The Water Trails: Etruscan Tuscany, Thermal Springs and Great Wines
4 days exploring Chianciano Terme, San Casciano dei Bagni, Chiusi, Montepulciano, Pienza and Bagno Vignoni. Optional extension to Montalcino.
A journey through the Valdichiana Senese and Val d’Orcia, discovering Etruscan civilisation and its connection with water. Explore museums, underground passages, thermal pools and historic towns, accompanied by the wines and flavours of the region.
Price per person: from €549, sharing a double room, with breakfast included
Program
Arrive in Chianciano Terme in the early afternoon and begin your Tuscan getaway with a soothing dip in the Theia Thermal Pools. Fed by the Sillene spring, the warm indoor and outdoor pools invite you to slow down and unwind. Afterwards, settle into your hotel or agriturismo before enjoying a welcome dinner featuring local dishes and produce. Overnight stay.
After breakfast, head to San Casciano dei Bagni. Explore the historic centre at your own pace, wandering through narrow streets and squares with views over the surrounding hills. Visit the Stanze Cassianensi, where archaeological finds and inscriptions tell the stories of the area’s ancient inhabitants and the connection between thermal waters, deities and healing. On Saturdays at 11 am, visit the Santuario Ritrovato, the rediscovered sanctuary where thermal waters, worship and healing intertwined in Etruscan and Roman times.
Lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon, meet a local wine producer and enjoy an Orcia DOC wine tasting, discovering the wines and rural landscapes of San Casciano dei Bagni. Dinner at your leisure. Overnight stay.
After breakfast, head to Chiusi, one of the great cities of ancient Etruria. Visit the National Etruscan Museum, where sculptures, pottery, canopic urns and sarcophagi tell the story of Etruscan art and culture. Don’t miss the Sphinx of Chiusi, a funerary sculpture dating from the 6th century BC, part lion and part human. Continue to the “La Città Sotterranea” Civic Museum (The Underground City). A guided tour takes you into the tunnels beneath the historic centre, where inscribed funerary urns and tiles reveal the names, family ties and stories of the town’s ancient inhabitants. Two complementary visits introduce you to both the artefacts and the people who shaped Chiusi’s history. Next, enjoy lunch by Lake Chiusi and taste brustico, a traditional local dish of lake fish roasted over burning reeds.
In the afternoon, head to Montepulciano, an elegant hill town overlooking the Valdichiana and Val d’Orcia. Enjoy a guided tour of the historic centre’s wine cellars, with wine tastings, exploring underground galleries, vaulted chambers and large barrels as you discover Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. The experience includes admission to the Crociani Civic Museum and Art Gallery for the “PerBacco” exhibition. Enjoy free time to explore Piazza Grande and the artisan shops. Set into the base of Palazzo Bucelli, Etruscan and Roman urns and inscriptions bear witness to the town’s ancient heritage. Dinner at your leisure. Overnight stay.
After breakfast and check-out, head to Pienza, a UNESCO World Heritage town, in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Val d’Orcia. Explore the historic centre at your own pace, from Piazza Pio II and the local shops to the panoramic walkway overlooking the valley. At 12:30 pm, enjoy a light lunch at a Pecorino di Pienza cheese farm, featuring cheeses and local produce. In the afternoon, continue to Bagno Vignoni, a village gathered around a large thermal pool. Take time to explore the square and walk to the Parco dei Mulini, following the course of the thermal waters through the landscape. Your stay concludes in the afternoon.
Optional extension to Montalcino. Extend your trip with an additional night and a day in Montalcino, available at an extra cost. After breakfast, explore the town at your own pace, then visit a Brunello di Montalcino winery for a wine tasting and light lunch. On request, a visit to the archaeological section of the Sant’Agostino complex can be arranged, subject to opening hours. The programme concludes in the afternoon.
What’s Included
Stay
- 3 nights in a 4-star hotel or selected agriturismo, sharing a double room, with breakfast included.
Tour
- Welcome dinner.
- Guided tour of the historic centre’s wine cellars in Montepulciano, with wine tastings.
- Orcia DOC wine tasting at a local producer in the San Casciano dei Bagni area.
- Lunch by Lake Chiusi featuring brustico.
- Lunch at a Pecorino di Pienza cheese farm.
- Admission to the Theia Thermal Pools in Chianciano Terme.
Tickets
- Admission to the National Etruscan Museum in Chiusi.
- Admission and guided tour of the “La Città Sotterranea” Civic Museum in Chiusi.
- Admission to the Crociani Civic Museum and Art Gallery in Montepulciano.
Terms of sale
Minimum participants per booking: 2
Maximum participants per booking: 20
- Prices are per person, based on two people sharing a double room.
- Single-room supplement available on request.
- Local tourist tax, where applicable, is not included and must be paid locally.
- Transport is not included and can be arranged on request.
- Visits to the historic centres are self-guided. A tour escort and additional guided visits are available on request.
- The recommended stay runs from Friday to Monday, on dates confirmed according to museum opening schedules, including Sunday opening at the National Etruscan Museum in Chiusi.
- The Montalcino extension is not included in the standard package price.
- Accommodation, timings, thermal pool admission duration and experience details will be confirmed in your quotation.
- The order of visits may change according to opening hours and supplier availability.
- Please let us know about any allergies, intolerances or dietary requirements when booking.
How to book
To book and personalise your stay, email us at booking@valdichianaliving.it.
Cancellation policy. Cancellation terms will be provided in your quotation and confirmed when booking, according to the accommodation and services selected.
Have you ever thought of giving someone a trip to Tuscany? With Valdichiana Living, you can choose this stay or one of our other offers, all of which can be personalised. For information about open-date gift vouchers, email booking@valdichianaliving.it.
Why choose this trip. Because it has been created by people who live here and know the area first-hand. The itinerary brings together the Etruscan heritage, thermal waters and flavours of the Valdichiana Senese and Val d’Orcia, allowing you to discover the history of these places and meet the people who keep their local produce and traditions alive.
Arrive in Chianciano Terme in the early afternoon and begin your Tuscan getaway with a soothing dip in the Theia Thermal Pools. Fed by the Sillene spring, the warm indoor and outdoor pools invite you to slow down and unwind. Afterwards, settle into your hotel or agriturismo before enjoying a welcome dinner featuring local dishes and produce. Overnight stay.
After breakfast, head to San Casciano dei Bagni. Explore the historic centre at your own pace, wandering through narrow streets and squares with views over the surrounding hills. Visit the Stanze Cassianensi, where archaeological finds and inscriptions tell the stories of the area’s ancient inhabitants and the connection between thermal waters, deities and healing. On Saturdays at 11 am, visit the Santuario Ritrovato, the rediscovered sanctuary where thermal waters, worship and healing intertwined in Etruscan and Roman times.
Lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon, meet a local wine producer and enjoy an Orcia DOC wine tasting, discovering the wines and rural landscapes of San Casciano dei Bagni. Dinner at your leisure. Overnight stay.
After breakfast, head to Chiusi, one of the great cities of ancient Etruria. Visit the National Etruscan Museum, where sculptures, pottery, canopic urns and sarcophagi tell the story of Etruscan art and culture. Don’t miss the Sphinx of Chiusi, a funerary sculpture dating from the 6th century BC, part lion and part human. Continue to the “La Città Sotterranea” Civic Museum (The Underground City). A guided tour takes you into the tunnels beneath the historic centre, where inscribed funerary urns and tiles reveal the names, family ties and stories of the town’s ancient inhabitants. Two complementary visits introduce you to both the artefacts and the people who shaped Chiusi’s history. Next, enjoy lunch by Lake Chiusi and taste brustico, a traditional local dish of lake fish roasted over burning reeds.
In the afternoon, head to Montepulciano, an elegant hill town overlooking the Valdichiana and Val d’Orcia. Enjoy a guided tour of the historic centre’s wine cellars, with wine tastings, exploring underground galleries, vaulted chambers and large barrels as you discover Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. The experience includes admission to the Crociani Civic Museum and Art Gallery for the “PerBacco” exhibition. Enjoy free time to explore Piazza Grande and the artisan shops. Set into the base of Palazzo Bucelli, Etruscan and Roman urns and inscriptions bear witness to the town’s ancient heritage. Dinner at your leisure. Overnight stay.
After breakfast and check-out, head to Pienza, a UNESCO World Heritage town, in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Val d’Orcia. Explore the historic centre at your own pace, from Piazza Pio II and the local shops to the panoramic walkway overlooking the valley. At 12:30 pm, enjoy a light lunch at a Pecorino di Pienza cheese farm, featuring cheeses and local produce. In the afternoon, continue to Bagno Vignoni, a village gathered around a large thermal pool. Take time to explore the square and walk to the Parco dei Mulini, following the course of the thermal waters through the landscape. Your stay concludes in the afternoon.
Optional extension to Montalcino. Extend your trip with an additional night and a day in Montalcino, available at an extra cost. After breakfast, explore the town at your own pace, then visit a Brunello di Montalcino winery for a wine tasting and light lunch. On request, a visit to the archaeological section of the Sant’Agostino complex can be arranged, subject to opening hours. The programme concludes in the afternoon.
- 3 nights in a 4-star hotel or selected agriturismo, sharing a double room, with breakfast included.
- Welcome dinner.
- Guided tour of the historic centre’s wine cellars in Montepulciano, with wine tastings.
- Orcia DOC wine tasting at a local producer in the San Casciano dei Bagni area.
- Lunch by Lake Chiusi featuring brustico.
- Lunch at a Pecorino di Pienza cheese farm.
- Admission to the Theia Thermal Pools in Chianciano Terme.
- Admission to the National Etruscan Museum in Chiusi.
- Admission and guided tour of the “La Città Sotterranea” Civic Museum in Chiusi.
- Admission to the Crociani Civic Museum and Art Gallery in Montepulciano.
Minimum participants per booking: 2
Maximum participants per booking: 20
- Prices are per person, based on two people sharing a double room.
- Single-room supplement available on request.
- Local tourist tax, where applicable, is not included and must be paid locally.
- Transport is not included and can be arranged on request.
- Visits to the historic centres are self-guided. A tour escort and additional guided visits are available on request.
- The recommended stay runs from Friday to Monday, on dates confirmed according to museum opening schedules, including Sunday opening at the National Etruscan Museum in Chiusi.
- The Montalcino extension is not included in the standard package price.
- Accommodation, timings, thermal pool admission duration and experience details will be confirmed in your quotation.
- The order of visits may change according to opening hours and supplier availability.
- Please let us know about any allergies, intolerances or dietary requirements when booking.
How to book
To book and personalise your stay, email us at booking@valdichianaliving.it.
Cancellation policy. Cancellation terms will be provided in your quotation and confirmed when booking, according to the accommodation and services selected.
Have you ever thought of giving someone a trip to Tuscany? With Valdichiana Living, you can choose this stay or one of our other offers, all of which can be personalised. For information about open-date gift vouchers, email booking@valdichianaliving.it.
Why choose this trip. Because it has been created by people who live here and know the area first-hand. The itinerary brings together the Etruscan heritage, thermal waters and flavours of the Valdichiana Senese and Val d’Orcia, allowing you to discover the history of these places and meet the people who keep their local produce and traditions alive.
