Umbria Yoga & Culture Week: Daily Practice, Assisi and Wine Tasting

Locanda del Gallo was built at the start of the 12th century on the border between Gubbio and Perugia, and was restored almost 30 years ago into the boutique hotel it is now. It sits on a hillside surrounded by green hills and gardens. The yoga room is set in those gardens, overlooking the hills, and comes stocked with mats, blocks, belts and cushions, so you do not need to bring your own props.

A typical day starts with the hour-long morning class, then breakfast. Days with excursions head out after that: the Gubbio Market, the guided tour of Assisi with its stone streets, artisan shops, cafes and basilicas, the guided day in Perugia, the castle visit, and the wine tasting at a countryside estate with a traditional antipasto lunch. On quieter days there is time in the gardens, by the pool, or in the wellness centre. The evening restorative class runs for ninety minutes before or around dinner.

What separates this from a generic Italian yoga week is the amount that is actually organised for you: round-trip group transport from FCO, three cooked meals a day, daily room cleaning, linen changes, and four named excursions rather than vague 'optional add-ons'. The daily open practice with Deidra is the other difference. It is not a second class, it is time to bring one pose or one problem and work on it with her directly.

The food is homemade and prepared on site for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the kitchen leans Mediterranean and organic. The villa's own description points to healthy, organic cooking, and the wine tasting lunch is a traditional antipasto spread rather than a set menu.

Umbria is the draw beyond the mat. Gubbio and Perugia are both hilltop towns with medieval centres, Assisi is a short drive for the basilicas, and the estate visit puts you in the middle of the wine country. The Baldwin line quoted on the page, about meeting people in Europe and encountering yourself, is roughly the spirit of the week: a lot of company, a lot of food, and enough quiet in between to actually rest.

What's included

- 7-night stay at a restored country villa in the hills of Umbria - Round-trip group transportation to and from Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) - Twice-daily yoga classes (60-minute morning class, 90-minute evening restorative class) - Daily open practice with Deidra for individual attention and alignment work - Three homemade meals each day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, prepared on site - Day trip to Assisi, including the basilicas, artisan shops and cafes - Guided day tour of Perugia - Visit to the Gubbio Market - Castle visit - Regional wine tasting with traditional antipasto lunch at a countryside estate - Access to all retreat facilities: wellness centre with jacuzzi spa and steam bath, salt water swimming pool, massage facilities, gardens and quiet areas - Daily room cleaning and regular towel and linen changes - Use of yoga mats, blocks, belts and cushions in the villa yoga room

What's not included

- International airfare - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Massage treatments - Anything not listed as included