Private cooking class at Rita’s farm and gelato tasting in a medieval village
Shore ExcursionsIf the number of participants increases the cost per person reduces much!
POST INFORMATION ON THIS TOUR ON YOUR PASSENGERS BOARD – COPY THIS LINK
https://ariacom.tommasovogel.com/shore-excursions/cooking-gelato-shore-excursion
COOK, EAT & DRINK FOR A MEMORABLE DAY!
Arianna & Friends arranges an original full-day tour to the hilly area beyond Livorno with a very interesting cookery lesson. We drive to a fantastic panoramic olive oil farm and start preparing 2 dishes with a local chef before sitting for a delicious lunch. In the afternoon we drive to a small medieval village for a walking tour and a gelato tasting.
Details of our shore excursion:
– Private transfer by minivan (up to 8 people) or minibus (9 people or more) from the port of Livorno. In case of minivan our driver meets you directly at the ship in the morning and drives you for the whole day. In case of minibus our driver meets you at a bus parking area near the ship that you will reach by a fast free shuttle service organized by the port. On the way back our mininus will drop you off directly by the ship.
– Within just 45 minutes drive you reach our My Tuscan Kitchen cooking school at Rita’s farm in the hilly area in the province of Pisa. Here you will meet our local guide and you will get a very interesting introduction to the region Tuscany, the local habits, facts and history. We start visiting the farm and get an introduction to the history of the family. The visit to the outdoor of a very special building just behind the cooking school is included.
– After that we access to the kitchen of the farm, where we meet an experienced and welcoming local cook, who introduces us to the typically Tuscan cooking techniques. Here we start preparing a 2 course Tuscan meal using fresh ingredients and products from the farm. During the class you learn about a lot of secrets and tips to make your dishes delicious.
– The lesson is followed by a rich and delicious lunch with matching wines.
– After lunch we drive for about 10 minutes and reach a fascinating medieval village called Peccioli with wonderful panoramas all around. The village is a perfect example of a truly Italian location, with small bars, churches, tiny narrow lanes and hidden squares. The tour culminates on an elevated garden at the level of the rooftops of the buildings in the center of the village, where you have a unique view of Tuscany and an original perspective about how the locals live.
Here, you’ll meet Lorella, the owner of a renowned pastry shop, and her son Nicolò, a master of crafting excellent organic gelato. Delight in the rich flavors made with love and precision, using traditional and artisanal methods. Nicolò carefully selects the finest local ingredients, resulting in gelato flavors that are not only unique but incredibly delicious. Indulge in the discovery of three of his special gelato creations, each offering a taste of Tuscany’s culinary excellence.
– Return depending on the docking time of the cruiseship.
What you taste
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.
Mi chiamo Carlo, the only "boy" among the chefs of Arianna & Friends. I am a cousin of Lorena, who has worked with the company for long now and who introduced me to them back in 2022. I live in Pontedera, home of Vespa, and I have been cooking all my life, since preparing delicious food has always been my great passion. In my working age I was an operator for an insurance company, so I know plenty of local people and I am very friendly and talkative. I then retired and decided to dedicate myself to the things I like the most: cooking and joining friends. I have limited Enlish but miraculously all our guests can easily understand me through my body language and face expressions. I will be waiting for you for great barbecue dinners and traditional dishes of all kinds! 
Buongiorno a tutti! My name is Anna from San Miniato, a historical town in Tuscany famous also for its delicious white truffles. I met Arianna and Massimo in the early 2000s, when we were all working at a local agriturismo: I was at the reception while they were starting their career as event organizers and food tour operators. As their company was expanding we had several occasions for cooperating until I finally joined the team more stably in 2022. I now deal with accountancy and coordination of all the chefs for the many services a day that we arrange. I spend most of my free time at sea as I now live in Livorno, a beautiful harbor town. 
Eccomi! My name is Margherita, mother of 2, who lives in Santa Croce sull'Arno. I was born and raised in the fantastic wine region of Fiano, Greco and Taurasi, namely some the best wines from the South of Italy. I have been living in Tuscany for decades and I have always cooked both for my families and for several restaurants. My very mild and sweet personality is able to create a very relaxed working ambience and my guests really appreciate this atmosphere. I am a curious person who likes learning and I am ready to share my knowledge with all visitors who take on a cooking class or a chef service. Grazie a tutti! 
Ciao, I'm Ester, one of the cooks of Arianna & Friends'. I've been working with them since the beginning of their adventure in 2007.
I love cooking together with people from all over the world, especailly with young kids.
What I prefer to cook is pasta dishes, pizza and desserts, like for example the stunning cake I made to celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary.
I live, like Davide (my nephew), in the little village of Lajatico, birthplace of Andrea Bocelli and from my home I can hear his voice and see something when Teatro del Silenzio takes place in July.
I live on a farm and I have chickens, rabbits, a large vegetable garden. I make my own olive oil and wine together with my family.
I hope to be able to cook with many of you in the years to come and teach you a lot of our typical Tuscan food. 
Ciao, I'm Silvia, one of the youngest cooks at Arianna & Friends'. Cooking is my real passion and I like to prepare any traditional dish both for visitors and for my family. I also love baking pizza as well as trying innovative food and special contemporary techniques, especially in my kitchen at home. When I started working for this company in 2018, I met an incredible team of collaborators and with them I finally feel joy and serenity in what I do. Any time I work as a cook I can breath freedom and this makes me happy.
As I really love the sea, in my free time I like being at the beach. I have a passion for travelling and being in the company of my friends. I could define myself as a "free spirit" with a big attraction to ... hats !!!
Looking forward to meet you all! 
Maria Grazia, in our team called MG, is a very positive thinking lady who works as a sous-chefs at Arianna & Friends, when she is not busy helping children get born. In fact she is also a professional
obstetrician! A nice irony in her character, combined with an intrinsic calm when working, create
an incredible effect during the services provided. 
The best drivers' company in Tuscany. Diego, Enzo and Andrea are skilled, reliable and experienced drivers in Tuscany who meet you during our tours and shore excursions. They speak good English and can cope with any logistic problem in the whole Tuscan territory. Their year-long experience is fundamental to study the best solutions and take any backroad in case traffic is slowing down our programs. 
The total rate for this activity varies according to the number of people in your party.
Check rates in the table below.
SHORE EXCURSIOn from livorno portPrivate cooking class and gelato in a medieval village
– RATES 2024 – |
|
|---|---|
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY |
TOTAL RATE |
| 2 persons by sedan/van | € 1080 |
| 3 persons by van | € 1150 |
| 4 persons by van | € 1220 |
| 5 persons by van | € 1290 |
| 6 persons by van | € 1360 |
| 7 persons by van | € 1430 |
| 8 persons by van | € 1500 |
| 9 persons by minibus | € 1870 |
| 10 persons by minibus | € 1920 |
| Extra Adult | € 70 |
| Extra Teenager (12-17 yrs) | € 55 |
| Extra Child (4-11 yrs) | € 45 |
Rates include
- Full-day transfer service by minivan (for parties of up to 8 people) or minibus (for parties of 9 people or more). For minibuses a bus fee for the access to the harbor applies, which is included in the rates.
- English speaking tour leader at the cooking venue and in the medieval village. Also German, Spanish, French, Italian or Russian are available upon request.
- 2-course private cooking class on the farm with a local chef;
- Aprons and printed material as your souvenir;
- Full lunch on the farm;
- Unlimited wines from the farm (white and red)
- Walk in the medieval village of Peccioli
- Tasting of 3 gelato creations from the gelato maker Nicolò
- Tax, transfer insurance and fees for harbour access;
ARIANNA & FRIENDS IS COMMITTED TO EMPLOY OFFICIAL AND LICENSED DRIVERS ON BOARD LEGALLY INSURED VANS AND BUSES ONLY FOR ITS TOURS.
Rates do NOT include
- Extra for guide meeting you directly at the harbor and dropping you off at the ship in the end of the day: € 100
- Tips to staff. Not included, not obligatory but very much appreciated
This is an email we received from Diana and Ian, who spent a day in Tuscany for a shore excursion from their cruise ship.
Hi Ariana,
A quick email to thank you for such a lovely day we had on Tuesday.
I think it was the highlight of our cruise and probably was for most of the others as well. People on the cruise were asking us where we had been and I think they were rather jealous of us! We certainly made a good advertisement for your cooking school when we arrived back on the ship!
Once we return to New Zealand I will write a report on trip advisor.
Thanks again and kind regards,
Diana and Ian
This is an email we received from Fred who booked a in our Shore excursion in Tuscany from Livorno with a cooking class
Hello Massimo,
We just got home and wanted to thank you and Arianna and Maura for an incredible day in Pisa and Tuscany.
It was our best day trip on our cruise and we are very thankful that we found you.
We will recommend you to all of our friends!!
Again, thank you, you have made friends for life!! Grazie!!
One day we plan to return to Tuscany and will contact again.
This is the comment that Kim sent to us after a customized shore excursion from Livorno with private cookery class on our farm and guided visit to Pisa:
Hi Arianna,
Thanks again for a wonderful day of cooking during our cruise stop in Livorno. We had a great time cooking and made it to Pisa just in the nick of time. (Thank Moira for telling me about the bag check — we ended up leaving our things on the bus and that saved us a lot of time).
When you get a chance, we would love to have the recipes for the items we made. The girls and I made pasta the other day — it came out pretty well, but not quite as soon as when you helped). If you send the recipes to me I will get them forwarded to the group.
Thank you!
Kim
All ingredients and all participants to our private cookery lesson at My Tuscan Kitchen
These are two emails we received from Holly and Randy after a private shore excursion from the port of Livorno:
Massimo,
Thanks so much for a great day on Sunday, June 23rd! We really enjoyed it. We are enjoying telling our friends about it and sharing our photos.
Our luggage had some “adventures”, so we just received it, but we’re now looking forward to enjoying a wonderful Martelli pasta dinner!
I’ve attached the photo that was taken of the 4 of us!
Thank you again!
Holly & Randy
….
Hello again!
Thanks so much for the pasta instructions, in writing! I’ve just finished making the sauce and was about to start cooking the pasta when I came across your message–perfect timing!
You are welcome to publish the picture, as well as any of our words, including those I’ve posted to cruise critic (I’ve copied and pasted the text of that from the cruise review I posted–see below). Thanks for the link to tripadvisor . . . I will be happy to post a review there too!
We will continue to share your information with others, until we meet again!
Holly & Randy
Massimo with the driver Andrea with a lovely couple from US docking in Livorno with the Carnival Sunshine
This is an email we received from Pat, who took a one-day shore excursion from the port of Livorno and enjoyed one of our private cooking classes.
Arianna:
It was a pleasure to meet you. It was a great day. Claudia and Her family were very gracious. I learned many things from her.
Luca was also a great guide. He was very helpfully with information about a region he obviously cares for. He is a great representative for the “new chianti”. Please thank everyone for me.
I hope that some day are paths will cross again.
Ciao
Pat
This tour takes place in the rural area of Palaia and Peccioli, between Pisa and Volterra.
MEET-UP LOCATION:
Unless differently specified, our driver meets you at your ship in the harbor of Livorno. If your ship is docking in other harbors of Tuscany like La Spezia or Piombino, different rates and time schedules apply.
DURATION:
This program takes 8 hours. Time for transportation included.
AVAILABILITY:
Available from Monday through Saturday, all year through.
LANGUAGE:
This tour is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Russian or Italian with no surcharge.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
Easy
CHILD FRIENDLY:
Ideal for children
CLOTHING:
No particular clothing required.
FOOD RESTRICTIONS:
The foods served during this tour might contain gluten, lactose, nuts and alcohol. If you have any food restriction, please inform our personnel during the enquiry process.
TRANSPORTATION:
This program and its rates include full-day transportation on board luxury cars (for 2 passengers), minivans (from 3 to 8 passengers) or minibuses (from 9 to 17 passengers). All drivers are fully licensed and allowed to enter the harbor of Livorno. All our cars, vans and buses are fully licensed and insured for transporting visitors.
The destinations reached during this activity are in the Tuscan countryside, in areas off the beaten track that cannot be reached by public transport. As a consequence, a full-day driving service on board luxury cars, minivans or minibuses is included in this program.
ARIANNA & FRIENDS IS COMMITTED TO EMPLOY OFFICIAL AND LICENSED DRIVERS ON BOARD LEGALLY INSURED VANS AND BUSES ONLY FOR ITS TOURS.
FOLLOW US: