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Florence Sabbatical
Live like a local and learn (or refine!) your Italian with language classes and on excursions in Florence and to Tuscany’s famous hill towns.
Overview
A totally immersive experience
Many of us dream of living abroad, but few of us ever get the chance. The popular Travel/Study Sabbatical is back in Florence, offering you a golden opportunity to realize that dream! This program provides a richly enhanced way to spend an entire month living like a local in Florence while learning (or brushng up on!) Italian language and digging into a different culture.
Here, amid rolling countryside, cobblestone streets and marble church facades, you’ll experience authentic Italian living at its best, delighting in handmade pasta, engaging in informative lectures and savoring encounters with the local residenti. Join us for this deep dive into la bella vita.
Dates
April 1–29, 2026Duration
29 daysPrice
From $13,695 per person
Trip size
27 participants“The Florence Sabbatical was an incredible experience both in terms of travel and study. It has enriched my life, rekindled my attitude for learning, and renewed my ties with Stanford.”
— Link Jaw
Itinerary
Chart your course of discovery
Attend Italian language classes three mornings a week, then practice using those new skills while exploring Florence and Tuscany on group excursions and during free time.
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Language Track
Learn to communicate in Italian! Whatever your level of proficiency, you can work on acquiring or improving both written and oral communication skills and learn to understand and speak on various topics. Classes are taught in three-hours segments at multiple levels, from beginner to advanced, and take place at Accademia Europea di Firenze, located a brief tram ride and a short walk from our hotel. Molto bene!
Included in program price for all participants
Artisinal Crafts Track
Experience Florence through its crafts and meet some of the artisans who are keeping these traditions alive. We’ll visit family-owned workshops and centuries-old shops where techniques have been passed down through generations. Try your hands at three different artistic traditions: fine leather goods, paper marbling, and Medieval painting.
Additional cost: $500 per person
Culinary Track
Try your hand at the fundamentals of Italian cuisine over the course of three excursions. On a guided shopping trip to a local market, discover the region’s bounty of artisanal cheeses, handmade pasta, locally produced olive oil, and just-picked fruits and vegetables. At our cooking school, use fresh ingredients as we learn about Tuscan wines, breads, and cheeses while preparing typical Italian appetizers.
Additional cost: $660 per person
Florence, Italy
Upon arrival in Florence, transfer to the modern and comfortable PopArtment to get settled and refresh after travel. Early arrivals may venture out on a brief guided walking tour of the area around our hotel to get orientated to our new neighborhood. In the evening, gather with fellow travelers for a welcome reception and dinner.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: DinnerFlorence
This morning, we get to know the Cradle of the Renaissance, our home away from home for the next month. Our walking tour includes the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, and a relaxing espresso at a local café. Later, we tour the school, take placement tests, meet the staff, and begin our Italian lessons!
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: BreakfastFlorence
In the morning, we visit the famed Baptistery of St. John, one of the oldest buildings in Florence and renowned for its gorgeous bronze doors and magnificent mosaic ceiling. We continue on to the Bargello Museum, which houses pivotal sculptures from the Renaissance and beyond. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meals: Breakfast and lunchCarrara and Lucca
After a bus ride to Carrara, we explore this city known for its famous and luminous white marble. We enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing on to Lucca. Take in Lucca’s Romanesque cathedral, which houses one of the most famous relics of medieval Europe, a carving said to be a true portrait of Christ. Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant before returning to Florence.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meals: Lunch and dinner- to
Florence
Enjoy two days at leisure. Please note that due to the Easter holiday, most shops and restaurants will be closed both Sunday the 5th and Monday the 6th.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence
Today, our Culinary Track (Group 1) travelers experience a guided tour of the San Lorenzo market, learning about local ingredients. Participants select unique fresh produce to be used during a cooking lesson. At the school, the Chef guides the preparation of typical Italian dishes which we then enjoy for lunch. Rejoin the other travelers for a language lesson and dinner.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: DinnerFlorence
Today, our Culinary Track (Group 2) travelers enjoy the San Lorenzo market visit and cooking class. After rejoining the other travelers for an afternoon language lesson, we enjoy an evening guest lecture and discussion on Florence’s role in the birth of the Italian Renaissance.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence
This morning, visit the Basilica of Santa Croce, an architectural masterpiece that boasts a treasure trove of 14th-century frescoes and the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo. We journey on to Casa Buonarotti, a museum dedicated to the works of Michelangelo. See two of his earliest sculptures, as well as letters and drawings from his family’s archives. Language lessons are followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: DinnerSan Gimignano and Chianti
We enjoy a day in Tuscany exploring UNESCO World Heritage site San Gimignano and celebrated hub of world-famous red wine, Chianti. In the heart of Chianti lies Winery Castello di Monsanto, built in 1750 and still operational today. After wine tasting, we stop for lunch in Castellina in Chianti before returning to Florence.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: LunchFlorence
This morning, enjoy a guest lecture and discussion of Italy’s modern-day political, economic, and social status. Half our group then experiences Italy’s thriving coffee culture at Caffè Gilli, established in 1733 and a birthplace for the liberal ideas that helped spawn independence. This evening, gather with travelers at a local wine bar for an expert-led tasting and cicchetti (Italian tapas).
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence
Enjoy a leisurely morning studying our language lessons or exploring Florence. Later today, we pay a special visit to the Uffizi Gallery, known the world over for its collections of sculptures and paintings dating from the Middle Ages to the Modern period. Gather to enjoy some cicchetti before venturing to there after-hours, when the halls are free of crowds. Stand alone before the masterpieces of such artists as Botticelli, da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Gioti.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence
Today our second group enjoys the Caffè Gilli excursion. Later this afternoon, we visit the Accademia Gallery, one of Florence’s most renowned museums. In addition to iconic pieces like Michelango’s David, the Accademia recently acquired an important collection of musical instruments belonging to the Medici and Lorraine families and dating back to the late 17th century.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: LunchFlorence
Today, our Artisanal Crafts Track travelers take part in a leather-crafting workshop, learning age-old secrets of this art—where every cut and stitch allows you to weave a part of your story into the creation. Guided by experts, we craft a bespoke keepsake of a passport cover, book cover, belt, or wallet. This afternoon we gather for language lessons followed by dinner, drinks, and wine.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: DinnerFlorence
Our Culinary Track (Group 1) travelers spend the day in a cooking class led by an expert chef. We’re guided through the preparation of a typical four-course Italian meal. We then enjoy the fruits of our labor in the cooking school’s wine cellar. Language lessons continue on later in the day.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence
Our Culinary Track (Group 2) travelers spend today in the four-course cooking class followed by the shared meal. Language lessons continue on later in the day.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Colle di Val d’Elsa and Siena, Tuscany
Venture to Colle di Val d’Elsa for a guided walking tour of this charming and beautiful town. A cooking demonstration is followed by a shared lunch. We then journey to Siena, with its rose-pink glow, resplendent cathedrals, rich museums, and finely preserved Gothic buildings. We round out the day with the sites and sounds of Piazza del Campo, one of the most stunning medieval squares in Italy.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: LunchFlorence
This morning, enjoy a guest lecture on contemporary Italy and life in Florence. Our Artisanal Crafts Track travelers have an optional enrichment activity: a workshop on the ancient art of paper marbling that culminates in your own piece to take home. Everyone gathers this evening for dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: DinnerFlorence
Enjoy a day at leisure.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence
This morning, our Culinary Track (Group 1) travelers have an optional enrichment activity: a pasta-making event complete with instruction from a professional Chef on the techniques and tools to make both egg and dry pasta, as well as three sauces and an Italian dessert. The course ends with a lunch of the prepared dishes in the school’s wine cellar. Language lessons for everyone continue in the afternoon.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence
Walk in the footsteps of Italian royalty at the 15th-century Palazzo Pitti, once home to Medici grand dukes of Tuscany. The palace’s halls are filled with artistic treasures, and the manicured Boboli Gardens showcase beautiful sculptures and fountains. Enjoy lunch together at a local restaurant before returning to the classroom for language lessons.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: LunchFlorence
Our Culinary Track (Group 2) travelers are free to participate in the optional pasta-making event. This afternoon, enjoy an intimate tour of the Palazzo Corsini, hosted by a descendent of the original owners. It was initially a “casino,” so called because it was a small house surrounded by a large garden that reached the bank of the Arno where the Lungarno Corsini stands.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence
This morning our Artisanal Crafts Track travelers explore the world of medieval painting, experimenting with ancient and precious pigments such as lapis lazuli and azurite, as well as lacquers. Our memento for this workshop is the creation of a “miniatura” of the Florence Duomo using egg tempera on gold leaf mounted on paper. Following afternoon language lessons, we enjoy dinner together in town.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: DinnerFlorence
Enjoy a day at leisure. Please note that due to Liberation Day on the 25th, shops and restaurants may be closed today.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Cortona, Tuscany
Clinging to a hill clad with olive groves, Cortona is well situated to enjoy sweeping views of the Val di Chiana. Ancient gates open out of the city’s walls, some of which were built during the time of the Etruscans. We enjoy a walking tour of this Tuscan gem and visit the Romanesque cathedral and renowned Accademia Etrusca museum. A local restaurant is the perfect spot for lunch and conversation.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: LunchFlorence
Enjoy a day at leisure.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence
After more afternoon language lessons, gather this evening to celebrate our Italian adventure over dinner atop the Grand Hotel Baglioni.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Included meal: DinnerFlorence
Attend our final language lesson followed by a graduation ceremony with fellow students. Gather for a special reception in our hotel to toast the friendships we’ve made and bid one another farewell.
Accommodations:PopArtment
Florence / Home
Transfer to the Florence airport and begin the journey home.
Trip details
Start preparing for the trip of a lifetime
From top to bottom, we’ve taken care of all the details, so you can enjoy a no-stress, worry-free travel experience.
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Pricing
Secure your spot today
The price of your trip covers a comprehensive educational program in addition to meals, accommodations, tours, and excursions. Continue reading for a full list of what’s included.
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Studio
Furnished with a king-size bed, large wardrobe, bathroom with walk-in shower, and living area with dining table and a kitchenette.
Size: 335 sq. ft.
Double: $13,695 per person
Single: $16,495 per person
Deluxe Studio
Furnished with a king-size bed, large wardrobe, bathroom with walk-in shower, and living area with dining table and a kitchenette. Additional sofa bed available upon request.
Size: 485 sq. ft.
Double: $14,195 per person
Single: $16,995 per person
One-Bedroom Apartment
Bedroom with a king-size bed, large wardrobe, and bathroom with walk-in shower; separate living room with dining table and a kitchenette. Additional sofa bed available upon request. Note: several of these apartments have four steps from the entrance into the main room.
Size: 530 sq. ft.
Double: $14,695 per person
Single: $17,195 per person
Two-Bedroom Apartment
Two bedrooms, one with a king-size bed and one with a twin bed, each with a spacious wardrobe; bathroom with walk-in shower; separate living room with dining table and a kitchenette. Additional sofa bed available upon request.
Size: 665 sq. ft.
Double: $16,695 per person
Join us in Florence
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