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chebellatours.com
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SIENA'S PALIO HORSERACE
​AND A TUSCAN VILLA
contact us
A luxury villa in Tuscany and Siena's famous Palio Horserace, with included excursions to Siena, San Gimignano, Arezzo, Cortona, Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Greve in Chianti and Panzano. 

June 26 - July 5 (June 2 Palio race) or August 10 - 19 (August 16 Palio race)
 

9 days/8 nights

Il Palio is one of Italy’s most spectacular horse events and has been taking place in this medieval town since 1656. It's just as much about pageantry, district identity and Sienese pride as it is about a bareback horse race that lasts, on average, just 90 seconds. Ten horses and bareback riders represent ten of the 17 city districts or ‘Contradas’, each carries their own colors and flags. On this tour, you'll become part of a Sienese contrada and be part of the horse blessings, music, singing, parades, and celebrations surrounding this famous event. You tour price also includes:
- Pre-race day festivities and dinner with a contrada
- Palio race tickets, reserved bleacher seating or as about our premium balcony seating
- Post-race dinner in the garden's of Siena


Pre- and Post-tour options to Rome or Naples and the Amalfi Coast

Please inquire about our 2023 pricing
Please join Tour Director Sandy Gregory for this wonderful adventure through Italy, or contact us to help you create your own independent travel experience with our Concierge Travel Services.

Suggested time to travel:

June 26 - July 5 (June 2 Palio race) or August 10 - 19 (August 16 Palio race)
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Palio Tour:
8 nights in our Tuscan Villa

​
Pre- and post-tour options to:
• Rome
​• Naples and the Amalfi Coast

 DAY 1: TO THE VILLA

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Transfer from Rome or from nearby Florence or Bologna airports to our luxury Tuscan Villa

Our villa is in the hills of Tuscany, conveniently located to all of our excursions, with swimming pool and air-conditioned rooms. Breakfast is included in your price. And since we are in the vineyards ... wine is plentiful!

We’ll enjoy a tasting of the villa’s wine and olive oil with our included welcome dinner. ​

Overnight at the villa, 8 nights with breakfast.

DAY 2: A DAY AT THE VILLA

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“Il dolce far nient" is a wonderful Italian expression which translates as “the sweetness of doing nothing.” The art of doing nothing — and doing it well — is what vacation is all about. Enjoy the day relaxing. Lounge by the pool. Hike the vineyard. Grab a bike. It’s the perfect day to enjoy your villa. Lunch is available for you at the villa or you can bike, walk or taxi to nearby San Gimignano. 

Tonight: 
Included cooking lesson. As we look over the Tuscan countryside, we’ll learn how to prepare a four-course meal of antipasti, primo, secondo, and dolce before indulging in the results of your hard work.
​
Inquire about one of our Dig a Little Deeper private optional tour excursions below. Pricing will be based on the number of participants. Click on the + below for details.​
​NEW! Dig a Little Deeper Series
Cinquecento drive through the Tuscan Countryside Tour. The Fiat 500 truly represents Italian culture and is synonymous with la dolce vita, and the vintage Fiat 500 has become a status symbol, representing chic, working class motoring. The car was used in many Italian films during the 50s and 60s, playing starring roles next to Marcello Mastroianni, Vittorio Gassam and Federico Fellini. On this excursions, we liberate our passion for life and take to the road! Your day will include Tuscany's panoramic vistas and stops along the way.

DAY 3: SAN GIMIGNANO, WINE TASTING TOUR AND LUNCH IN A CASTLE

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Today we’ll begin our morning with a visit to the Tuscan town of San Gimignano, where time seems to have stood still. As you stroll through the winding streets, you’ll see what Tuscan hill towns looked like in the Middle Ages. It’s easy to explore this little town, shop for ceramics, linens and olive wood products, or maybe go in to one of the Torture Museums. 

We're then on to an exclusive, family-run winery to experience an exquisite wine tasting and Tuscan lunch and a tour the amazing grounds and cellars of a 15th century castle. 
Italy produces more wine than anywhere else in the world. With over 2000 native grape varietals and hundreds of wine blends, the choices are just as diverse as the regions in Italy. What was once the battle grounds of the country's war-torn past are now beautiful vineyards as far as the eye can see. Great wine tastings in Italy do not merely involve a few minutes of standing and sipping in a large tasting room. Instead, they are more of an immersion into the local culture. As you relax in a beautiful villa dining room or a veranda offering views of the rolling hills, your hosts share the history and story of their family roots, winery lineage, grape varietals and local cuisine.

Tonight is dinner on your own. You can choose to have dinner at the villa or we can arrange a taxi in to San Gimignano.

DAY 4: AREZZO AND CORTONA

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Today we visit Arezzo and Cortona. We’ll start with a walking tour of Arezzo. Arezzo is a medieval city with a beautiful historic centre immortalized by Roberto Benigni in the movie Life is Beautiful.. It’s also known for the production of gold jewelry and of the famous artist, architect and art historian Giorgio Vasari. We'll enjoy a wonderful included lunch in the square. 

​We’re then our way to Cortona, one of the oldest hill towns in Tuscany. It's famous for its international athmosphere and Etruscan Museum. We'll enjoy a walking tour through the town before enjoying a jewelry-making demonstration where the master will demonstrate the ancient art of lost wax casting. You’ll have some time to explore the town and experience passeggiata - the evening walk - before we head to our included dinner in Cortona. Transfer back to the villa after dinner.​​

DAY 5: SIENA. PALIO PRE-DAY 


Private sightseeing in Siena, final test race and street dinner with a contrada.
Our private walking tour will take you through the winding streets of the contrade (neighborhoods) to learn about the passion of Siena’s famous Palio horse race and the striped grandeur of St. Catherine’s Cathedral. 

You’ll have the afternoon for lunch on your own and to stroll through the winding streets and absorb the city’s rich medieval history. It’s a fun, vibrant town with some very good shopping. Beautiful ties, paper, fabrics, terracotta, gold jewelry, tapestries and wine are all produced locally in Siena. Via di Città is the main street of the city and has plenty of good shops selling bags, purses and leather items. 

We'll then gather to witness the final test race before the big event and enjoy included dinner with a contrada (neighborhood); each contrada stages a sumptuous banquet to “rehearse” their surefire victory celebration. Leaders, members, guests and a few lucky tourists attend a banquet in honor of the pageant. The neighborhood identity is all-important to the Sienese. Each contrada is held  together by its residents' common emotions and devotions; every important event - baptisms, deaths, marriages, church holidays, victories, even wine or food festivals - are celebrated by the contrada, surrounded by a hierarchical social structures, colors, banners and rituals. 
​

DAY 6: IL PALIO!

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For the Sienese, the Palio is not just a horse race. The months, days and weeks leading up to the race actually represent the history and pride of  the 17 competing contrades. April 26th marks the opening of parade season. Throughout the next four months, each contrada stages colorful processions to celebrate its patron saint. 
 
Only ten horses run each race. After they are tested and evaluated, they are assigned by lot to each of the ten contrade who have been chosen to participate in the race. In the morning of the race, each horse is led into the contrada church to be blessed. The parade then begins through the streets, and at 4:30, 50,000 people file into the middle of the square. Guests of Che Bella Tours will be among the lucky ones who will take our reserved seats on the bleachers in front of the 15th-century palazzi that line the perimeter to watch the race. We can also make arrangements for your group to be on one of the balconies looking over the Compo, a bird's eye view complete with seating, catering and private restroom facilities. 

​Dinner in Siena is included after the race.


​Check out this video from the 2018 Palio race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_yGZhZItVo

DAY 7: WINETASTING IN MONTALCINO AND MONTEPULCIANO

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Montalcino is a small walled town that is perched on top of a hill in Val d’Orcia and the home of the famous wine called Brunello. Brunello wines are considered one of Italy’s best and most expensive wines and is the only Tuscan wine that is made from 100% Sangiovese grapes. At our winery, we’ll be pleasantly immersed in the harmonies of Mozart music, played across the rows of vines through a hundred speakers, in ecstasy with nature. This is not something born to amaze the visitor, but rather the result of serious agronomic and scientific research concerning the beneficial effects of musical frequencies on the vines.

Montepulciano is a lovely Etruscan Tuscan town. As early as in Roman times, the Gauls were known to have travelled all the way down in the Italian peninsula to Montepulciano to enjoy their excellent red wines. Montepulciano reached its peak of fame and splendour in the 16th Century, with estates designed by the most famous Florentine architects. Their wines were served at the table of popes, cardinals and the Medici family and gained the fame of a very elegant “noble” red wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which literally means Noble Wine from Montepulciano. Your walking tour will include the most beautiful architectural gems such as the Duomo, the Palazzo Pubblico, Palazzo Contucci and Tarugi overlooking Piazza Grande before we enjoy an including wine tasting and lunch. 

After lunch we're on to one of my favorite Tuscan hilltowns, Pienza. It's one of the prettiest little towns in Italy and the perfect ending for those of us who 
love history, architecture and food. The city wall offers a wonderful walk around the perimeter of the town - perfect for our afternoon passagiata.  You'll then have time to explore the layrinth of streets and find a little cafe or restaurant for dinner (not included) before we are transferred back to the villa.

DAY 8: CHIANTI

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​This afternoon, we'll explore more of the small hill towns of Tuscany, including a stop in Greve in Chianti and included farewell dinner with the Mad Butcher of Panzano. 

Our stop in Greve will include the largest enoteca (wine shop) in Chianti with more than 140 wines available for tasting using the innovative enomatic wine serving system. It guarantees quality control, quantity and the temperature of the wine distributed, and gives us the opportunity to sample myriad wines at an accessible price. Each guest will purchase their own wine card and explore the wines they want to try. ​

DAY 9: DEPARTURES

Included transfers to the Florence or Bologna Airport for flights out or on to your post-tour options.
PRE- or post-tour OPTION in rome
Day 1. “Tutte e strade portano a Roma” – “All Roads lead to Rome.” Rome is one of the most beautiful, exciting cities in the world. Today’s Rome is a combination of romance, relics and ruins amidst a modern, sprawling, living city. Medieval churches sit atop ancient basilicas above Roman palaces. Gleaming office buildings incorporate fragments of eroded Roman columns. Roads and piazzas follow the lines of ancient city walls. Rome’s history began over 2000 years ago, far before the time of Jesus Christ. It was the capital of the Roman Empire and is still the capital of Italy. We’ll arrive in Rome in the late afternoon and check in to our hotel, located right in the historic centre of Rome. It’s walking distance from all the major sites and serves breakfast right at the foot of the Pantheon. 

Tonight we’ll take a walking orientation enroute to included dinner.
​

Day 2. This morning your guide will pick you up at your hotel to enjoy a private tour of Ancient Rome, including the Capitoline, Forum and Colosseum. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure. 

In that area after the tour, you might want to think about:

• Visiting the Wedding Cake (Tomb of Victor Emmanuel) and go up the elevator for a great view of Ancient Rome, then go next door to the Capitoline Museum which is really good. Then go over and see Michelangelo’s Moses at St. Peter’s in Chains. 

• San Clemente, a church where you can walk down various levels to view centuries of archaeological finds. 

​• Stroll up Via del Corso and do some shopping and finish at the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps are crowded, and are ... steps, but a good afternoon destination for gelato and people watching. This is also at the top of a major shopping district in Rome - Via Condotti.

• Walking along the Tiber and then visiting the synagogue at the ghetto, or Jewish Quarter. There is a whole lively street of great restaurant choices. Not to be missed: The Jewish Artichoke! This local treat dates back to Imperial times, when the Roman Jewish community numbered about 50,000. They look like golden sunflowers and their leaves have a delicious nutty crunchiness. You can also visit the synagogue after lunch. You don’t need advanced reservations, but can go get tickets before lunch for an afternoon tour.

Day 3. 
This morning we enjoy a private tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s square.

This afternoon you can:
• Stay in the Vatican area for lunch and then stroll down to the Castle of the Angels. It’s a lovely museum with great views of Rome.
 
• Take a taxi to the orange grove to peek through the keyhole to see a cool view of St. Peter’s dome. Ask your guide for details.

• Dig a Little Deeper with our optional Rome excursions listed above

Tonight: Included Farewell Dinner

Dig a Little Deeper private optional tour excursions:

Before and After-Hours VIP Tours to the Vatican and St. Peter's.
 Che Bella is now offering off-hour tours, away from the heat of the day and the crowds of the general public. 

Opera at the Baths of Caracalla. Formerly public baths for Romans and later enhanced with libraries, the Baths of Caracalla date back around 212-217 AD. the Baths of Caracalla today serve as the perfect backdrop for enjoying an opera. Not only does this outdoor theater offer marvelous acoustics, but there are also stunning lightshows projected onto the Baths’ ruins that accompany and enhance all operatic performances. Every summer, the Baths of Caracalla host a selection of operas from the Teatro dell’Opera. Beginning promptly at 9:00pm, these evening performances are all set in the outdoor theater, Teatro alle Terme di Caracalla. With English and Italian subtitles provided, tickets range from €25 to €100. Please inquire about the performance schedule. 

Underground Rome Tour. Every time I'm in Rome, I see new diggings. Be it for the new metro line, a shopping mall or sewage pipes, a new piece of underground Rome is excavated, examined and cataloged. There is a whole world to discover beneath Rome's surface. This tour Peel back Rome's layers of history with visits to three of Rome's eeriest sights: the Capuchin Crypt, the Prscilla Catacombs and the Basilica of San Clemente.

Trastavere Foodie Tour. We came! We saw! We ate! Trastevere is a neighbourhood like no other. Its ivy-coated, cobblestone streets come alive at night, earning it comparisons to Greenwich Village and Paris’s Left Bank. It’s where Romans choose to eat with their families on a Sunday and where young Romans go for buzzing nightlife at evenings and weekends. You can’t leave Rome without walking these streets and tasting the best food in Rome. During this local walking tour, you'll enjoy learning about the history of the area, visit the local food spots, taste along the way, enjoy a magnificent sit down dinner and end with some of the best gelato in Rome.

Enroute to or from Rome, we'll make a 3-hr. stop in wonderful Orvieto, Umbria. It’s a great pedestrian town with artisan shops and a city wall that offers gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside. You can tour Orvieto’s famous cathedral or see some of the best artifacts in Tuscany in an underground system of tunnels and caverns carved by the Etruscans. ​
​​
POST-TOUR OPTION TO NAPLES AND THE AMALFI COAST
Post-Tour Day 1. Train to Naples for day tour and on to Sorrento

We’ll begin with a stop at the Naples Archaeological Museum, where you’ll have a private tour and time to see the best of the artifacts from both Pompeii and Herculaneum … and the secret erotica room! After your museum tour, we’re on to Pizza to fortify you for the afternoon. We’re then on our way to our private tour of Herculaneum, with its expansive houses, impressive mosaics and lavish marble in the remains. 

We’re then on to the Amalfi Coast, one of the most breathtaking drives in the world. 

Our Sorrento hotel located above the town. All rooms will have balconies that look over the Bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius, with included breakfast and a pool.

Tonight we’ll enjoy our passagiatta strolling through the winding streets of Sorrento enroute to Included Dinner.

 
Post-Tour Day 2. A Day in Positano 
Today is a day of leisure in the beautiful town of Positano. We’ll be back in the late afternoon so you can walk down in to Sorrento as well. Transfers from and back to Sorrento included. 

Dinner tonight is on your own in Sorrento. 

Post-Tour Day 3. A Day in Capri
This morning we’ll board the fast ferry for a day on the island of Capri. 
​
You’ll have the afternoon to explore more of Sorrento and tonight we’ll have an included Farewell dinner to say arrivederci to Italy.

Post-Tour Day 4. Arrivederci Italia! 
Transfers to the Naples Airport.
​​

READY TO TRAVEL?

303-596-4593

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  • Home
    • WHY CHOOSE CHE BELLA TOURS
  • WHERE WE GO
    • Tour Calendar
    • EUROPE >
      • ITALY >
        • ITALIAN DREAMS - italy's great cities
        • NORTHERN ITALY ITINERARIES >
          • 2023 ITALY'S NORTH WITH PARIS AND NORMANDY >
            • PARIS AND NORMANDY
          • ITALY'S NORTHERN LAKES AND VENETO WINE ROAD
          • A ROMANTIC WINTER GETAWAY TO VERONA AND VENICE
          • PIEDMONT AND LAKE MAGGIORE
        • CENTRAL ITALY ITINERARIES >
          • TUSCANY AND THE WINE COUNTRY
          • SIENA'S PALIO HORSERACE AND A TUSCAN VILLA
          • LE MARCHE AND UMBRIA
        • SOUTHERN ITALY ITINERARIES >
          • PUGLIA, NAPLES AND THE AMALFI COAST
          • BELLA SICILY
      • THE IBERIAN PENNINSULA >
        • SPAIN
        • PORTUGAL
        • Marrakech, Morocco EXCURSION
      • FRANCE >
        • FOODIE FUN IN FRANCE
      • GREECE
      • CROATIA
      • AUSTRIA AND GERMANY >
        • THE BEST OF AUSTRIA AND GERMANY
        • THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS
      • ICELAND
      • THE UNITED KINGDOM AND REPUBLIC OF IRELAND >
        • LONDON AND THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE
        • IRELAND
        • SCOTLAND
    • NORTH AMERICA >
      • THE MAJESTIC PARKS OF AMERICA'S WEST AND SOUTHWEST
      • California Dreamin': The Pacific Coast Highway, San Francisco and ​the Wine Country
      • SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
    • SOUTH AMERICA >
      • PERU
      • COSTA RICA
      • ARGENTINA, PATAGONIA AND THE MENDOZA WINE COUNTRY
    • TREASURES OF THAILAND AND CAMBODIA
    • Che Bella Book Club TOURS >
      • FRANCE - 2023
      • LONDON AND THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE
    • Trip Reports
  • THE BOOKS AND THE BUZZ
    • My new book! The Art of Traveling Italy
    • CHE BELLA MARKETPLACE >
      • TRAVEL INSURANCE
      • TRAVEL & COOKING PRODUCTS
      • BOOKS AND FILMS
    • BELLA BUZZ NEWSLETTER
    • TRAVEL MOMENTS OF ZEN
    • At My Pace
  • Contact