5 original tours of Volterra: Viti Palace, Etruscans, food and art.
Day Tours & Activities JUST THREE MILLENIUMS OF HISTORY
Volterra is a world famous perfectly preserved medieval town. Yet, the medieval look is a “recent” intervention on top of one of Tuscany’s most important Etruscan settlements. Over the centuries Velathri (as the Etruscans called it) got important also for the handicraft production of an ancient stone given to the city as a present by the sea… the alabaster. Arianna & Friends arranges 4 original guided tours of this fantastic town! Choose your favourite one!
| M10. Volterra and the noble palace Viti – 2,5 hours | |
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 | An original tour to Volterra, out from the standard and classical walking tours. The guide will show you the historical center of this charming Etruscan town and take you to panoramic points, to get a spectacular view over the ruins of a Roman Theater. She will also take you to discover a very special private place: Palazzo Viti. It is an elegant Renaissance Palace, right in the middle of the town, where you will admire all the original furniture and precious works of art collected by the family Viti. During the tour you'll enjoy a coffee break at the best cafè in town. Since the Viti family began their history as alabaster merchants, the tour also includes a visit to a traditional alabaster workshop. Including: Private Guide, Ticket to Palazzo Viti, Visit to the Alabaster Workshop, Complimentary Coffee ALL RATES |
| M11. Volterra, arts and handicrafts – 3 hours | |
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This tour of Volterra is the best option for those who love paintings from the Middle Ages to Renaissance, as well as artists such as Rosso Fiorentino and Ghirlandaio. You will visit the Pinacoteca, a very rich collection of paintings, sculptures and ceramics inside a 15th century palace. In the same building, you will also visit the stunning alabaster museum and understand how this precious stone has been crafted in Volterra for over 2,000 years, from the Etruscan times to today. Your guide will take you also to see a working alabaster workshop where to see the transformation of a rough piece of alabaster into a lovely handcrafted decorative object. During the tour you'll enjoy a coffee break at the best cafè in town. Including: Private Guide, Ticket to Pinacoteca, Visit to the Alabaster Museum and Visit to the Alabaster Workshop, Complimentary Coffee ALL RATES |
| M12. Volterra and the Etruscans – 2,5 hours | |
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 | Step back nearly 3,000 years and explore the mysterious world of the Etruscans, one of the most intriguing populations of ancient Italy. This classic Volterra tour includes a visit to the charming Guarnacci Etruscan Museum, where you can admire remarkable works of art from Etruscan times and learn about their culture, gods and goddesses, love of beauty, and the important role of women in their society. Perfect for history and archaeology enthusiasts of all levels, the tour concludes with a complimentary gelato at one of Volterra's most historic cafés, as a sweet ending to an unforgettable cultural experience. Including: Private Guide, Ticket to Guarnacci Museum, Complimentary Gelato ALL RATES |
| M19. Volterra for foodies – 3 hours | |
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| Our expert guide will show you the romantic town of Volterra from a deliciously unique perspective: its traditional food! Stroll through charming streets and discover the little shops where you can taste the town's specialties, from cecina, a savory chickpea tart, to the local version of Pisan pizza. All the products you will taste are deeply connected to Volterra area and its history. The precious Volterra salt comes from the town's historic salt mines, known for centuries. The surrounding hills are perfect for truffles, giving rise to exceptional truffle-based delicacies. The extra virgin olive oil has been produced in the area from thousands of years, and the chocolates are crafted by artisans inspired by regional traditions. Each tasting is a direct reflection of the town's history, geography, and culture. Including: Private Guide, Rich tasting of typical products: Pizza, Cecina, Salt, Olive Oil, Truffle, Chocolate ALL RATES | M25. Timeless Volterra – 2 hours |
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| Enjoy a signature guided walking tour through the historic heart of Volterra. Visit the city's main highlights, such as Volterra's Cathedral, where Romanesque architecture blends perfectly with Renaissance decoration. Just opposite the Cathedral stands the Baptistery of San Giovanni, an outstanding example of Tuscan Romanesque style, with its distinctive octagonal plan and marble façade. Discover the centuries-old tradition of alabaster craftsmanship with a visit to a local alabaster workshop. The tour lasts approximately two hours and ends with a gelato at a local gelato shop in the company of your guide, a perfect moment to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of this beautiful Tuscan town. Including: Private Guide, Ticket to the Cathedral and to the Baptistery, visit to an Alabaster Workshop, Complimentary Gelato ALL RATES |
This is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample as part of the program of this tour. Please, note that the specialties of the tasting session and/or lunch may vary according to the season and the availability of the products in the day of the tour.
In our tour we like showing you places off the beaten track and introducing you to Tuscan people with their personal stories, careers and characters.
You will have one of our guides with your party during the whole tour. Please, see below all the guides who can be with you.
During this experience you can also meet some of the Tuscan friends involved in the events. Please, see below which friends you are likely to encounter.
The total rate for this activity varies according to the number of people in your party.
Check rates in the table below.
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5 original tours of volterra
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| TYPE OF TOUR | RATES | EXTRAS |
| M10 VOLTERRA AND THE NOBLE PALACE VITI – 2,5 hours | € 330 for 2 people | Every extra person: € 15 |
| M11 VOLTERRA ARTS AND HANDICRAFTS – 3 hours | € 350 for 2 people | Every extra person: € 25 |
| M12 – VOLTERRA AND THE ETRUSCANS – 2,5 hours | € 340 for 2 people | Every extra person: € 20 |
| M19 – VOLTERRA FOR FOODIES – 3 hours | € 400 for 2 people | Extra adult € 55; extra teen: € 45 extra child: € 35 |
| M25 – TIMELESS VOLTERRA – 2 hours | € 320 for 2 people | Every extra person: € 20 |
Rates include
- An English speaking Volterra city guide for the whole tour. Also available in French and Italian with no surcharge
- A historical guided walking tour in Volterra
- Entrance and guided visit to the museum of Palazzo Viti , from March through October (for the M10 tour)
- Entrance and guided tour to the Etruscan Guarnacci museum (for the M12 tour)
- A visit to an Alabaster workshop (for the M10, M11 and M25 tours) not on Monday
- A guided visit to an Alabaster museum (for the M11 tour)
- Entrance and guided tour to the Pinacoteca museum (for the M11 tour)
- Entrance and guided tour to the Cathedral and Baptistery (for the M25 tour)
- Complimentary coffee or gelato at a renowned café in town (for the M10, M11, M12, M25 tours)
- Rich tasting of typical products: Pizza, Cecina, Salt, Olive Oil, Truffle, Chocolate (for the M19 tour)
- Taxes
Rates do NOT include
- Transportation
- Tips to the staff. Not included, not obligatory but very much appreciated.
Transportation is not included in the rates above. For more info on transportation, please see the box "Transportation options".
Here the nice message of Anne and Charlie who enjoyed a private guided tour of Volterra with our guide Moira:
My husband and I took a vacation in Tuscany in September. A region we didn't know a lot about. We took three tours with Arianna & Friends. One was a half day tour of Volterra and the other was a similar tour in Sienna. Both were fabulous. Our tour guides were so knowledgeable and prepared. They introduced us to new foods, explained the history of the town and shared with us in depth information and stories about the different cultures of these towns in Tuscany. We recommend them highly. We did them as private tours, which we don't normally do, but this was worth the extra expense, and was not unreasonable.
The highlight of our trip, was a private cooking lesson at a farmhouse. It was nothing short of spectacular. Esther our teacher, a restaurant chef for many years, and Luca our guide, and at times excellent translator, were amazing teachers. They taught us techniques and many other tips about Tuscan cooking. Before we left the U.S. for Tuscany they sent us menu options for us to choose, for our four course meal, which had many of options.
We chose spinach and cheese dumplings in a butter and sage sauce. The next course was homemade pasta with a sausage ragu sauce. Next was a beef stew with vegetables and potatoes. And for dessert, a delicious apple cake.
We were lucky enough to have one of those beautiful evenings with a stunning sunset. We ate under a canvas pergola. It was a magical evening.
We can't thank Esther and Luca enough; our wonderful hosts. If you get the opportunity to do this, you will never forget it. And, when we came home, we made everything Esther and Luca taught us. Thank you again.
Please feel free to keep in touch. We really enjoyed your company and getting to know you.
Best regards,
Anne and Charlie
Here a message from Lori, who enjoyed a guided tour of Volterra with Moira:
Greetings!
We are just home from our amazing trip to Tuscany – where we had the most incredible time with Veronica (Romantic Cooking Class) and with Moira (Volterra tour) and with Luca (Cheese Farm)!!
I have so much to say, and will certainly post to TripAdvisor all my wonderful praise!!
But first – I have a request.
May I get the recipes that we made with Veronica? She mentioned that if I email she will be able to share them with me.
Ravioli ricotta e spinaci al burro e salvia
Fagioli rifatti con la salsiccia
Torta cioccolato e pere
Thank you so much!!!!
Simply perfect!
Lori
This is an email we received from Lilian. She booked a special package in Volterra with a "New Moon Tour".
Dear Consuelo,
The “New Moon” tour was wonderful. We were very well attended by his entire team. See our comment on Facebook (use google translator if you need – Portuguese). Send us other links to post our comments (as Tripadvisor).
If they come to Rio de Janeiro, do not forget to visit us. It will also be glad to assist them with information and road maps or anything that need in Brazil. Please pass this invitation to everyone on the team.
Best regards, Lilian and Luiza
This tour includes some stairs and a few more challenging stretches. If you have any accessibility needs — whether mobility-related, sensory, cognitive, or any other requirements — please let us know in advance and we will do our best to adapt the itinerary for you.
LOCATION OF TOUR:
This walking tours take place in the town of Volterra, in central Tuscany.
MEET-UP LOCATION:
Unless differently specified, the meeting point with the guide is in Volterra. Detailled instructions will be provided.
DURATION:
The programs take 3 hours. Time for reaching the meeting point not included.
AVAILABILITY:
Available from Mondays through Saturdays
LANGUAGE:
This tour is available in English, French or Italian with no surcharge. For German, Russian or Spanish a surcharge applies.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
Easy
CHILD FRIENDLY:
Ideal for children
CLOTHING:
No particular clothing required.
TRANSPORTATION:
This program and its rates do not include transportation to the meeting point and are set on a self-driving base. For further information see the box "transportation options".
The destinations reached during this activity are in the town of Volterra, an area that can be reached by private and public transport. It is possible to reach Volterra by public bus service.
Yet, the public service is not well diffused in all Tuscany so we highly recommend renting a car or a scooter in order to reach the meeting point.
As an alternative, we can offer a valued service by chauffeured car, van or minibus. Any cost of transportation is to be added to the rates displayed on the rate table of this page.
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