๐ง๐๐ท Our Tuscany 2027 tour is LIVE! + Our podcast intro episode is ready ๐ฅณ
Published 27 days agoย โขย 6 min read
Hi Reader,
I am in Japan having a really magical time with the guests on our first tour.
The cherry blossom season is in full bloom, and we got the timing just right, and it's just really magical to see the petals floating and the blankets of trees in perfect springtime mode.
There are many options for trips to Japan but I am incredibly proud that ours supports women owned businesses and meets with so many Japanese women to truly go behind closed doors and learn about this unique and fascinating culture that can teach us so much.
If you want to join us in Japan, you can do so in June for late spring / early summer, or in October when the fall leaves make the country look like an absolute fairytale. See trip details here.
Our 2026 Tuscany tours are live! Com join us next year (or this June, we have only 2 spots left, September has been sold out for a while)
Our podcast is almost ready, and our introduction episode is ready. More below!
Come to Tuscany in 2027
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After 5 sold out years and 14 tours, we are returning to this beautiful part of Italy recreating our own version of Under the Tuscan Sun AND Eat, Pray, Love.
Keen to join us?
Our Tuscany tours sell out really fast every year so I recommend you don't wait up.
13 to 20 June -> Long sunny days, greener landscapes, flowers in bloom, happy people and lots of festivals
5 to 12 September -> Wine harvest season, beginning of the fall season and likely cooler temperatures
Highlights of the trip
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๐ฎ๐น Walking food and culture tour of Florence: The capital of Tuscany is an open air museum we will discover by the hand of local gastronomy and culture experts on our first morning in the region. A food and art tour that will take us through the history of the city and the region with various food stops and visits to a female owned leather artisan shop.
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๐ท Wine! We will visit 2 female owned wineries and taste organic and premium Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino wines. One of the wineries is entirely female staffed and will take us on a sensorial tour that pairs music with wine.
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๐ Fabulous Italian food: We will eat home cooked recipes and enjoy lazy meals in great company, the Italian way. Everything will be fresh and seasonal, cooked with love and following local recipes.
๐ง Cheese: We will learn how pecorino cheese is made, met the goats who produce it and savor it with the most incredible views of the World Heritage listed Val d'Orcia landscapes at a local farm.
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๐ Truffle hunting in the forest with the sweetest dogs. We will go on an exciting excursion into the forests, looking for these precious fungus with trained dogs, and then enjoy a truffle themed lunch at a local restaurant.
Learn all about this wonderful ingredient and what makes it so precious.
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๐ซ Olive oil: How do we obtain the liquid gold (olive oil) that is the key to the Mediterranean diet? We'll join a private olive oil appreciation workshop, learn how to taste it and how it is made.
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๐ฆ Visit 6 medieval villages many of which are UNESCO World Heritage listed from Florence to Siena, Pienza, San Gimignano, Greve and Montefioralle. Cobblestone pedestrian streets, watch towers and fortified walls, artisan shops and lots of gelato stores!
๐ A free day of "Dolce far niente" (the sweetness of doing nothing) to relax by the pool, read a book, find a peaceful corner, explore the local gardens, soak in the outdoor jacuzzi or simply take it all in at our amazing Tuscan country hotel. Bonus: There will also be an excursion to the nearby spa and wellness center for me-time and pampering.
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๐โโ๏ธ A morning at a thermal spa to enjoy the natural hot springs of Tuscany revered by the Romans and a massage. Take care of yourself inside and out and chill in the most beautiful surroundings plus enjoy a massage at their expert spa.
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๐ Cooking classes and workshops to learn how to make fresh pasta and typical Tuscan recipes that you can take home for the perfect Italian party.
What to expect
Live like a Tuscan: We will be staying a boutique, rustic-chic medieval country hotel housed in an old stone farmhouse in the middle of the rolling hills. Enjoy the views, a sunny pool, expansive gardens, and outdoor jacuzzi & sauna.
Shared accommodation with another solo traveler so you don't pay single supplements. Or upgrade to have your own room.
All inclusive, with all the entrance tickets, walking tours, spa treatments, local visits, workshops, classes, meals, and wine during meals.
Exclusive experiences not available to the general public. Connect with local producers and artisans; No scripts, no umbrellas, no bus tours.
Slow Travel: Long meals under shaded trees, leisurely strolls on cobblestoned streets, local & seasonal food.
As you know, we have been working on a podcast for over a year.
The idea came up when we realised how many of you read my weekly newsletters, 100,000 of you to be precise.
I have been writing these weekly reflections since May 2020, that means it will soon be 6 years that, without fail, I spend 4 to 10 hours a week writing my Tuesday and Friday emails. These are probably my happiest moment of the week, because I get to share our passion and it makes me feel so proud to be among so many likeminded women.
We get responses every week and they are overwhelmingly positive, so it's a privilege to be able to continue.
But some topics are too long or complex to discuss over email or require the thoughts and collaboration of other people who know more about the subject than us, so a podcast made sense.
After months of preparation and recording, Anastasia has been working super hard behind the scenes to edit the first interviews which are almost ready to go live.
Check out all the details of the podcast here, listen to the introduction episode and start following us [Solo Female Travelers Podcast] on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss an episode. We will be publishing one every Tuesday, just like this newsletter.
You will also get the chance to meet me and Meg in a more intimate setting and get to know Anastasia more, as she will also be presenting some episodes.
I cannot wait to get started!
PS Every episode will end with an embarrassing travel story. Submit yours anonymously here.
Last availability for 2026
Paella making class in Barcelona
Here are the last few spots left on this year's tours:
2 SPOTS left on our Tuscany 13 to 20 June tour, September is sold out => BOOK TUSCANYโ
2 SPOTS left on our Croatia & Montenegro tour 31 May to 7 June => BOOK CROATIAโ
3 SPOTS left on our Barcelona 20 to 28 June tour => BOOK BARCELONA (I will be there to meet you at welcome and farewell dinners ๐)
4 SPOTS left on our Bali 20 to 28 June tour => BOOK BALIโ
3 SPOTS left on our Japan 13 to 23 June tour => BOOK JAPANโ
2 SPOTS opened up on our previously sold out Egypt tour from the 39th of October to the 11th of November => BOOK EGYPTโ
1 SPOT left on our Tanzania Luxe tour 1 to 10 November=> BOOK TANZANIAโ
1 SPOT left on our Morocco tour 6 to 16 November => BOOK MOROCCOโ
Interesting travel news and conversations in the group:
Great beach escapes as suggested by the BBC. Read here.
Artworks by women that men got the credit for are finally being recognised. Read here.
United is joining Air New Zealand and Lufthansa in offering Economy seats that turn into a couch. I have booked these on my Air New Zealand flights in the summer on my way back from French Polynesia and can't wait to see how they fair compared to business. They seem to be a great alternative if you are flying with someone as two business class seats would be pricey while this seems to be a good middle ground. I will report. See United's announcement here.
How the war is affecting travel worldwide. I just flew from Europe to Japan and the flight plan had to avoid Russia and Ukraine airspace and most of the Middle East, and let me tell you, the route looked anything but efficient. It was also longer than usual, by almost an hour, and the flight flew overbooked. The conflict in the Middle East isn't only affect flights in the region, it has ramifications for airlines not landing anywhere near and for prices of flights around the world due to the increase in fuel which has skyrocketed. See impact here.
I hope you are well wherever you are and that you have a great rest of the week.
SFT Co-Founders
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Solo Female Travelersโ C/ Europa 18 5-2, Sitges, 08870
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