8 Days Intensive Cooking Vacation in Italy

During this holiday, you will be staying at the Villa Pandolfini estate. The 150 hectare estate comprises of a private forest, vineyards, and olive groves. Antiques, frescoes, and beautiful loggia are looking onto a breathtaking renaissance garden. This is the perfect place to discover Florence and enjoy the real Tuscan countryside. This elegant castle with famous architecture design has accommodated guests such as Napoleon Bonaparte and King Charles VIII of France.

Accommodations are in the villa or one of the farmhouses. The rooms and villa are chosen by based on the size of the group and composition, supplements paid, and so on.

This cooking holiday is an intense course, but there are not only cookery classes - in this less expensive culinary program, you can spend your free time at a real Tuscan estate which is a working vineyard and olive grove. You will not only see the places where traditional olive oil and wine are produced, but also enjoy wine, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar tasting.

For special dietary requirements, as long as there is a prior notice, menus can be adjusted for the cooking days accordingly. Tuscan food is rich in vegetables and in almost all of our cooking menus, all but the small piece of meat in the second course is vegetarian. In a typical five-course meal, there is a lot of food for vegetarians.

On one of the days, your cooking classes will be enriched by a visit to the bustling central food markets of Florence. Once there, the chef or the guide will share with you information on an abundance of products, keeping the focus on how this genuine ingredients have inspired traditional Tuscan dishes for generations.

Included in the total cost of this retreat is a visit to the central food markets of Florence.

This retreat will take place in Florence, Italy at Villa Pandolfini, where you will be staying during this holiday, is located 12 kilometers from the Florence center. Trains, buses, and all shops are within walking distance and it is close to all major highways. You can stroll downtown to buy your fresh bread or morning cappuccino and feel like a local.

The area is full of great restaurants, weekly open air small markets, straw museum, and horse riding. Throughout the year, the little villages and towns scattered through Tuscany celebrate 'sagre', which give visitors a perfect opportunity to share this unique experience. Accademia Italiana di Cucina Pandolfini will happily give you advice on events taking place in the area.

Nearby places

• Florence, 12 kilometers
• Forte Dei Marmi Volterra - 40 minutes
• Lucca - 40 minutes
• Montecatini - 20 minutes
• Pisa - 40 minutes
• San Gimignano - 40 minutes
• Siena - 40 minutes

• Discover many local attractions such as horse riding, trekking, antique markets, Caruso’s villa and gardens, medieval villages, and Etruscan ruins.
• Experience the wonderful dining experiences at the many local restaurants, some noted as being the best in Italy
• Relax at the villa and enjoy its grounds, wine, and forest

• 5-course meal after each cooking class
• 6 days of intensive professional cooking classes
• 7 nights accommodation
• 150-page cookbook
• A signature Apron
• Certificate of completion
• Enjoy wine, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar tasting
• Meals as specified
• Visit to the bustling central food markets of Florence
• Welcome Dinner

• Airfare
• Airport transfers
• Daily meals
• Extra activities

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flight to arrive at Florence Airport, Peretola (FLR). Accademia Italiana di Cucina Pandolfini can arrange for participants to be picked up from the airport to the estate for 40 EUR.

Arrival by train

There is also a train service available from Florence city to Lastra a Signa. The estate is just a short distance away from the Lastra a Signa train station.

• A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 60 days before arrival.