Hosted by Our Local Cheese Sommelier
The region
Tucked between Tuscany and Rome, Umbria is often called Italy's Green Heart — a land of forested hills, olive groves and medieval hill towns where ancient culinary traditions have quietly endured for centuries. Unlike its more famous neighbour, Umbria remains wonderfully unspoiled: less crowded, more intimate and deeply authentic.
Here, life still moves to the rhythm of the land. Truffles are hunted at dawn, bread is baked in wood-fired ovens, cheese is turned by hand in cool stone cellars, and the potters of Deruta paint much as their ancestors did. Orvieto rises from a plateau of volcanic tufa, honeycombed with caves the Etruscans carved from the rock. For travellers who crave the real Italy, Umbria is an enduring revelation.
Experience Umbria like an insider on this luxury food and wine tour, hosted by our local cheese sommelier, who opens doors to places few travellers ever see. This journey is built on private encounters with our Local Legends: truffle hunters, winemakers, cheesemakers and chefs who welcome Amble guests into their cellars, kitchens and forests. Limited to just 12 guests, this journey offers the exclusive access and authenticity that define Amble Journeys.
Meet your host
"To truly understand a place, you have to eat like a local."
Tano is a true food connoisseur, passionate about Italy's rich tapestry of micro-regional delicacies. Raised between Italy and the United States, he is fully bilingual and bicultural, and brings a rare double perspective to Italian gastronomy — the instinctive knowledge of someone who grew up inside these traditions, and the ability to explain them to guests as one of their own.
A self-proclaimed food nerd, Tano believes that to truly understand a place you must eat like a local — a philosophy he shares with every guest. He is an official cheese taster certified by Italy's National Organization of Cheese Tasters, and is equally well-versed in wine, artisanal products and Italy's time-honoured culinary traditions.
When he isn't guiding guests through Umbria, Tano spends his time with the region's small-scale producers — beekeepers crafting rare honey, shepherds preserving ancient cheesemaking techniques. Those are the relationships behind the doors that open for Amble guests — and a week with Tano feels less like a tour than like reconnecting with an old friend in the Italian countryside.
Access
An exclusive tasting of aged and fresh cheeses with an artisanal cheese master, explained wheel by wheel and paired with Umbrian wines.
A wine tasting and seasonal lunch in caves carved from volcanic rock, hosted by the winemaker who works them.
Trained dogs and expert hunters lead us into the oak woods before the mist has lifted. A genuine hunt, with no guarantees.
Fresh pasta and regional dishes with warm-hearted nonnas in a family home — where the wine and the afternoon both run long.
Trip highlights
From the road
The itinerary
From a 500-hectare estate on the Tuscan border to the Etruscan caves on the road to Orvieto, the week moves through the hands of Umbria's Local Legends — cheesemakers, winemakers, truffle hunters, nonnas, potters and chefs.
You'll eat your way through centuries of tradition, meet the small producers keeping it alive, and get into cellars and workshops that are not open to the public.
Tap any day to open it
Private transfer from Rome, north into the hills to a secluded countryside estate — three restored hamlets across a 500-hectare property on the Tuscan border. The afternoon is yours; the grounds start at the door. A welcome aperitivo as the sun drops, then dinner on the estate with Tano, who guides the week.
A private visit to a cool aging cellar, where an artisanal cheese master leads an exclusive tasting — aged and fresh cheeses, cured charcuterie, each wheel explained and paired with Umbrian wines. The afternoon is free for the spa, the pool, or the long view to Lake Trasimeno. Dinner with a Local Legend: a seasonal menu built around the producers of these hills.
On the road to Orvieto, a private tasting inside caves the Etruscans carved from volcanic rock, hosted by the winemaker who works them. A relaxed seasonal lunch drawn from the surrounding land. By late afternoon, Orvieto — golden stone, medieval streets — and our historic residence two hundred metres from the Duomo. Dinner at a beloved family kitchen known for its handmade pasta.
A guided morning through Orvieto's lanes and piazzas, tasting aged pecorino and truffle spreads as we go. On to Deruta, where artisans still paint and fire their ceramics by hand. The day closes with a cooking class in a family home above Orvieto — fresh pasta with the nonnas, and an afternoon that runs long.
A family-owned olive estate: harvest, cold-pressing, and a tasting that runs from the delicate to the boldly peppery. A farm-to-table lunch built around the oil. In the afternoon, a hands-on workshop with a maître chocolatier. The evening is yours in Orvieto's medieval lanes.
An early start into the countryside, where trained dogs and expert hunters lead us through the oak forests. A genuine hunt, with no guarantees. Back at base, a pasta and bread-making class, then a feast built around the morning's truffles. The week closes with a festive farewell dinner.
A final breakfast, then private transfers to Rome. We leave with winding hill towns, long lunches, and the warmth of those who welcomed us to their tables.
Take it away
Every day in detail, the producers, the hotels and the practicalities — the document we'd send you if you rang us. Useful for showing whoever you're travelling with.
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Open the brochureYour stay
The journey opens at I Borghi dell'Eremo in the Umbrian countryside and finishes inside the walls of Orvieto at Palazzo Petrvs.
Three restored hamlets set across a 500-hectare estate with roots in the 12th century, on the border between Umbria and Tuscany. Fifteen individually designed suites pair timbered ceilings and stone walls with contemporary comfort, alongside farm-to-table dining and the Eterea Spa — whirlpools, sauna, steam room and ice waterfall, with views stretching to Lake Trasimeno.
borghidelleremo.itA historic residence suspended within Orvieto's ancient walls, roughly 200 metres from the Duomo. Original frescoes, coffered ceilings and period architectural detail meet contemporary comfort, with windows opening onto the medieval centre and its own bar and restaurant downstairs. Recognised with a MICHELIN Key.
palazzopetrvs.comBoth properties include breakfast. Room assignments and any single-occupancy requests are confirmed at the time of booking, subject to availability. Hotels may be substituted for similar.
The week
Everything is taken care of
Included in the price
Not included
Scheduled tour date
October 18 to 24, 2027
Truffle season, with the olive harvest just beginning.
$14,000
Per person, double occupancy, USD
$2,000
Deposit per person
$1,500
Single occupancy supplement
12
Guests, never more
Prices start at $14,000 USD per person, based on double occupancy.
A $2,000 USD deposit per person is required to secure your spot. This deposit is non-refundable.
Single occupancy is an additional $1,500 USD per person, due at the time of booking.
The balance is due no later than 180 days before departure, or within 30 days of your deposit if you book within 180 days of departure. If departure is within 90 days, full payment is required before your booking can be confirmed.
This tour requires 5 participants before it is guaranteed to depart.
Payment methods: valid credit card, debit card, or online bank transfers.
We recommend booking at least 6 months ahead to secure experiences in Umbria.
Full terms are set out in our Booking Conditions.
Due to the nature of the event it may not be possible to accommodate dietary restrictions, however we let the chefs/restaurants we work with know of any restrictions you inform us of. This tour is also not recommended for vegetarians.
To secure experiences in Umbria, we recommend booking at least 6 months in advance.
Single rooms and room supplements must be paid at the time of booking; availability is not guaranteed.
International flights, travel insurance, personal shopping.
For additional details about travel logistics and preparations, explore our Frequently Asked Questions.
Six questions and a deposit
Your place is held the moment the deposit clears. Everything else — dietary notes, flights, insurance, passport details — we collect afterwards, at your own pace.
The same doors, on your dates
Every journey we run can be built privately for your family, your friends or your clients — same producers, same hosts, your calendar.
Plan a private journeyCome and sit at the table
Tell us which departure you're drawn to and we'll come back to you personally — no automated brochure, no sales sequence.
Have a Question? Email us at customerservice@amblejourneys.com or send us a WhatsApp on +44 7457 404439