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THE BEST OF TUSCANY & UMBRIA: Group Tour

Rates & Dates    •    Tour Overview    •    Includes    •    Itinerary
Information Request Form   • I Reservation Form

May 3 - 13, 2009 - Women's Tour Sept. 16 - 26, 2009 - Open to Everyone Limited to 14 people Touring: Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Carrara, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza, Montalcino, Cortona, Spoleto, Orvieto, Gubbio, Assisi Tour Overview: Enjoy the breathtaking scenery as we travel the peaceful Tuscan & Umbrian countryside in search of world-class art, living history and fine cuisine. We’ll visit such famous sites as Pisa and Florence while also getting off the beaten track to explore small vineyards and hilltop villages. Arrival Airport: Pisa (Florence also possible, but please inquire) Departure Airport:  Florence Tour Cost: $3,895 Supplemental charge for single occupancy: $850

Tour Includes: Eleven days' land tour Comfortable, charming accommodations in centrally located hotels Five dinners and two lunches with wine Breakfast daily Welcome cocktails Walking tours with local guides to Carrara, Florence, Assisi, Spoleto and Orvieto Winery tour and wine tasting in Montalcino Services of your Tour Manager throughout the tour Transportation to all planned activities Entrance fees to all scheduled museums and sites Airport transfer on arrival day and departure day Not included: Gratuity to your Tour Manager

INFORMATION REQUEST FORM ›        •        RESERVATION FORM ›

ITINERARY
Note:  Activities or order of activities are subject to change due to unforeseen closures, etc.  We reserve the right to replace an activity. (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch,  D = Dinner)


DAY 1:
Arrival & Overnight in Lucca, Welcome Cocktails and Dinner
We will meet you at the airport and our private transfer will take you to our hotel in Lucca, the charming, elegant city where we will spend the first three nights of our tour. This ancient Tuscan city is completely enclosed by a well preserved wall, wide enough to hold small parks and a path along the top. The birthplace of composer Giacomo Puccini, Lucca features charming squares, beautiful churches and great shopping.

After check in, you are free to rest, join us for lunch, or go out and explore the town on your own. We will meet in the lobby bar at 6pm for our welcome cocktail.  We’ll feast tonight on Tuscan cuisine accompanied by great local wine in an excellent restaurant.  (D)

DAY 2:
Cinque Terre, Overnight in Lucca
Today we will travel to Cinque Terre and tour its clifftop villages towering above the sea.  We will travel by train to Riomaggiore or take a boat to reach villages not accessible by car.  Walking the path called the Via dell'Amore between the cliff-side villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola, you will be rewarded by fantastic views of the ocean, olive groves, fig trees and vineyards. 

After lunch, we will board a boat to the town of Monterosso, whose verdant hills are dotted with olive groves and grapevines.  Monterosso is more than just a pretty seaside view: we will have fun exploring this lively town.
 
We will return to Lucca in the late afternoon or evening. Dinner is on your own, though you are always welcome to join us – we’d love your company. (B)

DAY 3:
Carrara, Pisa, Overnight in Lucca
Today, we will drive to the caves of Carrara, where the world’s finest marble is mined. Just ask Michelangelo – this is where he came to choose his best pieces.  We’ll hear stories that will bring the history of this wonderful place to life during our guided tour.

After Carrara, we will stop in Pisa to pay homage to the enormous Miracle Square and its magnificent buildings, church, and baptistery – not to mention the famous Leaning Tower.

Return to Lucca in the late afternoon, where you’ll have free time to explore and dinner on your own.  (B)

DAY 4:
Florence, Pienza, Overnight in Pienza
Today we will move to your next hotel in Pienza, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the scenic areas of in all of Tuscany.  Pienza is the birthplace of Pope Pius II, who ordered the town to be redesigned into a masterpiece Renaissance city.  Charming Pienza has many specialty stores, including food markets where you can sample pecorino cheese, one of the locally produced delicacies.

En route to Pienza, we will make a stop in Florence for a guided tour of city known as the cradle of the Renaissance. We will visit such famous sites as the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s Statue of David, and the Piazza Della Signoria, among others.

You will have free time to explore the city and shop for the fine-crafted leather and gold products sold here. Let us know if you are interested in touring Uffizi museum in the afternoon, and we can arrange a visit to this must-see in Florence.

We’ll leave Florence to return to Pienza, arriving in the late evening. You’re free until dinnertime, when we’ll take you to our favorite restaurant to try a thick, hand-rolled pasta called pici. (B, D)

DAY 5:
Pienza, Montalcino, Wine Tasting, Abbey Sant'Antimo, Overnight in Pienza
This morning we will travel through scenic countryside to reach Montalcino, whose acclaimed vineyards produce Brunello di Montalcino. We will tour a winery renowned for this fabulous red wine and sample some of the fruits of the vine, followed by a group lunch at the winery’s restaurant. You will have free time to enjoy this town, enjoy a leisurely lunch on your own and buy some wine to savor later.

In the afternoon, we will continue traveling Tuscany’s backroads to reach the Romanesque Abbey of Sant'Antimo, an unforgettable 9th-century Benedictine monastery.  It is a simple yet magnificent stone church, set amongst the field of olive trees. We plan to arrive in time to hear the monks, clad in their white robes, chant their prayers in Latin at the altar.

After visiting the abbey, we will travel through scenic countryside to reach Montalcino, world-famous for its beloved Brunello di Montalcino.  You will have an opportunity to enjoy this town complete with a castle and purchase some wine from one of the many wine shops in town. We will return to Pienza, where you will have the evening to explore on your own. (B, L)

DAY 6:
San Gimignano, Siena, Overnight in Pienza

In the morning, we will head to San Gimignano, one of Italy’s most well-preserved medieval towns, known for its beautiful towers and a white wine called Vernaccia.  You will have free time to stroll the medieval streets, shop for some unique souvenirs, and photograph the picturesque valley the town overlooks.

From here, we will travel to historic city of Siena.  We’ll equip you with a map, list of sites to visit, and restaurant recommendations before sending you off to explore the town on your own. Siena, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has one of the most beautiful squares in Italy.  The fan-shaped Piazza del Campo has a 14th-century tower and a beautiful cathedral featuring the work of such famous artists as Donatello.    

Afterwards, we will return to Pienza and exchange stories of the afternoon over a group dinner.  (B, D) 

DAY 7:
Montepulciano, Cortona, Overnight in Spoleto
Today, we will move to our next hotel in Spoleto, our home away from home for the next three nights.  On the way, we will stop in Montepulciano, known for its namesake wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.  The hilltop town features such sites as a fortress, Renaissance buildings, the beautiful church of Madonna di San Biagio, and a cathedral.

We will also travel to Cortona, one of the oldest hill towns and best-preserved Etruscan cities in Tuscany. As you follow Cortona’s meandering medieval walls, you will be treated to magnificent views of vineyards, olive groves and Lake Trasimeno.  As you explore Cortona’s charming medieval streets, it will be clear why it was chosen as the setting for the movie “Under The Tuscan Sun.”  We will arrive in Spoleto late afternoon; group dinner in the evening.  (B, D)

DAY 8:
Guided Tour of Spoleto, Overnight in Spoleto
We start the morning with a guided tour of ancient Spoleto, a beautiful Roman town built atop a mountain on the Flaminia Road.  Spoleto boasts many important Roman structures including its stone wall, theater and bridge, the town is also known for its 14th century fortress.  

We will enjoy a group lunch and wine tasting at a very nice wine bar in Spoleto, then you are free to enjoy this charming city and its great churches, museums and medieval piazzas.  (B, L)

DAY 9:
Gubbio, Assisi, Overnight in Spoleto
This morning, we will travel to magical Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis, patron saint of the animals. Our guided tour of this spectacular city, built up the steep slopes of Mount Subasio, includes the tomb and Basilica of St. Francis, famous for Giotto's brilliant frescoes depicting the saint's life.  We will also travel through time through Assisi’s various historical sites, from the Temple of Minerva and Piazza del Comune, both built two millennia ago, to a thirteenth-century church called Chiesa di Santa Chiara.  Free time and lunch on your own after the tour. 

Later, we will drive to Gubbio, one of Umbria’s most picturesque and charming cities. Built beneath Mount Ingino on the eastern side of the Tiber, Gubbio was an important town of the ancient Umbrians in pre-Roman times.  Gubbio’s Civic Museum displays the famous Eugubine Tablets, written in Umbrian language using the Latin and the Etruscan alphabets.  The tablets, dating from the 2nd century BC, document the Umbrian civilization, from its religion to government.

We will take the “birdcage elevator” to the church of St. Ubaldo; afterwards you can descend again to visit the museum at the Palazzo dei Consoli.  (B)

DAY 10:
Orvieto, Florence, Farewell Dinner, Overnight in Florence
Today, we will move to our next and last hotel, in Florence. On the way, we will stop in Orvieto, an ancient Umbrian hill town dramatically situated atop volcanic tufa rock.  Our guided tour of this charming medieval town features a beautiful Gothic cathedral and chapel where pilgrims and art lovers alike come to see Luca Signorelli's colorful frescoes vividly depicting the Apocalypse.  Orvieto is just as interesting below ground as it is above, with Etruscan and medieval caves, and the underground remains of an old olive press, for example.  Orvieto is also famous for its museums, ceramics, and wines (most notably the Orvieto Classico.)   Enjoy exploring this beautiful town on your own after the tour. 

We will have a late departure for Florence, the magical city where you will spend your final night in Italy: a perfect ending to this fantastic tour. A farewell dinner is planned. (B)

DAY 11:
Departure Day
Prepare for your departure for home.  
We will have a transfer take you to the airport in Florence.

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