Heart of Italy – Small Group Escorted Tour

Welcome to Italy! Meet your private driver upon your arrival in Rome and transfer to your hotel in the heart of Rome. Late afternoon meeting with your Tour Host in the hotel. You will learn more about your tour and familiarize yourself with travel companions. In the end, walk to the restaurant and enjoy a tasty welcome dinner. Overnight in Rome.

Late afternoon meet your tour leader for a walking tour of the Baroque Town with Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna, the Italian Parliament and the fascinating narrow streets of ancient Rome. Return to the hotel with your Tour Host or indulge in your exploration on your own. Overnight in Rome.

Today you will be free at leisure. This tour has been designed to offer the best of each city visited combined with some free time to customize your travel experience as well as take your time to relax. There are many available experiences. Among these, we like to suggest to explore Imperial Rome with Colosseum and Forum.

Continue to Florence and overnight in town.

Start your exploration of Florence from the unknown and most picturesque sides of the city - visit the market of San Lorenzo where it’s possible to see the food arriving from the Tuscan countryside. It’s a chance to taste lots of varieties of local cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and bread. If you are still hungry, there’s free time for lunch. In the afternoon, meet your guide in the hotel and get ready to explore the heart of the town. Lorenzo de Medici transformed Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance by attracting the best artists, architects and writers of the time; Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli who he commissioned to produce various works of art and architecture. We’ll visit Piazza Della Signoria, walk by the Palazzo Vecchio, the Duomo with Giotto's bell tower (from outside), Ponte Vecchio. Our walkthrough Florence will end with a visit to the Accademia to admire, among the many masterpieces, the jewel of Michelangelo: the statue of David. Overnight in Florence.

Today discover a spectacular corner of Italy, famous for its panorama, its wine, its food, beautiful sea and hiking opportunities. Leave Florence early morning with your guide driving to North West Riviera with a comfortable air-conditioned minivan. During the ride, you will enjoy the view of Tuscan Hills till the moment you will see the Southern part of Alps, that divide Tuscany from Liguria. Once in Cinque Terre National Park enjoy the most astonishing views either from land and sea, as we stroll along the national park by boat, train, and walking fabulous trails on the cliff. Your experience includes a delicious full lunch with wine tasting in a local restaurant on the sea where you will enjoy incredibly fresh seafood cooked the Ligurian way, accompanied by some great white wines typical of this region. Return to Florence. Overnight in Florence.

Today your morning is free at leisure, the day to Cinque Terre was a long one and this morning you will have some additional time to relax. In the afternoon, meet your tour guide and start your Chianti experience. With a 25 minute ride, a comfortable van will shuttle you to the rolling hills of the Chianti Wine Region till you reach a noble Villa with a Boutique Winery on top of a hill. Once there, a wine expert will welcome you and take you for the 500-year-old cellar visit, still used today for a very small, selected wine production and ageing, listed in the top 100 on Wine Spectators. You will taste all the different products of this boutique winery while you will learn the sophisticated techniques of winemaking and teach you to distinguish the different and various scents and flavours that each wine presents. In the end, you will enjoy a fine dinner. The dinner will be served in a charming restaurant, where you will also learn how to pair different wines with specific dishes. You will enjoy 4 different wines, including the world-renowned Supertuscan of the estate. Plus, a sweet typical dessert wine. You will also taste the region's finest olive oil with typical unsalted Tuscan bread. The fine dining includes local charcuterie and a cheese selection, paired with different jams and balsamic vinegar, a selection of two pasta dishes and a main course made of a traditional meat dish. A Tuscan dessert is then served with local sweet wine. Coming back to Florence, you will stop at Piazzale Michelangelo belvedere, for a breathtaking view of Florence, admiring all the lights of the city.

After breakfast, make your own way to the airport or train station for your departing flight or train for your onward journey. An optional private transfer is available. Arrivederci!