Drone & Discover: Tuscany
Aerial Photography Workshop in Italy
Elevate your photography to new heights over one of the most beautiful landscapes on earth.
The Drone & Discover series was built on a simple idea: some of the world’s greatest landscapes reveal their true character from the air. After Iceland’s volcanic highlands and the Arctic’s frozen wilderness, the next chapter takes us to Tuscany.
From above, the Val d’Orcia is something else entirely. The S-curves of cypress-lined roads, the morning mist settling into the valleys between rolling hills, the geometric precision of vine rows and olive groves stretching toward medieval hilltop towns – these are compositions that were made to be seen from altitude. And in early May, when the light is soft and the mist is reliable, this is one of the finest places on earth to fly a drone.
Our base for the week is a private villa in the heart of Val d’Orcia. Every morning shoot is within a short drive. Every evening, we return to a gourmet dinner, a glass of Brunello, and the kind of fireside debrief that turns a good workshop into an unforgettable one.
This is a small-group, hands-on drone photography workshop – a maximum of 8 participants – with in-field instruction tailored to your level and your goals. Whether you are new to aerial photography or an experienced pilot looking to sharpen your compositional eye, you will leave Tuscany with images you could not have made before.
Why Tuscany for Drone Photography?
Tuscany is arguably the most compositionally rich landscape in Europe for aerial work.
The light. The Val d’Orcia in early May produces morning mist that settles into the valleys between the hills, creating natural layers of depth that aerial photography exploits perfectly. The first 30 minutes after sunrise here are extraordinary – and we will be in position for all of them.
The geometry. From above, the Tuscan landscape becomes almost abstract – radiating cypress trees, spiraling roads between hilltop towns, the patchwork of ploughed fields in varying textures. These are patterns invisible from the ground.
The altitude envelope is an advantage. Most of Tuscany’s prime shooting locations fall within the 45–120 meter AGL flight envelope. Far from being a limitation, this produces the low, intimate aerial perspective that defines the best Tuscany drone work – cinematic and immersive rather than the disconnected overview shot from 400 feet. We will teach you to master this altitude range and make every meter count.
The locations. We have shot extensively across this region over many years and know exactly where to position you – including locations that most visitors and photographers never find.
What will be covered during this workshop?
Join us for seven days in Tuscany, where we’ll take you to incredible locations for hands-on, practical learning catered to your experience level and goals.
We’ll cover everything a drone photographer needs to plan shots, pilot their drone, scout for compositions, and frame images with strong aerial composition techniques — making the most of every battery charge.
- Using your drone
– Understanding your drone’s features, settings, and limitations for photography
– Setup for optimum aerial image and video quality
– Technical operation in varied light and weather conditions - Drone safety & Italian aviation law
– ENAC regulations and EU Open Category requirements
– Pre-flight checks and airspace assessment tools
– Spatial awareness and obstacle avoidance
– What to do in the event of system warnings and emergencies - Planning shots before take-off
– Weather and light forecasting for aerial photography
– Using apps and mapping tools to plan efficient shoots
– Reading the landscape from the ground before you fly - Becoming a confident pilot
– Flight techniques for smooth, controlled movement
– Using intelligent flight modes effectively
– Flying confidently in wind and changing light conditions - Photography skills
– Getting off auto and shooting manually: shutter speed, ISO, and aperture to control exposure
– Bracketing for high dynamic range aerial scenes
– Exposure management in Tuscany’s high-contrast morning light - Composition skills
– Positioning your drone for height, angle, and field of view
– Finding symmetry, pattern, texture, and leading lines in the Tuscan landscape
– Framing the classic Tuscany shots — and then going beyond them
– Using scale, depth, and layering to build compelling images - Videography skills for cinematic footage
– Speed, altitude, and movement for cinematic results
– Tracking, panning, and orbital shots
– Intelligent flight modes for landscape videography
– Incorporating moving elements — mist, light shafts, tractors in the fields - Post-processing images and editing videos
– RAW editing workflow for aerial photography
– Aerial panorama stitching from shooting to final image
– Video editing basics for drone footage - Lots of Tips & Tricks!
Ready to take to the skies? Join us for Drone & Discover: Tuscany in 2027!
Dates
2 - 8 May, 2027
Group Size
Maximum of 8 participants
Price (USD)
$5,800 (Double Occupancy)
$6,900 (Single Occupancy)
Included
- 7-day workshop with 6 nights of accommodation at a private villa in the heart of Val d’Orcia
- Breakfast and dinner included every day of the workshop
- Round-trip transfers between Rome Fiumicino Airport and the villa (for participants not self-driving)
- Transportation throughout the workshop in a comfortable vehicle with ample space for you and your photography gear
- In-field drone instruction, masterclasses, and post-processing sessions with your professional photo guide
- Exclusive drone session and private wine tasting at a Brunello di Montalcino wine estate
- Pre-workshop guidance on Italian and EU drone regulations and competency certification
- Post-processing and digital workflow masterclasses with your Photo Guide
- Access to exclusive discounts on gear from our partners
- Welcome and farewell dinners
- Lots of fun, laughter, bragging rights, and amazing memories!
Excluded
- Flights to and from Italy
- Travel to and from Rome Fiumicino Airport (pick-up/drop-off point)
- Lunches during the workshop
- Alcohol and beverages beyond the included wine tasting on Day 5
- Items of a personal nature including laundry, Wi-Fi, phone charges, and clothing
- Personal Travel, Medical, Equipment, or Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Visas (if applicable)
- Gratuities for guides and drivers
- Your EU Open Category drone competency certificate (required before the workshop — see Important Workshop Information below)
To secure your spot on this workshop, select from the below to either pay a deposit or in full.
Completing your payment confirms acceptance of the Terms and Conditions as outlined.
Why choose us for your workshop?
Expert Drone Photography Guides
Siggi is an award-winning landscape and aerial photographer who has been teaching photography for more than 15 years. He has been flying drones professionally since 2016 and has logged hundreds of flights specifically over this region — he knows the Val d'Orcia from the air as well as anyone.
Personalized Learning
With a maximum of 8 participants, this is genuinely personal instruction. Siggi adapts to your skill level and goals throughout the week — whether you are a first-time flier or an experienced pilot looking to sharpen your compositional eye.
Fly the Most Iconic Landscape in Europe
The Val d'Orcia in early May is one of the finest places on earth to fly a drone. Siggi will take you to locations he has scouted over many years — including spots most photographers never find — and position you for the best light at every shoot.
Unforgettable Adventures
Like the Vikings, we love nothing better than going on adventures, exploring, and capturing the world. With our hands-on approach — teaching in the field rather than from a classroom — you will improve your aerial photography skills, discover Tuscany from perspectives most people never see, and have an experience you will not forget.
Itinerary
We will keep the below itinerary flexible to allow you to capture the best images possible in the best light.
Some of the sites that we will shoot are included below:
- We meet at Rome Fiumicino Airport (International Arrivals, Terminal T3) at 13:00. Please have lunch before the meeting. From there, we drive into the heart of Tuscany and check in to our private villa in the Val d’Orcia.
- After settling in, we run a group orientation – equipment checks, drone calibration, a briefing on Italian aviation regulations, and a chance for your guide to understand your current experience level and what you want to achieve this week. We then head out for our first sunset shoot together before returning to the villa for our welcome dinner.
- Prefer to explore Rome or Tuscany at your own pace before the workshop? Self-drive participants are warmly welcomed – simply meet us at the villa by 16:00 on Day 1. Full address and parking details are included in your pre-workshop information pack. See below for more on the self-drive option.
- We strongly recommend arriving in Italy the day before the workshop starts.
- The day starts before dawn. Our first morning session targets Podere Belvedere – the most photographed villa in Tuscany and one of the defining aerial photography subjects in Europe. If the mist is in the valley (and in early May, it usually is), the conditions here are extraordinary. We move to a second position south of San Quirico d’Orcia before returning to the villa for breakfast and a post-processing masterclass.
- After lunch, we visit Villa Gladiatore for afternoon aerial work. At sunset, we explore the ancient Roman village of Bagno Vignoni – thermal pools, narrow streets, and warm evening light. Dinner at the villa.
- We meet the first light near the walls of Pienza, where the classic view of the famous villa rising from morning mist rewards those willing to get up early. We work to find less obvious vantage points – including from the air – rather than defaulting to the standard tourist position.
- After the shoot, we explore Pienza itself: cobblestone streets, fresh pastries, strong coffee, and the famous Pecorino di Pienza. In the afternoon we head into the Val d’Orcia fields for landscape work, with the evening location chosen based on the light forecast.
- A day for medieval architecture and street photography, with aerial opportunities where airspace permits. We start at sunrise at Senesi in Crete – a high vantage point above the valley – before driving to Siena ahead of the tourist crowds. Both Siena and Volterra were founded by the Etruscans around the 8th century BC and offer remarkable architectural and street photography.
- Lunch en route, afternoon in Volterra, sunset shoot on the road, dinner at the villa.
(Night scenes can be arranged in San Gimignano rather than Volterra, depending on conditions and group preference.)
- Yes, we still get up before sunrise. A final morning session near the villa — one last chance at the Val d’Orcia mist before the week is over. After breakfast, bags are packed and we drive back to Rome Fiumicino Airport, arriving at approximately 14:00.
- Self-drive participants depart from the villa independently at a time that suits their onward travel plans.
- We head south to explore two of Tuscany’s most dramatic hilltop towns. Sorano and Pitigliano rise straight out of volcanic tuff rock, offering extraordinary aerial perspectives unlike anything else in the region. We’ll fly above the ancient rooftops, capture the sheer cliff faces and winding medieval streets from above, and work the golden hour light as it catches the stone facades. Ground-level shooting opportunities abound between flights.
- We wrap the week with one final sunrise session — a last chance to catch the Val d’Orcia in its most magical morning light before we head to Rome Fiumicino for departure. A fitting end to seven days of extraordinary aerial photography.
During this workshop, we will do multiple shoots each day, timed around the best light. Morning shoots are non-negotiable – that is when Tuscany does what Tuscany does. In early May, sunrise comes early and the mist is at its best in the first hour after dawn.
Our guide will monitor weather forecasts, sunrise times, and conditions daily to optimize every shoot. We will prioritize hands-on, practical learning on location over classroom sessions whenever the light calls us outside.
Ultimately, our goal is to put you in the best locations at the right time with the best light so you can capture fantastic images of this stunning landscape.
Important Workshop Information
This workshop is rated Easy to Moderate. We walk on unpaved farm tracks and hillside paths, sometimes before dawn in low light. Sturdy footwear is recommended. There is no significant hiking involved — most shoot locations are within a short walk of where we park.
Italy operates under EU drone regulations governed by EASA. To fly a drone in Italy, all participants must hold a valid EU Open Category competency certificate — either A1/A3 or A2, depending on your drone and how you intend to fly it.
This is an online theory test that is straightforward to complete. We will advise you on exactly which certificate applies to your situation and how to obtain it as part of your pre-workshop information pack, sent to all participants well in advance of the workshop.
We handle all site-specific airspace authorizations and permit requirements for the locations on our itinerary. If you are unsure whether your existing drone licenses satisfy Italian or EU requirements, contact us before booking and we will advise.
Self-drive participants are welcome and encouraged. If you want to explore Italy before or after the workshop, simply drive yourself to the villa and meet the group on Day 1 by 16:00. Full address, parking, and arrival details are in your pre-workshop information pack.
All daily shooting departs from the villa, so you do not need your own vehicle during the workshop week itself.
The workshop is based at a private villa in the heart of Val d’Orcia. The villa provides spacious en-suite rooms, common areas, a restaurant, and outdoor space. Double occupancy rooms are shared between two participants of the same gender unless you are traveling with a partner or friend and request a shared room.
Full villa details will be confirmed to participants upon booking.
Meet us at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), International Arrivals Hall, Terminal T3, at 13:00 on Day 1. We strongly recommend arriving in Italy the evening before the workshop begins and staying overnight near the airport or in Rome.
Self-drive participants should arrive at the villa by 16:00 on Day 1.
This workshop is available as a private experience for groups, photography clubs, or corporate clients. Contact us for rates and availability.
Please refer to the Terms and Conditions.
Booking with Viking International Phototours indicates acceptance of the Booking Terms and Conditions as outlined.
We know that plans can change, and unforeseen circumstances can happen.
You need to advise us in writing via email as soon as possible if you need to cancel your workshop. Your cancellation is not official until you have received a return email confirmation acknowledging your cancellation.
If you cancel and we can fill your spot on the workshop, you will receive a full refund minus a $300 USD fee.
If you cancel and the workshop does not fill, cancellation requests and refunds will be processed according to the following:
- More than 90 days from the start date of the workshop: Full refund minus $300 USD fee*
- Less than 90 days: No refund – your funds will be held as a credit which can be transferred or used towards our other self-drive packages, tours, or photography workshops for up to 2 years from the date of cancellation*.
*Please note that some of our workshops with partner companies/third parties may have non-refundable deposits, which will not be refunded or credited to you.
If you have any questions about this workshop, please get in touch with us at info@vip-llc.com.
