Tuscan Hills Tour: Val D’orcia With 2 Wine And Cheese Tastings

Be wary of tour operator, my tour was changed with knowledge, not given opportunity to cancel or change to a tour of my choosing. Several of participants became lost on tour and number given to call was not enabled as per message when calling. Tour operator did not respond to inquiries regarding change of tour nor to message sent in app about becoming lost when unable to reach by phone! Viator was of no assistance in an agreeable resolution of these issues.

Gratzie John. Amazing lunch and Brunello wine. Wonderful landscape. Maybe the beer tasting and the abbey to skip. 5 stars in any case.

Thanks to paulo and john we had a fantastic day. The lunch was great. One of the best group tours I have ever done. Price/quality top

In summary, I expected this tour to be complemented by pertinent information about what we were about to see and visit. Because of a the lack of input from the guide/escort, I feel the tour did not deliver as promised and as a result was over-priced. We had high hopes for this full-day tour to the Tuscan countryside. During the two-hour bus ride to our first stop, we heard virtually nothing from our guide/escort except how long the ride would be and, much later, that we were nearly there. She did emphasize that what we would see would be very beautiful. On that count, she was right, but she provided no historical, geographical, or cultural context. That was left to audio-guides, when available. The itinerary of the tour was very good, the locations visited were interesting and worth our time. At to the Temple of Brunello we enjoyed a delicious meal and wine tasting. An excellent hostess told us about Brunello wine and used an interactive board to illustrate her comments. That was the extent of our “multi-sensory journey” at the “interactive museum” that the tour description promised. The artifacts in the building were presented in the traditional museum fashion. In Pienza, a “guide” walked us from room to room in the Piccolomini Palace telling us which number to choose on our audio-guide. She did not speak English and could not answer any questions. Once done, we were instructed by the recording to return our handsets. However, there was a second museum next door and the same handset was needed to get the commentary for that museum. Neither our local “guide” nor our tour guide told us that we should keep the handset if we planned on visiting the second museum. By the time we realized it, the museum was closing. It appears that our escort’s role was limited to leading us from point A to point B with instructions of "follow me." She was also silent on the two-hour return trip to Florence. Even after an accident near-miss, she did not even inquire if everyone was OK. I understand that our guide/escort was not the primary guide at the sites we visited, but she could have enhanced our experience with additional information, particularly with regard to the region we were visiting, wine production and history.

We had a lovely day out on this trip. There were 14 of us in the group so we were in a mini bus (with no toilet) but it was very pleasant. The tour guide (Julia) was very knowledgeable and helpful and made sure we were all ok. Pienza was amazing. I rate it as one of my favourite towns in Tuscana. Good tour, tour guide and bus driver.

Amy has been a great guide she is patient Love how she explain everything well with soft spoken voice and interesting story telling . It was wonderful time with her . Food was great and we got lemonade at the end. Highly recommended . She made my trip in Florence better :)

This tour is a great way to experience Tuscany with the sips and sights of the region. Our guide, Guilia, was amazing. She was very informative yet so friendly and always was there to answer any question or proudly tell us about Italy. The towns we visited were amazing and the food and wine we got to taste was extraordinary.

Went on four guided tours in Italy and this has been the best experience thus far. Fortunate to have been paired with Giulia and Lorenzo on this guided tour. The small grouping encouraged flexibility which I prefer. Giulia is very passionate about what she does and we enjoyed her storytelling which made Italian history come alive. Lorenzo was a seasoned and safe driver which is equally important. This duo has great chemistry! The lunch organised was the best of all guided tours! Food was great and uniquely Tuscany as well as the wine tasting. This day trip felt like friends hanging out and brings a nice closer to our time here in Firenze. Special thanks for obliging us with stops for photo-taking… we appreciate you Giulia and Lorenzo :)

We had a great day with Roberto our guide and Alejandro our driver. It was a comfortable drive in an impeccably present minivan through the Brunello countryside. A very authentic experience as we visited Pienza and Montalcino where we dined on a 4 course Tuscan lunch matched with Brunello local wines. A great day and highly recommended.

Amazing tour! All the villages and sites we visited were stunning and unique, and our tour leader Stanislava made the whole experience unforgettable 😍

Safe drive, on time, very nice and kind and knowledgeable guide, good food and good wine. Stunning landscape and cities views

The tour was small, it was informative and there was plenty of time to explore the areas on our own. The food and wine was exceptional. Our tour guide was excellent. Would highly recommend.

The trip was amazing! Perfect guide Julia and the driver Christian. They made this trip unforgettable. The place was the most beautiful that I ever seen. Also we were lucky to have a really good company- it was only three of us (our couple and really cool woman Mariana). We forgot to say bye after the trip, so if you’ll read this- it was nice to have a company like yours! Recommend this trip for everybody!

This trip was perfect! Perfect amount of time to see Tuscany. Our driver Cristian was very kind and professional, and our guide giulia was fabulous! A great vibe and an amazing amount of knowledge about everything.. we had a very small group of 3 people so it was very personalized. We saw pienza which was absolutely beautiful and Montalcino where we had an amazing lunch with wine.. we ended the tour with the most amazing views of the valley.. a MUST experience.. u would choose this tour once and over again, thank you!

The trip to Montalcino and Pienza was phenomenal! The lunch meal was delicious and made even better by the history and information about the wines from the area. Our tour guide, Chiara, did an outstanding job with translating into Spanish and English. She was patient, calm, and took the time to provide the history of wine making in the region.

Loved this day trip so much! Despite a long drive, we actually had a lot of time in each place! Especially since the towns are on the smaller side, it felt like a decent amount of time in each place. The wine tasting was accommodating of vegetarian needs for food and our host was very friendly. We had maybe 10 people or less in our group, which was really nice. Recommend so highly!

This was a lovely tour through the beautiful Tuscan countryside. The lunch with wine-tasting was divine. We were on a small bus in a group of 13 individuals, so it was a delightful break from the large bus tours that take 40+ people. The villages were quiet and uncrowded because the huge buses don’t come here en masse. Claudia was a good guide. This was a mixed English/Spanish tour, and because Claudia is a native Mexican, the Spanish-speaking people on the tour were at a definite advantage as Claudia’s English was at times difficult to understand.

Claudia was amazing but the abbey visit was not good at all would definitely have preferred more time in Montalcino. The wine tasting and lunch took too long and was a long walk from tbe bus stop. Only had 15 mins to look around. Very disappointed in this but again, Claudia was great.

Informative and interesting tour through a stunning landscape. Our guide Lucia was both pedagogical and easy to understand. The wine tasting was probably wasted on me though.

Lucia and Mattei were awesome. Knowledgeable, informative, helpful and prompt. Would definitely recommend them both.

Trip operator cancelled, but looks like it would have been nice. Another option was suggested, but I decided on the full refund. Took a week to get that refund.

Claudia is a great guide, we had a wonderful time with the wine tour, it’s a great way to experience Tuscany, stress free, great wine, view and food!

Amy and Raphaele provided a wonderful tour of the Tuscan countryside. Amy was full of knowledge and catered to each group’s home language and made sure that any food allergies were addressed with the lunch vendor. Raphaele provided safe and efficient transportation. Very impressed with the day and would definitely take another tour with them.

We had an amazing time - Claudia was knowledgeable and friendly, and Adamou drove us comfortably through the stunning countryside. The itinerary was well balanced

Claudia was an excellent guide—warm, insightful, and engaging. Adamou’s driving was smooth and professional throughout. The itinerary was perfectly planned, and the wine tasting was the best I had in all of Tuscany. Highly recommended!

It was just the three of us, but we were taken care of really well. The views were great! It was my first time going for wine tasting and it that was a very nice experience with bits of history.

The trip was amazing! The places were beautiful. Lunch and wine were very good. Amy, our guide was lovely and friendly and had a lot of knowledge. We really enjoyed the trip

My husband and I had a wonderful experience. The trip was well paced and informative. I was impressed on how efficiently the problem with our bus was solved. It did not interrupt our day. The only suggestion would be to have a bit more time at the Abby for those who reserved the guide. I will definitely recommend to my friends. Thanks for a great trip.

This trip was spectacular. Very well organized through the countryside of Tuscany. Pienza was breathtaking, the drive through rolling hills and vineyards was mesmerizing, the lunch and the wine at Montalcino was spectacular, and the solicitude and views at the Abbey left us truly speechless. Our guide was so easy going and knowledgeable. A wonderful day to experience the splendor of the Tuscan countryside

The wine tour was absolutely fantastic. The views from each stop were breathtaking and we were able to take many photos. The lunch and wine tasting was a great experience and lunch was simply delicious. Thank you to Roberto for being a perfect guide and so very informative. Giovanni our driver was always punctual. I would recommend this tour

Very nice trip to beautiful Pienza and Montalzino for tasting Brunello and enjoying the fantastic landscape of the Val d'Orca. Nice guiding of Roberto and excellent and effectiv driving of Giovanni who was very kind to stop at some venues for photos. We recomend this trip to anyone who want to enjoy the Tuscan landscape and history.

Roberto was an excellent guide from beginning to end, and was a well of interesting facts. The destinations was beautiful for first-time visitors, and we will be back for more visits. Very efficient driving by Giovanni, but felt safe at all times.

Love, love, loved this tour. You never know what to expect when booking a tour and this tour exceeded expectations. First, this was one of there more intimate tours, about 10 people total which I love. Not knocking the larger, mega tours but the small group, coupled with the quaint locations on the tour was perfect. Also our tour guide Mary Angela was amazing. She’s so knowledgeable, speaks multiple languages and is able to flow easily from English, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. I’m sure she speaks even more languages than this but Wow! And Monticello and the hamlets we visited give you an authentic Tuscan experience. The lunch was amazing and for me was the best Italian meal I’d had on the trip so far and this is after haven been to Rome for 4 days. I can write an essay about how much I loved this tour. I think I just did!! But don’t take my word for it. You must experience for yourself! Worth every penny.

The tour was fantastic. We tasted great wines and food and saw amazing views of Tuscany. Mary Angela was the perfect tour guide. She was fun and energetic and had great facts and insights into the region.

I really enjoyed that tour - the guide was perfect, she had very nice English so that non-native speaker like me could understand everything. The views were outstanding, lunch with wine was nice and relaxing, as well as the whole tour. Certainly would recommend for people who are tired watching countless buildings and ruins.

Mary Angela was extremely informative and provided a great overall experience. Would recommend to anyone visiting Florence, wanting to experience Tuscany.

Excellent itinerary, great learnings about the region and the wine of moltecino and brunello. We started the day at a monastery being introduced to the labor of monks of st Benedictine. Got to taste some local beer brews and then were taken to Moltencino for lunch and wine tasting. Both food and wine was exceptional making you feel wanting to come back in the future. The final leg of the tour was Pienza where one could learn about Pius II and the relevance of the Picolino family for the area. We choose to visit the palazzo publica for the picturesque views of the valley of D’Orcia and have some cheese tasting privately at a cheese shop around the corner (totally worth it). Day went quick and gave a great introspective of a small corner of Tuscany. Tour guide Maria Angela was funny, informative and created a relaxed atmosphere of discovery. Crazie Miele!

The views and weather are amazing, and we took a lot of pictures. There were 20 people in the tour which is just fine, our guide MaryAngela took good care of us. But this tour doesn’t include a visit to vineyard. It would be perfect if we can have lunch near a vineyard. If the tour can stop by the Val d’orca for us to take a picture, it would be even better!

relaxing trip and lots of free time to walk around & take pics. The tour guide is super friendly and helpful. Just the lunch portion was little smaller than expected, not enough to pair up with the wine.

I would recommend booking this trip because of the beautiful buildings and scenery. The guide was very knowledgeable and fun to talk to!

Claudia was a great guide! We had one of our favorite days from our trip with her. We visited some very beautiful places that we definitely want to come back to some day and would definitely recommend this tour to everyone - great views, food, and guide!

Claudia was a great guide! We had a very unique and interesting experience visiting the Tuscan towns, tasting wine, and seeing the best views. I would definitely book with Claudia again when I bring my family.

Best tour we ever been! Exquisite, luxury. We received unforgettable tour in Tuscany. From the transportation to lunch and wine degustation everything was perfect. Transportation in van with Ricardo was smooth, safe and fast. Also, at our request they made a couple of stops to take pictures of magnificent Tuscany landscapes. Roberto, our guide, was amazing, attentive and tour with him went interesting and entertaining. Overal, this tour exceeded our expectations and created truly memorable experience. We visited all the mentioned sights and in bonus even received stop at Gladiator-like landscape for couple photos. Tuscany and tour were mesmerizing. Special mention for lunch and degustation: it was amazing. We tasted 3 local wines accompanied with 3 local dishes and dessert. It was delicious and Michelin star level. Special thanks to Irina for detailed information about wines and dishes. If you want unforgettable tour with truly Toscan experience this is it! Arrivederci e grazzie mille!

Two senior citizens who don’t speak the language were left alone. If a kind stranger didn’t drive us to a destination i don’t know what who have happened to us. We were terrified

Gabriel speak a really understandable English, he is nice, helpful, and skilled. We appreciate his historical knowledge as well as tips for the rest of our trip. The tour was well prepared, great meal. Just one more glass would has been appreciated with the dessert.

The script is very beautiful, but the execution of the tour was quite problematic. The main problem was the lack of control and assistance of the guide. At one of the stops, approximately 15 people were left behind, including our group, Peruvian tourists, and other participants. The guide simply continued the trip to the first city. Lack of organization and assistance compromised the trip without any check or count of the passengers. Because of that, we completely lost the first gastronomic and wine tasting experience included in the tour. We looked for the team, explained what happened, and formally complained, but the assistance provided was unsatisfactory. To date, inclusive, we are still awaiting the refund corresponding to the activity we could not perform. The rest of the tour was also conducted in an excessively rushed manner, with very short stops, little time to see the places, and even to take photos. This dissatisfaction was shared by several members of the group. Another negative point: the tour was booked in Spanish, but at the winery, the explanations were given in English and there was no adequate translation from the guide. The Val d'Orcia is very worth visiting. The problem was the tour guiding: there was a lack of organization, group monitoring, and assistance when problems occurred.

Very good experience, we came from Colombia and we loved the tour. We saw Tuscany and its vineyards, which was spectacular. Our guide Constantino was very kind and fun, he also always translated for us from English to Spanish or Portuguese. The driver Fannel made us feel safe and calm.

Constantino and Cosimo conducted the tour very well, being charismatic and professional. Following the route, we had the opportunity to meet three medieval cities and two wineries. The taste of wines and pecorino cheese at the Talosa winery impressed me, as it was made underground, an old emergency exit for the nobles of the city. The wines were great, but I thought the quantity should be bigger. The meeting point at Piazzale Montelungo was not easy to find even using Google Maps. Overall, it was a very pleasant day in the company of the group.

Excellent guide Guide with great knowledge of history and speaks five languages. It is very helpful, attentive and punctual.