This is a perfect tour of Tuscany and Florence. It is ideal for a group looking for the true countryside life in Tuscany. With food and wine from different tours of farms, vineyards, cheese and chocolate shops. You will enjoy a few day trips to Florence to enjoy all this magnificent city has to offer.

Minimum 16 to a maximum of 24 People

Includes:

• 8 Nights 4 star Country Hotel

• 20 meals and tastings (8 Breakfasts, 4 Lunch or Tasting Lunches, 3 wine Tastings, 8 Dinners)

• Chocolate tastings, Cheese tastings. Olive oil tastings, Tasting lunches with wine

• 4 (2) Florence/Sienna/Pisa Guided tours

• Tour leader with you daily

Not Included:

• International airfare to and from the destination, please contact us for the best available prices from your home city.
• Travel Insurance is not included, but available, please contact us for the best options for your family.
• Meals and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary below.
• Tours not mentioned in the itinerary below.
• Gratuities (optional).

Day 1 – Hosted Transfer 12 Pm Arrive Before 11am To Be Sure Not To Miss Transfer

Dinner as group at a restaurant near the hotel

Day 2 – Florence (9:00 – 7:00)

Scenic drive around Florence 9 -11am Seeing, Piazzale Michelangelo, Ponte Vecchio over the Orno river .Giottos bell tower, the Duomo and the skyline of Florence after a short drive into city center you can enjoy the artworks of the masters.11am /2.30 p.m. free time with your tour leader who will advise sights to visit shops and places to eat, 2.30/4.30 Guided Accadamia Museum tour with your chance to see “David” 5-6.30 dinner included at a Florence Restaurant followed by a return to Hotel B /D ” Hosted”  “Guided museum”

Day 3 – Florence (9:00 – 7:00)

9 a.m. we board the bus which takes us to Florence for our Food Tour -9.30 to 1p.m.tasting wines, cheeses, oils, olives coffees  and of course gelato  1-5 free time tour leader will advise you where the leather market is wish some shopping ideas and where to meet for dinner 5/6.30 B/TL/D      ” Tour leader” “Guided food Tour”

Day 4 – Cinque Terra 3 Towns (8:00 – 8:00)

8-10 drive to la Spezia 10-5 exploring Cinque Terra by train at 5 we leave for our drive back with dinner in Prato or other area restaurant. B /D    “Tour leader”

The Cinque Terre, are five small villages on the “Costa Ligure of Levante”. The villages from north to south are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Since 1926, the Cinque Terre towns have been part of the province of La Spezia.

Village of Monterosso

Monterosso has the best beaches of the Cinque Terre villages and the most wine shops, artisan the old part of the village, protected by a rock spur, still presents the maritime village.

We suggest to visit the church of Capuchin Father, from which one can admire a wonderful panorama of the village and the promontories which enclose the Cinque Terre. The church has a painting of the Cambiaso and a “Crucifixion” attributed to Van Dyck.

Village of Vernazza

Vernazza has a natural pier with a amphitheatre shape making it perhaps the most picturesque village of the Cinque Terre. Vernazza was a Roman installation and had a big strategical importance during the age of the Maritime Republics in Genoa. It was also famous for its carpenters.

We suggest a walk in the village that is dominated by a watch tower and the “Castello” remains. In the small square, overlooking the seaside, there is the church of Santa Margherita di Antiochia.

Village of Corniglia

Placed on a steep promontory, with two exclusive small beaches at its sides, Corniglia can be reached from the railway through a long flight of steps leading to the village (an elevator is being built).

We suggest a visit to the Church of San Pietro (1334), which is considered one of the most significant monuments in the gothic-ligurian style of the Cinque Terre and a view the Belvedere, an enchanting terrace on the seaside.

Village of Manarola

The village of Manarola is surrounded by vines and is situated along a stream. The wine of Manarola is very famous and the “Via dell’ Amore” starts here: an easy to walk, paved path a distance of two kilometres, connecting Manarola to Riomaggiore.

In the upper side of the village, we suggest to visit the church of San Lorenzo (1338) with its beautiful rose window dating back to the 14th century.

Village of Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore, which is the most eastern and the nearest village to La Spezia (connected by a scenic road), is named after the stream crossing it. It’s interesting to see the seashore and the upper side of San Giovanni Battista, with its two wonderful twin doors made of marble, which are placed in its southern side and which date before the church itself. Above the village, the Sanctuary of “Madonna di Montenero” stands out, built on the homonymous promontory and which is the last of the gulf the Cinque Terre. Tramonti areas, which goes from Portovenere to Riomaggiore, has been made into National Park of Five Lands and into a park for marina life together with the flora and fauna.

Due to the nature of this region, this tour may need to be changed (weather, natural disasters, etc).

Day 5 – Sienna and surrounding area (10:00 – 8:00) 9/10 Sienna  10-12  guided tour 12-1 Lunch  1-4 San Gimigango  and other small towns, wine tasting dinner 4-6 B /TL /D     “Hosted” “Guided Sienna tour”

Take a full day excursion to visit three of the most interesting towns in Tuscany. Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city. Its inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right into the area of urban planning. Throughout the centuries, they preserved their city’s Gothic appearance, acquired between the 12th and 15th centuries. During this period the work of Duccio, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini was to influence the course of Italian and, more broadly, European art. The whole city of Siena, built around the Piazza del Campo, was devised as a work of art that blends into the surrounding landscape.  San Gimignano, is known as the Manhattan of Tuscany with its many medieval towers built in the middle ages by the most influential families to show-off their wealth and power; today only 14 of the 70 built are still standing. The town was built along the Via Francigena, on an important road between Siena and other European cities to the north of Italy. For centuries used by the great religious soujourns on their way to Rome. The traditional products, since ancient times, are ceramics, the Vernaccia wine (the only top quality white wine produced in Tuscany) and saffron..

Tasting lunch in Tuscany and dinner will be in a vineyard or farm

Day 6 – Pisa and Lucca (11:00 – 8:00)

This private tour of Pisa and Lucca is a perfect day-trip

Pisa

Pisa was already considered an old city by the ancient Romans and the legend says it was founded by refugees arriving to Tuscany after the fall of Troy. The private tour of Pisa includes:

• Piazza dei Miracoli
• The Leaning Tower, one of the most famous monuments in the world
• The Baptistry, started in 1152, with the sculptures of Nicola Pisano
• The Cathedral, built between the 11th and 12th century
• The 15th century Scuola Normale, one of the most ancient and prestigious universities in Europe

Between the visit of the two cities, it will be possible to have a lunch break in a typical restaurant in either in Lucca or Pisa (not included in the price of the tour).

Lucca

Founded by the Etruscans and Roman colony since 180 BC, is a small city full of Medieval and Renaissance art, with a lovely historical center that is very easy to walk by. The private tour of Lucca includes:

• The ring of well-preserved Renaissance walls
• Piazza Anfiteatro, the square built on the site of a Roman amphitheater
• Saint Martin’s Duomo, the fascinating cathedral dating back 1062
• The Torre Giunigi, a medieval tower topped by the oaks of its hanging garden
• The Basilica of San Frediano with sculptures of Andrea Della Robbia and Jacopo Della Querci

This tour can be done with a private guide or just with driver. Given the amount of artistic treasures in Pisa and Lucca we highly recommend taking also one of our extremely qualified official guides.

B/ D    Tour Leader”  “Guided Lucca”

Day 7 –   Chainti Grieve areas (11:00 – 8:00)

B/TL/D  Hosted

Lose yourself for an afternoon in the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Chianti is not only famous for its breathtaking landscape, its rolling hills, its tall cypress trees set against the clear blue sky, and its ancient settlements, but also for producing Chianti Classico wines and the best extra-virgin olive oil. You will have free time in Chianti and Grieve.

We will have a wine tasting lunch to-day and Dinner in the Tuscan countryside either at a farm or at a Vineyard.

Day 8 – Outlet Malls and country drive for Tuscan farm lunch with Dinner near the hotel. (10:00 – 6:00)

Today we can fill our need to shop from 10-1 then we are off to a farm to enjoy a tour through herb fields and a farm fresh lunch overlooking the countryside with wine.

We return to the hotel to rest before our farewell dinner at the restaurant near our hotel

B /L /D  Hosted 

Day 9 – Transfer at 10 am for the flights home, breakfast included. 

Enquire regarding extending your vacation with 3 days in Venice or Rome!

Prices starting from:

$2,549.00 US per person, based on double occupancy.

Above pricing includes taxes where stated. In Canada, GST/HST included. Country taxes that must be paid locally are not included.  Prices listed were correct at time of publication.  Prices can change to reflect exchange rate changes. Custom World Vacations reserves the right to amend prices at any time without prior notice.  All vacations are subject to availability.