Arianna & Friends Day Tours
Arianna & Friends Day Tours
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About
Small regional tour operator specializing in very original and experiential tours to the rural Tuscany. Our aim is to bring visitors of Tuscany to the best food producers of wine, cheese, olive oil, honey, chocolate, pasta, grains and any local specialty. We only arrange customized tours for individuals and small groups. For very enthusiastic "foodies" we also arrange informal and very educational cooking classes at our cooking school My Tuscan Kitchen: typical Tuscan menus, pizza classes, chocolate making experiences, pastry making experiences. You can also book private chef services at your rental villa. We arrange fantastic truffle hunting tours in the woods near Volterra and San Miniato and very exclusive foodie tours on Vespa scooters, as we are located near Pontedera, hometown of Vespa! E-bike and quad excursions on the Tuscan hills are fun adventures! EXPERIENCE WINE & FOOD IN TUSCANY WITH US! We also sell packages for Bocelli's event Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico.
Terricciola, Tuscany, Italy
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023
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5.0
595 reviews
Excellent
579
Very good
9
Average
4
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2
Terrible
1
Imre N
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Friends
It was one of the best vacation! Arianna & Friends provided perfect service and experiences!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Written 7 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mille grazie! It was so nice to have your party in our classes. See you soon
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Amelia B
Manchester, UK19 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Excellent cooking class with 'storyteller' Davide and 'Auntie' Esther. The pair worked so well together and we had such fun making two kinds of pasta. We loved seeing the working farm, especially Juliette the donkey. The wine, food and company were fabulous. I am not a cook at all but I loved the experience and definitely learnt a Tuscan trick or two. Lots of fun was had by our family of 5 adults and 2 teens.
Written 5 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much! Big hugs from Davide and Aunt Ester. Be back soon :)
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Joe H
Boynton Beach, FL1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Family
If you are looking for a touring company that focuses and specializes in the Tuscany, Italy region, look no further than Arianna and Friends. Arianna, who owns the firm, is a hands-on owner specializing in tours by her company, including leading several tours herself. Arianna and her team provide a broad range of tour categories, of which I will only mention a few. For a complete list of activities see the WEB site.
My wife and I had the pleasure of experiencing 4 world class tours, (1) Academia David (2) Foodie Tour (3) Cooking Class (4) Tour of Siena.
The Accademia Gallery that houses the David, the tour was spectacular. While the line to enter was over 2 hours long, we waited only 5 minutes before entering the museum thanks to Arianna’s guide. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable not only of the David and the museum, but also of the entire city of Florence. During a culturally rich 4-hour tour, we visited key sites of Florence and were provided a roadmap of recommendations of where we may want to focus our time over the upcoming days.
The Foodie Tour was simply amazing... and delicious! With Arianna as our guide, we experienced a variety of culinary delights in the small village of Lari, Tuscany. From a fresh small butcher shop where we sampled all different types of delicacies, to a pasta factory that produces a specialized pasta unique to all of Italy, to a bar that served a cherry liqueur to finally a luncheon made with all fresh ingredients. The lunch was fabulous. There is also a castle in town not to be missed. The history of the castle and how it protected Lari over the last centuries is beyond impressive.
The Cooking Class was the crème de la crème, held at a breathtakingly beautiful location called Rita’s Farm. This farm is located about 75 minutes outside of Florence and would be impossible to find without Arianna. The farm itself is amazing and is an actual working farm. The facilities were very modern. The cooking menu consisted of Italian flag bruschetta, pasta Martelli with Arianna’s special sauce, tiramisu with a lot of chocolate and fruit and custard crostata. Absolutely delicious start to finish. We learned many new meal preparation techniques and skills.
To wrap up the tour, we visited Siena and experienced the incredibly impressive Duomo. Our guide expertly shared the rich history of the Duomo and Christianity during that time. The architecture, artwork and craftmanship rival any cathedral visited. The tour also included a lovely walkabout of Siena’s square and the amazing horseracing track. There is so much history there, plus many authentic restaurants to choose from.
If you want an authentic Tuscany experience, there is only one choice you can make, Arianna and Friends. They were simply the best!!!! We are looking forward to returning and working with Arianna and Friends again.
My wife and I had the pleasure of experiencing 4 world class tours, (1) Academia David (2) Foodie Tour (3) Cooking Class (4) Tour of Siena.
The Accademia Gallery that houses the David, the tour was spectacular. While the line to enter was over 2 hours long, we waited only 5 minutes before entering the museum thanks to Arianna’s guide. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable not only of the David and the museum, but also of the entire city of Florence. During a culturally rich 4-hour tour, we visited key sites of Florence and were provided a roadmap of recommendations of where we may want to focus our time over the upcoming days.
The Foodie Tour was simply amazing... and delicious! With Arianna as our guide, we experienced a variety of culinary delights in the small village of Lari, Tuscany. From a fresh small butcher shop where we sampled all different types of delicacies, to a pasta factory that produces a specialized pasta unique to all of Italy, to a bar that served a cherry liqueur to finally a luncheon made with all fresh ingredients. The lunch was fabulous. There is also a castle in town not to be missed. The history of the castle and how it protected Lari over the last centuries is beyond impressive.
The Cooking Class was the crème de la crème, held at a breathtakingly beautiful location called Rita’s Farm. This farm is located about 75 minutes outside of Florence and would be impossible to find without Arianna. The farm itself is amazing and is an actual working farm. The facilities were very modern. The cooking menu consisted of Italian flag bruschetta, pasta Martelli with Arianna’s special sauce, tiramisu with a lot of chocolate and fruit and custard crostata. Absolutely delicious start to finish. We learned many new meal preparation techniques and skills.
To wrap up the tour, we visited Siena and experienced the incredibly impressive Duomo. Our guide expertly shared the rich history of the Duomo and Christianity during that time. The architecture, artwork and craftmanship rival any cathedral visited. The tour also included a lovely walkabout of Siena’s square and the amazing horseracing track. There is so much history there, plus many authentic restaurants to choose from.
If you want an authentic Tuscany experience, there is only one choice you can make, Arianna and Friends. They were simply the best!!!! We are looking forward to returning and working with Arianna and Friends again.
Written 4 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Buongiorno Joe, thank you so much for such a detailed and passionate commentary on your trip to Tuscany last Summer. We can't wait to have you back next year!!
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
7026SJH
Saundersfoot, UK9 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Such a fabulous day spent learning to make pasta from scratch in such a beautiful setting. We laughed so much being entertained and educated by Davide and his Auntie Esther.
Written 3 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grazie mille on behalf of Davide, Ester and all the staff at Arianna & Friends
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Linda M
North Ridgeville, Ohio, United States31 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
We booked a cooking class at Rita’s Farm in Tuscany through Arianna and Friends and what an amazing experience we had!! We arranged to be picked up at our cruise port in Livorno and our driver Diego was very prompt and courteous. He drove us to Rita’s Farm where we met Massimo our guide who gave us a tour of the property before taking us inside where we met Carlos our chef. Through Massimo’s and Carlos’ expert guidance, we created delicious dishes (which we were able to select at the time of booking) of tagliatelle with ragu meat sauce and gnocchi with butter sage sauce. After filling our bellies with delicious food, we traveled to Massimo’s home village of Peccioli where he “showed us the town”. We saw the beautiful countryside, learned all about the wonderful village, and had some gelato and coffee to finish our tour. Diego then took us back to our port in plenty of time before we set sail.
This experience was truly a magical day and Massimo made us feel like part of his family. I would highly recommend booking this excursion. It was a bit pricey but the day was truly worth it.
This experience was truly a magical day and Massimo made us feel like part of his family. I would highly recommend booking this excursion. It was a bit pricey but the day was truly worth it.
Written 17 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Buongiorno Linda, thank you so much for your kind words. I really enjoyed the company of your party and I hope the rest of your cruise went on smoothly after that. Ciao a presto!
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Con S
9 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Our experience with Arianna & Friends Day tour to Rita's Kitchen was AMAZING !!!! Arianna and our Nonna(s) provided step by step instruction for our delicious meal. Our group all immediately became best friends and we dined under a beautiful sunset. I highly recommend Arianna & Friends for your Tuscan Tours and especially the visit to Rita's Farm. Don't forget to say hi to Julieta.
Written 16 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grazie mille, on behalf of Arianna, the chef Ester and all the pets at Rita's farm. Giulietta the donkey also says grazie for the leftovers of your cooking ingredients, which made her meal :)
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
sf1949
Colorado12 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Rita's farm was a wonderful place, complete with a Temple to Minerva and superb views of the Tuscan countryside. But the best part was Ester, our cook, and Davide, our "guide and storyteller," who guided us through cooking, from scratch, tagliatella pasta with a "ragu bianca" meat sauce and pizza. There were only 6 of us -- three couples -- and a full agenda ... I think we were supposed to be there for 3 hours, but we were there almost 5! Ester and Davide were warm, charming, and funny, and totally engaged with us the whole time. They must have been exhausted when we left!
Written 12 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much from all of us at Arianna & Friends for these beautiful words
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rose G
Wilton, CT68 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Our private cooking class and dinner at Rita's Kitchen in Tuscany was one of the highlights of our trip! We were able to choose what food and how many courses we would like to prepare in advance. We arrived at a beautiful and serene farm greeted by our wonderful guide Davide and our cook Margherita. They were so warm and friendly! The cooking instruction was done interactively and with care! The preparation and subsequent dinner took about 5 hours and we never felt rushed! Wine was poured, our plates were full and the food was AMAZING!! It was an incredible experience and we highly recommend this tour! It was done with great care - 5+ stars!
Written 10 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Buongiorno and a big thank you from all our staff for the beautiful feedback you gave us!
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sara S
New York City, NY3 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
We had a wonderful time with Chef Margherita and Davide at our pasta cooking class at our villa! They were both very kind and relaxed with timing, and made it a really fun evening for our family of 8 - ranging from 1.5 years to 60+. And... the fresh handmade ravioli with walnut sauce was our favorite meal we had the whole time in Italy.
Written 9 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your appreciation! We hope we will soon have you again :)
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ken_drngr
Portland, OR4 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
My wife and I were referred to Arianna and Friends for a cooking class while in Tuscany. There were about 12 people in the class taught by cooks Signora Ester, Maria Grazia, and guide Arianna who explained everything in English. We spent ~3hrs making gnocchi with 2 sauces, veal stew, and tiramisu -- while enjoying good company and ample local vino, which continued throughout dinner. We are relatively accomplished cooks and loved learning some traditional Tuscan how-to and explanations for it. Very fun and informative.
Written 27 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Buongiorno. We would like to thank you for your kind words of appreciation
Written 8 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ticaenvictoria
Heredia, Costa Rica1 contribution
Has anyone taken the G8 or K1 tour? Main interest is visiting Bocelli fams and the Lajatico area.
Massimo
Italy11 contributions
Buongiorno thank you for your request. These two tours have a focus on Andrea Bocelli but they do not imply a visit to his farm. We have a special program that is focused right around it. Email us for all details.
Jaredonna
Orlando, FL41 contributions
Hi, We are looking at doing two tours with Arianna & Friends, too. Since it will probably be two days in a row, does it make sense to try to find someplace close by to stay? I assume that cuts down on the cost and travel time to get to the farm each day? If so, any recommendations on where to stay that's close by? Grazie mille!
Christinaird
Ottawa32 contributions
We stayed at the hotel San Lino in Volterra recommended by Ariana and friends. It was very nice but I am not sure how close it is for the tours.
kattenmadam
Wondelgem, Belgium104 contributions
is dit een uitstap die kan gedaan worden met kinderen (9, 7 en 4 jaar) ?
Massimo P
4 contributions
Hello! Yes, our cooking classes are really good for children. The 4 year old one will need just a chair to stand on!
pbass0
San Jose, CA
how to I join up on your tour? I am coming May 1st-4th before a walking tour. I would like to tour around
Massimo
Italy11 contributions
Hello! We offer day private tours with several kinds of focus. Contact our booking office at the contact info below and provide info on a preferred date, number of people and kind of tour you would like. Our staff will be happy to schedule a great wine & food tour, cookery class or an original country tour off the beaten track.
Massimo
SnowNow
California49 contributions
Hi Tuanhai - could you tell us which tour you took? The one in San Miniato or Palaio? What is the difference? Thanks!
Massimo
Italy11 contributions
Hello, thank you for your question. The area of San Miniato and the area of Palaia border each other, since they both belong to the truffle growing district of central Tuscany. In the area of Palaia we meet one truffle hunter whereas in the area of San Miniato we meet another one. Both of them are very professional and friendly and they truffles they provide are in both cases the best ones, as the areas are just a few kms one from the other. You can simply choose the best one for you according to the area closer to your accommodation. Surely, you will enjoy the experience in both cases.
Saluti dalla Toscana
Massimo
A3905
Burr Ridge, IL4 contributions
We will be staying at a villa in Casciana Terme in June. Could you give me an idea of the cost of a cooking class? Do you come to us or do we come to you? Would appreciate any advice.
Ann Willow Springs, IL
Ariannafazio
peccioli9 contributions
Dear Ann,
thank you for your message. We would be very happy to organize for you a cooking class in June. We give you the possibility to have the course organized at your villa/apartment if you have a suitable kitchen that we might use. or you can come to our cookin school, that is ca. 25 minutes drive from Casciana Terme. You can decide to join an existent group scheduled on tuesday afternoon, wednesday afternoon or friday morning with different programs each day, Or, you can book a private cooking class. in this case you'll decide your own menu by picking your favorite dishes from a menu kist that we will provide you.
The group cooking class costs 65-75 Euro per person according to the type of class you are going to book scheduled on our calendar.
The private cooking class at your villa or at our farm has got different prices accoridng to the number of people. if you check on our website "ariannandfriends" , on the page "service and activities" you'll find all details and prices about the various types of cooking courses.
I hope to be able to help you in organizing a memorable experience in Tuscany,
kindest regards
Arianna - Arianna & Friends
Jan91649
Boston, MA57 contributions
I'm confused...are they open for lunch? Just take out that you can order and then eat there?
Massimo P
4 contributions
Hello, thank you for your request. We are not an inn nor a restaurant, so you cannot eat at ours. We are a small destination management company organizing specialty tours around local specialties and food producers. So in most of our tours there is lunch included. We also arrange cooking lessons where the prepared food is always served at the end of the cooking experience, so lunch or dinner is included too. I hope you can have a better idea of what we offer! For any further help please do not hesitate and ask me.
Saluti dalla Toscana