Authentic Umbria Food, Wine & Artisans Tour

Mingle with locals and discover this enchanting region that remains little changed by the centuries and is far away from the tourist crowds.

What to expect?

Join us on this special tour of Umbria. We live here and will show you the sights only the locals know. You’ll get a peek into daily life in the beautiful city of Perugia and feel like you live in this enchanting region that’s remained little changed over the centuries and is far from the usual tourist crowds. First founded by the Etruscans, Perugia is a beautifully preserved medieval city. Stay at a welcoming, boutique hotel in the historic center of Perugia. You’ll have shops, museums, cafes, restaurants, and gorgeous architecture right outside your door.

Our week in Umbria will feature a selection of food and wine activities, including cooking classes, wine tastings, an artisan chocolate experience, truffle hunting with a local family, Perugia’s top-rated food tour, plus sightseeing and free time to meander in several of Umbria’s most iconic and beautiful hill towns. 

Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1: Sunday, May 31, 2026: Arrival in Perugia

Today is your arrival day in Umbria, where you’ll be welcomed at your home base for the week, the boutique Hotel Priori Secret Garden. Located on Via dei Priori, the hotel is steps from shops, museums, cafes, and historical attractions. At the hotel’s rooftop bar, you can enjoy an afternoon drink with views over the city. Drop your bags and have an afternoon stroll or lunch on Perugia’s main Corso. Later, you’ll have time to relax before getting to know your fellow travelers at an evening meet and greet, followed by a light dinner.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Priori Secret Garden

Meals: Welcome Aperitivo/Light Dinner

Day 2: Monday, June 1, 2026: Perugia Food Tour + Artisan Chocolate

Today, we’ll explore Perugia on our top-rated Taste Perugia food tour. As we stroll through its maze of medieval streets, you’ll be struck by the beauty of this ancient city and by the delicious simplicity of Umbrian food. We’ll meet the local restaurant and shop owners and learn about the history of Perugia as we sip and taste our way around town. After our tour, we’ll have an artisan chocolate-making experience with Susan’s friend, Giulia, a young chocolatier and chocolate sommelier. Giulia will explain how cacao is grown and transformed into chocolate from bean to bar. We’ll taste single-origin chocolate samples and make our own bars with local ingredients (nuts, spices, etc) to suit our taste. After our experience, we’ll have free time to relax before a light dinner/aperitivo on Susan and Richard’s terrace, which sits on top of a 3rd-century BC Etruscan gate.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Priori Secret Garden

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Aperitivo

Day 3: Tuesday, June 2, 2026: Cooking Class at a Local Winery

After breakfast, we’ll head to a beautiful winery just 30 minutes outside Perugia for a cooking class to make traditional pasta shapes and fillings in the winery’s state-of-the-art DeManicor kitchen. Chef Jacopo and his staff will conduct this hands-on class and answer all your questions about Umbrian food. During the class, we’ll have finger food and wine. The meal you have made will be served downstairs in the Vineria accompanied by a sommelier-guided tasting of Carmine Estate wines. In the afternoon, you’ll have free time in Perugia with dinner on your own.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Priori Secret Garden

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Wednesday, June 3, 2026: Deruta Pottery + Cheesemaking

Today we’ll stop in Deruta to tour a family-owned ceramics studio. The owner, Carlo, and his daughter Rachele will show us the process of creating their Majolica ceramics, from forming the clay, firing, glazing, to stenciling and painting. After our visit, we’ll stop for a light lunch, then head to a local cheese producer (the best in Umbria) and meet the passionate owner, Riccardo, who will show us how to make fresh cheese. According to Riccardo, anyone can learn to make cheese flavored with local ingredients in a way that can easily be done in your home kitchen. After we make our cheeses, we’ll have a cheese-tasting of Riccardo’s special selections. Later, we’ll return to Perugia for dinner at a local restaurant.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Priori Secret Garden

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Thursday, June 4, 2026: Assisi

Today we’ll head to Assisi. The birthplace of Saint Francis and Saint Claire, the city is the spiritual heart of Umbria. You’ll visit Assisi’s majestic Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage site, that stands above the valley and offers panoramic views in every direction. The basilica, a religious pilgrimage site, is the final resting place of Saint Francis and is famous for its series of Giotto frescoes depicting his life. We’ll have a short tour of the Basilica and Assisi’s main points of interest before free time to meander, shop, and have lunch on your own. Next, we’ll stop at a local winery in the Assisi DOC. Here, we’ll be welcomed by a mother and daughter for a private tour and tasting of their organic wines, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar served with an aperitivo of local cheeses and snacks. Later in the day, we’ll return to Perugia with free time before dinner on your own.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Priori Secret Garden

Meals: Breakfast, Aperitivo

Day 6: Friday, June 5, 2026: Truffle Hunting with a Local Family

Today we’ll hunt for truffles on a farm where Francesca’s family has lived off the land since the 1400s. When we have enough of this local delicacy to make lunch, we’ll stop in a panoramic spot and have our first taste of a freshly dug truffle with scrambled eggs (an Umbrian favorite) and a glass or two of Prosecco. Then, back in the village, you can lend a hand to Francesca as she makes fresh pasta or simply sit back and watch as you enjoy homemade snacks, pecorino cheese, and loads of local wine. When the pasta is made, we’ll sit down to a traditional Umbrian meal where all of the recipes have a distinctly ‘wild’ flavor. Family and friends from the village often join us for this relaxing, fun, and authentic lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll head back to Perugia for free time and dinner on your own.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Priori Secret Garden

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7: Saturday, June 6, 2026: Artisan Passion + The Infiorata in Spello

This morning we’ll visit with Susan’s friend, Marta Cucchia, a fourth-generation weaver. Marta’s studio is a former hermitage built by St. Francis and his disciples in 1212. This characteristic location now houses the Giuditta Brozzetti Museum Workshop, one of Italy’s last surviving hand-weaving workshops. Here, Marta still weaves on the original working looms from the 18th and 19th centuries.

After we visit with Marta, you’ll have free time to relax and have lunch on your own before our late afternoon departure for Spello. Once in Spello, we’ll enjoy a special evening of magic as the entire town prepares for The Infiorata. This unique festival transforms the streets of this ancient town into a vibrant art installation using millions of fresh flower petals. We’ll have time to wander and shop the many artisan boutiques—many of which stay open past midnight. Along the way, you’ll witness every resident of Spello creating breathtaking floral designs to be revealed the following morning in a religious procession to celebrate Corpus Domini. We’ll stop for dinner at a local restaurant before returning to Perugia in the late evening.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Priori Secret Garden

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: Sunday, June 7, 2026: Orvieto and Fiumicino

Today, we check out and head to Orvieto, a city with an ancient and mysterious atmosphere that soars above the surrounding valley, perched atop a tufa cliff. Your day includes a ticket to Orvieto’s magnificent Duomo, an example of Italian Gothic architecture, renowned for its striking facade and intricate detailing. You’ll have free time to meander in the many shops and beautiful piazzas before a short visit to the ancient laboratory of L’Orvietan. Our host, Lamberto, will tell us the story of this renowned, local amaro. This traditional herbal liqueur, steeped in history and crafted with a secret blend of local herbs, roots, and spices, was first concocted as a medicinal remedy in the 17th century. After lunch on your own, we’ll head to the port town of Fiumicino for a farewell dinner and an overnight stay at the 4-star Hotel Tiber.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Tiber Fiumicino

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9: Departure

Today is your departure day. After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll say arrivederci until our next adventure in La Bel Paese. A free shuttle to Rome Fiumicino is included.

Please Note

1. Although every effort is made to adhere to the stated tour, our itinerary is subject to change at any time due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of Via del Vino, LLC and its travel providers. A non-refundable deposit is due at the time of booking to secure your spot.
2. Our Umbria tour uses a boutique property with a mix of rooms that are all unique and may vary in size and amenities. Rooms are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis according to need (doubles vs twin beds vs single supplement). Single supplement rooms are limited. Please let us know if you need twin beds.

Physical Requirements of This Tour:

• Walking unassisted at a relaxed pace on uneven pavements, hills, and stone stairs with only short breaks
• Standing for 1 or 2 hours for walking tours with only short breaks and limited seating available
• Getting on and off the minibus unassisted
• This tour is not suitable for guests with mobility issues

What’s Included:

• 8-Nights accommodation
• Transportation for all daily activities
• Daily breakfast
• 4 lunches, 4 dinners, and 2 aperitivi all include wine
• 1 cooking class, 1 cheesemaking class, 1 Artisan Chocolate Experience
• 2 Winery visits
• 2 Artisan Visits
• Entrance fees to the Basilica in Assisi and the Cathedral of Orvieto

What’s Not Included:

• Airfare
• Airport transfers on arrival (can be provided for an additional cost)
• Cash tips for local guides (optional)

Note: Additional nights before the tour start can be arranged for an extra cost.