Tuscany

Day Trips

Depart Florence and journey to the historic Chianti Classico wine region by air-conditioned minivan while your English-speaking driver explains the stunning landscape where the most famous wines from Italy are produced. Visit two wine estates, with wine and food pairings. Sample 3 of the first wine estate's wines, along with some of the fresh olive oil they produce. Learn more about the unique techniques used to produce wine and get a better appreciation of the local viniculture on a tour of the wine cellars. Continue towards the second wine estate to take a tour of the cellars and compare and contrast their techniques with the first winery. Taste different wines and olive oils produced on the farm, paired with local specialties from Tuscany, such as cheese, salami, cold cuts, and bruschetta.

Get a taste of 'la dolce vita' on this jam-packed tour to the Cinque Terre, a collection of quintessential Italian towns dotted along the coast of Tuscany. After meeting your guide in central Florence, listen to an insightful introduction about the Cinque Terre on the 2-hour bus journey to La Spezia. After a quick bathroom break, board the first train of the day. Arrive in Manarola, the first of the Cinque Terre villages you will visit. Here you will join a small guided walk through the vines, and then enjoy some free time to explore at your own pace. Next, take the train to Corniglia. Climb the steps to reach the center of this quaint village and take some time to wander around. If you have selected the add-on, sit down at a local restaurant with a beautiful terrace and sea views. Tuck into a lunch of fresh fish for your 'primo' and homemade pesto pasta for your ‘secondo’. Then, choose to either go on an adventurous guided hike from Corniglia to Vernazza, or if you prefer to take it easy, follow your guide and take a train instead. Once in Vernazza, sit at one of the local cafés, or take a refreshing dip in the sea. Next, board a train to Monterosso, the village renowned for its beautiful beaches and artisan shops. If the weather allows it, you will then board a boat to navigate along the coast of the Cinque Terre. Arrive in Riomaggiore, an ancient fishing village and the most southern of the 5 villages. After exploring this last village, board the train back to La Spezia and then take the coach back to Florence.

Begin your journey of Tuscany at Florence’s central train station, where you will be greeted by your guide who will take care of you throughout the day.  Head straight to Siena, Italy’s most picturesque medieval city, whereupon arrival your guide will take you on a walking tour. Look up to admire the lovely terracotta roofs adorning the buildings and marvel at the magnificent Gothic and Romanesque architecture of the main cathedral.   Next, head to the hilltop town of San Gimignano, a UNESCO world heritage site, famous for the tower houses built in the Middle Ages. Enjoy free time here to see its splendid squares, palaces, churches, and magnificent towers. The last stop on your Tuscan excursion is a visit to Pisa and its iconic leaning tower. Take a stroll through the Piazza dei Miracoli and see other marvelous monuments, before driving back to Florence. Best of all, choose from either a small-group or private guided experience to make your trip special. Choose the lunch option to enjoy a homemade lunch paired with an informal wine tasting at a traditional wine estate in the Chianti wine region. Savor 4 regional wines at lunch and learn about their unique production techniques. Feast on an organic, farmhouse meal while you overlook the rolling vineyards under the Tuscan sun.

Immerse yourself in Italy's renowned winemaking culture on this guided tour by van from Florence. Leave the city behind as you head out into the Tuscan countryside, marveling at the landscape around you. Visit two local wineries and enjoy wine tastings in both of them, learning about the wine-making process from locals. Arrive in the charming town of Radda in Chianti and visit one of the town’s traditional wineries. Enjoy a tasting session of 3 regional wines, then have the opportunity to purchase them. Spend some free time exploring the narrow streets of the town. Continue towards a traditional farm and winery. Learn about the winemaking process from grape to glass. Then enjoy another tasting session of 3 Chianti wines as well as local products. Finally, sit back and relax on the return journey to Florence.

Journey through the wine-producing region of Tuscany on a day trip from Florence. Admire the Tuscan countryside and learn about the region from your driver. Visit three wineries and enjoy lunch. Start your day trip driving to the south of Florence, through the Tuscan countryside. Reach the first winery to learn about the winemaking process. Visit the farm, and satisfy all of your curiosity. Next, move on to another selected hilltop wine estate, where a wine expert is waiting for you to share the facts and anecdotes behind this product. Take a guided tour of the farm and learn all of the secrets to making wine. Sit down for lunch accompanied by the winery's own wines and Vin Santo (dessert wine). Nothing is rushed, so take the time to relax and enjoy. After lunch, head to Greve in Chianti, the most representative village of the Chianti Classico countryside. Take some free time to admire the attractive main square. Continue to the third winery, and taste their products, before you head back to Florence.

A comfortable, air-conditioned coach will pick you up in Rome. As you drive towards rolling hills, your expert tour guide will explain Tuscany’s rich culture and answer any questions you might have about the day ahead.  First, enjoy a walking tour in the hill town of Montepulciano. Take in an ancient but still-functioning wine cellar and ruins that pre-date Rome. Next visit San Biagio, a 16th-century Renaissance church with a travertine facade welcoming in the sunlight and exquisite decorations inside. Just a short drive away awaits a delicious Tuscan lunch. Enjoy a 3-course meal with wine pairings in the wine cellar of an authentic vineyard farmhouse, including the famous Brunello di Montalcino and varieties from the vineyard itself.  Buy your souvenir Tuscan wine here or wait for the final stop: Pienza. Your tour leader will offer insights, but your time is yours: shopping for pecorino cheese, balsamic vinegar, wines, and other local specialties, finding the right photo opportunity, or simply wandering the streets like a local. Next, return to Rome in air-conditioned comfort — fulfilled, relaxed, and ready for the next day.

First arrive in San Gimignano, a tiny medieval town that has remained intact through the centuries. Sitting upon a hilltop, it is famous for its numerous towers, frescoes, and other art treasures. Enjoy more free time to discover this fascinating city on your own. Next, stop at the charming historical hamlet of Monteriggioni, an amazing small medieval village enclosed by its famous walls, which remained standing to this day. Enjoy some free time to visit this place. Afterwards, you will cross the gently Chianti rolling hills, arrive at a small and typical winery. Taste 4 fantastic wines, then sample balsamic vinegar and other locally produced zero food miles products, to end this memorable experience in the heart of Tuscany. Your final stop is in Siena, where you will have free time to walk along the narrow medieval streets admiring the splendid palaces, the Cathedral, Libreria Piccolomini, and the famous shell-shaped Piazza del Campo.

Join this fun day-trip made for 18 to 35-year-old travelers to the Chianti countryside by van, and discover why the area is famous for its scenery as well as its wine. Visit two local wineries and taste their flavorful wines, as well as local produce samples. Walk through the streets of San Gimignano at your own pace, discovering this charming town first-hand. Head straight to a wine tasting school, your first stop, where you will taste 4 different type of wines, including the famous Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. and a Super Tuscan wine, a 30 year-old balsamic vinegar, and the delicious truffle extra virgin olive oil. Here, learn how to recognize the different flavors and develop your taste buds together with a wine passionate producer. Next, drive to your second stop, a local winery located in a stunning area well-known for the production of the D.O.C.G. Vernaccia white wine and facing the famous towers of San Gimignano. Let the winemakers guide you through the vineyards and the cellars and they will share the secrets of the wine and oil production as well as the best wine and food combinations. At this winery, take the opportunity to buy their local products and wine at a convenient cost to bring back home or to ship to friends and family. In the afternoon, enjoy visiting and spending time wandering through the narrow streets of San Gimignano at your own pace. Shop 'til you drop and enjoy gelato from the world-champion ice-cream making gelateria. Your departure from San Gimignano is at 3:45 PM with an estimated travel time of 1 hour and 10 minutes. You'll arrive back in Florence at about 5 PM.

Explore the historic center of Florence by electric golf cart and leave your conscience clean as you cover more sights than possible on a walking tour. Climb aboard the eco-friendly cart in Piazza San Firenze and drive through the streets of the Renaissance city, passing Piazza Signoria and the Porcellino Market. Continue to the Duomo and marble façade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. Journey along the banks of the River Arno to Piazza Ognissanti. An MP3 player will be provided with commentary about the history of the city and its sites so that you can sit back and relax as your escort drives you across the Santa Trinita Bridge. Marvel at the Pitti Palace and Ponte Vecchio. Continue to the Ponte alle Grazie, rebuilt after it was destroyed in World War II. Go to the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale (National Central Library) on Piazza Santa Croce to see the largest library in Italy.

Meet at the centrally located garage for your introduction to one of the perfectly restored Vintage Vespas. Your tour leader will fit you with a helmet and give some basic instructions and safety information before setting off for this exhilarating ride through the countryside. Leave Florence in a small swarm of Vespas and head for the freedom of the hills, following the tour leader along the riverside and a tree-lined avenue to a famous viewpoint. After posing for photos with your Vespa and the amazing skyline of Florence, enjoy a bit of culture with a quick visit inside one of Florence's oldest churches. Feeling more confident now with your Vespa, it's time for some more challenging roads as you leave the crowds and traffic behind and take to the narrow lanes between castles and villas, through ancient olive groves and vineyards. There are plenty of stops for photos and if two people are sharing a Vespa, there's plenty of chance to take turns. When it's time for a break, enjoy a magnificent view from a private terrace and sample some of Tuscany's best prosciutto and cheese with a glass of Chianti. Then be prepared to turn some heads as you ride expertly back into the city as you and your Vintage Vespa become one of the tourist sights of Florence.