The shopping outlets in Umbria include cashmere manufacturers and Luisa Spagnoli, a major Italian designer, as well as local artisan linens and ceramics shops. The outlet venues offer sometimes highly discounted bargains of last year's ranges. This itinerary takes advantage of years of local research from those of us who live here, and have explored the shops, factories and outlets in Umbria. Included are visits to the romantic hilltowns of Montefalco, Perugia and Deruta with fascinating shopping streets.
We include a day trip into the Marche to visit a number of famous Italian shoe brand factories and outlets including Prada, Tods & Hogans, Fabi and Pacciotti. The day includes a seafood lunch at our favourite restaurant on one of Marche's beach resorts

A selection of local cooking classes  based on a variety of recipes rooted in ancient tradition and some of the finest natural produce in Italy. In visits to wine cellars, private homes, villas and farmhouses as well as specialist tastings, whatever the ingredients, the accent is always on genuine flavours.

Autumn and the Umbrian Music Festivals season is a perfect time to visit and to experience music performances in Umbria's evocative venues.  These festivals offer the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful and unusual places in Umbria when you attend performances in unforgettable settings.

This is a preliminary itinerary and the content will change depending on availability of the various venues. The essential content will remain the same.
 

Sun 13 Sept             Rome to Montefalco                                                     L D
You will be met at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport at Fiumicino at 10.30am. A private air-conditioned coach will transfer you to Montefalco. After lunch on the estate we travel up to the medieval town of Montefalco where you will be introduced to the food, wine and artisan traditions of the town including a wine tasting in a private cellar. Welcome drinks and dinner at the family run enoteca in the town's delightful piazza.

Mon 14 Sept           Fashion & Perugia                                                       B D   
This morning we drive to the outskirts of Perugia to the main factory and outlet of Luisa Spagnoli, a much celebrated designer in Italy. The factory's back door outlet has selections from last season's range discounted by 50% and previous ranges by 70%. The designs tends towards formal with beautifully tailored suits available also as separate pieces.   

Tue 15 Sept           Valdichiana Outlet                                                        B D
Today we travel to the new outlet village at Val di Chiana with over 40 shops. Some of the brands are Calvin Klein, Armani, Versace, Guzzini, Alessi, Mariella Burani,  Adidas, and many many more brands advertised at half price and less !.

Wed 16 Sept      Ceramics, Cashmere  & Performance #1                     B D
We drive to Deruta and walk you through our selection of favourites from within the 370 ceramics shops in this medieval town. In the afternoon we wade through a number of cashmere outlets including Italy's best Maria di Ripabianca. Tonight a performance in Spoleto.

Thu 17 Sept          Linens, Spoleto                                                            B  D    
We first visit the town simply to wander the streets & get a grip on the overall situation of shoes & shops in general. Then travel to the outskirts of the town to the factory of Mastro Rafael - one of Italy's most prized producers of drapery.

Fri 18 Sept                Foligno, Montefalco & Performance #2                        B D       A relaxing morning in our favourite local shopping town.  Foligno is totally off the main tourist stream and the piazza has a couple of delightful cafes for sitting, people watching and researching what Italian's wear and how they wear it ! The afternoon in Montefalco exploring the local linen and wine industry. We visit a factory outlet of one of the town's historical producers & finish with a glass of prize winning red and truffle bruschetta at sunset in the piazza. This evening we attend a concert in Perugia.

Sat 19 Sept              Shoes &  Marche                                                 B L D      
A big day today -as it is a bit of a drive to get into the Marche and then to move from outlet to outlet stocking up on Italian designer shoes. Our visits take in Prada, the Tod's / Hogan outlet and a special favourite Fabi, amongst others. Lunch is included at our favourite seafood restaurant on the beach.

Sun 20 Sept              Day at Leisure                    L D
 
Mon 21 Sept             Markets & Villa Cooking Class 1,  Foligno         B L D
Today is market day in Montefalco so there is a walk around the town to experience the atmosphere. The cooking class is at a local villa just near the marketplace. You will develop skills in making a complete Umbrian meal from antipasti, through to dolci, including fresh pasta in its local variation, 'strangozzi' with its interesting definition as 'priest strangler. In the afternoon we visit Foligno with a focus on the kitchenware shop. After dinner at the accommodation we have an introductory talk on the food and wine of Umbria.

Tue 22 Sept         Ancient Traditions  & Cellar visits                    B L D
A short drive to a nearby farmhouse and we visit a ‘carbonaio’  or charcoal kiln that once provided the local area with wood coal. They will show us the ancient techniques and we have lunch on the property. The afternoon is taken up with visits to various local wine cellars where you can try Montefalco's award winning Sagrantino wine.

Wed 23 Sept      Olive oil tasting, Cooking class 2                      B L D 

We visit a local oil mill and walk through the field of olives which will include a field lecture on growing techniques and a detailed tasting and comparison some of the area's excellent extra virgin olive oils. The whole of Umbria beneath 600 metres in altitude has a climate and geography particularly suited to the cultivation of the olive. The oil is an essential ingredient of Umbrian cooking and the landscape displays evidence of years of tradition in the area's principal agricultural activity. Lunch back at the accommodation. We travel on to a nearby farmhouse where we explore the ancient estate, its traditions and its biological grain farm, cooking lunch by the enormous fireplace in the original family kitchen using produce from the fields outside.

Thu 24 Sept        Truffle hunt, Spoleto & Performance #3        B L D  
This morning we travel to a mountain forest where we will accompany a professional truffle hunter and his trained dogs into the forest on his daily quest for 'black gold'. We enjoy a simple meal of wine, bruschetta, pasta and truffles in the hunter's home in the mountain village. In the afternoon we drive down to Spoleto and walk across the magnificent medieval aqueduct into the town. Free time in Spoleto.

Fri 25 Sept          Cooking Class 3,  Norcia                                           B L D

In the morning we travel  to our cooking class in a private home or local restaurant based on characteristic regional food. The class is followed by lunch.  In the afternoon we drive through the Valley of the river Nera to Norcia, the sausage and salami capitol of Italy.  The walled roman town has been historically famous for its delicious cheeses and salamis and almost every Italian town has a Norcineria selling its produce. We stock up on produce to include at dinner this evening back at the accommodation.

Sat 26 Sept         Ceramics, Weaving, Perugia                                 B D)

Deruta has been a major ceramics centre since medieval times. No culinary exploration would be complete without a venture into eating's decorative accessories. Here you will be shown through a selection of some of the 300 outlets selling plates, bowls and anything else that might be made of terracotta. We then travel on to Perugia to a workshop of traditional fabric weavers still using ancient hand built wooden looms in a beautifully restored gothic church.  The afternoon in the town is free for shopping or individual sightseeing.

Sun 27 Sept
On the last day of the tour you will be transferred to Rome's Fiumicino Airport, arriving at approx xxam.

• Transfers from and to Spoleto station tor hotel
• All land travel by air-conditioned coach
• Accommodation for 14 nights. 7 days full board and 7 days half board
• Meals at the accommodation include fresh local produce and local wines
• 3 cooking classes of characteristic regional recipes, including lunch
• The best available seats at 3 performances at Umbrian Music Festivals
• A truffle hunt and truffle lunch in a mountain village
• A visit and lunch at a traditional charcoal maker
• Visits to cellars with tasting of Montefalco's award winning Sagrantino wines
• An olive oil tasting & a visit to a biological farm
• Cheese and prosciutto tastings in Norcia, Italy's salami capitol
• A visit to the famous ceramics centre of Deruta
• Short informative talks on the food an wine of Umbria
• The services of a tour leader throughout the tour