The Essence of Tuscany: A Classic Touring Holiday

The Essence of Tuscany: A Classic Touring Holiday

Rolling hills draped with grapevines, honey-stone houses glowing in the late-afternoon sunshine and fields speckled with silvery olive trees - rural Tuscany really is a picture-perfect sight. On this relaxed Tuscany tour, we’ll combine the countryside with the region’s historic towns and cities, from Renaissance Florence to the ‘medieval Manhattan’ of San Gimignano. Over a leisurely eight days, we’ll see Siena’s shell-shaped piazza, sample superb wines in the heart of Chianti, walk Lucca’s imposing city walls and tour the home of Tuscany’s most famous opera composer, Giacomo Puccini.

What's Included:

• 7 nights in hotel
• 21 meals: 12 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 8 dinners
• Headset system on excursions

8 Included excursions and visits:

• Walking tours of Florence, Lucca and Siena (including cathedral and Piccolomini Library)
• Visits to Pisa (with mini-train), San Gimignano and Monteriggioni
• Entry to Villa Puccini Museum
• Walking tours of Florence, Lucca and Siena (including cathedral and Piccolomini Library)
• Visits to Pisa (with mini-train), San Gimignano and Monteriggioni
• Entry to Villa Puccini Museum
• Excursion to Chianti with wine tasting

Plus all these benefits

• Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service
• Titan tour manager
• International flights. Prices are based on return flights with British Airways from London Heathrow.
• Porterage
• 1.5 Days of free time: Enjoy time to explore independently, relax at your hotel, join our optional excursions or ask your tour manager for their recommendations.

Day 1: UK - Florence - Montecatini Terme

Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Florence. Our Italy tour begins in Montecatini Terme, a spa town in the heart of Tuscany - we’ll head straight to our hotel here.

Day 2: Florence

Today we’ll take the train to Tuscany’s beautiful capital city: Florence. Known as the ‘cradle of the Renaissance’, its streets are filled with incredible architecture, from the green and white marble façade of the Duomo (and the spectacular dome that crowns it) to the Romanesque grandeur of the Palazzo Vecchio. A guided walking tour will lead us to some of the highlights, including the cathedral, the imposing Basilica di Santa Croce, and the Piazza della Signoria - the historical heart of Florence’s social and political scene. The afternoon is at leisure for you to discover more of this wonderful city. Perhaps admire the vast collection of artworks in the Uffizi or Accademia galleries, or cross the Arno to visit the treasure-filled Pitti Palace, once the home of the powerful Medici family.

Day 3: Lucca - Pisa - Torre del Lago

Nestled in the countryside midway between Pisa and Florence is the lovely little city of Lucca. Its pretty piazzas (especially the oval-shaped Piazza dell’Anfiteatro) and cobbled, café-lined streets are perfect for exploring on foot. If you’re feeling energetic, climb the 230 stone steps to the top of Torre Guinigi, where you’ll find a shady hanging garden of holm oaks and views across the terracotta rooftops and out to the Apuan Alps and Apennines. For something flatter, walk along the Renaissance walls that wrap around the city - they stretch for four kilometres. After a morning in Lucca, we'll head to Pisa, where we'll stop off to have a look at the famous Leaning Tower. Then, we’ll head to the lakeside town of Torre del Lago, where we’ll pay a visit to the Villa Puccini Museum. This art nouveau villa was once home to Giacomo Puccini, and its serene setting inspired some of his most famous operas, including La Bohème, Tosca and Madame Butterfly.

Day 4: San Gimignano - Siena

UNESCO-listed San Gimignano is a classic Tuscan town: a jumble of honey-hued stone buildings clustered on a hilltop, surrounded by vineyards and groves of olive and cypress trees. But look up and you’ll see the sky punctuated by 14 medieval towers. These ancient ‘skyscrapers’ were built by wealthy families to flaunt their power - once upon a time there were more than 70 of them soaring above the town. As we make our way towards Siena, our base for the rest of our Tuscany tour, we’ll pause for a stroll around the medieval walled town of Monteriggioni.

Day 5: Siena

We’ll spend this morning uncovering Siena’s layers of history, from its Etruscan roots through its medieval ‘golden age’ to the 17th century, when the city’s world-famous horse race - il Palio - first took place. We’ll stand in the Piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s greatest medieval squares (and the setting for the twice-yearly Palio), and tour the grand cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic and Romanesque architecture. After our guided Siena tour, the rest of the day is at leisure. Perhaps visit the Palazzo Pubblico and climb Torre del Mangia for views across the city, before rewarding your efforts with a scoop of gelato in one of the cafes skirting the Piazza del Campo. If you’re an art lover, you’ll want to stop by the Pinoteca Nazionale, with its fine collection of Renaissance paintings.

Day 6: Chianti

We’ll head into the heart of ‘wine country’ today, as we discover the delights of Chianti. We’ll slowly wind our way through the hills, stopping for a delicious Italian lunch at a lovely village restaurant. We’ll round off our tour of Chianti with a tasting at a winery.

Day 7: Siena

Today is free for you to relax or explore as you wish. Our optional excursion takes you to the Val d’Orcia Terre Senesi, where you’ll visit a peaceful abbey and admire the lunar-like clay landscapes of the Crete Senesi. You’ll then continue to the Renaissance city of Pienza, where you’ll sample locally made pecorino cheese.

Day 8: Siena - Florence - UK

We transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.