City tour of Florence
The necessary introduction to the City from Michelangelo Square - The 1300 City Wall, with its towers and gates, a short drive to the centre. We then start our walking tour to see the major attractive buildings of Florence, as “Palazzo Vecchio and Signoria square, Cathedral square with Baptistery and Tower of Giotto”, ending the morning in the famous Mercato Centrale, where all Florentines still buy their traditional food. On request- traditional lunch in a characteristic “Trattoria”
Chianti tour
A perfect combination of food, art and culture. We leave Florence along the well known road ss 222, called the “wine road”, to reach the little stone village Castello of Montefioralle, for a short walk on the circular main street and for a great view of the vineyards. Near here is where Giovanni da Verrazzano was born, the man who discovered the bay of New York. Afterwards we reach Greve, the main town of the Chianti Region for a short visit the quaint square and the unique Falorni butcher with its incredible variety of pork and wild bore hams hanging from the ceiling. Let’s think about lunch! At Fattoria Montagliari, mamma Bruna will cook for you her traditional Tuscan dishes in a relaxing outside terrace with wonderful view on the countryside. After lunch, Davide the owner, will introduce you to the wine world, tasting different Chianti Classico wines, showing you the cellars, talking about wines, balsamic vinegar and vin santo productions. After that, we can organise the afternoon according to your personal taste. A visit to the characteristic village of Panzano or a short visit to the Antinori winery at Badia a Passignano with superb views of the hilly Countryside.
City tour of San Gimignano and Siena
We leave Florence for the Manhattan of Tuscany, San Gimignano, a town that consist of 13 towers and beautifully squares.
On top of a hill, surrounded by walls, one of the better kept Middle Age towns of the country. The French road, the Guelph and Ghibellines, the Vernaccia wine, all witnesses of centuries of history. Monteriggioni, a fortress of the 1200 with 14 watch towers, “a crown on a King’s head”, this is what it looked like to Dante. A terrible obstacle to the Florentine armies through the 15th century. A good stop for a country lunch. Siena, the gothic dream City. The Duomo with its coloured bands of marble, dating from the 12th century. The stunning interiors, with the Pulpit of Niccolò Pisano. Piazza del Campo, the race track for the Palio shaped as a shell, with the palazzo Pubblico, filled with important works of art. The Hospital of Santa Maria alla Scala with the recently opened room of the Pilgrims, a showcase of frescoes of the 1400.
Montalcino wine tour
This tour is a must for wine lovers. Driving south of Siena, we reach Montalcino. We are in front of the castle where the Senesi were besieged for 4 years before surrendering to the Medici. This is where the Brunello wine was born. Every corner of this marvellous walled village is worth seeing. Then the highlight of the day for wine lovers: the Poggio all’Oro, the Banfi, the Biondi Santi, the Altesino, the Barbi wineries, and many others. The tour of the cellars will open the minds and the palates to some of the secrets of what is considered one of the best wines in the world. After a delicious lunch in a local trattoria or winery, we will visit the Abbey of Sant’Antimo, which dates back to the 10th century and where today a small congregatury of Benedictine monks live. This is one of the most spectacular examples of Romanic architecture in Tuscany.
City tour of Lucca and Pisa
Lucca, once a famous center for silk and for the shrewdness of its bankers, the walled City of Lucca was once a Roman town. A walk along the medieval Via Fillungo main axis of the historic core, the Tower of the Clock, amidst ancient palaces, to reach the Roman Amphitheatre. The Duomo “San Martin”, with the story of the Holy Face and the Church of “ San Michele”, where the ancient Roman forum used to be. A visit to “Puccini’s House”. From the 11th to the 13th centuries. Pisa’s maritime power ensured the dominance over the Western Mediterranean area. Port of departure of the crusaders, see Piazza dei Cavalieri, it acquired many privileges in trading with the middle east from 1100. The City’s wealth is reflected in the unique Cathedral square, with the celebrated Leaning Tower, the majesty of the Cemetery and the austerity of the Baptistery.
The Outlet Shopping Tour
In 40 minutes by car from Florence, we reach the finest world of shopping. We have the pleasure to show you the various hard-to-get Italian fashion brands like Prada, Gucci, Sergio Rossi, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Bottega Veneta, Loro Piana, Valentino, Emanuel Ungaro, Salvatore Ferragamo, Fendi, Celine, Zegna and others. The Florentine Outlets are a splendid reality where you can enjoy shopping and save money, still getting the highest quality.
The Exclusive tour to Cinque Terre
The aura of isolation that has surrounded the 5 Ligurian coastal Villages known as the Cinque Terre- Rio Maggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, together with their dramatic coastal scenery have became one of the Italian Riviera’s premier attractions. Visiting the “Cinque Terre” means a visit to five fishing villages suspended between sea and earth, placed on cliffs and precipices and surrounded by the greenest vineyards and olive groves.
Our last memory watching a spectacular Mediterranean sunset as our full day tour concludes and we say "Arrivederci" to the Cinque Terre. ( In this tour, boat transportation fee is not included! )
Please note: cost for lunch, museum fees which ma be noted on any of the tour packages are not included!
