Tour Plan
Day 1 – From Pisa Airport to Cinque Terre with stop for a guided tour of Pisa
After landing at Pisa Airport, You will be met by your private English-speaking driver for a direct transfer to Pisa for a quick stop before heading to Cinque Terre, to Monterosso.
You will admire the central Piazza Dei Miracoli, famous for its Leaning Tower and for the many beautiful architectural structures that distinguish this town. A town, who thanks to its tower, has become a symbol in Italy and around the world. It has also fascinated many film directors who have chosen it as a location for their film sets. It is so evocative and characteristic, that it has been proposed as one of the seven modern wonders of the world.
After about 1 hour meet your driver for a direct transfer to Cinque Terre, to Monterosso. Check in at your hotel: Hotel Porto Roca 4****. We will book 1 double classic room with sea view. Check in and the rest of the day will be at leisure.
Hotel Porto Roca offers a panoramic cliff-top location with stunning sea views, a 5-minute walk from Monterosso center. The Cinque Terre's famous Blue Trail starts here. The Rooms have classic décor, air conditioning and satellite TV. Porto Roca's restaurant overlooks the sea and the beach below. It serves a buffet breakfast and freshly-caught fish and Ligurian dishes for lunch and dinner. A free transfer service is available to and from Monterosso Train Station or car park on arrival and departure.
Day 2 – Cinque Terre: Free day
Breakfast at the hotel and free day at leisure to enjoy the Cinque Terre.
Day 3 – Cinque Terre: Free day
Breakfast at the hotel and free day at leisure to enjoy the Cinque Terre.
Day 4 – From Monterosso to Lucca
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Private transfer to the train station in La Spezia where you will take your train to Lucca (Regional). At Lucca train station you will have private transfer to your centrally located hotel: Palazzo Dipinto 4****S. We will book: 1 Junior Suite. Check in and rest of the day will be at leisure to visit and enjoy the tiny town of Lucca – still surrounded with its medieval and renaissance walls.
Overlooking the picturesque square with the same name, Palazzo Dipinto is set in the heart of the historical center of Lucca. Once a prestigious 13th century building It has been restored in 2017, into this fascinating, contemporary 4 star hotel. The hotel offers a unique combination of tradition, technology and design. Easily reachable from every point in Lucca, it is located a short distance away from the most important tourist attractions and main shopping streets.
Day 5 – From Lucca to Florence
After breakfast and check out you will be met by your private driver at your hotel, for a transfer to Lucca train station. Take your Regional train to Florence. At Florence train station you will be met by your driver for a transfer to your centrally located hotel in Florence: Hotel degli Orafi 4****. We will book: 1 double classic room. Check in and free time at leisure.
The Hotel Degli Orafi is well-known worldwide as the setting for James Ivory’s film “A Room with a View”, winner of 3 Oscars in 1985. This 4-star luxury hotel is located in an ancient Florentine building dating back to the 13th century. You will find it in the center of the city, facing the Arno river and just a few steps away from the famous Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery. Formerly an Augustinian convent, this building includes the remains of an ancient medieval tower. When you enter the hotel, you will immediately be immersed in an environment of rare beauty, from the elegant, newly-restored lobby to the 42 beautifully and classically-furnished rooms with breathtaking views. From the roof terrace bar you can admire the view over the Arno river, the Palazzo Vecchio and the Brunelleschi Dome. Its location and great service make this hotel one of the most attractive and unforgettable places to stay in Florence.
Day 6 – Florence at leisure
After breakfast free day at leisure to walk around the city and visit the Accademia Gallery, where the most symbolic work of Michelangelo is housed: Il David, an expression of beauty and physical perfection. It also has other sculptures by Michelangelo and a collection of Renaissance paintings: you will also admire the original plaster cast of “Il Ratto delle Sabine” by Giambologna (The Rape of the Sabine Women- the original marble one is in the Signoria Square). Enjoy a small but amazing collection of Sacred Art and Renaissance paintings including two master pieces by Botticelli, the “La Madonna ed il Bambino” (Madonna and Child) and “la Madonna del Mare” (Madonna of the Sea).
Day 7 – From Florence to Tuscany Countryside
After breakfast and check out from your hotel in Florence you will be met by your private driver for a transfer to the rent a car company to pick up your car. Drive to your hotel in the heart of Tuscany: Hotel La Lupaia. We will book: 1 Double Standard room. Check in and the rest of the day will be at leisure.
Overlooking the rolling hills of Tuscany, set in province of Siena between Montepulciano and Pienza, the Romantic Relais Hotel La Lupaia features a unique combination of nature and history, blended in total harmony. This Luxury Tuscany B&B in the heart of Val d'Orcia offers at the same time the unique experience of being in a Farmhouse, what the Italians call an "Agriturismo" in the middle of the Tuscan landscape which is so world renowned for its arts, food and wine. Upon arrival at the hotel in the Sienese hills, you will be free to relax and admire the splendid Tuscan valleys that surround your resort. Enjoy a glass of good wine or relax in the beautiful swimming pool that offers an enchanting view of the Tuscan hills.
Day 8 – Tuscany: Picnic in Pienza and visit of Siena
After breakfast at your hotel you can reach the small and charming village of Pienza with your car, a tiny town in the center of Tuscany. It is part of UNESCO , a World Heritage Site for its artistic beauty and historical importance. This town is in beautiful Renaissance style, built by order of the Pope Pio II – Enea Silvio Piccolomini – who decided to change his tiny home town into a beautiful town for him and his court to be protected and relax near the water risings of Valdorcia. Pienza is also the capital city of the “Pecorino” – sheep cheese, and on the second Sunday of every September they organize the “Fiera del Cacio” or the Festival of the local sheep cheese. The milk is particularly aromatic because the natural clayey land is scattered with herbs where the sheep graze freely. Pienza Pecorino cheese has the D.O.P. European label (which means a Protected Origin Denomination). You will visit a cheese factory, located in the beautiful hills inserted in a frame of history, art and nature, the dairy is over a hundred and ninety hectares, with olive groves, vineyards and pastures. These pastures are the natural food for their flock of a thousand sheep, giving us this delicious milk and cheese, with its delicate flavor, distinctive and pleasant . Since its origins , the dairy has always respected the ancient traditions and you will find their amazing Pecorino in the local stalls in Pienza and the Val d'Orcia . Here, we will arrange a Picnic lunch for you where you can enjoy and taste their products surrounded by stunning views. After some free time at leisure, you will drive to Siena with your car.
Here you can discover the city at leisure. You will see the Magnificent Piazza del Campo where twice a year (2 July and 16 August) you have the Palio di Siena horse race. You will learn about the history of the Contrade (ancient Sienese name for neighborhood) there are 17 of them and each one with a unique name: the Dolphin, the Giraffe, the Snail etc! Visit the famous Siena Cathedral built to be the largest one in Europe, until the town ran out of money and had to keep it smaller, inside ,the Piccolomini Library frescoed by Pinturicchio and Raphael and some incredible pieces of art inside the Cathedral including a piece by Michelangelo. Do not forget to discover “gastronomic” Siena with a tasting of the locally produced “Panforte of Siena” dating back to the Middle Ages a very rich sort of fruit cake made for the Pilgrims passing through town also the “Ricciarelli biscuits”. After your visit you can drive back to your hotel in Torrita di Siena. Rest of the day will be at leisure.
Breakfast at the hotel and free day at leisure to enjoy your hotel and the beautiful Val D’Orcia. A delightful cooking experience can be organized for you at the hotel.
Day 10 – From Torrita di Siena to Florence: departure
After breakfast and check out reach the rent a car company at Florence airport to drop off your car and take your flight back home.
3 nights at Hotel Porto Roca 4**** in Portovenere (or similar) – 1 double classic room with sea view
Municipality city tax to pay at each hotel location, upon arrival
A perfect holiday in Italy! - From the time we arrived in Naples until the time we left Sorrento a week later, everything was perfect! The driver that we had was wonderful ( his name... read more 
sancurtis
Dennis D
Betty M
Jacob A