Florence - a jewel of architecture and the arts

Marked by the reign of the Medici princes. Cradle and home of priceless art treasures. With churches, museums, streets and squares that are works of art in themselves, the Tuscan metropolis combines cultural richness and joie de vivre like no other city.

The 45 columns of the Uffizi Gallery send you straight back to the Renaissance: goose bumps guaranteed in room 10 with Botticelli's painting. As for the Duomo, it's an architectural masterpiece. From up there, your gaze will sweep over the campanile and the rooftops of Florence. Tuscan joie de vivre is contagious: feast at the Mercato Centrale, delight in the goldsmith's art of the Ponte Vecchio and savor the Florentine joie de vivre with a glass of fine Chianti.

Meeting point at Florence Santa Maria Novella train station with your English speaking guide & start afternoon activity.

Highlights:

• Explore the historic center of Florence, cradle of the Renaissance, a true open-air museum evocative of the splendors of the past.
  
  
• Walk among the fortified houses and towers symbolic of the medieval city.
  
  
• Admire the imposing Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, an expression of the city's pride with Brunelleschi's extraordinary dome.
  
  
• Be amazed by the majestic Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza della Signoria.
  
  
• See the famous Ponte Vecchio lying on the Arno River, the only bridge across the Arno in Florence until 1218.

Meeting point in the hotel lobby with your English speaking guide & start full day excursion.

San Gimignano. As you crest the nearby hills, the 14 towers of the walled town of San Gimignano rise up like a medieval Manhattan. Originally an Etruscan village, the settlement was named after the bishop of Modena, San Gimignano, who is said to have saved the city from Attila the Hun. It became a comune (local government) in 1199, prospering in part because of its location on the Via Francigena. Building a tower taller than their neighbours' (there were originally 72) became a popular way for prominent families to flaunt their power and wealth. In 1348 plague wiped out much of the population and weakened the local economy, leading to the town's submission to Florence in 1353.

Siena. A city where the architecture soars, as do the souls of many of its visitors. Effectively a giant, open-air museum celebrating the Gothic, Siena has spiritual and secular monuments that have retained both their medieval forms and their extraordinary art collections, providing the visitor with plenty to marvel at. The city's historic contrade (districts) are marvellous too, being as close-knit and colourful today as they were in the 17th century, when their world-famous horse race, the Palio, was inaugurated. And within each contrada lies vibrant streets populated with artisanal boutiques, sweet-smelling pasticcerie (pastry shops) and tempting restaurants. It's a feast for the senses and an essential stop on every Tuscan itinerary.

Highlights:

• Reach the walled jewel of San Gimignano, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO with 14 picturesque medieval towers. 
  
  
• Depart for a leisurely bicycle ride among the vineyards that cover the surrounding landscape (e-bike at disposal).
  
  
• Taste Tuscan specialties during a lunch in agritourism. 
  
  
• Discover one of Siena's most precious treasures: the Duomo.

Meeting point in the hotel lobby with your English speaking guide & start full day excursion.

The vineyards in this picturesque part of Tuscany produce the grapes used in namesake Chianti and Chianti Classico: world-famous reds sold under the Gallo Nero (Black Cockerel/Rooster) trademark. It's a landscape where you'll encounter historic olive groves, honey-coloured stone farmhouses, dense forests, graceful Romanesque pievi (rural churches), handsome Renaissance villas and imposing stone castles built in the Middle Ages by Florentine and Sienese warlords.

Highlights:

• Drive along the scenic roads of Chianti.
  
  
• Explore Castellina in Chianti, a town of ancient origins, almost hidden among the sinuous hills.
  
  
• Visit the the Badia at Coltibuono (or similar winery) first a monastery then an elegant private villa, an important agricultural entity in Chianti for a thousand years.
  
  
• Taste the wines of this land while enjoying a convivial meal.

Meeting point in the hotel lobby with your English speaking guide & start full day excursion.

Highlights:

• Stroll through the streets of Lucca's historic center, city with immense historical-monumental wealth, which has kept its medieval appearance intact.
  
  
• Visit to the marvelous complex of Campo dei Miracoli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a monumental space of inestimable value that brings together the most representative monuments of Pisa including the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Meeting point in the hotel lobby with your English speaking guide.
Private bus transfer to Florence Santa Maria Novella train station.