A month-long sabbatical in the cradle of the Renaissance

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. After the enthusiastic response to our first Travel/Study Sabbatical to Aix-en-Provence, we’re pleased to offer another 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 a new 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, 2026

Duration

29 days

Price

From approx. $13,495 per person

Trip size

36 participants

Minimum age

18 years

Ready to go? Looking for more information?

Reservations aren’t yet open for this trip. Request to be notified when more details are available and reservations open.

Notify me

“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 on weekday mornings, then practice using those new skills while exploring Florence and Tuscany on group excursions and during free time.

Making tracks...

Included for all travelers is the Language Track, offering a full immersion in la lingua bella. Additional tracks are offered at additional cost. Note that none of the classes or excursions from the various tracks overlap, so it is possible to participate in all three tracks.

...and more!

In addition to classes and excursions, enjoy lectures (approximately eight in total, or about two a week) by our faculty leader, as well as talks by local experts. Occasional group excursions and meals are planned, offering many opportunities to socialize and get to know fellow travelers over a meal or a trip to a nearby town. These group classes and outings are balanced with time at leisure to relax, explore independently, learn and simply enjoy the ambience of Florence and Tuscany.

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 three hours a day, four mornings a week, and are offered at multiple levels, from beginner to advanced. Classes are taught 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 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.

Offered at additional cost

Cooking 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. Then head to our cooking school with fresh ingredients in hand to learn about Tuscan wines, breads and cheeses while preparing typical Italian appetizers.

Offered at additional cost

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.

About Our Sabbatical

Italian lessons are three hours each and are held three to four days a week at a location a short tram ride and walk (about 15-20 minutes in total) from our accommodations, and the twice-weekly lectures by our faculty leader are held at the PopArtment. The classes and activities included in each of the three tracks and the various planned group excursions will be balanced by free time for travelers to explore, shop, relax and otherwise enjoy being temporary residents of Florence. Although tour staff will be available throughout the program, the program is intentionally not fully scheduled, and travelers should feel comfortable with a certain level of independence and be eager to explore on their own. Limited meals are included; as part of the experience, we expect travelers will enjoy shopping for and cooking their own meals in their apartment’s kitchenette as well as dining out independently at local restaurants and cafés.

Getting Around

The tram is an easy and safe way to get around Florence, and complimentary tram passes will be provided so participants can quickly and easily travel to the historic center and elsewhere within Florence. For group excursions outside Florence, motorcoaches will be used.

Activity Level

We consider this to be a mildly active program. With the centers of many of the towns we visit closed to traffic, travelers must walk for 10 minutes or more from the coach to the start of most of our tours. Group excursions may involve up to two miles of walking during city tours and may require extended periods of standing in museums and churches and at other sites. Participants will encounter uneven terrain at times, including some dirt paths and cobblestone streets and sidewalks. Note that several of the one-bedroom apartments have 4 steps to get from the entrance to the main apartment. Studio and deluxe studio apartments do not have any stairs inside. Participants must be physically fit, active, and in good health and comfortable moving around a new city independently.

About the PopArtment

This apartment-hotel offers modern, comfortable and spacious accommodations, located just outside the city’s historic center within a 25-minute walk (or short tram ride and brief walk) of the Piazza del Duomo and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Grocery stores, bakeries, a pizzeria and wine bar, a pharmacy and other conveniences are within easy walking distance.

Apartments are bright and have modern furnishings, and all come with high ceilings, and large windows. Each apartment’s kitchenette features basic utensils, mini-fridge, coffeemaker, electric kettle, microwave, dishwasher and small cooktop. Bathrooms are stocked with a hair dryer and basic toiletries and feature a walk-in shower.

Studio, deluxe studio and one-bedroom apartments have been reserved for our group; studio apartments are approximately 333 square feet, deluxe studio apartments are approximately 484 square feet and one-bedroom apartments are approximately 527 square feet. Additioally, there are two two-bedroom apartments available, measuring approximately 665 square feet.

Satellite TV and broadband internet access are provided in each apartment to help you stay connected. The hotel features an outdoor courtyard, TV lounge and self-service laundry facilities. Housekeeping service, including changing towels and bedding, is included every three days. Dry cleaning services are available for a fee. There is also a 24-hour reception desk for questions big and small.

Be the first to know when reservations open!

Notify me

Have a question for us?

Get in touch with someone at Travel/Study.

Subscribe to our emails