Overall Description

Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Tuscany region and is one of the most beautiful, colorful, romantic and culturally rich cities in Italy. Florence is renowned for its vast museums which contain some of Michelangelo's most famous works. Located in the beautiful Renaissance-influenced Tuscany, both Florence and Pisa offer spectacular sights. In Pisa stands the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, located in the Piazza del Duomo, where medieval art is picturesque and plentiful.

Many churches, such as St. Francis and San Nicola, are situated in Pisa. Florence, also known as the Cradle of Renaissance, houses many known artefacts and monuments such as the Santa Maria del Fiore, Ponte Vecchio, and Michaelangelo's original masterpiece Statue of David. Both are stunning cities that hold history and culture within their ancient stones. The surrounding Tuscan countryside was the inspiration for many Florentine masterpieces, the enduring beauty of the richness of its treasures and their robustness of its cuisine. The city is located 1.5 hours away from the port of Livorno.

Prior to arriving in Florence, stop in the Piazzale Michelangelo and admire one of the most impressive views of the city, nestled in the Arno valley and surrounded by the Chianti hills to the south and the Fiesole hills to the north. Also view the Monuments of Michelangelo (1875) with a bronze reproduction of the four statues depicting Day, Night, Dawn and Dusk, dominated by the Statue of David, which is located in the Academia Museum in the heart of Florence. The driver will then continue driving towards the center of Florence and stop at an agreed location. You will have time to explore the famous historical sites, have lunch in a traditional local restaurant and walk along the sleek shopping boulevards consisting of stores specializing in fine leather and jewelery.

Pisa
Pisa is of Etruscan origin and was an important naval base for the Romans. Its most celebrated attraction today is the Leaning Tower of Pisa which - along with the Coliseum, gondolas and spaghetti - has become a symbol of Italy. You can visit the "Field of Miracles" and see the Leaning Tower, the cathedral, the "Campo Santo" cemetery, the Baptistery and the cathedral museum. After a lengthy restoration a few years ago, the tower was reopened and you can now go to the top to admire the view. The climb to the summit is an experience in itself, as you can feel the "lean" in the structure while you wind your way towards the peak.

ITINERARY

We will start the tour with Pisa, located just 30 minutes north of the port of Livorno. Here you will have approximately half an hour to stroll around the Miracles's Square and take a few pictures of the beautiful Leaning Tower standing there since 1173. We will continue our drive to Florence. Once arrived in Florence city center, we will stop right in from of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (The Dome) situated between the St. John's Baptistery and the Giotto's Bell Tower. In this area there are two main streets: Via Roma and Via Calzaiuoli both connecting the Cathedral Square to the Arno River and the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge. We will provide a city map and you will have approx. one and a half hours free time to explore this area. Other highlights to explore will be the New Market (Leather Market), the Signoria Square (an amazing outdoor museum with mighty statues of the Renaissance period), the Republic Square (known for its famous Cafes) and the beautiful Ponte Vecchio Bridge (known for its Goldsmith stores). We will leave Florence around 1.00 pm to head to Tuscany and the Chianti Wine region, where we will have reserved a delicious light lunch and wine tasting in one of the most beautiful wineries in the territory of Florence.  

End of the tour
Around 4.00 pm we will start the drive back to the port / hotel / resident to be back on time around 5.30 pm.

• Pick up time: 8 am or as for your confirmation.
• Return time: 4-5pm or as for your confirmation.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT WE RESERVE ALL RIGHTS TO CHANGE THE ORDER OF ITINERARY. IF NECESSARY AT OUR DISCRETION DUE TO NATURAL CAUSES (ENVIRONMENTAL) OR POLITICAL REASONS (STRIKE / PROTEST)

Each additional hour is at the cost of E70.

Transportation
One of our professional, knowledgeable English speaking driver guides will be waiting at pick up location (where you will be tendered) or agreed location at 8 am, or according to the agreed time. Your driver will be holding a sign with your or your party's name on it.

• Ports (Pick up is normally 8am or otherwise agreed upon)
  

  Our escort driver will be waiting at the gangway of your cruise ship or outside the cruise ship terminal. The escort driver will be holding up a sign with the group's name on it. The email that accompanies the voucher you receive at the time of booking will indicate the meeting point for each specific port. We recommend that you meet onboard before exiting the ship. This way you are all together when meeting your escort driver and the tour can commence much more efficiently. Otherwise, the wait time for others will be 20minutes, after which time the tour will proceed.

• Airport
  The escort driver will be waiting at the arrival lobby holding a sign with the name in which the reservation was made under or otherwise stated.

• Hotel
  Escort driver will be waiting at the lobby of the hotel. Normally pick up is 8:30 am or otherwise stated.

• Resident / B & B
  The escort driver will be waiting outside the main doors of the building.