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Overview

Il Falconiere Cooking Classes & Wine Tastings in Cortona, Tuscany

Chef Silvia Baracchi ready for a cooking class in TuscanyFeatured 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!





Latest Review

We gave this trip 5 stars
Jennifer & Casey
Washington
I am a very happy returning customer. My husband and I celebrated our 25th anniversary in Tuscany with a TIK package and recently our 30th in Tuscany with another TIK package. On our recent trip, our accommodations were excellent and the service was amazing. It was fantastic to be getting cooking lessons from the head and executive chef of a Michelin star restaurant! Outings were great but needed to be modified due to the heat wave. TIK was great working with us to arrange travel plans even though there were other parts of our trip that were not TIK packages. For instance, they arranged a 2-hour private guided tour at Pompeii, which was one of the highlights of our trip. I really enjoyed having this flexibility so that we could have an extended stay in Europe with family and friends.

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

Kitchen in TuscanyA sample itinerary for our food & wine tour in Cortona follows. The order of activities is subject to change depending on the specific dates booked. A five-night Tuscany cooking vacation itinerary is also available – please inquire for details.

Day One

  • Welcome cocktail around 8:00 pm 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.

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 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 of your Italy food tour.
  • 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 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.

Pasta dish in TuscanyDay 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. 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.

Cooking under the Tuscan SunDay Six

  • Breakfast and continue your Italy food tour with a visit to a local vegetable producer close to the relais, where you will get some vegetables for your last class.
  • This afternoon, transfer to the nearby Locanda del Molino in Cortona for the last cooking class of your Tuscany cooking vacation.
  • Farewell dinner to follow.

Deluxe room at the relais.Day Seven

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

A sample itinerary for our 3-night Italy cooking trip in Tuscany follows. The order of activities is subject to change depending on your specific dates.

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 famed Michelin-star restaurant.

Deluxe room at the relais.


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. 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.
  • Dinner to follow based on your efforts.

Relais in Tuscany


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

Included in Your 6-Night Cortona Cooking Vacation

Accommodations

6 nights accommodations in a classic double or double twin room

Food & Beverages

  • Daily breakfast
  • 5 lunches
  • 6 dinners

Classes & Instructors

Four 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 house where you can relax while getting to know the cuisine of the region. The cheese-making course will feature milk from a local dairy, and another will incorporate produce from a local farm you will visit.

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
  • Visit to a vegetable producer

Transfer Details

Transfers are not included but are available upon request.
Transfers must be arranged in advance, but are to be paid in cash locally:

  • From Camucia-Cortona train station: 25 Euro each way
  • From Florence: 275 Euro each way
  • From Rome: 420 Euro each way

Included in Your 3-Night Cortona Cooking Vacation

Accommodations

3 nights accommodations in a classic double or double twin room

Food & Beverages

  • Daily breakfast
  • 2 lunches
  • 3 dinners

Classes & Instructors

Your 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 house, 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 Details

Transfers are not included but are available upon request.
Transfers must be arranged in advance, but are to be paid in cash locally:

  • From Camucia-Cortona train station: 25 Euro each way
  • From Florence: 275 Euro each way
  • From Rome: 420 Euro each way

Accommodation Information

Once the Il Falconiere villa was restored and turned into a luxurious countryside Relais, which is part of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux chain. The 22 rooms offer both elegance and comfort with their antique furnishings and wonderful fabrics as well as 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.

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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.



2024 6-Night Cortona Culinary Vacation Pricing:

6-Night Cortona Culinary Vacation Pricing

US$5175 per person based on double occupancy

  • Add US$560 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)
  • Add US$990 per person to upgrade to Deluxe Room
  • Add US$1600 per person to upgrade to Junior Suite
  • Add US$2015 per person to upgrade to Suite
  • Add US$2360 per person to upgrade to Executive Suite
  • Add US$3500 per person to upgrade to Winery Master Suite

Special promotion! Book a week in April or between October 20 and November 10 by February 29 and get a free deluxe upgrade and one-way transfer (6-night itinerary only, new bookings only). Contact us for details!

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: 420 Euro each way
From Florence: 275 Euro each way
From Camucia-Cortona train station: 25 Euro 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

Our 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.

November 12-March 20 – CLOSED for the season

2024
Sample weeks are posted, but dates are flexble – please inquire!
March 31-April 6*
April 7-13*
April 14-20*
April 21-27*
April 28-May 4
May 5-11
May 12-18
May 19-25
May 26-June 1
June 2-8
June 9-15
June 16-22
June 23-29
June 30-July 6
July 7-13
July 14-20
July 21-27
July 28-August 3
August 4-10
August 11-17
August 18-24
August 25-31
September 1-7
September 8-14
September 15-21
September 22-28
September 29-October 5
October 6-12
October 13-19
October 20-26*
October 27-November 2*
November 3-9*

*Special promotional weeks: free upgrade and one-way transfer (6-night itinerary only)


2023-2024 3-Night Cortona Culinary Vacation Pricing:

3-Night Italy Cooking Vacation Pricing

US$2175 per person based on double occupancy

  • Add US$480 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)
  • Add US$510 per person to upgrade to Deluxe Room
  • Add US$800 per person to upgrade to Junior Suite
  • Add US$975 per person to upgrade to Suite
  • Add US$1200 per person to upgrade to Executive Suite
  • Add US$1720 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!

Transfers also available on request:
From Rome: 420 Euro each way
From Florence: 275 Euro each way
From Camucia-Cortona train station: 25 Euro 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

Our 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.

2023
Sample dates: please inquire for availability.
October 22-25
October 29-November 1
November 5-8
November 12-March 20 – CLOSED for the season

2024
We are currently taking 2024 bookings for our Cooking under the Tuscan Sun cooking vacation. Please inquire for availability.

Reviews

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We Can Help Plan The Best Cooking Classes with Silvia Baracchi at Il Falconiere!

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 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. Contact us for more information, or you can indicate your interest during check out and we will follow up directly! Contact Us
 

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