Activities & Services
Make your stay extra specialMake memories of a lifetime!
We have done the research for you and found some of the best activities available. We have made contact with special service providers.
Please contact us for some personalised suggestions.
Food & Wine
Outdoor Adventures
Tours & Excursions
Other Services
Food & Wine Experiences
Learn how to create classic Tuscany Cuisine with Francesca from Il Giardino Segreto.
Have a cooking lesson at your villa with Francesca from Il Giardino Segreto. Francesca has been passionate about cooking since a young age and has refined her skills over the years. Menu’s are suggested by Francesca but can be adapted. Guests can choose from 1 first course (usually pasta), 1 main course and 1 desert. Prices from €60 per person. Follow Francesca on instagram for some inspiration.
@ilgiardinosegreto2020/
Visit Rita at her cooking school
Go to Rita’s cooking school for a hands on experience in a professional kitchen. Prices from €100 per person (discount for 3 or more people) including all ingredients, tuition, wine with your meal and gift of a cooking apron and recipes to take home. A discount will be given for 3 or more persons. Transport can be arranged.
Chef at home
Have an elegant meal cooked for your by a chef in the comfort of your own home. We work with various chefs so please contact us for more information.
Wine tasting
Go on a wine tasting journey with Simone Vergamini, leading a stage dedicated to the wines of Lucca.
Simone, is an award winning sommelier and has compiled 4 different experiences based on his wide knowledge base and passion for Tuscany wine.
Wine tastings include wines mixed with cheeses, bread and olive oil. Prices start from €35 per person. Min 4 people but can do couples on request.
Vineyard tours
The region is responsible for producing some of the most reputable wines on the planet. And for many, it’s almost impossible to hear mention of Tuscany without picturing its rolling hills covered in grape vines. It’s fitting that a country so prominent in the history of viticulture would have a rich history itself.
Taste the best wine and food that the area has to offer with Simone.
All tours our includes transport in a car, van or bus, wine tasting and food. Prices start from €130 pp.
Outdoor Adventures
From leisurely guided walks to exhilarating mountain bike tours we have lots of outdoor adventures on offer with Apians.
Apians is a cultural association founded with the aim of spreading the practice of adventure sports that allow you to discover nature and its facets. Guests can enjoy hiking performing canyoning with experienced guides that will allow you to get closer to the hidden sides of a river and admire its wonders. For more information on Apians visit www.apians.com.
Caving
Embark on a speleological adventure into the underworld. You will descend into the cave networks by following the course of an underground stream, where you can admire stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years, concluding your trip with a swim in a small underground lake.
Trekking
The Apians team offer trekking excursions suitable for most fitness levels. They will guide you thrgouhg some of the best scenery and mountain landscapes Italy has to offer.
Mountain biking - Enjoy Garfagnana on two wheels
Garfagnana is home to some of the most spectacular and scenic biking trails. The guides will accompany you through the Tuscan countryside and between beautiful mediaeval villages. Routes can be easily tailored to meet individual medical and mobility requirements. Mountain biking excursions take place between the 1st of May and October the 30th. Helmets must be worn.
Canyoning / Gorge walking
Climb, jump and slide your way down a magnificent ravine, led by experienced and enthusiastic guides. No special athletic ability is required, though participants must be good swimmers. Explore the stunning river environment during either a full day, or a half day’s descent.
Tours & Excursions
Bespoke tours with Simone
With over 10 years of experience as a tour leader and activity organiser, Simone offers tours and excursions catered to your interests and needs.
Simone has an 8 seater minibus so can lead tours for up to 8 people. Examples of a tour would be visit a vineyard with tasting, then lunch and finishing with a private guided tour of a city.
He can also do private tours of the Cinque Terre and the famous cities of Tuscany.
Art classes & walks
Lead by Tony Phillips, an English artist who has lived in Barga for more than 15 years. Tony has exhibited widely in the UK, with work in recent shows at the V&A and Tate Britain and has work in many public collections. For the last 7 years he has combined his passion for the local landscape with his love of walking, taking groups around Barga and the Serchio Valley.
Sketching trips
As seen on Amanda and Alan’s Italian job… Join a short tour in the Serchio Valley which includes sketching tuition, drawing directly from nature. Sessions include use of pen-and-ink, watercolour and pastel and are suitable for both complete beginners and those with drawing experience. Contact us for more information.
Walking tours
Discover the hill-top towns and scenery around Barga and Garfagnana on a series of footpaths which also take in many fascinating mountain routes in the Apuan and Appenine Alps.
Flexible times – depending on how much walking is desired – from 3 and a half to 7 hours. Some include opportunities for wild swimming in local rivers.
Services
Pre-arrival shopping service
Pre-Ordered Itemised Grocery List.
Send your itemised grocery shopping list by email 48 hours before your arrival date and everything will be delivered direct to your villa. This service is invaluable to guests travelling with young children, have a late arrival or are unfamiliar with the area. You’re in Italy for the great food, let them bring it to you.
