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So you want to go to Tuscany? Let me introduce you to Umbria instead. Often overshadowed by the famous Tuscany region, Umbria is full of green rolling hills and beautiful cities. It’s a bit further South, but you can find gorgeous towns, spectacular food and amazing views and plus, it’s more affordable. If you’re wanting to visit Tuscany, consider checking out Umbria as an alternative.
Itinerary in Umbria/Tuscany
Day 1: Arrive in Pisa and Drive to Umbria
Day 2: Gubbio
Day 3: Assisi
Day 4: Spello and Wine Tasting
Day 5: Lake Trasimeno
Day 6: Pasta Making Class
Day 7: Drive back to Pisa
Where to Stay
This trip opened my eyes to agri-tourism or an “agriturismo” in Italian. It is essentially a farmhouse stay where it’s typically on some sort of farm or the owners do some type of agriculture. We stayed at La Cuccagna for most of our stay and it really provided us with a more authentic experience in Umbria. One of the owners, Sarah prepared a fresh breakfast spread every morning and shared a wealth of knowledge of the area. Every morning, she helped ensure our day was successful by sending us to the best locations and even making dinner reservations for us. We had a general idea of what we wanted to do each day, but she would make suggestions that took our trip to the next level. If you can choose an agriturismo, I highly suggest it in Italy.
Day 1: Arrive in Pisa and Drive to Umbria
On the first day, we flew into Pisa and drove 3 hours to La Cuccagna. We chose Pisa beacause it had the cheapest flights, however I would have flown into Perugia if we did it again. The agriturismo is situated in between Perugia and Gubbio. It’s a great location for visiting the cities in the area, but it’s still fairly remote so you definitely need a car to get to it. Driving in Italy kind of reminds me of driving in Louisiana, not so good roads and crazy drivers.
Day 2: Gubbio
Sarah suggested going to Gubbio so of course, we followed her advice. Gubbio is a medieval hill town that overlooks views of the Apennines Mountains. It is such a charming Italian town where you can really soak in the beauty of it’s unique architecture and the surrounding nature.
First stop was the Teatro Romano which are ruins of an ancient Roman theater. There is a large car park next to it. I believe you can pay a small entrance fee from the museum nearby but it’s really easy to see from the outside so we didn’t bother. If you need a coffee or a small bite to eat while the kids play at the playground, check out Caffè del Teatro.
The highlight of Gubbio for me was the funicular, Funivia Colle Eletto. It only holds 2 people in this bird-cage like metal basket that carried you up the mountain. At the top, you can stop at the café for some authentic Italian sandwiches with an incredible view of Gubbio and the surrounding areas. There is also a small basilica you can walk through on your way to the cafe. Just beware that the funicular does stop running between 1:00-2:30pm. And despite being warned, we still forgot and had to walk all the way down the hill back to the town. Don’t be like us.
You can spend the rest of the day walking around the town, checking out the Palazzo dei consoli or just admiring the buildings.
Day 3: Asissi
Assissi is one of the most picturesque cities in Umbria. It’s situated on the hillside of Monte Subasio and is famous as it’s the birthplace of St. Francis. Not growing up Catholic, I didn’t know much about the history of St. Francis so it was interesting to learn about his story. Even if you aren’t religious, you can really appreciate the architecture and history of Assisi. And of course, the Italian food and gelato is always a plus.
A trip to Assisi isn’t complete without a visit to the St. Francis Basilica. It is quite large so plan for quite a bit of time here. Note that you cannot take pictures inside. We saw a few people getting in trouble for trying to take photos. When you need a rest and a good place to eat, check out Le Terrazze di Properzio. Try to get a reservation on the outdoor terrace for magnificent views of the hills.
Day 4: Spello & Wine Tasting
Ah, Spello. I don’t know if pictures really do this town justice. It’s a small Italian village with bright colorful flowers and plants climbing up these old stone houses. Every turn was more picturesque than the last. It doesn’t take long to walk the town, but if you can somehow fit it into your itinerary, I would highly suggest it. Gubbio and Spello were by far my favorite towns to visit on this trip. All of these cities are quite hilly, so pack your comfy walking shoes.
Bar Giardino is a great place to stop for gelato and their terrace has a great view. We ate lunch at Ristorante La Cantina Di Spello. It had a beautiful stone interior and the owner was so nice checking on everyone.
Next, we headed to Di Filippo Vineyard for a wine tasting and horse carriage ride. I wouldn’t have thought a wine-tasting would have been kid-friendly but this one was definitely a hit with the kids. They prepared wines for the adults and the kids got fresh grape juice and snacks. They had a few toys for them to play with while we sipped on wine. Afterwards, we rode through their vineyards and they explained their passion for making wine while also respecting the land and nature. You can book their tours, here.
Day 5: Lake Trasimeno
We were planning to go to Perugia, but we decided to go to Lake Trasimeno instead. We rented bikes which winded up being an adventure in itself. We were so spoiled by Dutch bike paths, that this was a bit more adventurous than we planned. City bikes on small gravel paths are not really our favorite, but once we actually got to the path around the lake it was really beautiful and relaxing. After the bike ride, we headed for some snacks and gelato at Gelateria Polo Nord in San Feliciano. You can also take a ferry out to the island and there are a lot of walking paths along the lake.
Day 6: Pasta Class
The owners of La Cuccagna offered to do a pasta making course which winded up being the absolute highlight of our trip. Salvatore showed us how to make the pasta dough and work the pasta machine. He was fantastic with the kids letting them make their own pasta. He helped us prepare the sauce which was an authentic bolognese sauce. We spent the day hanging around the villa and the kids even tried out the pool even though it was a bit too cold for swimming. We came back later after the sauce was done simmering and we got to taste all the fresh ingredients that we had helped prepare. It was truly a magical experience and inspired us to go home and make our own pasta.
Day 7: Pisa
On the last day, we drove back to Pisa before we flew out. Pisa always seemed super touristy so I wasn’t too excited about seeing it. However, seeing the leaning tower in person is actually impressive. You see this massive monument leaning and I mean, really leaning. We saw the grand cathedral, the baptistery and the famous tower. There are so many tour groups in the area that we moved on to walking around the city and enjoying more gelato.
We have always loved visiting Italy and Umbria was no exception. The Italian people are really warm and welcoming and especially kid-friendly. I hope this helps if you are ever considering visiting Umbria.
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