rome_tuscan

Rome • Montecatini • Siena • Florence • Pisa • Assisi
Includes 6 nights in Tuscany: Two nights in Rome plus six nights in Tuscany for a holiday of leisure, culture and fun. Fabulous visits and excursions are included, but with plenty of time to do exactly as you please! Relax, sightsee, shop or party the time away! We can even arrange that too!
First Class Hotels

Day 1 Depart USA Overnight flight to Rome. Day 2 Arrive Rome On arrival you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Time to relax before a welcome beverage with your Tour Director. Hotel: Aran Park Day 3 Rome – Montecatini (6) Sightseeing with a local guide includes a visit to St. Peter's in the Vatican and then we stop at the Forum to admire views of the Colosseum. Visit the Trevi Fountain with time to throw in a coin to ensure your return to this 'Eternal City'! Then free time before a scenic drive into the Tuscan Hills and the spa resort of Montecatini. Tonight, we enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. Hotel: Grand Bellavista Palace (6 nights) Day 4 Siena & San Gimignano Today we head for the 'medieval Manhattan' of San Gimignano. There's time to explore this many-towered town with its squares and winding streets before we drive to Siena. On arrival, our Tour Director takes us to the famous Piazza del Campo, scene of the celebrated Palio horse race. Then we may also visit the stunning marble Cathedral before traveling through the Chianti Hills back to Montecatini. Tonight, we enjoy dinner in a specially selected restaurant. Day 5 Montecatini Enjoy a full day at leisure to explore as you please. Perhaps stroll through the streets of this pleasant town. Maybe take an excursion to nearby Lucca to visit one of the many palaces, or why not visit an olive-oil mill? This evening, we enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.
Day 6 Florence After breakfast we take a short drive to Renaissance Florence. Here we'll enjoy a sightseeing tour on foot with a local guide highlighting its main sights. Then free time, perhaps to take an excursion to explore the many museums, Uffizzi galleries, Pitti Palace or Boboli gardens. Or why not shop for quality leather goods and 18 carat gold jewelry? Later, we will enjoy dinner in a local Florentine restaurant before returning to Montecatini. Day 7 Pisa – Torre del Lago Puccini & Forte dei Marmi We're off to Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower in the Square of Miracles. We admire the finely sculpted marble Cathedral, and see the ornate Baptistry. Next, enjoy lunch in a local trattoria before making our way to the splendid Italian Riviera via Torre del Lago Puccini to see where the great 19th century composer wrote "La Boheme" and "Madame Butterfly". Finally, we arrive in the fashionable seaside resort of Forte dei Marmi. Here there is time to lie on the beaches and enjoy a swim, or stroll along the promenade before returning to Montecatini for the night.
Day 8 Montecatini Why not take an excursion to visit the marble quarries at Carrara, or the 'Pinocchio park' at Collodi? For the 'culture vultures', perhaps return to Florence to further explore the museums and Art galleries. The possibilities are endless and the choices are all yours! Tonight, dinner is in a local restaurant. Day 9 Montecatini – Assisi – Rome An early start today as we take the 'autostrada' into Umbria on our way to St. Francis' Assisi. Here there's time to visit the Basilica with its Giotto frescoes, and enjoy the views from its medieval ramparts. Then a short drive into the Latium, and the Italian capital Rome. Tonight, why not celebrate your final night in a Roman Trattoria? Hotel: Hilton Airport Day 10 Rome – USA After breakfast bid farewell before we transfer to the airport for our return flight to America.