Is Wine, Cooking, Truffles & Chocolate: A Foodie's Paradise in Umbria For Me?

Is Wine, Cooking, Truffles & Chocolate: A Foodie's Paradise in Umbria For Me?

This is one of our most immersive vacations, and it is not for everyone. Please read this page carefully to make sure it is a right fit for you.

  1. Your Disposition - Our vacations are focused on having a good time with new friends. Everything we do revolves around that. People seeking a self-centered vacation might reconsider. Our groups tend to span all ages, men & women, singles & couples... everyone is welcome, and when our guests come ready to embrace a new culture, look forward to trying new things, and interact with other guests, it is always amazing. Even the way our guests see us is important. If you see us as "providers of a service", you may reconsider our trips. We bring you into our family and become part of the group with you... as though you are visiting friends and family. If you are able to be in this frame of mind, our trips will be like nothing you have ever experienced, but if you are looking for a more detached relationship with us, our trips may not be for you.
  2. Be Ready to Embrace the Culture - Our trips focus on bringing you into the true culture of the place, but some guests prefer to see it, but not live it. We embrace the culture and do things the way locals do, which may or may not be what you are looking for. This includes little things like not having cappuccino with our meals (Italians only have cappuccino as a breakfast beverage), not having bacon and eggs for breakfast (Italians have coffee or tea and pastries), or larger things, like the fact that we have our dinners after 8:00 PM, like the Italians, do. Every step of the way we adapt to the local culture, rather than asking the local culture to adapt to us. This also tends to make us much more welcome guests than other groups!
  3. Physical Intensity - You by no means need to be athletic for this vacation, but you must be able to handle some level of physical exertion. A good rule to follow would be to ask yourself if you can do three flights of stairs, then continue walking without needing to sit down for a while.
  4. Age Concerns - We have had guests as old as 90 years old with no problems whatsoever. Age is not a limiting factor, so long as you are in good physical condition with no health problems that exertion would complicate.
  5. Altitude - Foligno is at an altitude of 650 feet (200 meters). The highest altitude we reach is in Norcia 2,000 feet (600 meters).
  6. Walking & Bus Time - In Italy, walking is always a larger concern than it probably is back home. This is because the towns are ancient, and much is closed to vehicle traffic. Some guests are also concerned about how much time they will spend on a bus. While we are in a very central area, we try to go to some of the most interesting places. Some days will have more travel time, and some very little.

Total Walking & Bus Time for the Week

  • Total Walking All Week: ~8 miles (12 km)
    This is the total for the entire week, not per day, and does not include walking between your home and the town piazza each day.
  • Total Time in Bus All Week: ~11 hours
    TThis is the total for the entire week, not per day, and does not include transfers at beginning and end of the week. This covers roughly 470 miles (750km) of driving mostly in the scenic Umbrian countryside.

Detail Day By Day:

While in Foligno
Foligno is completely flat. Furthermore, all of our homes are in the town center, which can only be reached by foot. Some of the homes have stairs (none more than three flights). All of our days start and end in the town piazza. The homes are all close to the piazza, but in different locations. The most distant home is 1,300 feet (400 meters) from the piazza.

Day Walking Bus Rest Time
Saturday On Saturday when you arrive, you will be walking from piazza to your home to check in. We will help with your bags if you desire. In the evening, we take a stroll around the village, then to dinner. Between the stroll and the restaurant where we have dinner, we will walk roughly 0.6 miles (1 km) today, not including the walking between your home and piazza. The only time you will be on the bus today is to get to Foligno. If you come from the Rome airport, it is roughly 2 hours and 30 min including a rest stop. If you arrive to the train station, the walking distance from the station is about 10 minutes, and we will help you with your baggage. n/a
Sunday The restaurant for our cooking classes is about 500 feet (150 meters). The only bus time is to dinner which is 20 minutes each way. After the cooking class, we will have several hours to rest before dinner.
Monday We will walk around the winery, but it is minimal walking with minimal stairs. In Assisi, from the bus, to the town is about a half mile (800 meter) walk with a light decline. The bus picks us up in a different location, so walking back to the bus is also a .5 miles (800 meter) decline. What you do in Assisi can be very little or quite intense, depending on your desires. The morning drive to Montefalco is about 15 minutes. The drive from Montefalco to Assisi is about 20 minutes. The drive to the Foligno from Assisi is about an 20 minutes. The drive to Gualdo and back to Foligno is about 25 minutes each way. Most of the drive today in on highways, so winding roads is not a big concern. Today you will have a few hours after Assisi and before dinner to rest.
Tuesday The walking at the pig farm is very minimal, about 300 feet (100 meters). In Norcia, there is about 0.5 miles of walking (800 meters), it is a very easy and flat walk. In Spoleto is about a mile (1600 meters). There is a moving walkway to assist in the uphill parts of the walking. The drive to Norcia is 1 hour. The drive to Spoleto from Norcia is 45 minutes. The drive from Spoleto back to Foligno is 25 mintues. About half of this ride is on mountain roads, so if you suffer from motion sickness, today would be the day to take medicine and sit in the front. Time to rest today is minimal. It is a full day out. Many take time on the bus to close their eyes.
Wednesday This is a long day out. In Perugia, an escalator will take us from the bus to the main town square. About 1 mile (1600 meters) of walking is to be expected walking around Perugia. Little to no walking is necessary at the chocolate factory or at dinner. From Foligno to Perugia is about 30 minutes. From Perugia to the chocolate factory is 15 minutes. From the chocolate factory to dinner is 45 minutes. From dinner back to Foligno is 20 minutes. Almost all of the driving today is on the highway. There are very little curvy roads today. Today is a full day out. We will not be back in town until after dinner time. Most guests close their eyes on the bus ride.
Thursday The restaurant for our cooking classes is about 500 feet (150 meters). In the afternoon we are truffle hunting, we will be walking in the woods, there will be some steps and more difficult terrains. Whoever is not able to walk, can wait at the olive mill. We will be walking about 1 mile (1600 meters) The drive from Foligno to the Campello sul Clitunno is 20 minutes on the highway each way. Today is a more relaxed day. You will have several hours to rest after the cooking class, before we go truffle hunting.
Friday There is little to no walking at the at the mill, but there are a few stairs. In Spello you can walk however much or little as you like. The walk to dinner is about 500 feet (150 meters). The drive to the mill is 15 minutes. The drive from the mill to Spello is 10 minutes. The drive from Spello back to Foligno is 10 minutes. You will have a few hours to rest and do some last minute shopping

Special Needs we can (and cannot) cater to in Foligno

Physical Limitations You must be able to walk up to one mile and do at least a couple of flights of stairs in order to come on this trip in order to go on the excursions.
Food Limitations We can cater to most food allergies, vegetarian diets, and to some extent kosher diets. Please understand, however, that this area is known for its pork, so many of the dishes will have pork in one way or another. We will substitute with other dishes if you let us know in advance. Our cooking class menus will not change based on a guest's food limitations, but even in the classes, we can usually offer alternatives to eat.