Great Tuscany & Cinque Terre

Upon arrival at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci Airport, meet our tour director and tour driver. Airport transfers from the airport will leave at 9:30 am, 12:30 pm, or 3:00 pm to your hotel. In the afternoon meet your travel companions before leaving for a comfortable sightseeing bus tour of Rome’s city center. Sights include views of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, St. Peter’s Square, the Circo Massimo, and Via Veneto. The tour will be followed by a special welcome dinner at one of Rome’s lively restaurants.  

Hotel: Belstay Roma Aurelia, or similar (1 night)  

After breakfast, drive towards Tuscany, passing through the landscapes of gently rolling, vine-clad hills arriving in Siena. In Siena, take a tour with a local guide through the city center to admire the elaborately carved Gothic Cathedral, Town Hall, and the famous Piazza Del Campo, the site of the spectacular Medieval-style horse race. In the afternoon we’ll enjoy a short ride to our hotel in the Chianti area. Tonight, dinner will be served at a local restaurant/hotel.  

Hotel: Villa San Lucchese Hotel, San Leonino or similar (6 nights)   

Drive through beautiful southern Tuscany and enjoy some free time in Montalcino, Pienza, and Montepulciano. These villages are known worldwide for their high-quality red wine production, and the famous cheese “Pecorino di Pienza”. Later, enjoy a wine tasting and dinner at a family run vineyard. In the evening, return to our hotel.  

Today, go to Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany and the birthplace of the Renaissance. Follow our local guide to see the marble-clad Cathedral and Baptistery where Ghiberti’s ‘Gates of Paradise’ have been recreated in all their glory. Next, go to the political heart of the city, Signoria Square, which remains an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces to this day. The tour will end by seeing the Santa Croce church where the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo are kept. In the afternoon there will be free time to enjoy Florence at leisure or learn the secrets of traditional Florentine leatherwork. Dinner will be served at one of Florence’s amazing restaurants.  

Experience a three-hour cooking class with a professional chef and learn how to make some of Tuscany’s traditional dishes. Lunch will consist of delicious food prepared by us during the cooking class. After lunch, drive to the most picturesque of Italy’s perfectly preserved medieval towns, the hilltop of San Gimignano. Visit the city center with some free time to enjoy the town at your own pace and do some shopping. 

In the morning, follow our local guide for a light walking tour of Lucca city center. Admire the 14th-century San Martino Cathedral and Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, built on the site of an ancient Roman arena. Then we make our way to Pisa to view the famous “Leaning Tower”. To top off this wonderful experience, we’ll enjoy lunch at an Osteria or dinner at an Agriturismo (farm to table) with Tuscany’s regional specialties.   

Travel to the coastal region of Liguria for a full-day excursion through the colorful villages of Cinque Terre which are built on rugged cliffs overlooking the sea.  See the terraced vineyards sustained by dry walling, an example of innovative engineering to respond to difficult terrain. Weather permitting, travel between the villages by boat to admire Cinque Terre’s sweeping coastal views (if rough seas prevail, a minibus will escort you through some of the villages). Tonight, dinner will be served in the hotel.  

Leave the region of Tuscany to reach the gorgeous hilltop town of Orvieto. You’ll have time to enjoy this beautiful city at your own pace. In the afternoon, make our way towards our destination, the hilltops of the Castelli Romani (a group of villages where the Pope spends his summers). Here, enjoy a farewell dinner in the hotel’s restaurant to celebrate the success of your vacation .

Hotel: Castel Vecchio, Benito al Bosco, or similar (1 night)  

Arrivederci Roma! Our airport transfers arrive to Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci Int. Airport (FCO) at 7:00 am and 9:30 am.