When my significant other told me we were going on a bus tour, I pictured a slow, simple, and quite…read morerelaxing ride through the Tuscan countryside -- maybe some wine, some photos, and lots of air-conditioned comfort....... Something I've done before, the standard issue bus ride. You can imagine my surprise, and moreso, confusion, when we arrived to find Luca, our friendly tour guide, peeking around the corner greeting us with a very excitable, "Are you ready for your Vespa tour?!?" My eyes immediately widened. Did I hear him correctly? Was something lost in translation? I paused to process.....instinctively went outside for some fresh air.....and came back in after momentarily catching my breath. Still visibly choked-up, I struggled to speak during my waterfall of emotions......."Who's cutting onions in here?" This had all hit me, fast, all at once. I was beyond moved and thoroughly excited. Now, I've been riding for nearly 34 years -- from dirt bikes to adventure bikes to the high-speed track, and as an instructor -- but this experience was something entirely different. What started as a "bus tour" magically transformed (with a twist of the wrist) into one of, if not, the most profound and unforgettable rides of my life. The awesome team at Arianna & Friends made everything seamless, and our private guide, Luca, was nothing short of exceptional -- professional, kind, and deeply passionate about sharing the hidden beauty of his piece of Tuscany. He led us through rolling hills, olive groves, and charming villages, while stopping at breathtaking viewpoints that perfectly captured the magic of the region. This was our ride, Luca included, not just mine. Even with all my years on two wheels, this day reminded me why I fell in love with riding in the first place -- the freedom, the connection, and the pure joy of the open road. I have seriously struggled to find the words (strong enough) to thank Arianna & Friends, Luca, and my significant other, for turning a "bus tour" into a bucket list experience checked off in the most meaningful way. This adventure was exhilarating, enriching for the soul, and unforgettable..... I found peace. Andiamo!

Prior to our visit to the Hilton Grand Vacation Club at Borgo Alle Vigne in rural Selvatelle south…read moreof Pisa, Italy, we contacted Arianna & Friends on line to arrange for a private cooking class for 4 at Rita's Farm in rural Tuscany. The five hour hands on 4-course food preparation session was the best and most rewarding experience of our trip to Italy. Massimo was an excellent guide and teacher. We were impressed by his vast knowledge of subjects which he presented in an interesting way. Silvia the cook was patient and supportive. Her warm, sweet personality showed through language barrier. We really had fun learning to cook and appreciate Italian food and wine.

Lorna was incredible. First of all, she was super accommodating to our group and came to us at our…read moreAirbnb in Lucca. She gave us a bunch of options of things to learn. We have small children 2.5 years old, 9 and 10 and she worked with them in such a caring way. She brought all the things we needed for an incredible dinner. We made pasta, panzanella, artichoke bake, and meatballs as well as mascarpone snow with chocolate sauce. We laughed and had a blast. Would 1000% reccomend!

Cooking with Lorna was an amazing experience. It is my first time in Tuscany, and I wanted to taste…read moreas many Tuscan dishes/ flavors as possible. So she came up with awesome tasting menu. Everything she instructed me to make came out absolutely delicious . I'm so happy to have met her and learned from her. Thank you.

The best day we had in Italy was the day spent with Veronica, in her home, making the most…read moredelicious homemade Italian classics. My husband and I were on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy with our 10 year old and 17 year old nieces, and all ages were engaged in the process. We started the day seeing Veronica in town selecting fresh ingredients for our culinary adventure. We followed her from the center of town to her home, which is breathtaking on acres and acres of olive groves and other gorgeous landscaping. We had tasty homemade pastries and then got started. We did a roast, homemade pasta with both a meat and marina sauces, focaccia, salad of pole beans, feta cheese and a champagne vinaigrette, tiramisu and lots of fun and love! She sent us home with leftovers and olive oil from the property, which is sublime! We all agree it was our favorite day of the trip, and one day I hope to return and stay on the property and take another amazing class. Veronica is so knowledgable and warm, and she can teach any age and any personality. So blessed to have found her and spent the memorable day with her.

Veronica is an incredible chef and teacher. Her cooking class was the highlight of our trip to…read moreItaly. The food was delicious but the opportunity to spend an real Tuscan afternoon is something we will treasure always. Our kids were spellbound for the whole time!

This is a 5 star experience through and through! Everything about this 1/2 day class is…read moreunbelievable. Host and cooking lead, Manuela is a gem. She is friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable but most of all knows how to take your trip to Italy to another level! She immerses you in a full on sensory experience to cooking. Smelling ingredients, touching and understanding textures, seeing the freshness of ingredients and the rich colors, and finally tasting the fruits of your labor. Mmmmm. We opted for a regional class that featured Sicilian recipes and it was fantastic! We made a four course meal. One of the freshest meals I've ever had. Our food was down right mouth watering! You must must must go here when visiting Florence for a truly rich cultural and culinary experience. Loved this day more than I can capture in a review.

OMG!! This review is long overdue!! We had the best time with Manuela and Simon. Was definitely…read moreone of the highlights of our trip!! Manuela was patient, informative, and humorous. Everything we made was explained very well, and best of all was delicious. I will forever remember this time, and look forward to utilizing the recipes back home. Highly recommend taking a class with them!!

Studied abroad this past summer and had the honor of taking a class from Chef Mauro! He is truly…read moregifted in bringing people together to enjoy an authentic homemade meal. The views from his place were spectacular and made us feel at home despite us just meeting the chef. We learned new techniques and perspectives in the short hours we were there. Our class learned to make bolognese, ravioli, and a fruit tart pie which is bar far one of the best meals we had in the month we spent there. We had difficulty trying to get to chefs place as it was a dirt road incline but he was so kind and drove our whole class up! Made the experience more intimate and fun! The will forever be a core memory and one of my favorite days in Italy that I will cherish forever!

Absolutely loved every minute of our cooking experience…read more Mauro is an amazing teacher , chief and host. We learned a lot, had the one of the best meals we've ever had and topped off by great other guests with us. If we were ever in the area again, I would love to do this again. We have traveled a lot and my husband and and I said it is one of most favorite , rewarding experiences. We loved it so much that We even ordered a pasta making machine. Just got ba k from trip and was so excited to see it had arrived we. And it brings back memories of our amazing experience.

Come for the cooking, stay for the show! Chef Monti is not only a great teacher, he's also…read morehysterical. His jokes are terrible, politically incorrect and laugh-out-loud funny! The classroom is very intimate and from the first minute you are working hands-on: measuring, weighing, slicing, chopping, kneading, etc. I took the pizza, focaccia and bread class, and although I've been making bread for 20 years, I learned many new tricks--including how to toss pizza dough and more importantly, how to catch it again! His approach is very easy to follow and his methods stress "how things should feel" rather than relying on slavish devotion to recipes. The school is attached to a working restaurant in the Carignano Hotel in the outskirts of Lucca. He offers six, four-hour courses and many people stay in the hotel and make these cooking classes a destination vacation. I was very entertained.

In a large and lovely kitchen I learned how to make several sauces, pasta, and a little dessert…read more The class was extremely planned and well put together. I was amazed at how easily Chef Paolo taught us- he is a natural chef and teacher. We will be back for more classes soon!

The food was delicious! The cooking tips were priceless! We had the best time cooking with Nonna…read more We felt like we were being taught our very own Italian Nonna! We so enjoyed the fruits of our labor dining at the big wooden table with our fellow chefs.

Cannot say enough good things about our experience with Nonna and Paolo. We attended a lunch…read morecooking class in mid-April, along with 2 other visitors to Tuscany. The menu included 3 types of bruschetta, tagliatelle with asparagus, chicken with a vin santo reduction, and zabaglione for dessert. This was one of our best meals in all of Tuscany. Not only because of the quality of the food (many of the ingredients came fresh from neighboring farms), but also because of the warmth and hospitality shown by Nonna and Paolo. They were both incredibly kind, genuine, and knowledgeable about the cooking techniques and ingredients, but perhaps the most enjoyable part was their lovely relationship and the way they made everyone in the class comfortable with one another. By the end, we were all laughing and joking together. Please go visit Nonna; you won't regret it!

We had a great time on our tour with Roberto from We Drive You Tuscany! We did the 8 hour San…read moreGimignano and Chianti Classico as well as the Pienza, Val d'Orcia, Montalcino wine and Pecorino cheese private tours with Roberto. This was my first trip to Italy, we enjoyed a comfortable ride throughout the countryside in the clean, air conditioned van! Roberto was so knowledgeable and made sure we knew all the best places to visit along with the history of the beautiful Tuscan countryside! He even gave us recommendations for our second leg of the trip to Rome. We will definitely use this service again!!

We had the pleasure of touring Tuscany with We Drive You Tuscany. Roberto was our driver and we…read morehad a beautiful Mercedes van that was new and comfortable. Bottled water was provided and he even stopped to get Fresh pizza for us. By the time we finished touring with Roberto for two days we felt that we knew so much about the area, history and culture of the region. Roberto's knowledge or art, history, food and culture was so impressive. The tour we did with Roberto was much more than him driving us from place to place. Each place we went was so carefully planned and curated. We visited wineries, vineyards and a sheep farm that makes cheese. With his help, we were able to visit every place we wanted to see as well as some smaller unknown, hidden gems. We saw so many beautiful landscapes and Roberto stopped frequently for us to take in the views! I cannot say enough wonderful things about Roberto. We hope to go back soon to tour Umbria and Florence with Roberto.

We had an absolutely incredible experience at this pasta class just outside of Florence. Everything…read morewas so well organized from start to finish, and the entire experience was the perfect mix of fun, humor, and hands-on learning. The location itself was beautiful, especially dining outside under the stunning wisteria vine-covered table. It truly felt like something out of a movie. Not only was the class informative and interactive, but it was also beyond worth the value. Honestly, it ended up being our favorite experience during our time in Italy. We would recommend this class to absolutely anyone visiting Tuscany!

I am so happy that this was the cooking class I settled on going to during my trip to Italy!!…read more Lorenzo and Luca are just the absolute best hosts you could possibly ask for. We started the day by meeting Lorenzo at the train station in Florence where we boarded a train and went just two stops away. At the train station, Luca met us and we split the group up - taking their car and van back to their beautiful restored farm house in the hills. Here we started the class with Luca learning how to make tiramisu with sweet Italian dessert wine and biscotti with almonds. This was the first task so it had plenty of time to work it's magic. From here, we moved into the dining room where Lorenzo showed us how to make pasta dough from scratch. This was where the well timed dance of alternating between Lorenzo and Luca unfolded. The way they bounce off each other while keeping the class flowing, focused, and very FUN with such ease was amazing. Over the course of the day - we cooked, we shared snacks and laughs and plenty of wine, and eventually an amazing meal in the most beautiful setting - on what turned out to be a beautiful spring day. If I get back to Florence - I would definitely take another class with them. Heck - I wish I could spend a whole month here! If you are looking to take a cooking class while in Italy - take this one!! You won't regret it!

Our family of 4 absolutely loved everything about this cooking class. We picked vegetables and…read moreherbs in Giulia's garden. We made an amazing meal in her lovely kitchen studio with only the freshest ingredients. Giulia and Tommaso were so welcoming and the whole experience felt relaxed and personalized. We not only learned to make a beautiful Italian meal, but we learned about the source of our ingredients and traditional Italian cooking. Would highly recommend this class!

Life is too short to eat bad food, and even worse to make it. Thanks to Giulia, no hope of that…read morewill happen (hopefully) in the future. I had the pleasure of recently trying one of her cooking classes. We started at the vibrant market in her home town, picking vegetables after sipping a cappuccino meet & greet in the center. Giulia decides what she will make depending on what is seasonally available, and she caters to vegetarians, gluten-free allergies and anything, just ask! We headed to her charming house, a bit like its own private borgo, and commenced our adventure in Tuscan cooking. I have done my fair share of classes in Italy, as a travel writer, but this one stood out because of her. She is kind, warm, patient and really strives to share her love for local food and help you make it your own. Because it was quite hot, we grilled eggplant, made salads and panzanella and a beautiful fried chickpea dish that I am still drooling over. Dessert was zuppa inglese, which all of the class participants got to personalize. We shared our meal on the long, living room table, set beautifully (her house is impeccable) over wine, water and conversation. Giulia is also an accomplished food blogger and writer and I use her site like a personal Tuscan bible. I could not think of a better cooking experience.