Discover Umbria: Italy's Next Great Countryside Destination, with Dragonfly Tours Italy
Rolling hills, vineyards and medieval hill towns without the crowds… we explore why the region next door to Tuscany deserves to be proposed on its own merits, not as a backup.
What's in this Article
We explore why Umbria deserves to be considered as a destination in its own right, not simply an alternative when Tuscany is fully booked.
We pair Rome with Umbria, positioning the Eternal City as the ideal gateway into Italy's quietest and most peaceful great countryside region.
We discover three exceptional properties with Dragonfly Tours Italy, from the warm authenticity of Tenuta dei Mori and the private grandeur of Tenuta di Murlo and the refined sophistication of Reschio.
We share a selection of Dragonfly Tours' signature Umbrian experiences, grouped for the culturally curious, the gastronomically minded and the wine-loving traveller alike.
And we make the case for why Umbria should be proposed proactively to the right clients; not as a fallback, but as a genuine first choice.
Why Umbria, Why Now
Tuscany earned its reputation for many excellent reasons but, as is always the case in the travel world, that reputation now comes with a cost; one of crowds, premium prices and the best villas booked out a year in advance.
Fortunately, a quieter alternative has been waiting next door all along - one with the same rolling hills, celebrated wines, fine olive oils and slow countryside pleasures that made Tuscany iconic in the first place.
Rather beautifully, it also offers a rare intimacy - this is a region that still feels, in the best possible way, slightly undiscovered.
And all this means that it’s not a place to only mention when Tuscany is full.
Umbria fully deserves a proactive pitch on its own exceptional merits - particularly to those clients looking for an Italian itinerary that delivers something calmer, more authentic and a bit less obvious.
And it's exactly the kind of region where Dragonfly Tours Italy - our brilliant Italy specialists - excel, their all-Italian team's feel for timing, pacing and long-standing local relationships unlocking an Umbria that feels genuinely lived for your clients, rather than just visited.
Rome to Umbria: The Perfect Pairing
For clients seeking a complete Italian journey, Rome and Umbria pair beautifully - and the contrast between the iconic gateway city and its calm countryside neighbour only serves to make both better for those who experience them.
And with Dragonfly Tours Italy, even the transfer into Umbria is treated as part of the story.
The route north from Rome leads naturally to Orvieto, perched dramatically on its volcanic plateau and visible from the valley floor long before the road begins to climb.
A considered stop here - one with enough time for the cathedral's extraordinary facade, a coffee in the square and maybe lunch in one of the town's quieter corners - makes the journey less about transportation and more of an introduction to a new pace and setting.
As a result, by the time clients arrive properly in the Umbrian countryside they've already had a taste of what makes the region so distinctive, and are perfectly primed for its slow luxury feel, its unhurried pace and its utter authenticity.
Where to Stay: Three Faces of Umbrian Luxury
Umbria's accommodation options span a genuinely broad spectrum, from understated countryside warmth to internationally recognised refinement, and Dragonfly Tours’ handpicked portfolio captures every register of it.
Tenuta dei Mori: Simplicity, wellbeing, restoration
For Umbria’s warmest, most accessible character, Tenuta dei Mori captures Umbria’s restorative side.
This comfort-focused Relais sits just fifteen minutes from Perugia's historic centre, with Assisi and Spello both within easy reach, though your clients might just find they’re happy to stay put!
The estate, in its natural setting of vineyards and olive groves, has belonged to the Vicaroni family since the early 1900s, with a sensitive and sustainable restoration that now sees it boast an organic farm largely powered by solar and irrigated by rainwater.
For guests, the appeal lies in simple pleasures: a panoramic terrace built for watching the sun go down, an infinity pool with whirlpool, wine tastings from the estate's own vineyard, picnics among the olive groves and horse riding across the surrounding countryside - a stay that offers wellbeing expressed through nature, peace and a genuine sense of place.
Tenuta di Murlo: Luxury, privacy, heritage
Guests who want something that feels more private, exclusive and historic will love Tenuta di Murlo - a spectacular estate which has been stewarded by the Carabba Tettamanti Radziwill family across generations.
With thousands of hectares of woodland, olive groves, lakes and streams tracing a history that runs back to an Etruscan fortification dating to 1000 BC, this is a place of rare authenticity, where heritage and renewal genuinely go hand in hand.
Here, the accommodation is a collection of private villas spread across the estate, ranging from intimate hideaways for two to substantial houses sleeping up to twenty - making Murlo a natural fit for families and multi-generational groups who want privacy, space and a residential style of luxury over a conventional hotel stay.
And the thing that defines the Murlo experience for us? It has to be unhurried shared summer meals in Il Caldaro, the estate's restaurant, where the garden opens into a shaded, lantern-lit oasis, the food is traditional Umbrian with a contemporary twist and the wines are a perfect mix of beautifully boutique and classic Italian vintages.
Reschio: Timeless, refined, extraordinary
Reschio is Umbria's most internationally recognised expression of refined luxury.
Built around a castle that dates back to 1050 and restored with such care that centuries-old architecture and considered modern design sit together with complete ease, it’s a destination in itself - one with two restaurants, several bars and lots of secret spaces tucked throughout the estate for private dinners, lakeside rowing or a beautifully laid picnic.
In the castle's former wine cellars, guests will find the Bathhouse, where bath rituals, lymphatic massages and old-fashioned dry brushing bring a deliciously slow rhythm to restoration - all balanced by tennis courts, a fully equipped gym, e-bikes, horse riding and a pool framed by pine trees for those who prefer their relaxation more active.
Even for clients staying elsewhere in Umbria, a lunch or dinner at Reschio - maybe at the elegant Ristorante al Castello, where the terrace catches the sunset over the estate - is undoubtedly one of the most sophisticated ways to experience Umbrian hospitality at its absolute best.
Signature Experiences with Dragonfly Tours Italy
For culture and nature lovers…
For clients drawn to landscape, culture and atmosphere, Dragonfly Tours' private driver-led days through Umbria's hill towns - Orvieto, Todi, Spello, Bevagna or Montefalco - are a fabulous introduction to the region and can be shaped entirely around each client's particular pace and interests.
Nature lovers will be in their element with a hiking day around the Marmore Waterfalls which, paired with a private guide and a beautiful countryside lunch, brings Umbria's wilder, more dramatic side into view.
And a softly curated day in Assisi is a must for those who like to pair spiritual discovery with culture and heritage.
Designed around history, art, silence and atmosphere rather than a standard religious itinerary, this is an experience which offers a more contemplative side of the region entirely.
For the gastronomes…
Gastronomically minded clients are equally well served.
Our favourites?
They include a private cooking experience built around Umbrian staples - think handmade pasta, local legumes, olive oil and regional wine - that’s perfect for clients who love to recreate what they've learned once home, and a guided olive oil tasting paired with an olive grove visit which reveals just how central this ingredient is to Umbrian identity.
And it would be remiss of us not to mention a seasonal truffle-focused experience which, when paired with a rustic, elevated lunch, adds a further layer of indulgence to the table.
For the oenophiles…
And for the wine-curious, Umbria's answer to Tuscany's Sangiovese is Sagrantino - an ancient, intensely tannic grape variety found almost nowhere else in the world, with roots believed to stretch back to Franciscan monks who cultivated it for sacred use centuries ago.
Grown almost exclusively around Montefalco, it produces some of Italy's most powerfully structured reds: deep, dark wines layered with black cherry, blackberry and forest fruit, built to age and traditionally paired with wild boar or aged pecorino.
Here, Dragonfly Tours Italy can arrange a private Sagrantino tasting, paired with lunch at a winery or countryside estate - the ideal way to introduce clients to a wine that genuinely could not come from anywhere else, and one most will never have encountered before arriving in Umbria.
So much more than a backup option
The most important thing for advisors to understand about Umbria is this - it's not a fallback for when Tuscany is too full or too expensive, but a destination that deserves proposing proactively, especially to clients who've already experienced Italy's headline destinations and want something quieter and more authentic.
Offering the same kind of countryside beauty, but off the well-travelled track, it’s an exceptional place to discover the power of Dragonfly Tours' deep local relationships and genuine feel for pacing and place.
And right now, it’s a region with real momentum behind it - so, for advisors looking to offer something that feels fresh, thoughtful and genuinely insider-driven, there’s no better time than now to start introducing Umbria as part of the perfect Italy itinerary.
Love to learn more about bringing Umbria to your clients? Get in touch today for an introduction to the Dragonfly Tours Italy team.