Highlights
- Personally hosted by Member Adventures
- 7-nights’ accommodations at a 5-star hotel
- Porterage
- Superb cuisine, daily breakfast and 4 dinners included
- City tour of Florence, see the Cathedral, Baptistery, and the famous Gates of Paradise
- The Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Full day tour of San Gimignano
- Chianti wine tasting
- Wine tasting in Tuscany and Bolgheri
- Includes Tuscan Feast Dinner & Pasta Making Experience
$3,599 per person
Itinerary
Depart The Usa For Italy
Montecatini
After your arrival, head over to baggage claim. Once you have cleared customs, your English-speaking Adventure Program Guide will be there to greet you and help you board your luxurious motorcoach. For the next seven nights, you will be staying in the nearby spa resort town of Montecatini, Tuscany, just outside of Florence in the heart of the Italian art cradle. One of the key highlights of this tour is that there will be no need to pack and unpack, making it a more relaxed way to experience this wonderful region of Italy.
This evening, there will be a Welcome Reception and briefing at the hotel. After, enjoy your first authentic Italian meal in the hotel dining room.
Pisa
In the morning, you will have the opportunity to visit Pisa. The Square of Miracles is home to some breathtaking monuments, including the Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, the Baptistry, the Monumental Cemetery, and the Opa Museum. The best part is that everything is located within a few hundred yards, making exploring easy. You can even taste a local cappuccino at one of the cafes on the square.
Later in the day, you will learn to make pasta by hand with a professional chef-instructor. This will be a truly memorable experience. Your cooking class will cover the basics of different styles of pasta. As you begin to prepare the pasta meal, you can nibble on light appetizers and enjoy a glass of wine. Once you have finished cooking, sit down and enjoy your delicious dinner.
San Gimignano - Chianti
After having breakfast, we will journey through the heart of Tuscany. As we head south, you may recognize some of the landscapes from the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" which was filmed in this area. Our first stop will be the walled city of San Gimignano, which is the best-preserved medieval village in Italy. You will be amazed by the many towers, which were once the skyscrapers of the 13th and 14th centuries. We will leisurely stroll around the quaint streets that lead to the top of the village. Along the way, we can stop at one of the cafes or trattorias for a "gelato" or sandwich.
Later in the afternoon, we will drive south through the Chianti wine country and visit Fattoria Poggio Alloro winery. Here, three generations of family continue to work the land using age-old practices, growing fruits, vegetables, and cereal crops such as wheat for pasta, olives for extra-virgin olive oil, and grapes for their award-winning wines. During a private tasting, Sarah Fioroni, chef, cooking instructor, sommelier, and manager of her family's organic farm, will share stories of family traditions and daily life at Fattoria Poggio Alloro.
Montecatini / Cinque Terre
Explore the breathtaking beauty and relaxed pace of Cinque Terre with a full-day tour. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is made up of five charming towns: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. These seaside villages, located on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline, feature colorful houses and ancient vineyards perched on steep terraces. In the harbors, fishing boats bob gently in the water, while trattorias serve up delicious seafood dishes alongside the Liguria region's famous pesto sauce.
Florence
After breakfast, you'll be heading to Florence, the heart of the Tuscan region. This city is renowned for being the birthplace of famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, and Michelangelo. Your tour of Florence will include a visit to the Piazza del Duomo where you'll get to see the massive bronze "Gates of Paradise," Signoria Square, the 13th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Giotto Tower, and the Church of Santa Croce, where Michelangelo is buried. In the afternoon, you'll have free time to either sightsee or shop around Florence.
Montecatini (Super Tuscan)
You have the option to spend the day at your leisure or take a tour to Ornellaia, Grattamacco, or Argentiera to explore the beautiful Tuscan countryside and visit an exclusive wine estate for a tour and tasting. The tour starts with a quick stop at the medieval town of Bolgheri where you'll taste three different "super wines" from three different Tuscan coastline DOC regions. After that, you'll continue to one of the most renowned Tuscan wine estates.
Your visit will begin with a walking tour of the estate's famous vineyards, where you'll learn about the history of this stunning and unspoiled land. You'll then enjoy a tasting of several of their varietals, followed by a traditional four-course Tuscan lunch at the winery, paired with a selection of their current releases.
Montecatini (Venice)
You have a free day to relax or you can choose to take an optional full-day tour to Venice. During the tour, you will see St. Mark's Cathedral and Doge's Palace. In the afternoon, you can enjoy the sights and sounds of Venice while cruising the Grand Canal aboard a traditional wood-carved gondola boat. Don't forget to keep an eye out for the Rialto Bridge, the most famous and oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal. Venice is a must-do experience in Italy, so make the most of it!
In the evening, you can enjoy a delicious Tuscan feast with your fellow travelers, as a tribute to your new fond memories of Italy.
Montecatini - USA
After breakfast, transfer is provided to the airport for your return flight to the U.S.
Terms, conditions and restrictions apply; pricing, availability, and other details subject to change and/ or apply to US or Canadian residents. Please confirm details and booking information with your travel advisor.