Tuscany is the most popular region in Italy. Tuscany offers its numerous visitors the best of all things Italian, starting with fine art. The capital. Florence is considered the cradle of the Renaissance, and now one of the richest cities of art and culture. Tuscany is famous for its world-class art collections, charming medieval hill towns, and sweeping hillsides full of vineyards. Tuscany is where you have to go if you want to stand in a room full of Botticelli paintings or gaze upon Michelangelo’s “David”. You can’t find the home of Chianti wine or the town that produced “Under the Tuscan Sun” anywhere else. The region’s hill towns will provide a beautiful backdrop for the perfect Tuscan holiday you’ve always dreamed of experiencing.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Florence
- Pisa & Lucca
- Siena
- Cinque Terre (optional)
- San Gimignano
- Chianti Region
- Montecatini
INCLUSIONS
- Round trip airfare
- Airline fuel surcharges and taxes and fees
- 7 Nights First Class Hotel in Montecatini
- 10 Meals (7B, 3D)
- Sightseeing per itinerary
- Admissions per itinerary
- Professional Tour Manager
- Baggage handling
- Hotel Transfers
- Day 1 Depart the United States on an overnight flight to Italy.
- Day 2 - Montecatini: Upon arrival, you will proceed to baggage claim and after clearing customs, you will be met by your CI Destinations tour manager and transferred to your hotel in Montecatini. You can spend the rest of the day at leisure. Tonight enjoy a welcome cocktail and briefing with your tour manager, followed by dinner at the hotel. (D)
- Day 3 - Montecatini/Florence: After breakfast, you will transfer to Florence for a walking tour. Named the "Cradle" of the Renaissance, Florence is still one of the most charming art cities, boasting countless museums and art galleries crammed with masterpieces, ae but also elegant shops and a tasting cuisine in the many restaurants and Trattorias of the city centre. Built around the River Amo, Florence is a relatively small, compact city with narrow, cobbled streets making up most of the central area. It is ideal to be explored on Aa foot. See the Duomo, a real jewel surmounted by the majestic Brunelleschi's Cupola, one of the symbols of Florence, Ponte Vecchio (the Old Bridge). Admire the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio on Signoria Square next to the fountain showing the imposing Nettuno Statue. Enjoy free time for shopping or visiting the most famous art galleries. (B)
- Day 4 - Montecatini/Lucca & Pisa: Today, enjoy a tour to Lucca & Pisa. The medieval centre of Lucca has preserved its appearance due to the protection of the solid city walls in red bricks. You will wander through narrow alleys lined by high, austere buildings and high towers like the Clock Tower or the Guinigi Tower, one of the most representative monuments of Lucca. You will visit San Michele Church on the big square, once the centre of city social life, the Duomo San Martino (from outside), and Piazza Anfiteatro. In the afternoon we continue to Pisa to admire the Leaning Tower, the icon of Pisa and one of the most famous monuments in the world. The tower together with the Duomo, the Baptistery, and the Monumental Cemetery form one of the finest architectural complexes set on a square called Campo dei Miracoli (Fields of Miracles) due to its breathtaking beauty. (Entrance to Duomo and Baptistery is included) Tonight enjoy dinner at your hotel. (B, D)
- Day 5 - Montecatini/Siena: After breakfast, transfer to Siena for your full-day tour. Siena is one of those towns in Italy that looks like it has stepped out of a postcard, with its ancient brick buildings, its stunning Piazza del Campo, and the Gothic Cathedral. This is an absolute must for anyone traveling to Tuscany. Siena is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the whole of Italy. The most important attractions are the shell-shaped main square Piazza del Campo, known simply as II Campo by the locals, and the Cathedral square on the highest side of the city, dominated by a stunning Gothic Duomo. You will enjoy your free time to discover beautiful corners and interesting museums of this Pearl of Gothic style. (B)
- Day 6 - OPTIONAL Montecatini/Cinque Terre: Enjoy a day of leisure or join the optional full-day excursion to Cinque Terre. The eastern Italia Riviera offers its most iconic highlight: 5 fishing villages nestled on the steep coastline named 5 Terre (5 Lands). These 5 hamlets, though now the destination of thousands of visitors from all over the world, still preserve an atmosphere of authenticity with few roads and a network of amazing coastal and mountain trails amidst tiny vineyards and gardens. The easiest ways to reach the area are either by train from Levanto or La Spezia or by boat, but only with calm sea and nice weather. Today we will visit 3 hamlets by train: Manarola, Vernazza, and Monterosso, the biggest of the 5. Here you will have free time before getting back to your hotel in Montecatini Terme. (B)
- Day 7 - Montecatini/San Gimignano & Chianti Region: Today, enjoy a tour to San Gimignano, a town of Etruscan origins. Set on the ancient Francigena road, on which pilgrims walked to Rome from Northern Europe. San Gimignano started to become rich due to its commerce. Its main features are the remaining 13 towers, which have earned it the nickname of Tuscan Manhattan. San Gimignano is set on a hill covered with vineyards producing a very good local Chianti wine. In the afternoon we will visit a local family-run farm producing wine and extra-virgin olive oil. You will visit the property and its winery, and at the end a tasting of its superb wines with local produce enhanced by the wonderful view over the landscape and San Gimignano towers. This day is sure to be a highlight! (B)
- Day 8 - Montecatini: Spend the day at leisure to explore Montecatini on your own, enjoy a spa treatment, or just relax. Tonight we will enjoy a farewell Tuscan feast at the hotel. (B,D)
- Day 9 - Montecatini/United States: After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight home, taking with you many wonderful memories of Italy. (B)
