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Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun: Best Food & Wine Tours in Cortona 2025
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Il Falconiere Cooking Classes & Wine Tastings in Cortona, Tuscany
Featured on NBC Extra’s Mansions & Millionaires, September 2014.
Located just three kilometers from the historical city of Cortona, famous for its hidden treasures and gorgeous landscapes, The Relais Il Falconiere and Spa is a small, luxury hotel and an ideal destination for an Italy cooking vacation & wine tasting tour. Within easy reach of Montepulciano, Pienza, Arezzo, Perugia, Assisi and Siena, and not far from Orvieto and Florence, Il Falconiere puts you in the heart of Italy!
Il Falconiere was for many generations the Baracchi family house before it was converted into a luxury hotel. The Baracchi family still manages the property and personally takes care of the guests who participate on our Cortona cooking classes and vacations, giving the hotel a warm and inviting atmosphere, like staying at a friend’s gorgeous, sumptuous villa.
Cortona is the famed setting of Francis Mayes’ book Under the Tuscan Sun (and the film based on it starring Diane Lane), and the town is just as charming and picturesque as you would want for your Italy cooking vacation. Cortona was an Etruscan city in ancient times, but it now is part of the region of Tuscany. Its ancient roots and its location near the border of Tuscany and neighboring Umbria make it a fascinating town to explore during our Cortona cooking classes and Italian wine tours.
Our food vacations near Cortona, Italy include plenty of exploring of this beautiful town, but also hands-on Il Falconiere cooking classes. Chef Silvia Baracchi has turned the estate’s restaurant into a world-class Michelin-star dining destination, and she or her chefs will lead the culinary classes during our Tuscany tour. Chef Silvia’s pride in her work is manifest in every bite as she teaches you the art of Italian cuisine.
You will also pay a visit to the Baracchi winery, complete with a guided wine tasting of their wonderful wines accompanied by delicious dishes. What could be more special than drinking a glass of fine Tuscan wine while gazing out over the vineyards that produced it?
Rounding out the week are excursions to local sites of interest, including gastronomic visits during our Cortona cooking vacations to taste the local products. Come join us under the Tuscan sun for this once-in-a-lifetime Italy food & tour!
The Details of Culinary Vacations & Cooking Classes in Cortona, Tuscany
As one of our best selling Italy cooking vacations, our 6- or 3-night cooking under the Tuscan Sun has everything you could hope for in a Cortona culinary tour, including:
- deluxe accommodations at a Relais & Chateau hotel
- cooking classes with Silvia Regi Baracchi, the chef of a Michelin-Star restaurant, and her staff
- meals as indicated
- visits of Cortona, Montalcino, and Montepulciano
- farm visit with cheese-making
- and more!
Itinerary
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Day One
- Welcome cocktail this evening with Silvia Baracchi, your host for your Tuscany cooking vacation and Tuscany wine tour.
- The aperitif will be followed by a delicious dinner in the hotel’s famed Michelin-star restaurant.
Day 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.
- 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 restaurant.
Day 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 of your Italy food tour.
- Dinner to follow based on your efforts, wine included.
Day Four
- After breakfast your Tuscany culinary vacation continues when you depart for a visit to a local farm, where you will get the milk for your cheese-making class, and will enjoy a light lunch featuring local products.
- This afternoon enjoy a visit of Montalcino and Montepulciano. You will love the stunning landscape of the Val d’Orcia, and will visit outstanding wineries on our Tuscany wine tours to taste the famed Rosso di Montepulciano and Brunello wines.
- Dinner back at the restaurant.
Day Five
- Breakfast, then your Tuscany culinary vacation continues with a visit of amazing little Tuscan towns, including Asciano, which is home to the Tuscan white truffle. Depending on the season, you might visit truffle hunters, or might enjoy a walk through the woods.
- Lunch out during the excursion based on local food specialties.
- Back at the Relais, enjoy the next cooking lesson of your cooking in Tuscany tour, based on Etruscan cuisine.
- Dinner to follow.
Day Six
- Breakfast and morning at leisure.
- This afternoon, transfer to the nearby Locanda del Molino in Cortona for the last cooking class of your Tuscany cooking vacation (depending on the week, this class could be at the estate).
- Farewell dinner to follow.
Day Seven
- Breakfast.
- Departure. We hope you have enjoyed your Tuscan culinary vacation and Tuscany wine tours and we await your return!
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Day One
- Welcome cocktail this evening with Silvia Baracchi, your host.
- The aperitif will be followed by a delicious dinner in the hotel’s famed Michelin-star restaurant.
Day Two
- 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 traditional trattoria in town.
- Return to Il Falconiere for 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.
- Dinner to follow based on your efforts.
Day Three
- Breakfast.
- In the morning, your next cooking class, lunch to follow based on your efforts.
- 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 restaurant.
Day Four
- Breakfast.
- Departure. We hope you have enjoyed your Tuscan culinary vacation and Tuscany wine tours and we await your return!
The Tuscan Kitchen In Cortona - Trip Details
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Included in Your 6-Night Cortona Cooking Vacation
Accommodations6 nights accommodations in a classic double or double twin room
Food & Beverages- Daily breakfast
- 5 lunches
- 6 dinners
Classes & InstructorsFour of your cooking classes will teach you traditional Tuscan recipes with Chef-Owner Silvia Baracchi, or one of the other restaurant chefs. Your fifth class will be a special cheese-making class! This is the Il Falconiere cooking school experience for students of all levels, and the kitchen is located in a charming building on the estate where you can relax while getting to know the cuisine of the region.
Excursions- Guided visit of Cortona
- Visit to local farm with cheese making
- Visit to Montalcino and Montepulciano with winery visit/tasting
- Seasonal discovery of Tuscan towns such as Asicano or a truffle hunt in the d’Orcia Valley
Transfer DetailsTransfers are not included but are available upon request.
Transfers must be arranged in advance, but are to be paid in cash locally:Transfers also available on request:
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- From Rome: approx 500-550 Euros each way
- From Florence: approx 385 Euros each way
- From Camucia-Cortona or Terontola-Cortona train stations: 25-35 Euros each way.
Pricing for transfers subject to change without notice.
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Included in Your 3-Night Cortona Cooking Vacation
Accommodations3 nights accommodations in a classic double or double twin room
Food & Beverages- Daily breakfast
- 2 lunches
- 3 dinners
Classes & InstructorsYour two cooking classes will teach you traditional Tuscan recipes with Chef-Owner Silvia Baracchi, or one of the other restaurant chefs. This is the Il Falconiere cooking school experience for students of all levels, and the kitchen is located in a charming building on the estate, where you can relax while getting to know the cuisine of the region. The Tuscan cooking school will increase your natural love for food and provide you with the skills you need to translate this love into beautiful and imaginative cuisine, even once you return home.
Excursions- Guided visit of Cortona
Transfer DetailsTransfers are not included but are available upon request.
Transfers must be arranged in advance, but are to be paid in cash locally:Transfers also available on request:
-
- From Rome: approx 500-550 Euros each way
- From Florence: approx 385 Euros each way
- From Camucia-Cortona or Terontola-Cortona train stations: 25-35 Euros each way.
Pricing for transfers subject to change without notice.
Accommodation Information
The Falconiere estate is comprised of number buildings, including the main villa, which was restored and turned into a luxurious countryside Relais, as well as smaller villas housing rooms and suites throughout the estate. The hotel is part of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux chain, and it boasts some 30 rooms that offer both elegance and comfort with antique furnishings, wonderful fabrics, and views of the olive groves and vineyards. The owner Silvia Baracchi is on-site, welcoming you to this wonderful getaway in the heart of Italy. The bedrooms and suites are decorated individually. The estate also boasts a famed 1* Michelin restaurant, a beautiful spa, and of course the Baracchi Winery.
The villa la Scuderia at the Falconiere estate.
A deluxe bedroom at the estate.
A view of part of the estate.
Nighttime in the orangerie.
The pool and gardens.
The restaurant terrace.
The view from the relais onto the surrounding countryside.
Wine tasting at the winery.
A view of the spectacular winery suite at the estate.
Bedroom of the spectacular winery suite at the estate.
The terrace of the spectacular winery suite at the estate.
A view of a suite at the Tuscan estate.
The prestige suite at the hotel.
Junior suite at the relais.
A classic room with a view.
A junior suite of the villa Scuderia on the upper floor.
A suite at the villa Scuderia in Tuscany on the Falconiere estate.
A view of a suite at the villa Scuderia in Tuscany on the Falconiere estate.
The pool on the Falconiere estate.
Junior suite on the Falconiere estate, villa Scuderia.
A view the estate with the villa Scuderia on the left and the historical villa straight ahead.
Bathroom at the villa Scuderia on the Falconiere estate.
Deluxe room at the villa Scuderia on the Falconiere estate.
Deluxe bathroom at the villa Scuderia on the Tuscan estate.
Deluxe room on the ground floor at the Falconiere estate.
Enjoying time at the spa.
Suite bedroom at the relais.
The relais il Falconiere in Tuscany.
Deluxe bedroom at il Falconiere estate.
Junior suite at il Falconiere estate.
A view of part of the relais.
A suite at the relais.
Suite bathroom at il Falconiere estate.
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Il Falconiere Wine Tasting Trip Pricing & Dates
Find pricing and dates for our Italy cooking vacation in Tuscany below, and contact us for availability or to book your trip.
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2025 6-Night Cortona Culinary Vacation Pricing
See moreUS$5845 per person based on double occupancy
- Add US$560 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)
- Add US$1055 per person to upgrade to Deluxe Room
- Add US$1680 per person to upgrade to Junior Suite
- Add US$2100 per person to upgrade to Suite
- Add US$2460 per person to upgrade to Executive Suite
- Add US$3660 per person to upgrade to Winery Master Suite
30% deposit due to confirm booking.
Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!
5-night itinerary also available, please inquire.
Transfers also available on request:
From Rome: approx 500-550 Euros each way
From Florence: approx 385 Euros each way
From Camucia-Cortona or Terontola-Cortona train stations: 25-35 Euros each way
Transfers must be arranged in advance, but are to be paid locally. Pricing for transfers subject to change without notice.6-Night Cortona Cooking Tour Dates
See moreOur Italy cooking vacation “Cooking under the Tuscan Sun” can generally take place any week late March to mid-November for a minimum of 2 people. Available dates follow, please inquire.
December, 2024 -March 27, 2025 – CLOSED for the season
2025
Now taking 2025 bookings! Please inquire for availability. -
2025 3-Night Cortona Culinary Vacation Pricing
See moreUS$2340 per person based on double occupancy
- Add US$560 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)
- Add US$530 per person to upgrade to Deluxe Room
- Add US$830 per person to upgrade to Junior Suite
- Add US$1020 per person to upgrade to Suite
- Add US$1250 per person to upgrade to Executive Suite
- Add US$1790 per person to upgrade to Winery Master Suite
Transfers also available on request:
From Rome: approx 500-550 Euros each way
From Florence: approx 385 Euros each way
From Camucia-Cortona or Terontola-Cortona train stations: 25-35 Euros each way
Transfers must be arranged in advance, but are to be paid locally. Pricing for transfers subject to change without notice.3-Night Cortona Cooking Tour Dates
See moreOur 3-night Italy cooking vacation “Cooking under the Tuscan Sun” can generally take place any week late March to early January for a minimum of 2 people. Available dates follow, please inquire.
2025
We are currently taking 2025 bookings for our Cooking under the Tuscan Sun cooking vacation. Please inquire for availability!
We Can Help Plan The Best Cooking Classes with Silvia Baracchi at Il Falconiere!
Whether you need help with your flights or want additional nights or tours in Italy, we are always here to help you plan the ultimate Italy cooking vacation in Tuscany or beyond.
We might not be able to pack for you, but there are many things we can help with to make your Italy culinary tour that much better.
