Shore Excursions

Grandpa

Vineyard

Noodles

Group

Our Tour

Tuscany Cooking Tours has a unique opportunity for cruise ship passengers stopping at the port of Livorno, Italy. This special shore excursion is available for groups of 6 to 50 people. The package includes an authentic Tuscan cooking lesson with a professional chef, wine tasting at a family owned winery, a 5-course lunch, a guided city tour of Lucca & a photo opportunity in Pisa.

  • The tour begins with our staff greeting the group at the pier in Livorno. Our professional guide will lead the group to our deluxe, private motor coach, which will take us through the Tuscan countryside from Livorno to the IL Poggio Winery near Lucca. Our guide will provide interesting facts about the region along the way and point out sights of interest.
    Approximate driving time: 35 Minutes.
  • The group will be met by our Italian Grandpa, who will greet all our guests with a big smile and warm hug! We at Tuscany Cooking Tours pride ourselves because our chef was at one time, a professional chef who has over 40 years experience in the business.
  • Once everyone is settled in a private room at the winery, our Italian grandpa will begin to explain in Italian (an interpreter will be translating) what he is planning to teach. Each person will have an opportunity to make homemade pasta, learn how to make different sauces, learn how to make crostini and learn the secret family recipe for homemade limoncello.
    Approximate class time: 2 1/2 Hours.
  • From the cooking class, the group will proceed out into the vineyard. Here the owner of the winery will explain how the grapes are grown and harvested. They will also see olive trees and learn more about how olive oil is produced. There will be plenty of photo opportunities in the cooking class, in the vineyard, near the olive trees, during lunch and in the wine cellar.
  • Following this, our group will sit down in a private area outside in the shade and enjoy a 5-course lunch. A new and different wine will be introduced with each course, so this is a combination lunch and wine tasting.
  • Following lunch and wine tasting, our group will board the motor coach to continue their drive through the Tuscan hills and valleys until they reach the medieval town of Lucca. Upon their arrival, the group will be met by a local guide who will provide an informative and leisurely walking tour of the town.
    Approximate tour time: 1 Hour.
  • From Lucca, the group will proceed to the town of Pisa. Here they will be escorted to the famous Leaning Tower sight. There will be a brief time for photographs and then the group will return to the motor coach and back to the port, where the tour will come to an end.
    Total approximate time: 8 Hours
  • This tour can be adjusted to accommodate time frames and budget.


Jim West

Why Choose Tuscany Cooking Tours?

As a former cruise director for 10 years, and having a career that exceeds 23 years in the cruise industry, there is one thing that Jim West knows when it comes to cruises, and that’s what it takes to pamper and please passengers. With over 1400 cruises logged in his nautical diary, and having sailed around the world many times to over 87 countries, you can be sure Jim West is passionate about the cruise industry.

When Jim worked onboard the cruise ships of Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Orient Lines, he took care of nearly 3000 guests every week, so making sure 30 or 40 at a time are looked after is second nature.

Jim offers his vast experience and attention to detail to the Tuscany Cooking Tours shore excursion program. Our program has right combination of wine tasting in a family owned winery, tasting full bodied red wines and dry white wines to dessert wines and grappa. You will learn about wine production, even walking out into the vineyards for a more hands on interactive experience. You will learn how olives are pressed and made into extra virgin olive oil. The Tuscany Cooking Tours shore excursion is a must for those cruise passengers whose ship is docked in the port of Livorno, Italy. There is nothing that compares to someone organizing a shore excursion who knows exactly what cruise ship passengers want and expect from their shore excursion, which allows Jim West and Tuscany Cooking Tours deliver beyond expectations.

Tuscany Cooking Tours has insurance coverage of $2 million, and is a proud member of ASTA, IATAN, and CLIA.