Rome + Flavours of Tuscany, the enchanting 5 terre

7 Days – 6 Nights

Day 1 – Friday
ROME
Welcome to Rome! We’ll greet you at the airport and get you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to explore, relax or do a little shopping before you find the perfect spot for dinner.

Day 2 – Saturday
ROME
After breakfast, join you guide on a fantastic walking tour of this “Eternal City”. We’ll pick you up and get you to our starting place, the Largo Argentina. You’ll spend the rest of the morning exploring landmarks admired for centuries: the Campo de’ Fiori, Piazza Farnese, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. The afternoon is yours – a siesta, shopping, people watching, a museum – just remember this is Rome, make time for dinner….

Day 3 – Sunday
ROMA MONTEPULCIANO PIENZA SIENA
Today we’ll have an early breakfast and leave bustling Rome for the rolling hills of the Chianti Region. Our first stop, the hilltop town of Montepulciano, an ancient village famous for producing one of the oldest wines of Italy, the “Nobile di Montepulciano”. A stop here is a must and you’ll have a great time sampling the local wines, cheese, and salumi that make the area a pilgrimage site for lovers of fine food. Next up is Pienza, a renaissance town best known for its pecorino cheese. Through hills filled with olive groves and vineyards we travel on to Siena – from its lovely central square, take in what might be the most beautiful medieval town in all Italy. Tonight we’ll share dinner at our hotel.

Day 4 – Monday
SIENA SAN GIMIGNANO CHIANTI AREA LUCCA PISA LA SPEZIA
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll depart to San Gimignano, a tiny hilltop city celebrated for its ancient towers and superb white wines. Lunch will find you in the Chianti Classico region — Tavernelle Val di Pesa—your meal (and accompanying wines…) at the La Tancia farmhouse will be one you remember always. The afternoon brings you to Lucca where your expert guide will bring to life the Anfiteatro Square, the Guinigi Tower, and the Duomo. In nearby Pisa, we’ll enjoy a walking tour of the Piazza dei Miracoli, with its famous Leaning Tower and Baptistry. We’ll end the day, have dinner and spend the night on the coast in La Spezia.

Day 5 – Tuesday
LA SPEZIA • PORTOVENERE GOLFO DEI POETI • CINQUE TERRE • LA SPEZIA
Today we’ll take to the sea for an unforgettable journey down the coast of the “Cinque Terre”, or Five Villages, Region. Approaching these fabled cliffside villages from the water affords not only a unique perspective, but a very efficient means of visiting each in turn. Don’t worry, in the event of uncooperative seas, the train will provide an equally picturesque journey…. We’ll put in at Porto Venere, with its picturesque harbor, brightly colored houses and shop lined streets; Vernazza, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and among its greatest producers of olive oil, and finally, Monterosso, home to wonderful beaches and crystal clear water and – you’ll visit all at leisure. Along the way you’ll take in the whole of the coast and its other fanciful towns: Riomaggiore, Manarola and Corniglia. From Monterosso, we’ll board the train and return to La Spezia for dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Day 6 – Wednesday
LA SPEZIA CARRARA CAVES MONTECARLO DI LUCCA ROME
Following breakfast, we’re off to Carrara and the impressive marble quarries carved deep into the mountain – it’s from here that Michelangelo and countless others obtained the raw material of their masterworks. As you walk among the great blocks and ancient tools, you’ll marvel at the effort and ingenuity that coaxed them out of the mountain. We’ll cap the day with a visit to Montecarlo di Lucca where the owners of a delightful farmhouse will guide you in tasting the bounty of Tuscany: the olive oils, cheeses, breads, pastas and, of course, wines to complement each. Happy and full, we’ll return to Rome for the night.

Day 7 – Thursday
ROME
Enjoy breakfast with fellow travelers – a great time to share reflections and contacts as our journey comes to a close.

Tour Highlights