ITINERARY
DAY 0—SUNDAY
Departure for Florence, Italy.
DAY 1—MONDAY
MORNING: Arrival at Florence's Stazione Centrale di Santa Maria Novella (main train station). Transfer to hotel. Lunch at a local restaurant (included).
AFTERNOON: Guided walking tour of Florence. See the Palazzo della Signoria, the center of political power for almost 700 years, the Loggia dei Lanzi, and the magnificent gothic church of Santa Croce, which contains the tombs of many famous Florentines. Welcome dinner at a local restaurant (included).
HOTEL: Overnight in Florence
DAY 2—TUESDAY
MORNING: Guided tour of the Duomo (the cathedral of Florence), the Campanile, and the Baptistery, with its celebrated doors (the "Gates of Paradise") by Lorenzo Ghiberti. Lunch at a local restaurant (included).
AFTERNOON: Walking tour of the Oltrarno, the south bank of the Arno River. Visit the Palazzo Pitti, the massive 16th-century palazzo that was the Medici power base for three hundred years and today is home to several important museums. Dinner at a local trattoria (included).
HOTEL: Overnight in Florence
DAY 3—WEDNESDAY
MORNING: Guided tour of the Uffizi museum, home to some of the greatest Renaissance masterpieces by artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, da Vinci, Raphael, and Titian. Lunch at a local restaurant (not included).
AFTERNOON: Venture to the hilltop town of Fiesole, an Etruscan settlement that has a Roman theatre, a museum of art and archeology, and views across to Florence. Dinner at a local restaurant (not included).
| Buon Appetito |
The Tuscan table includes such staples as rich olive oils, flavorful bean dishes, pungent cheeses, and homemade salamis. Chianti wine is, of course, world-renowned, and meals end with cantuccini (small almond cookies) dipped in Vin Santo, a sweet amber wine.
Umbria, a compact region at the core of the peninsula, is known as the green heart of Italy. Natives insist on fresh produce, roast meats, greens, and mushrooms. Specialties include agnello arrosto, gobbi alla perugina, spaghetti alla nursina, and torcolo, a sponge cake specialty of Perugia. And don't forget Buitoni pasta and Perugino chocolate! |
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HOTEL: Overnight in Florence
DAY 4—THURSDAY
MORNING: Guided walking tour of Pisa, including the world-famous Leaning Tower, the Duomo, and Baptistery. Lunch at a local restaurant (included).
AFTERNOON: Visit to the beautiful walled town of Lucca to see Piazza San Michele, the Torre delle Ore, the Torre Guinigi, the Piazza Anfiteatro, an oval-shaped piazza which occupies the site of a former Roman amphitheater, and the Romanesque cathedral, which dates from the 12th century and features a façade with elaborate reliefs and columns. Dinner at a local restaurant (not included).
HOTEL: Overnight in Florence
DAY 5—FRIDAY
MORNING/AFTERNOON: Day at leisure to explore Florence, stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, or shop on Via dei Tornabuoni, home to such famous fashion designers as Gucci and Ferragamo. Lunch at a local restaurant (not included). Dinner at a local restaurant (not included).
HOTEL: Overnight in Florence
DAY 6—SATURDAY
MORNING: Transfer to Monte San Savino in southern Tuscany. Guided walking tour of Siena including the Piazza del Campo (setting for the Palio), the Palazzo Pubblico, and the spectacular Duomo, a massive Gothic cathedral filled with art by such masters as Michelangelo, Pisano, and Donatello. Lunch at a local restaurant (included).
AFTERNOON: Visit to the historic medieval town of San Gimignano, the "city of towers." See the triangular Piazza Cisterna and the Piazza del Duomo, site of the Collegiata, a Romanesque cathedral known for its fine frescoes. Dinner at a local restaurant (included).
HOTEL: Relais La Solaia / Monte San Savino
DAY 7—SUNDAY
MORNING/AFTERNOON: Spend the day exploring Chianti. Lunch and wine-tasting at a local vineyard in Chianti (included). Dinner at L'Archetto, which specializes in Tuscany dishes (included).
HOTEL: Relais La Solaia / Monte San Savino
DAY 8—MONDAY
MORNING: Guided walking tour of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis and home to several of Giotto's famous fresco paintings at the Basilica di San Francesco. Stroll through Piazza del Comune, site of the Tempio di Minerva and the Palazzo Communale. Lunch at a local restaurant (not included).
AFTERNOON: Visit to Perugia, including the Palazzo dei Priori, one of the greatest public palaces in Italy, the Duomo, and the Fontana Maggiore, covered with bas-reliefs depicting religious and Roman history, allegories of the months and sciences, as well as historic figures. Dinner at a local restaurant (included).
HOTEL: Relais La Solaia / Monte San Savino
DAY 9—TUESDAY
MORNING: Guided tour of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, a monastery set among olive groves. Wine tasting and lunch in Montepulciano, a classic Tuscan hill town (included).
AFTERNOON: Afternoon at leisure to swim in the open-air swimming pool or take a walk in the countryside. Farewell dinner at a local restaurant (included).
HOTEL: Overnight in Monte San Savino
DAY 10—WEDNESDAY
MORNING: Early morning group transfer to Rome's Fiumicino airport and departure. Arrivederci!
