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Day 1
Saturday Oct 8 |
Travel Day
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Day 2
Sunday, Oct 9
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Rome
Please
plan for a morning arrival in Rome.
If you would like to reserve a driver to pick you up at the airport and
take you to the hotel we will be happy to make the arrangements for
you. We will be awaiting your arrival at the hotel and begin our tour
with an orientation tour to make sure you are familiar with the
Trastevere area of Rome
in which our hotel is located. We will also give
you easy to follow directions and maps so that you can find your way to
the major monuments, museums and areas of interest in Rome.
We will show you how to use the electric buses that can
shuttle you from one major site to another. Getting
around Rome
does not have to be difficult. Once we show you all the tricks, you
will be able to easily find your way in Rome. |
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Day 3
Monday, Oct 10
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Rome breakfast
and Welcome dinner included
We
will be glad to make advance reservations for you at the Vatican Museum, Gallery Borghese and any
other museums you would like to see without having to wait in one of
the notoriously long admission lines. If you would
like us to, we will help you find and sign up for a private guided tour
from thedozens of tours available. You may even
decide to hire a car and driver to take you around to the sights. We
don’t charge anything extra for helping you find the tours you
want – if you want them. If you prefer
no guided tours, that is no problem. We do not
schedule you for tours unless you request them. These
three days in Rome
are yours to do with as you want. Let us know what
your interests are and we will make sure you get to do just what you
want. For those who don’t know what there is
to see and do in Rome,
we will be glad to make suggestions and talk to you about what you
might enjoy most.
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Day 4
Tuesday, Oct. 11
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Rome breakfast
included
Another
free day to enjoy Rome.
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Day 5
Wednesday, Oct. 12
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Cortona
Breakfast
included
This morning
we visit Montepulciano – the quintessential mountaintop wine
town. To reach this village we drive on the beautiful “wine
road”. Have your camera in hand because at every twist and turn
you will see a gorgeous villa or pristine winery with the cypress trees
lining the drive. This part of our tour presents
the Tuscany
you have always pictured. Perfect.
Once we reach
Montepulciano there is a steep road that winds up top to Piazza Grande.
This mountain is tamed with the little electric bus that you catch at
the bottom of the incline. Walking down the hill
exploring, shopping and wine testing as you go makes this lofty town a
manageable and fun challenge. You will have time to
test the excellent Nobile wines for which this town is famous.
Beneath several of the shops and enotecas you will be able to
investigate the ancient caves and even check out an Etruscan tomb.
After
lunch we visit Pienza just a few miles away where gourmet cheese shops
sell delicious locally produced pecorino cheese and many other
delicious treats such as sausages and olive oil. Of course, you can
taste some more wines and oils here too. This beautiful Tuscan
town has a classic layout that was designed by Pope Pius.
If you want to walk around its perimeter you will have some
gorgeious views out over the countryside to savor.
By
late afternoon we are on our way to lovely Cortona.. Upon arriving in
Cortona, we will visit the beautiful church of Saint
Margaret and the monastery where St Francis
received the stigmata.We then drive past the home of Francis Mayes, author of the now famous “Under
the Tuscan Sun”l stopping for a photo in front of the gate.
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Day 6
Thursday, Oct. 13
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Cortona
breakfast
included
Largely due
to the popularity of the recent book and movie – “Under the
Tuscan Sun” Cortona is becoming a more and more popular
destination. It is one of the oldest settlements in Tuscany thought to be as old as Troy.
It was settled by the ancient Etruscans whose tombs and
relics are here for you to investigate. Today
is a free day to explore the town with its museums, churches, wonderful
shops and cafes.
The friendly
and welcoming people of Cortona go out of their way to make you feel
comfortable. This is still a “family place”. Old
men and young children congregate in the town’s squares and every
day at sunset the people wander the streets and visit with each other.
Our
hotel’s breakfast room is a wonderful and unique space on the top
floor of a one time palace. Surrounded with large windows you will have
a breath taking panoramic view over the rooftops and out into the
Tuscan countryside. On sunny days you will find
yourself entranced with the dance of purple martins as they dart and
dive all around you. A beautiful and uniquely Italian soundtrack is
played in the background. This breakfast room is
actually one of the most memorable places you’ll visit and
you’ll want to linger over the delicious croissants and
cappuccinos for a long time. It is also a great
place to enjoy a bottle of your carefully selected Chianti wine and
watch the sunset at the end of a wonderful day in Italy. |
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Day 7
Friday, Oct. 14 |
Volterra
breakfast
included
Today an
hour’s ride takes us to nearby Siena. The
historic center of Siena
is a uniquely preserved medieval city. Il Campo is
one of the most beautiful plazas in Europe.
Siena is a smaller version
of Florence
and there is a wealth of art history to be found in this often
overlooked city. We will be glad to book special tours for you if you
want.
The
winding streets are a delight for shoppers and the Duomo is a
magnificent treasure to be cherished for its history and beauty. Be
sure to take the time to enjoy a cappuccino and do some people watching
from one of the cafes that surround the campo. This afternoon we have a
short drive to our comfortable hotel (converted from a convent) within
the walls of Volterra. |
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Day 8
Saturday, Oct. 15
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Volterra breakfast included
The
beauty of the buildings and the fantastic setting of this ancient town
is incredible. A tree lined promenade along the
wall makes Volterra the perfect place to soak up the Tuscan sun and
appreciate the inherent beauty all around you. Mysterious Volterra was
home to the ancient Etruscans. Alabaster is
plentiful in the surrounding hills and generations of talented
sculptors have learned to create some truly beautiful and unique works
of art from this delicate and transparent stone. You
will have plenty of time to shop for Alabaster treasures or visit the
Etruscan and Art museums. Strolling through the gorgeous streets and
piazzas in this magnificent town is a joy. Inexpensive trattorias and
restaurants are everywhere. You’re going to
like Volterra!
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Day 9
Sunday, Oct. 16
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Castellina
in Chianti
breakfast included
Today
we drive to Florence.
We will be glad to schedule tours of the Uffizi and other
art museums if you like. Reserving these ahead
allows you to avoid the notoriously long lines. There
is a convenient hop on and off bus with an English narrated tour if you
would like a good overall introduction to this amazing city.
Lovely
Piazza Signorelli is a great place to enjoy lunch in a sidewalk
café while gazing at the magnificent sculptures that encircle it.
There is Bridge are a sight to see. The majestic Santa
Croce church is nearby and there you can visit the tombs of
Micheangelo, Dante, Galileo and many others.
Florence is a
shopper’s paradise. There are of course the
streets lined with designer shops such as Gucchi, Ferragamo,
Yves Saint Laurent etc. For those who
love street markets, Florence
is home to a century’s old gargantuan market with merchandise
ranging from the usual fruits, vegetables and flowers to all sorts of
lovely and unique bargains. Make an offer. It’s half the fun!
This
evening we arrive in pretty Castellina where we will spend the next two
nights. Our hotel was once a palace and today its been restored to a
beautiful hotel with most of its fine details and architectural
features preserved. Just staying in this hotel is a
special treat you will remember for years to come. |
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Day 10
Monday, Oct. 17
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Castellina
in Chianti
breakfast included & wine tasting
This morning
on our way to San Gimignano we stop in tiny Monteriggioni. This
walled fortress is similar to San Gimignano with its wall and towers.
However, it is much smaller and you will be charmed by its simplicity
and setting.
After
Monteriggioni we continue our drive through the beautiful Tuscan
countryside to San Gimignano – one of the most visited Tuscan
villages. It is a perfectly preserved
medieval walled city with lots of treasures within. Nowadays
there are lots of shops, restaurants and museums for you to explore.
The beautiful piazzas and ancient buildings carry you away
to a time when each wealthy merchant tried to “outdo” the
others by building the tallest tower. Fourteen of
these towers survive today for us to admire. The Collegiata Church was a Cathedral at one
time and the frescoes on its walls are spellbinding. Of course, there
are also all the places where you can do some more wine tasting if you
'd like to sample the Vernnacio white wine for which this region of
Tuscany is well known.
After
returning to our hotel today we are scheduled for a Chianti winery tour
and wine tasting in the ancient cellars under our hotel.
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Day 11
Tuesday, Oct. 18
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Venice breakfast included
After
our arrival in Venice,
we will take a private water taxi to our hotel. You will be given a
three day Venice Orange Card that covers unlimited use of all
vaporettos and admission to most of the important sights and museums in
Venice.
There will be an orientation tour around Dorsoduro (where
our hotel is located) and a lesson in using the vaporetto system of
water transport. Venice is actually an easy city to
explore once you get your bearings and understand how to use the
vaporettos. |
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Day 12
Wednesday, Oct. 19
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Venice
breakfast included
Free
day in Venice.
You can explore this extraordinary city’s unique and charming
neighborhoods or visit ornate churches at your leisure. You
each have a pass to the opulent Doge
Palace and other palaces
and museums overlooking the Grand Canal.
If you can, visit St Mark’s Basilica between 11:30
and 12:30 when special lighting is turned on to reflect against the
brilliant mosaics. Venice is home to at least two
fantastic art museums – the Accademia and the Guggenheim (both
near our hotel). The Rialto bridge is a remarkable
creation with tiny shops up and down each side to investigate. Speaking
of shopping, there are shops everywhere and you could spend days
browsing. Finally, don’t forget, you may want to consider a
gondola ride at sunset. Maybe you’ll even find a singing
gondolier?
When
you need a break from walking, hop aboard one of the vaporettos and
ride out to Murano or Burano
Island.
Burano especially presents an entirely different
atmosphere. With its brightly colored cottages and
pretty little canal down the middle you can get lost in time wandering
up and down the charming streets. Plan on lunch or
at least a gelato while here. You really need to have at least half a
day for Burano.
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Day 13
Thursday, Oct. 20 |
Venice breakfast & Farewell Dinner
Another
Free day in Venice.
Have fun. |
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Day 14
Friday, Oct.
21 |
Travel Day breakfast
Try to book a flight that leaves Venice around noon so you can enjoy
one last breakfast and capuccino before you return home. |
