A guided tour of Italy sounds enticing—until you find yourself standing behind a throng of other camera-toting tourists. Quirky, smaller tours are the secret to discovering the authentic side of Italy. Here are seven extraordinary options.
1. Taste the Lemon Lifestyle
Friendly locals and fresh food rule in Positano, a colorful seaside village on the Amalfi coast. Begin with a morning visit to a private lemon grove to gather the pale yellow Amalfi lemons that are the basis of the coastal cuisine; then return to your villa, which overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea, to create an all-lemon menu with chef Rosa. “Rosa’s cooking was amazing—I’m still craving that fresh squid— and our remarkably generous host Marco introduced us to the townspeople as if we were part of his family,” says Susan Shand of Cornwall, New York. Two to four people per group; eight days, $2,900, based on double occupancy; includes meals, excursions, artisan and market visits and round-trip airport transfers. WWW.COOKING-VACATIONS.COM
2) Explore a volcano on horseback.Local Italian equestrian guides, Ivan and Giulia, lead guests around Tuscany's Monte Amiata, the second-tallest volcano in Italy. The horses—whether through chestnut woods or up winding paths—are surefooted and gentle with their riders. Each day brings a new excursion: Dismount to go orchid, berry or mushroom picking, explore the olive groves and sip wine in the vineyards. "We filled our water bottles in natural springs and never saw other tourists," says Dee Armstrong of Oxford, England. At the end of the day, return to the warm, family-run Le Macinaie hotel, on Monte Amiata, where drinks and dinner await. Two to six people per group; ten days, $1,500; includes welcome cocktail party, all meals and excursions. www.lemacinaie.it
3) Get bendy on a working organic farm.
"My friend Marc, a die-hard yoga-lover, dragged me on this trip when his wife backed out," says Steve Fischer of New York City. "I'd never tried yoga, but to my surprise, I caught the yoga bug. Maybe it was the view of evergreen forests from the back of the studio. And I was blown away by the delicious vegetarian food." Kripalu Hatha Yoga instructor Joanne DeVito teaches classes in the rustic studio located in the family-owned bed-and-breakfast where guests stay, in the small village of Ebbio. Other activities include going to the beach; walking to the neighboring medieval town, Monteriggioni; and visiting the nearby cities, Florence and Siena. Ten to 15 people per group; eight days, $1,450; includes two yoga classes per day, vegetarian meals and wine, land transfers, daily excursions. www.yogaadventures.com
4) Stop and smell the posies.
Learning the art of flower arranging from a famous designer "to the stars" who styles their Oscar parties may sound intense, but Ercole Moroni's gentle demeanor puts students right at ease. "He loves simplicity," says former student Dinah Reid of Sterling, Scotland. "His teaching style couldn't be more nurturing." The trip also includes poolside breakfasts and afternoon tours of the Marche region's oldest villages. Each day ends with a homemade meal prepared by Ercole's mother at Casa McQueens, a farmhouse he restored in his hilly hometown of Belvedere Ostrense. Maximum group size of 11 people; eight days, $2,750, based on double-occupancy; includes all meals and excursions. www.casamcqueens.com
5) Picture yourself in Tuscany.
Snap shots around Tuscany with some of the world's finest photographers, including New York magazine photographer Amy Arbus, color landscape photographer Sandro Santioli and photo-journalist Andrea Pistolosi. "I loved the diversity of the students; the ages ranged from 17 to 65," says bene's photography director Gemma Hart Corsano, who attended two summers in a row. "We visited small Tuscan villages and captured what interested us most—people, stills, landscapes. My favorite part was sitting down for our delicious dinners, when we developed lifelong friendships." The weeklong workshop ends with a slideshow of student work at the workshop headquarters in San Quirico d'Orcia, a medieval village. Approximately ten people per workshop group; one week, $1,900, based on double-occupancy; includes tuition, all meals, excursions and land transfers (lab and model fees extra). www.tpw.it
6) Climb into the driver's seat.
Customized road maps lead you and your Ferrari around Italy, with stops at Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels along the way. "Our guides first evaluated our driving skills and then put us on a route according to our ability, which surprised me," says Ed Brooks of Englewood, Colorado, who began his tour in Rome. "These cars are worth more than a quarter of a million dollars, yet they gave us freedom on the road. The course took us through amazing, hidden villages; and our luggage would be waiting when we arrived at our hotels." Participants drive the latest models, including the Ferrari F 430 Spider, the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti F1. Two to six people per group; eight days, $8,000 per person; all-inclusive. www.red-travel.com
7) Learn the legacy of Italian cooking from Nonna.
What better place to learn to cook than in the kitchens of Italian grandmothers? First, settle into your quaint bed-and-breakfast on the Sicilian island of Ortigia. Then experience your first of many authentic meals at the home of instructor Giuseppina, who also introduces guests to her delectable homemade liquors. "I can safely say she made the best food I'd ever tasted anywhere," says American chef Judith Friedman of New York City. "I exceeded my carb allotment but enjoyed every single bite." Students make fresh ricotta with a local cheese maker, and head up to the hills to learn culinary secrets from other home cooks. Twelve people per group; eight days, $2,500 per person; includes all excursions, classes, ground transportation, theatre tickets, meals and accommodations. www.tograndmothershousewego.com
Please note that prices have been converted to approximate cost in U.S. dollars and may have changed since press time. All prices exclude airfare.
