Montalcino in Italy is a beautiful medieval town in Tuscany and an absolute Mecca for wine lovers. This small town is world-famous for its renowned red wine, the Brunello di Montalcino, which is considered the absolute Italian wine in Tuscany. Stop at an Enoteca for an informal wine tasting or visit Tenuta Corte Pavone - a beautiful winery just outside of town. We enjoyed a lunch, tour and tasting of 6 Brunello wines here and can't recommend it enough!
Perched on top of a beautiful hill in scenic Val d’Orcia, Pienza is a small town with incredible history. Now, Pienza is most well known as the birthplace of Pecorino Cheese (you'll smell it the second you enter the town). Every restaurant you visit, you'll find unique Pecorino dishes. We loved visiting this charming city! We recommend starting at Piazza Pio II and exploring the town center. Make sure you visit Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Il Duomo. Palazzo Piccolomini stands beside Pienza’s Duomo and and it is worth a visit inside. You can take a guided tour or the audio tour that comes with the purchase of a ticket. You can spend some time in the gardens as well. Don't forget to take a walk on Pienza’s bastions. From their top, you get sweeping views of Val d’Orcia and you can also enjoy the back of some of the prettiest houses in Pienza
Located just 10 minutes from Terre di Nano, we absolutely recommend checking out the town of Montepulciano! We spent three nights here on our most recent trip and it was amazing. Even if you can't spend the night, with ancient streets wind their way up the hill, leading to epic viewpoints, world-class restaurants, and some of the best wine in Italy, it's absolutely worth the stop in if you have some free time. If you do decide to go, make sure you bring your walking shoes. The town is super hilly, walking feels like more of a hike than anything!
Rome is HUGE, but it's broken up into smaller neighborhoods. Below are the three we recommend based on what you're looking for. + Monti - The neighborhood closest to the big tourist attractions (Colosseum, Roman Forum, etc.). If you're in town to visit all of these spots, we recommend staying in this area for convenience. + Prati - Located near the Vatican, this is a great neighborhood if you're trying to get a little farther away from the hustle and bustle but still near some of the big monuments. + Trastevere - The BEST neighborhood if you're looking for great food and fun nightlife. By far the most lively and least touristy, but you'll have a bit of a hike to any of the big attractions.
Best pasta in Rome - make sure you make a reservation!
Great pizza (pan style)
Great lunch or dinner spot
A delicious dinner in our favorite neighborhood in Rome (Trestevere)!
Food & wine tasting (hours may vary). If you're going to taste different wines here, they have what's called a "wine card" - a preloaded 50€ card (to help people from racking up a bill). What you don’t use you don’t have to pay. Way it works: - Approach a wine dispensing machine. There are 60 open wines available. - Place your card, microchip facing down, into the machine slot. - Decide how much wine you want: several sips (1-2€), a small glass (2.50-3€), or a normal glass (3-9€). - Afterwards, the LCD screen displays your remaining balance
Another one of our favorite meals of the trip. A little more upscale, with an amazing ambiance. This restaurant is connected to a wine shop that we stopped in and bought the wine we had with dinner. If you have dinner here, don't miss the meat & cheese board!
A Michelin guide recommended restaurant! We did the food & wine tasting menu and loved the experience. You can make a reservation on The Fork or Google
This is the hotel/BNB we stayed in during our most recent trip to Montepulciano and we cannot recommend it enough! They serve an amazing breakfast every morning, have a fully stocked (free) bar if you want an apertivo before dinner, and the hosts are willing to help you however they can.
If you're looking for a fun, lowkey pizza night in Montepulciano, this is our recommendation! We highly suggest trying the Pizza Fritte (Fried Pizza) - it's amazing.
Breakfast with an UNBELIEVABLE view
Hands down one of our favorite meals from the trip. It's worth the trip just for the view!
Fun wine tour, tasting & lunch near our venue - they also offering a picnic with a beautiful view.
Incredible views, incredible food & wine - can't go wrong!
Great authentic steakhouse - try to book in advance if you can!
Best pizza in Florence
Located in Tivoli right outside of Rome, the views at Il Ciocco alone are worth the trip but the food is out of this world - 10000/10 recommend!