SOLD OUT: Tuscany for the Holidays

At a Glance

Tuscany, Italy
Dec 13 - Dec 20, 2024
7 Nights
Level: 3
8-12 Travelers

Starting At

$3,999

Deposit: $500

Home >Trip >SOLD OUT: Tuscany for the Holidays

Trip Description

About this trip

The best of Florence and Tuscany, without the crowds but with plenty of holiday cheer. 

Tuscany is always beautiful, but during the holidays, the area takes on an especially dream-like atmosphere, with lights, decorations, roasting chestnuts, and magnificent Christmas markets. 

Learn more and watch our information session here

With our amazing guide (an art professor), we will explore the must-see sights, the hidden gems, and fascinating interactive classes, hosted just for our group.

NOTE: NextTribe members receive a $100 discount on price. 

5 Reasons We Love This Trip

  1. The chance to experience the Christmas markets and holiday music.
  2. An immersive cooking class in the Tuscan countryside.
  3. Hands-on classes in printmaking, frescos, and gilding.
  4. An insider’s favorite restaurants with lots of Italian wine. 
  5. Sunset views of these charming ancient towns.

About Your Guide: Shannon Faseler

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.

Photos

Map

Sample Itinerary

Fri., Dec. 13th: Welcome to Florence

Arrive. Gentle walk through Hidden Florence. Relaxed dinner at our favorite trattoria for your first taste of authentic Tuscan cooking.

Sat. Dec. 14th: Cooking Class in Tuscany Farmhouse

A taste of Tuscany as we go to a vibrant local food market and shop for ingredients. Then we spend the day learning how to cook from a Nonna (Italian for Grandma) at a Tuscan farmhouse. Dig into your culinary creations and raise a glass – wine is included. Explore the Santa Croce Christmas Market, stall after stall of artisanal, irresistible items.

Sun. Dec. 15th: Insider's Art and History Walk

We’ll start the day in the Nouvelles-Athènes quarter, a mid-19th-century neighborhood that was home to some of the greatest artists, writers, and musicians of that era, and today is a trendy gentrifying area. A walking immersion in Florence’s art gems (Michelangelo's David and more). Insider’s walk through Florence’s architectural marvels and scandalous historical sites. Florentine street food lunch – fun and delicious! More time shopping the holiday market, if you like. Aperitivo with a view. Traditional Tuscan dinner at a trattoria loved by locals.

Mon. Dec. 16th: Vino, Vino, Vino

Spend the day at a delightful, family-owned winery in the Tuscan hillside, learning about the vines, how the wine is produced – and of course sampling it. Light dinner. A gelato tour for those with a sweet tooth – yum!

Tues., Dec. 17th: Private Fresco Painting Class, Crafts and Antiques

Stroll through the design district, visiting traditional craft studios of perfumers, leatherworkers, printmakers and more. Try your hand at the time-honored fresco technique in our private art class. Local lunch walking tour of nativities, farmers markets, and antiques markets. Dinner at a favorite chic eatery – break out your best outfit

Wed. Dec. 18th: Day Trip to Siena and San Gimignano

Travel back in time as we visit two gorgeous nearby Tuscan cities of Siena, a gorgeous medieval town, with its central square and brick architecture, and San Gimignano, a walled Medieval hill town with amazing towers

Thurs. Dec. 19th: More Art Classes

More hands-on arts classes are available--gilding or printmaking--or strike out on your own. Group dinner where we celebrate our fabulous time together and the memories we made.

Fri. Dec. 20th: Farewell!

Travel back home – ciao!

Logistics

Fly into FLR (Florence) or Rome (FCO) and take a train to Florence (90 minutes by bullet train)

High temperatures in Florence in December: 52 degrees (high) and 39 degrees (low)

Bring $300 to $500 USD or equivalent in Euros, more if you're a shopper. There are plenty of ATMs where you can withdraw Euros if necessary.

Electrical outlets are two-pronged European plugs.

Internet is provided free at the hotel.

No special vaccines necessary.

To get around, check out the app IT Taxi, which is a lot like Uber.

Please check to make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the trip.

We will ask everyone going on the trip to have an international calling plan that includes texting. We use our text group to stay in touch before and during the trip to notify you of any schedule changes etc. Most major providers have international plans that include texting and roaming for a low price of roughly $10 a day.

If you want to extend your stay before or after, we can work with the hotel to arrange this.

If you have questions, please direct them to Marcy Mitchell, our travel manager, at travel@NextTribe.com.

What's Included

  • 7 nights

At the beautiful Calimala hotel in downtown Florence, close to all important sites.

  • 4 Dinners
  • 5 Lunches
  • 7 Breakfasts
  • Cooking class in Tuscan countryside
  • Fresco class
  • Gilding (gold leaf) class
  • Hidden Florence walking tour
  • Vineyard visit in Tuscan countryside
  • Day trip to Siena and San Gimignano
  • Christmas market visits in Florence
  • Christmas music concerts
  • Art tour with art professional
  • Entrance to museums on itinerary
  • Gelato tour

What's Not Included

  • Airfare
  • Airport transfers
  • Alcohol (unless specifically mentioned in an itinerary activity or purchased as an add-on)
  • Tips

Gratuities to local guides, drivers, maids and hotel staff, travel insurance, round trip airfare, passport and visa fees, personal items such as phone calls, laundry, baggage fees and items not expressly listed as included.

Additional Add-Ons

Wine/alcohol at meals

Avoid the hassle of paying separately for alcohol; for $100 you can get your drinks covered.

Hotels

Hotel Calimala

Via dei Lamberti, 5 - 50123 Firenze

Our travelers love us (yay!)

Colleen M., California

What I love about the NextTribe trips is that there is so much camaraderie of other women that are like you, and then the fabulous things that the organizers puts together to give you that viewpoint, it’s awesome.

Courtney M., Texas

What I love about NextTribe trips is that you get the experience from an insider’s perspective—someone that has ties to the community and focused on building relationships from the start. I’ve been on a trip with another women’s travel group that dropped a guide in, not personally knowing anything about the locale, traditions, or culture. She was there to make sure you showed up on time, got on the bus, etc. With NextTribe, you feel like you’re having a personalized experience with your best girlfriends.

Donna B., Washington

I didn't know anyone going on the trip but that didn't stop me from signing up. I have learned that some of my life's greatest adventures have come from taking a risk and jumping in feet first. So glad I did with NextTribe! I may not have known anybody at the start, but now I feel like I know everybody.

Connie B., Pennsylvania

I love to meet and interact with strong, mature women from across the country as we learn together.

Leslie M., Georgia

I always come by myself on NextTribe trips because I like to meet super fun and interesting women. We're always doing fun and interesting things in great cities that you couldn't do on your own because you wouldn't know the people or places or the insiders.

Teresa S., Kentucky

NextTribe fills the need I have to travel with older interesting women who are curious about the world and want to share the journey.

We write articles about all our trips. Read about these special experiences.

Let’s Do This!

Starting From

$3,999

Did you know we have easy payment plans for our trips, interest free? Think of this as a layaway plan to feed your soul.

Book with confidence

What to Expect Traveling with NextTribe

You’ll be embraced by a tribe of travelers, starting with smart, fun women who lead our trips. We even have a code of community for both travelers and guides.

Learn More

Terms & Conditions

Here’s the boring stuff we encourage you to read so there are no surprises.

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Travel Insurance – Do You Need it?

Short answer: Yes! We strongly suggest you buy trip insurance to protect your investment in the trip.

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Frequently asked questions

What’s different about your trips?

We curate trips specifically for curious, engaged women over 45. You’re pretty well assured that your fellow travelers will be a lot like you–since you’ve all responded to the idea of “aging boldly.”. That means built-in compatibility in your small group, including the woman who is leading the adventure.. In addition to specializing in group travel for people who don’t normally like group travel, we also pride ourselves on creating experiences that allow you to interact with local women or get deeper into the culture than you would if you planned the trip yourself.

Where do you go?

We have a wide range of weekend jaunts here in the U.S. for those who want a quick getaway. We also love taking women to Mexico, where founder Jeannie Ralston used to live. We’re always talking about pushing boundaries, and we’re doing that in the geographic sense too. For those with more time, we offer trips all over Europe, to India, Vietnam, Peru (for a hike on the inca Trail to Machu Picchu). Soon, our travelers will be getting passport stamps in even more countries on six continents. Be saving those frequent flier miles!

What do you mean by transformational travel?

NextTribe is affiliated with the Transformational Travel Council, an international group of travel professionals dedicated to making the world a better place, one trip and one traveler at a time. We recognize that travelers, especially post-pandemic, are looking for more than just a date and a destination. They can shop for that anywhere online. Our community honors the intention behind a traveler’s investment in a trip. Our travelers want to have fun (we do too!) and to travel with a sense of purpose and belonging. That’s why we go to great lengths to provide ways for women to self-select by reading the articles in our magazine and the content of our website. If you like what you see, you’re likely to be a NextTribe traveler, and we look forward to seeing you on a trip soon!

What if I travel solo?

If you really prefer to book your travel yourself and go it alone, we applaud you. That’s brave and bold and we would never try to talk you out of it. But our trips are designed so that even a woman who’s used to traveling alone, or someone shy about meeting new people, will feel comfortable in our group. Our trip leaders are there to “read the room” and make sure everyone feels included and respected.

What if I don’t like group travel?

We don’t either! Not the way most groups do it. If you feel like doing what the group is doing, great! Join us for dinner or just some of the activities. All the benefits of solo travel and the comfort of being with a group. Our groups are small (normally around 12 to 14 women) and in most situations, you are free to opt out of an activity. We figure you’re grown-ass women who know what’s best for you.

What’s the price range of your trips?

We are committed to providing what we call “affordable-luxury” travel. Don’t expect
the Four Seasons, but who wants to stay in a gilded bubble anyhow? We always look for good value and offer wonderful hotels and memorable experiences that won’t break the bank and will get you closer to how locals live. Our prices depend on the length of the
trip and the destination. We offer domestic trips for under $2,000 for a shared room, which we encourage. If you don’t have a roommate we will match you with someone. Sometimes this has resulted in lasting friendships with new travel buddies., Some of
our longer trips–two weeks in India or Vietnam, for example–will cost between
$4,800 and $6,000.

What’s included in the price?

Our trips cover most everything you’ll need to dive into a destination. Hotels and most meals, plus special experiences such as hands-on classes and sessions with local artists, writers or entrepreneurs are almost always included, but each trip is different so please be sure to read The Experience and the itinerary. We occasionally have an add-on for an extra price, but those are clearly designated. What’s not covered as a rule are airfare, alcohol and tips.

Do you have payment plans?

We sure do. It’s easy to pay for our trips by setting up automatic credit card charges at regular intervals, interest free. Think of it as the layaway plan to feed your soul.

How do I get trip discounts?

Our NextTribe members get a discount on every trip. Plus, members are the first to hear about new trips and receive upgrades on rooms if they’re available. Check out our three different membership levels here.

What’s the average age of women on the trips?

We welcome all women over 45, but most of our travelers are in the 50 to 65 age range. More important than age is the spirit of the traveler–her curiosity about the world, and her eagerness to embrace new opportunities. We’ve found women of any age with those qualities fit in well with our groups.

What’s the activity level of the trips?

Most of our trips are geared for active travelers who like to walk–a rating of 3 on our 1-5 rating scale. Here are some examples of how we rate. A designation of 1 would be our beach trips, where it’s up to you if you’d like to stroll down the beach, or play in the waves or walk around the small town. Trips where we have dedicated transportation for much of the time (such as India) are a 2; Paris is a 3 because we believe the best way to appreciate a city is to view it on foot. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is a 4, because you’ll be walking up some hills (at 6,000 feet altitude) and occasionally on cobblestone sidewalks. Our Inca trail trip is a 5, as are our more adventurous outdoor trips.

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