for your authentic Italy cooking vacation
Bathroom at the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia, home for your authentic Italy cooking vacation
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Italy Food & Hiking Tours Pricing and Dates
See the pricing and tour dates for our best Italy food and hiking tours below, and contact us with questions or to start planning your trip!
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6-Night Italy Cooking and Hiking Tour Sample Pricing
See moreUS$4930 per person based on double occupancy
- Add US$100 per person to upgrade to Superior room
- Add US$300 per person to upgrade to Deluxe room
- Add US$520 per person to upgrade to Junior suite
- Add US$840 per person to upgrade to Suite
Pricing can vary by dates – please inquire!
30% deposit due to confirm booking.
Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!
Single supplement: please inquire.
Cooking and Hiking in Umbria Tour Dates
See moreOur Umbria Italy food and hiking tours are available April 11 to early November on request for a minimum of 2 people. The cooking and hiking tour can also be confirmed for 1 person on request. Sample dates follow, but other start dates are also possible, please inquire.
2025
Now taking 2025 bookings, please inquire for availability:
