Tuscany & Italian Riviera  - La Dolce Vita - “The Sweet Life”

10 nights / 11 days

Day 1 – Friday Fly overnight from your home airport to Rome Fiumicino Airport. (Flights are sold separately)

Arrive no later than September 2nd @ 11am 

Day 2 – Saturday Meet & Greet by the Gugliotta’s & our Italian host  Mario Bernardi where we board an autobus to depart Rome Airport and travel North. On our way to Firenze (Florence) (approximately 3 hours away) To break up the journey we stop at the beautiful hilltop town of Orvieto as we take a breathtaking and refreshing break to enjoy our first taste of the Italian culture and lifestyle. 

Orvieto is considered one of Umbria’s best attractions. A beautiful town set on top of a rocky outcrop above fields of vines, olive groves and cypress trees. Explore the historical town Centre, with narrow streets, and the stunning Duomo with its mosaics and stained glass.

After lunch ends, we continue towards Firenze to a town called, Bagno a Ripoli that sits on the other side of the Arno River. THE VILLA OLMI, our casa “home away from home” for the next 7 nights. Tonight, we relax & enjoy.   

(L)

Day 3 – Sunday After breakfast meet in the hotel lobby @ 9am. 

We will be transported to the towns of Volterra and San Gimignano. 

Visit the magnificent quaint town of Volterra and its beautiful countryside. Volterra is a walled town southwest of Florence, in Italy. The central Palazzo dei Priori has medieval frescoes and a bell tower with expansive views. Our journey takes us for a visit to the Fattoria San Donato in a park like setting for Lunch and Wine tasting of Vernaccia wine. 

After, lunch we will travel to San Gimignano!

San Gimignano, Steps away from San Donato your tour continues in the afternoon to San Gimignano, a tiny city that has survived the centuries.  Hilltop San Gimignano is famous for its numerous skyscrapers like towers, frescoes, and other art treasures. 

Return to our Villa, in time to enjoy an aperitif, make dinner plans or relax and enjoy your villa. 

(B / L)

**optional excursion - Vespa tour in San Gimignano

Price TBA per person   

Day  4 –   8:00 AM  Today after breakfast meet outside the lobby to board our transportation for a day trip to Val D’Orcia Valley onto Montepulciano, Pienza and Montalcino.

Pienza, the tiny, charming village is known as the ‘ideal city of Renaissance. It is the creation of the humanist Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who later became Pope Pius II. His money and influence transformed his humble birthplace into what he considered a Utopian city, illustrating the principles and philosophy of classical times and of the Italian Renaissance. 

Montepulciano is a medieval town of rare beauty, with elegant architecture and vast panoramas over the wonderful Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana valleys. We will have lunch in a winery in Montalcino and be able to sample some fantastic wines products in this incredible region.

We’ll taste the famous Pecorino di Pienza, a sheep cheese made by the local dairy farm, followed by a visit to Montepulciano, a winery and tasting the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, some of the oldest wines of Italy based on the Sangiovese grape (B/L)

Day  5  - Enjoy breakfast at your leisure. Today you have a free day to stroll and explore more of Firenze, offering an interesting array of shops and gastronomic riches. Or just relax enjoying the Villa’s pool and beautiful gardens.  Stroll the local area. (B)

**Optional excursions

Visit Venice (extra excursion price TBA)

High speed train to Venice & gondola & water taxi) 

Visit the Accademia in Florence to see the famous David Sculpture and more. 

(Extra excursion price TBA) skip the line entrance.

Take up a cooking class.

(Extra excursion price TBA)

Visit Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Firenze & explore Piazza Della Signoria the main piazza in Firenze.

(FREE)

Day  6  - After breakfast we meet outside the lobby at 9am for 

Excursion to Lucca.

Travel to Lucca, with free time for lunch. Lunch not included. Lucca, a perfectly preserved walled city originally built as a Roman town the ancient ruins buried beneath the medieval and renaissance buildings still shape the town today. Enjoy a nice walking tour your experienced local guide. We’ll stop at a winery on the way back. (B)

Day 7 - After breakfast we meet at 930am to begin. 

driving through the Tuscany countryside to the wonderful winery for tasting and lunch.

Private visit to a Winery in Panzano in the Heart of Chianti district, with wine tasting and a tour of the Cellars and Vineyards. Lunch at the famous Butcher Dario Cecchini’s restaurant (Menu Solociccia) for this most unique dining experience. This is a butcher shop with a kitchen. Dario says, “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter… for you are in the hands of a Butcher.” With our bellies filled we return to Firenze for a well-deserved siesta. 

Then enjoy an afternoon in Panzano town, with a stop at Greve in Chianti before heading back to Florence. (B / L)

Day 8 - Have a leisurely breakfast. Today is a free day to explore Firenze. (B)

Day 9 - After breakfast, be packed to move please check out before leaving the Villa Olmi. 

Onto the Italian Riviera to Santa Margherita ligure. 

We will stop in Pisa for a famous phot op at The Famous Leaning Tower. 

Then find our way over to the coast. 

Arrive to the Grand Miramare Hotel with its own private beach. The rest of the day is free to explore the coastline, relax at the Grand Miramare (B) 

Day  10 - After breakfast we meet at the lobby for our departure to Cinque Terre.

A full day tour awaits us to this colorful Italian coastline. Our day is filled with short exploratory stops, and a ferry/boat tour on the Mediterranean with free time to enjoy the wonderful sea views of these enchanting coastal towns. Meaning 'five lands', the five lovely fishing villages of this UNESCO World Heritage-listed site are strung along the cliffs bordering the Ligurian Sea, linked by numerous walking paths and a train line.

First visit Golfo Dei Poeti and visit the characteristic village of Porto Venere. From here, take a boat trip to Monterosso al Mare alongside the famous Cinque Terre. It is one of the five villages of Cinque Terre in the province of La Spezia, part of the region of Liguria. In Monterosso, the biggest of the five lands, you’ll have free time to explore it and its beach that runs along most of the coastline. After lunch, train transfer to Manarola to begin a gentle 20-minute stroll (Via dell’Amore) along a scenic coastal path to Riomaggiore, with romantic vistas over the Mediterranean Sea.

Riomaggiore is the Cinque Terre's fifth village. You'll have free time here, perhaps venturing down by the wharf where fishing boats line the shore or sampling locally produced wine from the town's historic vineyards. (B)

Day 11 - Free da - y until later this afternoon and into the night. Today, culminates in the romantic seaside town of Portofino where we leave our hearts on this our last night together. A farewell dinner toasting “LA DOLCE VITA”

with our newfound friends and family! 

(B /D) 

Day 12 –  Depart after breakfast, check out and meet in the lobby for our departure back to Fiumicino Rome Airport.

Arrivederci CIAO ITALIA…UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!