Tour Italy in 9 unforgettable days cruising on a Red Vespa

Unlike any other tour, you’ll do it all in the quintessentially Italian fashion: Riding a red Vespa with the sun on your face and the open road before you, just waiting to be explored.

Imagine cruising along winding country roads on your Vespa scooter, picture-postcard vistas greeting you around every curve of the Chianti hills. Endless rows of vineyards bearing some of the world’s finest grapes, stately lines of towering cypress trees, silvery-green olive groves rimming an ancient abbey, fields ablaze with crimson poppies in the springtime, and golden sunflowers in autumn.

Vespa and Chianti are two Italian classics that have come to symbolize la dolce vita. Now, Italy by Vespa, a very innovative tour company, is bringing them together in a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience that promises to capture the heart, soul and essence of Italy: a week in central Tuscany at the four-star Palazzo Leopoldo Hotel, filled with scenic day-trips throughout the Chianti countryside aboard your very own Vespa!

The sensory overload continues in every quaint Italian village along the way, where you’ll sip espresso at an outdoor cafe, sample sweet Vin Santo at a tiny enoteca, or savour a long, leisurely meal bursting with the fresh produce, homemade pasta and grilled meats that make rural Italian cuisine so magnifico. And at every stop, you’ll be surrounded by the warmth and hospitality of the Italian people.

As one of just 16 tour members, you’ll be part of an intimate group that has been invited to share seven days of unique experiences. The freedom, friendship and sheer, laugh-out-loud fun of discovering Chianti by scooter will be an adventure you’ll remember the rest of your life.

Nine days of pure exhilarating fun

Day 1: U.S. Departure/Air Travel Day
Afternoon or evening departures from multiple points in the U.S. for Florence, Italy. Ciao, America!

Day 2: Arrival and Transfer
Upon arrival in Florence, you’ll be met at the airport and driven to Palazzo Leopoldo in Radda, your elegant home for the coming week. After checking into the hotel, you’re invited to join your fellow scooterists for orientation and light riding to become acquainted with your Vespa. Expect to make many new friends at the opening night cocktail party, followed by the first of many exquisite dinners bursting with Tuscany’s delicious food and famous wines.

Day 3: Wine Day
After breakfast, you’ll take a short but scenic scoot to the historic wine estate of Dievole, where you’ll visit the chapel and cellars as you taste a range of delicious Chiantis and other red wines. Next, you’ll have lunch
at Podere Terreno, a nearby farmhouse and working winery, followed by a siesta and evening wine tasting at a charming enoteca in Radda. Later, a candlelight dinner at Vignale in Radda.

Day 4: History Day
Get out on the open road with a longer scoot to lovely Siena, where you’ll meet Countess Francesca Fumi Dei Cambi Gado, an art historian and local heraldry expert. She’ll reveal secrets of the Duomo during a private tour of the cathedral, after which you’ll lunch at a local cafe and have the afternoon open for exploration, shopping or people-watching in the city’s famous piazza. Dinner on your own.

Day 5: Luxury Day
Start the day with a relaxing shiatsu massage (optional) at Palazzo Leopoldo’s intimate spa. Afterwards, you’ll ride your Vespas to the world’s only Prada outlet in Montevarchi, then onward to Il Borro, a magnificent estate owned by Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo and his family. After lunch at their posh restaurant, you’ll walk around the restored medieval village and visit the local artisans’ shops. Dinner on your own.

Day 6: Castles and Ceramics Day
A leisurely trip to Castello di Meleto near Gaiole, a 13th-century fortress built by the Ricasoli family. After a castle tour and olive oil tasting on the terrace, you’ll ride to Castello di Brolio for a relaxing lunch at
the castle’s outdoor restaurant and a walk around the grounds. On the return route, you’ll stop at Ceramiche Rampini, famous all over the world for its hand-painted ceramic pottery. A special dinner at Ginnetto’s with live music.

Day 7: Nature Day
You’ll begin with a beautiful country ride to Italy’s only cashmere goat farm, operated by American veterinarian Nora Kravis, then a scoot to Greve on market day, where you’ll pick up Pecorino cheese, fresh fruit and sausages for a picnic al fresco. After lunch, you’ll take a walk through the forest with Stefano, a locally famous wild boar hunter, to search for porcini mushrooms. On the way back to Radda, you’ll visit Volpaia – declared ‘the world’s most beautiful spot’ by The Wall Street Journal – for some of Gina’s wonderful cakes at La Bottega.

Day 8: Vespa Cross-Country Day
On your last day of riding, you’ll take a spectacular ring drive from Radda to the walled city of Montereggioni, where you’ll pause for gelato and a leisurely walk around this enchanting town. Next, you’ll visit charming Castellina in Chianti for lunch, after which you’ll enjoy cruising along winding country roads to several other quaint villages. A farewell dinner will give everyone the chance to reminisce about the past week’s experiences with new lifelong friends.

Day 9: U.S. Return/Air Travel Day
After an early rise, you’ll be driven to Florence to catch a departing flight back to the U.S. or perhaps continue your own European adventures. Ciao Italia!

For more info, visit www.italybyvespa.com