Umbria and Tuscany in Our Own Private Estate

For one week, a spectacular estate above the Upper Tiber Valley is entirely ours. We’re talking an 800-year-old chapel wrapped in original frescoes. Bedrooms dripping in splendor. An infinity pool that seems to spill into the Umbrian sky. Windows and porches with expansive vistas over endless olive groves and stone ruins.

Condé Nast Traveler called it one of the most Instagrammable houses in the world. And the hotel company that manages the villa was just awarded a Michelin key for hospitality.

You could technically rent this villa yourself. What you can’t get on your own is what NextTribe brings to it: a 25-year friendship with the family who restored it; a co-leader who knows every medieval town nearby; another co-leader whose art historian background helps us truly see the frescoes, light and craftsmanship all around us.

On the days we venture out from this hilltop heaven, we explore both sides of the border: Umbria’s medieval hilltowns of Gubbio, Assisi and Perugia, plus a day in Tuscany’s Cortona, the sun-washed Etruscan town made famous by Under the Tuscan Sun. We’ll meet women who’ve built their lives around their crafts — a glassblower, a ceramicist, a leather artisan, a century-old weaving atelier — make paint the old-fashioned way in Assisi, and roll fresh pasta with a local cook. Every outing brings back colors, textures, and stories.

At NextTribe, we believe this stage of life — 45 and beyond — is exactly the moment to say yes to more of it: more beauty, more ease, more time that belongs to no one’s schedule but your own.

We have easy, interest-free payment options.

Groups stay small on purpose — this estate, and this week, are built for a group who’ll actually get to know each other, not get lost in a crowd. That means this trip fills fast.

~ Small groups — women 45+ ~ Solo travelers welcome

~ A Michelin Key–honored villa most people will never see the inside of

~ Umbria and Tuscany without ever repacking your suitcase

To view a full itinerary and download a brochure, CLICK HERE.

This is not the kind of villa most people can rent on their own. But we can—just for you and a few other fun, curious women.

You won’t be the only one. A good number of the women on this trip come solo. You’ll land among women in exactly the same boat, by design.

Hosts who are just like you. Shannon and Jen lead every session themselves — this isn’t a drop-in art teacher, it’s women who know this villa and this region intimately, and who make sure no one sits alone.

Built-in togetherness–or not. Shared meals, shared playshops, shared piazza wanders . But plenty of glorious nooks and crannies if you need your own chill time.

Rooming made simple. Travel solo with your own room for a single supplement, or let us know and we’ll match you with a roommate from the group.

A week spent in the most beautiful villa, with interesting woman, learning about art, local cooking/food and traveling to small villages and towns was such a delight. It was a unique and wonderful Italian experience!

–Michele R.

People say if you go to one European country, make it Italy. I’d add, make it a NextTribe trip! Honestly, I thought the Portugal trip was unbeatable. I am more than pleasantly surprised at the high quality of trips NT offers. NextTribe consistently delivers excellence.

–Ann W.

The trip to Umbria was truly magical. This trip provided an opportunity to stay in a restored 13th century villa, waking up each morning to extraordinary vistas and exploring five unique towns, each with historical significance. I feel personally enriched by the uniquely curated activities from pasta making, to soaking up the rich ambience of the Italian countryside.

–Sandy S.

All I can say is I came back from the Umbria trip a different person. I am so appreciative of my experience that NextTribe offered to me. I must say my stress level just melted off me on this trip. I could go on and on about everything from the wonderful accommodation of Castiglione Ugolino, to the workshops teaching us to be more creative , to the shopping in the nearby towns, the fantastic winery down the hill. And so much more!

–Tammy S.

This trip was a meaningful and unforgettable experience! The creativity part and daily “sparks” spoke to my inner child; communal living and cooking together spoke to my love of the sisterhood of amazing women; the culture, food and vino spoke to my heart and soul in a very deep way.

–Peggy M.

1. The Villa Will Spoil You Rotten

This isn’t a hotel — it’s a 12th-century complex of houses at the base of a ruined castle, restored over 25 years by a family who has been friends with NextTribe’s founder for years. Panoramic views, centuries-old frescoes, an infinity pool over the Tiber Valley — the kind of place celebrities book quietly for milestone birthdays (such as when Dan Levy celebrated his 40th here). It’s run by Tenuta di Murlo, freshly honored with a 2026 MICHELIN Key for exceptional hospitality. For one week, it’s simply yours.

2. One Villa, Not a New Hotel Every Other Night

Most Italy trips have you living out of a suitcase, checking in and out every other day. Here, you unpack once. The estate is home base for the whole week — even our day in Tuscany is an easy round trip. That means mornings on the terrace, afternoons by the pool, walks among the olive groves, and the freedom to skip a day trip guilt-free if all you want is to laze about.

3. Umbria and Tuscany: Two Regions, One Home Base

Umbria is often called Tuscany’s cooler, less crowded sister. On this trip, you get both. Our day trips take us into Umbria’s medieval hilltowns — Gubbio, Assisi, Perugia — and across the border to Cortona, the Etruscan hilltown in Tuscany with sweeping views over the Val di Chiana. Cobblestone streets that haven’t changed in centuries, artisans’ workshops, long lunches. It’s the Italy people wish they’d found before it got famous.

4. Art, Seen Through Someone Who Knows It

Shannon, our co-leader, is a working artist and art historian. As we move through these towns, she helps us actually see what we’re looking at — Giotto’s frescoes in Assisi, the light, the reasons this part of Italy has pulled artists here for centuries. And when we try our own hands at it, making paint the old-fashioned way in Assisi or rolling pasta at the villa, it’s pure play: no assignment, no performance, just a deeper way of seeing.

5. The Women You’ll Meet (Including Yourself)

With Jen Vickers’ deep connections to the region, we get to meet fascinating local women you’d never encounter on your own: a glassblower in her home studio, artisans in Cortona, the weavers of Perugia’s Atelier Giuditta Brozzetti, and Rosa, who’ll teach us her pasta. Plus, there are the curious, unhurried travelers sharing the week with you, which means this trip becomes as much about the company as the villa. There’s something about a week with no rush to it that lets conversations go further than they would anywhere else.

Do I need to come with someone?

Not at all. Plenty of NextTribe travelers come solo, and this group bonds fast.

How much time do we spend in Tuscany?

One full day in Cortona, the Tuscan hilltown just across the border, for wandering, shopping, lunch and visits with local artisans. The rest of our outings are in Umbria, which sits right next door. You get the best of both regions while sleeping in the same gorgeous bed every night.

What is a MICHELIN Key?

It’s the Michelin Guide’s award for truly outstanding hotels — the hospitality world’s version of a Michelin star. Tenuta di Murlo, the company that runs our villa and its estate restaurant, Il Caldaro, earned one in 2026. In other words, you’re in very good hands.

How much walking is involved?

A comfortable amount — cobblestone streets in the hilltowns, an easy pace, nothing that resembles a hike. The longest stretch is our stroll down the hill to a neighboring winery. This trip is about lingering, not covering ground.

What’s included?

Your stay at the villa, breakfast every day, six lunches and seven dinners, day trips to Umbria’s hilltowns and Tuscany’s Cortona, artisan visits, a wine tasting, paint-making and pasta-making classes, and a NextTribe host throughout. International flights are not included.

Will I know anyone?

Probably not at the start. Almost certainly by day two. That’s just how this works.

I’ve heard about NextTribe’s creativity sessions in Umbria. Are they part of this trip?

Not this time. We’ve traded the creativity sessions for more time out exploring, including our day in Tuscany. You’ll still get your hands busy, making paint in Assisi and pasta at the villa, but there’s no studio time on the schedule.

What if I need to cancel?

Full refund up to 90 days out (except for your deposit, which can be applied to a future trip). We highly recommend travel protection insurance, and can point you toward options.

More questions about this or any other trip? Click here to schedule a phone call with Jeannie Edmunds, COO of NextTribe.

Jen Vickers (left) splits her time between Austin and Umbria where she and her family have spent 25 years restoring Castiglione Ugolino, a 12th century complex of houses at the base of a ruined castle. She’s traveled to widely in Europe, Asia and Central America, but her favorite explorations are of the small medieval towns of central Italy. A newly minted Italian citizen, she loves to spend time in Italy.

Shannon Faseler is a visual artist and art historian who works across media. Born in Texas, she is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin where she received a BFA in Studio art. She also holds a MFA in painting and drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Upon graduating in Chicago, Shannon moved to California where she exhibited, taught, and ran the University Gallery. Currently, Shannon is in Wimberley, Texas, where she continues her studio practice in addition to teaching, exhibiting, and curating at home and abroad. Shannon also enjoys traveling and leading tours of college students and adult groups to Italy and beyond.