Description

Tuscany and the Italian Riviera

This tour includes 12 nights in Italy with wine tastings, special events, hill town tours and the beautiful beaches of the Italian Riviera.

​​​​Cortona

First, you will stay 7 nights in Cortona.  This lovely Tuscan hill town provides panoramic views of the Val di Chiana and Lake Trasimeno.  And, your hotel is a very short walk from the historical center of town making it easy to shop, eat, and drink with the locals.  

While here, you will enjoy winery tours and tastings, a welcome dinner, and day tours to other nearby hill towns including Orvieto, Assisi, Perugia, and others.  You will also visit more local sites such as Lake Trasimeno, the Fortress of Girifalco, and Hermitage Le Celle, a beautiful monastery set in a peaceful green hillside.  Other events include a cooking class and a very special Wine, Shine and Dine evening complete with live entertainment.  

In addition, you will have plenty of free time to explore on your own or visit nearby attractions.  These include art filled churches, the Etruscan tombs, Diocesan Museum, and Etruscan Academy Museum.

​​​​San Gimignano

Next, you will visit San Gimignano which is a medieval hilltop town.  While in San Gimignano you will take a day tour to Volterra and attend two very special events.  First, you will take a tour through San Gimignano.  After that, you will attend a wine tasting event on the rooftop terrace of the Chigi Tower.  This tower offers views over the historic city and into the valleys beyond.  Your second special event is a winery tour that includes lunch and wine tasting in the lush vineyards.  You will stay 2 nights in San Gimignano.

Santa Margherita

After leaving Tuscany, you will move on to the Italian Riviera in beautiful Santa Margherita Ligure.  Here, you will spend 3 nights in a hotel that features breathtaking views of the Ligurian Sea and is within walking distance of the city center.  You will also take a ferry from Santa Margherita to Portofino, one of Italy’s most glamorous ports where you will find excellent shopping and world class dining.

In addition to that, you will have a free day to relax by the pool.  Or, you may want to take a train to the Cinque Terre, hike, scuba dive, or take a boat ride. We can arrange for any of these for an additional fee.  Whatever you choose to do, you will enjoy an amazing day on this lovely stretch of the coast.

Our last group event will be dinner in a local restaurant

Inclusions:

12 Nights accommodations in Italy, 7 in Cortona, 2 in San Gimignano and 3 in Santa Margherita

12 Breakfasts, 6 dinners and 2 lunches

Ground transportation and ferry, tips, taxes.

Tours and day trips as noted in description.

3 Winery Tours/Tasting.

Entrance to the Chigi Tower and wine event.

Entrance to Wine, Shine and Dine event.

Cooking class.

Details

This itinerary is a general outline of activities.  Tours arranged with local guides will go on regardless of weather conditions.  However, other activities may be changed, added, or deleted if there is bad weather or if we are lucky enough to have better opportunities come along.  For that reason, it is important to be open and flexible in order to have the best possible experience. **

*Prices are per person based on double occupancy and are subject to change without notice. In addition, a surcharge will apply for guests who require single accommodations. Currency exchange rates can fluctuate and affect the cost of the tour.  For this reason, the tour price may increase between now and the tour date.  Your 20% down payment will lock in your tour price.

**Add on reservations must be made and paid for when the trip deposit is submitted.

Tours may be cancelled if fewer than 10 spots are booked.

Please click here to read our advice on travel insurance!

See our packing tips for international travel.  

REGISTER NOW!