Hilltop towns, ancient walled villages, fortresses, castles, medieval art…L’Umbria è magnifica!
Umbria, Italy
Tuscany’s neighbor, The Undiscovered Green Heart of Italy
Two 11-day Cultural Immersion Excursion
Tour 1: Leave USA April 4, 2027 / Return April 15, 2027*
Partnering with Stilson Winery
Tour 2: Leave USA April 16* 2027 / Return April 27
Partnering with Kendra
*Possible to extend return date (First Tour) or move up departure date (Second Tour) by adding on up to 3 nights in Rome, our favorite city at our favorite hotel. The Rome optional nights are post-trip for the first tour and pre-trip for the second tour.
A journey into Italian culture, history, food, and wine.
Start and end in Rome
From $3,195 double occupancy
Single occupancy upgrade from an additional $825
Please do NOT purchase air or trip insurance until the minimum trip size is achieved.
You must wait until notified by us that the trip is a go.
FIRST DEPOSIT of $700 upon sign-up. Our tours usually sell out. If you want to join us, it is wise to deposit early.
Add some days in Rome before your Umbria Tour
The Umbria tour starts and ends in Rome. Why not add days and nights and enjoy the most historic city in the world? We have been to Rome 17 times. You will get to stay in an 18th century villa hotel! Add 2, 3, or 4 nights. We have a list of suggestions of what to see and do outside of the main tourist attractions.
We could not be happier!
For the second time we are pleased to partner on our Umbria trip with Deb and Ray of Stilson winery in Paso Robles. They joined us with some of their wine club members in Puglia, March 2026. We had a wonderful time with them! They must have loved it as well, because they are joining us with some of their members in Umbria. We warmly welcome all of the Paso Robles peeps! The Stilson tour is the FIRST of the two tours.
Kendra Schreiner is hosting the SECOND Umbria tour. Kendra and Testimony Wine partnered with us on our Spring Puglia 2026. She is a dynamo and was a delight to be with. Her enthusiasm for adventure and travel is contagious. Kendra loved our Puglia adventure and wants to invite her friends to join her on our Umbria 2027 jurney. Any tour Kendra is on will be great fun… because SHE is great fun!
Kat the Wine Diva of Walla Walla is an extraordinary dynamic force of enthusiasm and wine knowledge. She will be our Walla Walla partner for the second trip. Kat went with us on our Spring Puglia, Italy tour and loved it. She is joining us in Croatia September 2026. She is a believer in the Morningstar Magic now and vows to get as many Walla Walla people to experience Umbria 2027 with her as possible.
You will be in good hands on this tour. Maura, our friend and expert guide, did an outstanding job on our first Umbrian tour. Her knowledge and charm made for a fantastic learning experience. No boring guide stories here! She has a way of making history come alive. She will be our head guide for all of our walking tours in the lovely towns and villages we will explore. Maura and her colleague will lead us thru Assisi, Perugia, Bevagna, Spoleto, and Spello. The stories she will share! Our guided groups will not exceed 15 people… ever!
Imagine a place of natural beauty, full of wonderful people, excellent cuisine, unique wines, and unrivaled medieval art on 1,500-year-old castle walls. Imagine immersing yourself in this mythical locale for 9 days, having it permeate your mind, body, and soul in an unrushed journey. Imagine a region free of hordes of hit-and-run tourists that have challenged and altered many of the world’s beautiful destinations. Imagine no more! Join Dan and Deb as they share an immersion experience of food, wine, walking, biking, and the dolce vita in the untrampled beauty of Umbria. This journey will be a breath of fresh air and you will come away refreshed and encouraged, knowing that there are still some authentic places remaining in the world to experience.
Home in Umbria, the centuries-old Borgo Marmotta.
Umbria is an ancient region nestled between Rome to the south and Tuscany to the northeast. As with our other favorite Italian region, Puglia, we would describe it as “Tuscany without the tourists at half the cost.” It is a region of stunning mountains and vistas, filled with medieval castles and ancient walled villages. It is mostly known for the gorgeous city of Assisi, named after the animal-loving saint. Assisi is beautiful and you will have a full day and evening to enjoy it, yet Umbria is much more than its famous namesake. The beauty and intrigue lie in the harder-to-find villages and towns that are not included in most tours. Deb and Dan spent a week last spring getting lost. We fell in love with Umbria. We thrive on finding out-of-the-way authentic places that have not become mainstream. This is why we love Puglia (we have done 8 tours there!). The same magical ingredients that make Puglia so marvelous are existent in Umbria..
We came away from our Umbria scout trip with a passion to organize a tour of cultural immersion in this historical, beautiful land. We brought our first group to Umbria in 2025 and it exceeded everyone’s expectations.We want to again share what we discovered with a small group of like-minded folks who seek the out-of-the ordinary tour experience, who want to absorb as much of the culture and history of a place that they can. If that is you, then join us as we return to See and Savor Umbria.
We offer immersion into the culture, NOT a touristic superficial visit.
Borgos are farm homes from the days of large estate farms. Most date back centuries. Borgo Marmotta has been in Federico’s family for generations. It has been transformed into a gorgeous 4-star resort in the middle of the stunning Umbrian countryside. Federico has agreed to open a few weeks earlier than normal just for our group. We will have the entire property…. all just for us! This will be a unique experience you will thoroughly enjoy.
Umbria has been inhabited for millennia. Ancient castles, fortresses, and walled villages abound as well as many “borgos”. Borgos are centuries-old homes that were centers of agricultural endeavors. Some of these borgos have been turned into amazing 4-star hotels. We have found a gem of a borgo for our stay. Borgo Marmotta has been in the family of Federico for many generations. This borgo has been transformed into a lovely refuge. It is just large enough for our group. We will be the only ones there. We have procured the entire property. There is a huge bonus: We will stay in Borgo Marmotta the entire 8 nights of our stay. It is perfectly situated for exploring this region of Umbria. There will be daily exploration trips to castles, villages, cities, and wineries, all of which are no further that 40 minutes from Marmotta. The kitchen of this borgo is excellent and will offer up cuisine typical of the region for all of our breakfasts and six of our dinners. We will have two hands-on cooking experiences with the chef. Frederico’s borgo is exquisitely authentic and perfectly located.
You will have at-your-leisure time at the Borgo. Spend some of it here!
Day by day Itinerary for entire Umbria Tour
Day 1: April 4, 2026 First Tour / April 16 Second Tour Leave USA on overnight flight. Arrive in Rome on April 4 (group 1) or April 17 (group 2) Note that IF you are adding on days in Rome you adjust the departure date according to how many extra days you are doing. Click link below for Rome details.
Day 2: April 5 First Tour / April 17 Second Tour Arrive in Rome, take taxi to included hotel night. You are on your own that day and night.
Day 3: First tour April 6 / Second tour April 18 We depart Rome on our private charter bus for the start of our Umbrian adventure. We will journey to our first “Wow” moment of the tour, the medieval walled town of Spoleto. The highlight will be our tour of the 1,100 year old castle that has some of the best medieval mural walls in the world. Then our first meal together, featuring food typical of Spoleto at Trattoria del Festival, including wine. After lunch, a short drive for our check in at Borgo Marmotta. Settle in, pre-dinner welcome drink, then our first included dinner at Marmotta.
Day 4 : First Tour April 7 / Second Tour April 19 Off to the charming walled village of Bevagna after a leisurely morning at Borgo. We will leave at @10:15AM arriving at Bevagna at 10:45. Walking tour with Maura and other guide. Then we will have a typical lunch (included in your tour) in Bevagna paired with some local wines. Return to Borgo, free time to enjoy the property.
Menu for included wine-paired lunch at the most charming husband and wife owned restaurant EVER!
Antipasto: Potatoes tortino with cheese cream and truffles
First : Cappellacci (“Hat pasta, typical of the region)
Second: baked Pork “Porcona”
Included dinner at our Borgo.
Day 5: First Tour April 8 / Second Tour April 20 Perugia is in no way second-fiddle to Assisi. The well-preserved medieval buildings replete with great painted murals were beyond our expectations. You will have a guided walking tour of the highlights with Maura and other guide and then free time for lunch, shopping, and exploring on your own. Return to Marmotta for dinner
Day 6: First Tour April 9 / Second Tour April 21 Mid-morning we visit Marfuga olive oil, voted the #1 oil in Italy several years running. The tour and the tasting are fascinating! After the visit, on to winery unlike any you have visited for a tour, tasting, and lunch. Return to Borgo, enjoy at leisure, OR optional E-bike guided ride in the countryside, details t.b.a.
Day 7: First Tour April 10 / Second Tour April 22 Your call, two options… Have a relaxing morning at Borgo, pool lounging, walk to nearby castle with amazing views, followed by afternoon cooking class.
OR Optional E-bike tour along an old railroad line, replete with trestle bridges, tunnels, and gorgeous scenery along the way. Lunch included. It is one of the coolest rides we have ever done!
Day 8: April 11 First Tour / April 23 Second Tour Visit Federico’s family villa, centuries old and a short walk from Borgo. As a child he grew up here. Led by Federico himself, we will enter into a museum! No words can describe how awesome this visit is. Of course, wine and aperitifs will be served. Afterwards we will walk back to Borgo for a wonderful wine-paired lunch set in the stunning gardens of Borgo Marmotta.
OR
OPTIONAL E-BIKE ride in the countryside, price t.b.a.
Day 9: First Tour April 12 / Second Tour April 24 Today we say Ciao to Federico and his borgo and visit the most famous place in Umbria: Assisi. Centuries ago Frances of Assisi lived here and he became an icon for his love of nature and his simple lifestyle. He was an unusual monk and to this day he is admired. Assisi is a spectacular city with stunning architecture, views, and cathedral. Maura and her colleague guide will dazzle you with fabulous stories of intrigue that occurred in Assisi. Post-tour, free time for lunch and exploration on your own. In the afternoon, we move on to the City of Flowers: Spello. Widely considered the most beautiful village in Umbria, we will spend two nights there in our gorgeous four-star spa hotel. The first night you can enjoy a highly-recommended optional wine-paired dinner at La Bastiglia Boutique Hotel Spa Ristorante.
Day 10: First Tour April 13 / Second Tour April 25 We start our Spello day with Maura and a colleague for a walking tour of this beautiful village. After that, the day belongs to you! You can explore on your own, or you can do an OPTIONAL bike ride or an easy hike along an ancient Roman aqueduct.
Day 11: First Tour April 14 / Second Tour April 26 We will say ciao to Umbria and return to the Rome area for our last included hotel night. You will enjoy an old villa that has been transformed into a four-star hotel. Located in a quiet residential area, yet a short walk from all the main attractions of Rome, it is a gem that few know about. It is our favorite hotel in Rome. You will stay the night here. BUT it does NOT HAVE TO BE your last tour night for the first group. We are offering the possibility to stay on an extra 1,2, or 3 nights to enjoy the most fascinating city in Italy. For the first tour these bonus nights will be a post-trip. For the second tour, the extra Rome nights will be a pre-trip. Of course you must adjust your air dates accordingly. Dan and Deb will do our famous “Dan’s walking Rome tour” on April 15th where you will see the most beautiful piazza in Italy and eat some of the best pasta in Rome. Further, we will offer advice for planning the best things to do that are not overrun with tourists. Click the Rome button to discover the details. IF you are not doing extra Rome nights, you fly home on Arpil 15, 2027 First Tour or April 27 Second Tour.