Hi all, I am planning a trip in May to Tuscany, I have a rough plan and would appreciate any feedback and suggestions. We are mostly looking for scenery and photo ops. Good food is a big bonus too if its nearby. Not looking for museums.

Thursday: train to rome, visit Orvieto, pick up rental car to Pienza
Friday: Visit Montalcino and St. Antimo abbey, maybe visit some wine shops
Sat: cooking school in Tuscany in the morning, roam around Chianti in afternoon.
Sun: Visit Siena (will things be open on a sunday here?)
Monday: Visit Montepuciano and neighboring towns to the south (monticchiello, bagno vignoni, etc.)

Thoughts? too much or too little time planned for each day? too much of the same thing? is there a "better day" to visit one of the towns?

BTW, does anyone know what is the holiday of saint of Castelnuovo dell’ Abate? I heard about it from a winery, but couldn't find much info about where/what it is on the internet.

Seems OK to me.

Yes, there are things open on a Sunday in Siena, although a lot of the "non tourist" shops will be closed.

Will you be staying on one place or moving each night? San Antimo is wonderful - be sure to check the times for the Gregorian chants so that you won't arrive at a time when they are over for several hours. Driving in Tuscany sometimes takes longer than you have scheduled - so many photo ops, so much to see, so many delicious places to enjoy a leisurely lunch!

You have planned fairly tightly but you should be able to see what you want to see. Sunday in Siena should be fine.

That's "staying IN one place". The day you have the cooking class and the drive around Chianti is pretty full. Most of your destinations are in southern Tuscany; the drive to Chianti from there is a couple of hours.

I'll second that chime for San Antimo. It does take time to get where you want to be in Tuscany, especially if you are not used to the roads and signs in Italy. In my experience visiting two towns per day is quite enough.

Cooking classes mostly start late in the morning and continue til early afternoon. There won't be much time left to visit on the day you do a cooking class. Other than that it looks like you have the makings of a fun trip.

I assume you are staying in Pienza. If so, Chianti is a long way from there. Here are some pics from that area last May.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4553

You mention visiting Montepulciano and at least two other towns on Monday. Exploring two towns in one day (even smallish ones) is my limit. Driving to/from, parking, walking into/out of the towns, having lunch at some point, and seeing the towns themselves takes time. Visit the towns in order of your preference (and geography), but don't be surprised if one or two drop off the itinerary by the afternoon.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Yes, I'll be staying near Pienza for the entire time, so we won't need to move. I will certainly try to keep it to 2 towns per day, though there is so much to do/see and so little time. Chianti is farther than I expected now that I am looking at the maps, but I figure I should at least give it a day if we are in the area already! Can't wait for the trip.

Does anyone know anything about the holiday of saint of Castelnuovo dell’ Abate in May?

I would recommend a stop in Sant’Angelo in Colle near Montalcino for lunch at Trattoria Il Leccio before going to hear the chants at the Abbey. One of the most charming towns we saw (with some great photo ops) and a wonderful lunch spot. Only 5-10 minute drive to the Abbey.