Switch into flight mode and soar off on a whimsical adventure in your own privately rented hot air balloon for a truly unforgettable experience: rising together with the sun over the sun-silvered hilltops of Chianti. 

Switch into flight mode and soar off on a whimsical adventure in your own privately rented hot air balloon for a truly unforgettable experience: rising together with the sun over the sun-silvered hilltops of Chianti. 

Timing is everything; a pre-dawn private transfer from Florence will ensure you arrive just as the crystal clear skies break at dawn over the Val di Pesa just south of the Tuscan capital. There, your personal hot air balloon will be waiting ready to take you up into the clouds, away over medieval hilltop towns and castles, and past the lush vineyards and clusters of olive groves that Tuscany is famous all over the world for. Nothing short of magical, we’ll have you seeing Florence and surrounding Tuscany from a bird’s eye view while you glide past picture-perfect clouds and breathtaking scenes fit for a Renaissance painting.

Post-flight, once you’re back on terraferma, readjust to gravity with the help of fine prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) and breakfast.

Personalize this itinerary

Let us know if you would prefer to fly over Siena or the Colle Val d’Elsa instead, where you can take in the magnificent medieval towns of Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, and Casole d’Elsa. We can readily arrange it for you.

Artisan culture is one of Florence’s unique assets, a city that has been creating quality products using traditional techniques for centuries. In this one-of-a-kind experience, delve into a traditional artisan studio where exquisite hand-decorated papers are made to learn the almost extinct techniques of marbled paper inspired by the traditional techniques of Tuscany.

Using skills developed since the 17th century, paper à cuve, hand-decorated papers are created in twelve colors making no two papers are alike – create your own unique work of art during this paper making workshop and understand how hand-decorated papers are produced following methods and procedures following the best craftsmanship traditions of Italy. Then take home your creations as a unique souvenir of your time in Tuscany.

Together we partner with celebrity and Michelin Star Chefs to offer you an endless option of cooking courses oriented towards the food aficionado of any level. Each hands-on cooking workshop is thoughtfully chosen to give you the full Italian experience–from searching and selecting raw materials, to recipe preparation, and last to a fully engaging meal of your own creation. 

Learn classics like pasta, pastries, chocolates, or pizza-making, and take a piece of Italy back home with you to keep for always. With limitless workshop possibilities to suit your individual taste and palate, we’ll take you to your dream choice of workshop venue. Choose to learn under the expert guidance of a Michelin Star Chef in one of Tuscany’s finest five-star boutique hotels set in the thickly wooded foothills of Siena’s mountainous hills, and a heartbeat away from the gothic ruins of one of Italy’s most breathtaking–and enchanted–churches. Or opt to cook alongside a famed member of the Medici family in a thousand-year-old abbey; here, in the storied setting of an 11th-century Romanesque monastery surrounded by immaculately lush botanical gardens, you will be treated to one-on-one instruction by a celebrated member of the famed Medici family. And for a more modern take, you can choose a unique Florentine workshop hosted in the showroom of an eclectic and influential family firm that bridges the worlds of interior design, fine craftsmanship, antiques, and restoration–the perfect setting for preparing typical and authentic Tuscan meals like ribollita soup and homemade pasta.

Pedal through Tuscany’s lush wine country on bicycle, and witness a magical area bursting with vineyards, hilltop towns, olive groves, and historic castles waiting to be seen and visited. Cycle down quiet country lanes and take in the surrounding beauty that has inspired travelers, writers, and painters for hundreds of years.

You will be collected from your hotel or private accommodation and whisked to an idyllic town in the heart of Chianti where your bike adventure will begin… then set off to cycling through the quaint country lanes offering you the most stunning panoramas of the Chianti area. This full-day and fully guided bike adventure weaves its way in the countryside around Florence, Siena, and the famed surrounding wine regions in between. We’ve paired you up with a fully-trained sommelier as your expert bike guide, so you can immerse yourself in Tuscan wine country every pedal of the way. 

For that extra-special–and extra-flavorful–touch, we take you to the gardens of a medieval castle for a rich wine tasting set in the backdrop of (literal) noble lands, with endless gentle hills, velvety valleys, and thick woodlands of oaks and chestnuts. With stones as old as the Middle Ages and the castle itself owned by the same noble family since 1141, you’ll feel transported far back in time. For the final touch, we’ll have you relaxing in bliss after your exercise to a delicious lunch highlighting traditional dishes and local specialties. 

Note: Bike tours are customized to individual levels of expertise with a support vehicle with you at all times. 

A tour that puts food on the map and on your plate. This meticulously-routed experience will have you eating your way around Tuscany’s finest specialties while experiencing Florence’s breathtaking beauty and rich culinary heritage. 

Start with a visit to the city’s largest food market where local grocers and vendors sell their fresh produce to local Florentines each morning, and step into the small shops of local, independent culinary artisans and sample their deliciously authentic products.

Walk in step with your own private guide to the best selection of food producers in the capital where you’ll enjoy breads, cheeses, salami, crostini, sweets, balsamic vinegars, olive oils, and seasonal specialties with a delicious paired wine tasting to match. All the while, you will learn about the history of Florence, its food culture, and its local specialties.

Your guide will also teach you about Italian food customs and ways of life: from local tricks of what to order (and when!), to how these specialties are produced.

Plate up: this tour will leave you full of wonder and just plain full.

Personalize this itinerary

We’ll readily fine-tune the tour for you to suit your dietary requirements and taste buds. You can also switch up the scenery and have this tour in the idyllic and lesser-traveled town of Lucca, a Renaissance-walled city dominated by dazzling churches and a relaxed, offbeat atmosphere.

Follow our signal through Tuscany’s picturesque countryside in a classic Fiat 500 during a self-drive adventure that will have you feeling like you’re in Hollywood on the Tiber. From Florence’s ancient streets to the paradise of the Tuscan countryside, we’ll take you to where the wifi is low and the adventure runs high.

Begin at the beginning: in Florence’s ancient historic center. There, you will weave your way around the city’s cobbled streets, zip-up alongside a horse-drawn carriage or two, before escaping the sun-baked city sprawl for the open serenity and wild poppies of the Tuscan hills. Steer your way through private cypress-lined roads, with endless vineyards and rustling olive groves stretched out all around. We know the best panoramic spots to take you to, so you can capture each moment to keep with you. In true DFTL fashion, we’ll lead you through the lesser-traveled backstreet country roads and down exclusive private driveways. 

Don’t worry if you’re not a pro at double-clutch, we’ll walk you through the steps and turn you into a master in no time.

Personalize this itinerary

Map your own route: opt for classic country lanes and vineyard vistas, or stay longer for an additional gourmet lunch tasting in a 15th-century villa after winding your way through walled cobblestone streets. For the romantics, we suggest a sunset drive where you can take in the magical Chianti landscape as the sun sets while enjoying a refreshing cocktail followed by a wine tasting and sample of the best local cheeses and salumi. Whatever your dream, we know the way.

Raise a glass of red to Italy’s most ancient wine-producing region the right way: with a day in ‘campagna’ accompanied with a delicious aperitivo of local pecorino cheeses, salami cold cuts, and fresh bruschetta.

A region famous for its bold-tasting reds and robust wine, visiting Italy wouldn’t be complete without a taste. We’ll show you medieval castles and contemporary wine estates on an exclusive guided tour that takes you deep into the chilly, cavernous ancient cellar of one of Tuscany’s most imposing castles, the cellar itself still held intact with the hand-split galestro rocks set by tireless and expert Medieval bricklayers. Here, immersed in the underground world of Italian wine-making, you’ll learn the details of its production, its aging process, the growing techniques, and harvesting. 

After, enjoy a lighthearted and fully engaging wine tasting session of Chianti Classico wines, paired with a refreshing aperitivo of bruschetta (toasted bread drizzled with extra virgin olive oil), a selection of locally made pecorino cheeses, and traditional salami cold cuts. 

Personalize this itinerary:

If you’d rather see Italian contemporary design and innovative architecture at its finest, we can instead arrange for you a visit to Tuscany’s newest estate, prized for its architectural ingenuity and award-winning wines. Whether your preference is for Tuscany’s classic castles or new concept wineries within Chianti, Bolgheri, Montepulciano, and Montalcino, we tailor each wine tour to your tastes–both in wine and design. 

Cute, vintage, and utterly Italian: let the three-wheeled Ape, Italy’s much-adored classic tuk-tuk car, be your chariot for the day. 

Begin with a drive through the cobbled streets of Florence on a perfectly-mapped out route that takes you through the heart of the historic city and past each of Florence’s stunning iconic attractions. After, ascend up the southern hills that flank Florence’s historic center behind the Arno, and take in the sweeping panoramic view at Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence’s most sought-after lookout. Picture-postcard views of the city and its famed Duomo will be there to greet you at your arrival. 

For your last stop, we’ll take you even further up to discover the higher hills of Fiesole, beautifully lined with 15th and 16th-century villas. A divine aperitivo will be ready for you in a five-star hotel, built into what was originally a 15th-century convent. Surrounded by breathtaking Italian gardens and wisteria walkways, here you’ll enjoy a delicious aperitivo from the Tuscan ‘heavens,’ with the most stunning views of Florence spread out before you.

Personalise this tour

For wine aficionados, we suggest our separate Tuk Tuk experience which takes you into Chianti and through a stunning selection of wineries where you can drink in, literally, the quality product on offer. Top off this unique winery experience with a visit inside the cantina of a historic castle nestled in the northern hills of Florence, where you can sample the local Sangiovese grape wines while learning the Italian techniques of winemaking.

Disconnect in the great Italian outdoors with us. We’ve teamed up with one of Tuscany’s most famous truffle hunters and his trusted truffle-hunting hound to take you on a food treasure hunt like no other.

Board your own private minivan and be taken straight to an exclusive nature reserve renowned for its wild forest truffles deep in the woodlands of the Tuscan hills. During your hunt, you’ll discover firsthand the secrets of locating and foraging wild truffles, alongside the delicate art of how to harvest them without damaging them. Throughout the adventure, you’ll be given insider tips on how to prepare and cook truffles. 

Each step of the way will reveal an age-old tradition steeped in myths, folktales, heritage, and native flora, and will take you deep into the heart of a Tuscan tradition untouched since the Middle Ages. 

Finish your truffle hunting experience with a hearty traditional lunch, starring your own hand-picked truffles as key ingredients. 

Personalise this itinerary

Ask us about arranging a private chef after your truffle hunt, where you can learn firsthand how to cook and enjoy both fresh and preserved truffles alongside the deliciously classic dishes they star in.

Embark on an unforgettable culinary adventure through the famous Chianti wine region, as we take you by the hand through a sample of Italy’s culturally rich culinary heritage and lesser-known standing commitment to organic biodiversity.

Have a private driver and expert local guide pick you up from your accommodations, and be whisked away on a delicious journey through the winding hills of Tuscany. Each of our carefully-chosen food stops will see you sampling the best, and only the best, of what the region has to offer. Each spectacular dish is thoughtfully selected for being steeped in tradition and rural wisdom and is the result of a heritage that harks back to a bond established between man and terroir centuries ago.

First, you’ll visit a special family-run pastificio that was founded in 1893, where you will have the distinct opportunity to see how the family has been passionately making pasta from bronze molds for decades. Next, we’ll take you back in time with a visit to a traditional cheese farm that is a paradise of Tuscan simplicity. Explore the farm while taking a peaceful walk through the grounds, accompanied by your guide, and learn all about the agriculture and processes behind their tasty sheep cheese varieties. 

The tour will continue with a visit to the historic village of Greve in Chianti where your guide will lead you to a multigenerational bottega and butcher shop. It is here you will experience a passionate preservation of Chianti food heritage through the flavors and aromas of the bottega’s gourmet organic food products. Sit, relax, and watch locals and travelers meandering through the village’s main piazza as you indulge in a glass of wine paired with an exquisite selection of pecorino cheese with traditional mostarda, balsamic vinegar, and salumi.

This uniquely personalized experience comes to a fabulous end with a tour and tasting at a cruelty-free and biodynamic winery that will truly take your breath away. Completely organic since 1988, this stunning winery is dedicated not only to the preservation of the region’s viticulture traditions but also to the careful preservation of a balanced and diverse ecosystem, for the most nourished vines to grow.