8-Nights Tailor Made Italy: Tuscany & Cinque Terre - Luxury Tailor Made Travel — CALL

Abercrombie & Kent: Tailor Made Italy: Tuscany & Cinque Terre

Day 1 Florence, Pisa or Rome, Italy

Welcome to Italy for the start of your Tuscan adventure. Upon arrival, you are met and transferred to your hotel, where you are assisted with check in. The balance of the day is yours to relax and enjoy your picturesque surroundings.

Travel to a Chianti winery for a private winery visit and wine tasting this morning. Continue your gastronomic journey with a visit to a local olive oil producer to learn about the different varieties of olives used in the production of Tuscan olive oil, famous throughout the world for its sensory qualities. Visit the hill town of Montefioralle, one of Tuscany’s hidden gems, and enjoy lunch at a Michelin-star restaurant next door to Badia a Passignano, a medieval abbey.

Depart your hotel this morning for a walking tour of the lovely Tuscan town of Siena, including the Piazza del Campo and the Duomo, one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Italy. Lunch is yours at leisure in Siena prior to returning to your hotel. Early this evening, enjoy a truffle hunt, followed by a dinner incorporating this prized treat.

Experience gorgeous Tuscan towns to the southeast of Siena, stopping first in Pienza, the center of which was redesigned by Pope Pius II, who wanted to build a model Renaissance square in his native village. In the countryside just outside of Pienza, enjoy a visit to a cheese farm, with lunch featuring fresh local products. Later, proceed to Montepulciano, an archetypal Tuscan hilltop town perched some 2,000 feet above sea level and offering superb views over the surrounding countryside. Inside the ancient city walls and fortifications, follow winding streets to discover a wealth of Renaissance-style palazzi and churches.

Check out of your hotel this morning and travel west towards Pisa. En route, stop in the picturesque medieval town of San Gimignano, renowned for its 14 surviving towers, where you have time at leisure to explore on your own. You may wish to visit the Collegiata, which contains vivid 15th-century frescoes, the Palazzo del Popolo (now the municipal museum containing Renaissance paintings) and the Church of Sant'Agostino. Enjoy some time for lunch at leisure before continuing to Pisa, where you join your expert local guide for a walking tour of the world-renowned Piazza dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) and the iconic Leaning Tower. Admire the Baptistry, the Campo Santo and the Duomo and learn more about these magnificent buildings before posing for a photo in front of the UNESCO-listed Leaning Tower. You may wish to walk along to the Knights’ Square (Piazza dei Cavalieri), Pisa’s second most famous square and the city’s political center throughout medieval times.

Enjoy time at leisure this morning to experience the thermal baths of your hotel. Later this afternoon, visit Lucca, a graceful and beautifully preserved medieval town, and explore its stunning architecture and piazzas while strolling along shady promenades and atop its well-preserved defensive walls. Still fully intact and boasting impressive ramparts, the walls took from around 1500 to 1650 to complete and now accommodate leafy parks and tree-lined promenades. Alternatively, explore the town from a different perspective with a bike ride around the city walls. Enjoy the enchanting views down over the palazzo gardens and historic center and out to the Apuan Alps. Enjoy some time at leisure and dinner on your own in Lucca before returning to your hotel.

Leave Tuscany today for the coastal area known as Cinque Terre. Comprising five villages, Cinque Terre (Five Lands) is built along the steep coastal cliffs of Liguria. At one time only accessible by sea, its vineyards and fishing towns still strongly cling to their old customs and traditions. Visit Vernazza, a beautiful village consisting of tall, colorful houses and a church clustered together at the head of a sheltered cove. Continue to Manarola, a fishing town set amidst terraced vineyards where you can take a walk to see the coast and other neighboring villages. Time permitting, you may also wish to visit Riomaggiore, a medieval village set in a narrow valley. Throughout your day’s trek, your vehicle is at your disposal should you require it, although you’re free to choose the authentic experience of riding alongside locals on the coastal train or public ferries. Return to your hotel in the early evening.

This morning, journey to a local chef’s private home for an inspiring culinary experience. In this intimate setting, learn the secrets of delicious Italian home cooking using recipes passed down through generations. Your enthusiastic host guides you through the preparation of your own pasta, meat or vegetable dishes. Afterward, whip up a mouth-watering dessert, such as marmalade cake or tiramisu, before sitting back to enjoy the lunch you helped prepare.

This afternoon, visit the Charterhouse of Pisa, which houses several museums. A visit to the National Museum is an evocative trip through the world of the Carthusian monk, discovering the solitary lives of meditation and contemplation they used to lead, in a setting that still astonishes with the splendor of its decorations. The Natural History Museum’s collection spans 500 years of history, including zoological, paleontological and mineralogical exhibits, in addition to the living specimens of the biggest freshwater aquarium in Italy.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.