• Please proceed on your own to your hotel. If the room is not ready you may leave your luggage and venture out on your own.
• In the afternoon a self guided tour by double-decker bus. Your ticket, which is valid for 24 hours, is provided. You may hop on and off of the bus at whenever you wish. Multilingual.
• Florence is a town of timeless charm, one of the world’s most important cities for lovers of the arts. The cult of beauty is everywhere; wonderful buildings, beautiful squares and extraordinary landscapes are blended harmoniously with Tuscan traditions. Piazzale Michelangelo, Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce Basilica, the Duomo are just a few of the sites that are not to be missed.
• Welcome dinner in Florence is included.

• After breakfast at the hotel pick up your rental car and depart for Siena. Park your car outside the city walls In one of the many tourist parking areas within easy walking distance of the main sights.
• The best way to discover this beautiful city in on foot. Enjoy its wonderful art masterpieces and its typical food shops. Pici, a kind of thick spaghetti, is a must try, as are the typical pastries Ricciarelli and Panforte.
• Situated in the heart of Tuscany, Siena is built on three hills and maintains its medieval appearance characterized by narrow, winding streets, noble buildings and monuments of high artistic interest including Piazza del Campo, one of the most beautiful medieval squares in Italy. Siena is a city of contrasts and as the visitor emerges from the dark alleys into the bright light and red tiles of Piazza del Campo, the heart is uplifted. In the alleys, the museums and oratories of the Contrada the tradition of the Palio evokes ancient rituals. The busy daytime streets contrast with the peaceful green valleys all around.
• Not to be missed is the enormous Medicean fortress that houses, at its Enoteca Italiana, the most precious wines of Siena.
• In the afternoon resume your journey to San Gimignano, a town rich in history, art and culture and known as “Town of the Seven Towers”. Declared part of the World’s Architectural Heritage by UNESCO, San Gimignano rises atop a hill, dominating the green valleys all around. Once a small Etruscan village it became a town in 10th century, named for the Holy Bishop of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is credited with saving the village from the barbarian hordes. During the middle ages the town flourished thanks to its situation along the via Francigena, the trading and pilgrims route to France.
• Return to Florence this evening. Dinner is not included.

• After breakfast self drive to Pienza where you can stroll through this tiny and beautiful town with its typical food shops. In the world’s great cosmopolitan cities these local shops would be considered gourmet stores.
• Pienza is a rare pearl. Built on the foundations of Corsignano Castle, the Pope’s summer residence, the poverty of the local inhabitants so moved the Pope that he created for them a perfect model town inspired by Humanism. This little medieval town is so perfectly preserved and charming that UNESCO designated it a World Patrimony of Mankind. Visitors are captivated by the fantastic panoramic view, its tiny stone houses and the smells, shapes and colors of the local foods displayed to perfection in those little stone shops. The sheep’s milk pecorino cheese is the area’s most renowned product and is a must try.
• Leaving Pienza the visitor continues to Montepulciano, perched atop a 605 meter hill and famous for the high state of preservation of its walls, buildings and palaces. Montepulciano may be the finest example of a medieval town in the region.
• Montepulciano is also famed for its red wine, Nobile and the guest will visit an ancient wine cellar and taste the noble red wine of the city.
• Lunch is waiting for the guest at a carefully selected farmhouse. The family is old school and serves a variety of the finest local dishes, all home-made and prepared to perfection. The rustic interior is charming and the terrace beyond offers an unforgettable panoramic view of the gentle hills surrounding Siena.
• After spending the rest of the afternoon at leisure the guest returns to Florence and drops off the rental car. Dinner is not included this evening.

• After breakfast we test the premise that Italians live to eat while the rest of the world eats to live. Starting with a visit to the market to select the freshest produce, we continue to a centrally located piazza for a cooking class under the guidance of qualified chefs. Lunch, accompanied by fine wines, will include the specialties you have prepared. We believe you will find the premise proven beyond doubt.
• Afternoon at leisure. Dinner is not included this evening.

• Following breakfast guests depart from the hotel.

• 4 nights in a small, centrally located 3-star hotel in Florence, including tax.
• 4 breakfasts, 1 dinner and 3 lunches with beverage included.
• 2 full days rental of a basic car, manual transmission and mandatory insurance.
• Wine and food tasting as listed in the program.
• Sightseeing bus tour in Florence.

• Parking fees, road tolls, road tax, gasoline and supplementary auto insurance.
• Entrance fees to exhibits and museums.
• Any product or service not specifically listed in the itinerary.

Valid through 31 October 2012 and subject to availability. Penalties may apply for changes or cancellation. Non-refundable within 21 days of scheduled date of arrival. Travel insurance is recommended. Please refer to our booking form for full terms and conditions.

For more information contact Alexandra at 804-346-8714 or click here to enquire.