Day 5: Siena & San Gimignano
 This morning your driver/guide will meet you at the hotel for your excursion to Siena.
Surrounded by olive groves and the vineyards of Chianti, Siena is one of the most beautiful cities of Tuscany. Set on three hills, the city is drawn together by winding alleyways and steep steps, while the Piazza del Campo stands at its heart, and the Duomo and St. Maria della Scala serve as additional cultural landmarks. Famed for the "Palio", the annual historic horse-races, it is also home to one of the oldest Universities in Europe, which ensures a vibrant Italian student atmosphere throughout the academic year. In addition to the bustling daily life of the streets and squares of the city, Siena offers many cultural events, concerts, cinema, theatre and a wide range of sporting activities.
You will meet a local guide in Siena for a tour of the city followed by free time for lunch and sightseeing on your own.
In the afternoon you will return to the hotel for a rest and chance to change for dinner if you wish.
In the early evening your driver will return to take you to the charming medieval city of San Gimignano.
San Gimignano gained its promenance due to its location, rising from the hills of the upper Elsa Valley, facing the land of Volterra and positioned right on one of the most important stretches of the medieval via Francigena.
It is one of the most charming and picturesque of all the Tuscan hill towns. The towers dominate the town in the manner of skyscrapers in our modern cities. At one time there were more than 70 towers, built as symbols of wealth and as a security precaution by the town’s prosperous merchants, but only 14 remain today. Walk through the wonderfully preserved town square at the Piazza della Cisterna and visit the 13th century town hall – the Palazzo del Popolo. There are good views from the Rocca citadel and the entire town is an excellent place to stroll and soak up the atmosphere.
Tonight you will dine in one of the excellent restaurants in the town before returning to your hotel.
Day 6: Val D'Orcia
 You will depart this morning with your driver for a full-day excursion into the Val d’Orcia: Italy’s Golden Valley. A feast for the palate and the eyes all in one day!
This area’s naturally beautiful landscape was sculpted during the Renaissance not only to meet agricultural needs but also to reflect the aesthetic sense of the period, and this concept has been maintained to the present day. The resulting landscape pleases both the eyes and the spirit of the traveler, and has in the past inspired painters and writers from around the world.
Your first stop will be the small but fascinating town of Pienza. Built almost entirely during the Renaissance, Pienza is one first examples of modern urban planning. While here, you will visit a local cheese laboratory to witness the traditional methods still used to produce high quality products. You will enjoy a tasting of the cheeses made here before departing with your driver for the afternoon component of your excursion.
 You will arrive in Montepulciano in the afternoon. Montepulciano – the home of “Nobile” wine – deserves a cameo appearance in the gallery of the most intriguing curiosities. A walk along the main street or in the alleyways of the town becomes a curious experience, the wine aroma blending with the harmonious music that wafts through the walls, reminding us that Montepulciano is an artistic city. The ancient fortified town, famous for it's antique cafés which in a not too distant past were the meeting place of many artists from all over the world and in the end winery tour and wine tasting.
Why deny yourself the thrill of a look across the valleys surrounding the hill and the geometric vineyards – and don’t dare remark that the landscape has remained unchanged for centuries.
Enjoy a visit to one of the huge cellars, where even the most disinterested tourist instinctively lowers his voice as he would entering any other place that inspires respect. But the cellars communicate the drowsy vitality of the wine resting in the barrels. The leader of the band Storie Tese (an eclectic and much more sophisticated artist than his excesses would lead us to believe) wrote: “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a great “syrup” for the throat, for a singer like me. It’s a great strong wine, and when I drink it I am drinking centuries of history”.
Return to your hotel for the evening.
Day 7: Siena – Arezzo – Cortona – Florence
After check-out of the hotel your driver/guide will take you on a full-day excursion to Arezzo and Cortona ending in Florence.
Your day starts with a drive along the old Roman way known as the Seven Bridges Road, a most pleasing trip among terraced olive groves and vineyards with a beautiful view over the Arno Valley.
Along the way we take a short stop to see the Roman Bridge where it’s known that Leonardo da Vinci made his studies on canal transportation and then immortalized the area by using it as a background for the Mona Lisa.
We then arrive in Arezzo, a town that was heavily bombed during the second world war, but fate at least preserved it’s historical center and it’s priceless art treasures. Arezzo is also the foremost town in Europe for the working of gold. After some time to see Arezzo, you will continue with your driver through the Chiana valley, famous for its vivid green in spring and gold in the summer.
You will stop next in Cortona, an important Etruscan and Roman settlement with a distinguished medieval past. Nowadays, it is one of the most beautiful art cities of Tuscany and Italy. Large cobblestones pave the narrow streets and small piazzas. Along each are tiny restaurants and shops selling everything from art to ceramics to jewelry to leather goods and clothes. Your driver will continue to Florence at the end of the day.
4-Star Hotel: Monna Lisa
(or similar star rating hotel)
- Monna Lisa Hotel
- Hotel Pictures
- Description
- Map
Hotel Monna Lisa is located in the ancient center of Florence. This elegant Renaissance Palace is furnished with fine antique furniture. Old oil paintings and a number of art treasures, these includes the first model Giambologna's "Rapte of Sabines" and neoclassical drawings and statues by Giovanni Duprč (1817-82) the famous sculptor from whom the owner's family is descended. The hotel is an attractive, unusual establishment suitable for a guest who wish to have a pleasant stay in a delightful atmosphere.
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Day 8: Florence
A free day for shopping or sightseeing on your own.
Day 9: Departure from Florence
Today you will be transferred to the rail station or airport.
Days 1-4
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