Compare Northern Italy by Odysseys Unlimited vs Under the Tuscan Sun by Travel for All
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 15 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 4,474 | $ 2,585 |
| Price Per Day | $ 298 | $ 323 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Self-guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Luxury |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Internal airfare and ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
13 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches and 7 Dinners |
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| Description |
This leisurely exploration of Italy’s varied northern regions, from the romantic Lake District and dramatic Cinque Terre to beloved Tuscany, the majestic Dolomites, and canal-laced Venice, offers a refreshing perspective on a well-known land. In the company of our congenial small group, we celebrate the Italian penchant for hospitality, good food, and good living. In a word, splendido! |
Living Under the Tuscan Sun is a dream vacation and Travel-for-All has the connections to make it fully accessible for your personalized Italian vacation. |
Day 1
Depart U.S. for Milan, Italy
Day 2: Arrive Milan/Stresa
Meals: Dinner
After arriving in Milan, we drive to the international resort of Stresa on lovely Lake Maggiore, straddling the border between Italy and Switzerland. This afternoon is at leisure before tonight’s welcome dinner.
Day 3: Stresa/Orta San Giulio
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we visit the lovely lakeside town of Orta San Giulio – dubbed “God’s watercolor” by Italian writer Piero Chiara – with its cobblestoned streets, 16th-century town hall, and medieval houses flanking the inviting town square. After lunch on our own here, we return to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure.
Day 4: Stresa
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
We embark this morning on a cruise to Isola Bella, the beautiful Borromean island in the middle of Lake Maggiore. Fully occupied by 17th-century Palazzo Borromeo and its extravagantly landscaped gardens, the island offers lovely views of the lake and surrounding mountains. We take a guided tour of the palazzo, with its priceless works of fine art, and stroll through the flower-decked gardens then enjoy lunch together on the nearby Isola dei Pescatori.
Day 5: Stresa/Barolo/Santa Margherita
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
We leave the Piedmont region today, bound for Santa Margherita and the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. En route, we stop in the village of Barolo for lunch and to sample Barolo, the “king of wines," at Marchesi di Barolo, Italy’s premier vintner of its greatest wine. We continue on to the Italian Riviera resort town of Santa Margherita, with its palm-lined esplanade overlooking the harbor. Tonight we enjoy dinner together at our hotel.
Day 6: Santa Margherita/Portofino
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we travel by boat to the renowned – and beautiful – resort town of Portofino, a former fishing village where palatial yachts now crowd the port and the good life is celebrated. We have free time to wander the colorful streets and visit the chic boutiques and galleries here before we return to our hotel mid-day.
Day 7: Santa Margherita/Cinque Terre/Portovenere
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
We depart this morning by train for the hour-long trip to the Cinque Terre (literally, “Five Lands”), the five cliff-clinging villages seemingly carved from the mountains. Originally medieval fishing villages, the Cinque Terre were inaccessible by land for centuries; even today, no road connects all five. We stop in scenic Vernazza then board a boat for a comfortable cruise along the rugged coastline to visit another village of the Cinque Terre. From here we cruise to the port town of Portovenere, with its cluster of colorful column-shaped houses. After a brief walking tour of the Old Town, we have time to explore and enjoy lunch on our own. We dine together tonight at our hotel.
Day 8: Santa Margherita/Lucca/Florence
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Moving on today, we travel south to beloved Tuscany, stopping first in the atmospheric medieval town of Lucca. We take a walking tour of this incredibly well-preserved gem, whose city walls and ramparts remain intact and a popular attraction. After time for lunch on our own, we continue on to our lodgings in the heart of Florence.
Day 9: Florence
Meals: Breakfast
We spend today touring and exploring wondrous Florence, a living monument to the Renaissance and crown jewel of Tuscany. Our day includes a guided morning walking tour followed by free time. Together we visit the Galleria dell’Accademia to view Michelangelo’s sublime “David” and his pieces for the papal tombs; and the Duomo, with its stupendous dome by Brunelleschi. Then we're free to stroll the 14th-century Ponte Vecchio, with its many jewelry shops; visit renowned museums and churches; shop for leather goods and artful Florentine paper; and to enjoy lunch and dinner on our own at a typical Florentine restaurant.
Day 10: Florence/Siena
Meals: Breakfast
Today we visit the walled city of Siena, whose historic center is a UNESCO site and whose ochre-colored buildings and ancient ramparts vividly evoke its medieval past. Fan-shaped Piazza del Campo is one of Europe’s greatest public squares; its Duomo, with pillars of black and white marble, is one of Italy’s finest, with masterpieces by Donatello and Michelangelo. Following a guided walking tour that includes an inside visit to the Duomo, we have free time to explore on our own. We return to Florence mid-afternoon, with the remainder of the day at leisure.
Day 11: Florence/Verona/Bolzano
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
As we travel north today, we stop in storied Verona, renowned as the setting of several Shakespeare plays, including, of course, “Romeo and Juliet.” A UNESCO site, Verona boasts well-preserved monuments from antiquity, including a 1st-century Roman amphitheater still in use today, as we see on our guided walking tour. After time for lunch and to explore on our own here, we continue our journey to the South Tyrol, Italy’s German-accented northern reaches bordering Austria and Switzerland. We’re bound for the regional capital of Bolzano, gateway to the Dolomites in the Italian Alps. Late afternoon we reach our hotel, where we dine together tonight.
Day 12: Bolzano
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Set in a basin surrounded by rounded forest-green hills, Bolzano boasts an enviable quality of life – and truly spectacular scenery. We take a cable car to a spot for views of the 18-peak Dolomites, their vertical walls and sheer cliffs presenting a magnificent backdrop to the surrounding woodlands, valleys, and pastures. Then we walk through Bolzano’s colorful historic center and visit the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, well known for housing the mummified corpse of Ötzi the Iceman, dating to 3300 BCE. This afternoon is at leisure to enjoy this surprisingly cosmopolitan city as we wish; tonight we dine at a local restaurant.
Day 13: Bolzano/Venice
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
En route to Venice today, we travel through the Dolomites themselves, enjoying jaw-dropping scenery at every turn. When we reach Venice late this afternoon, we are free to begin savoring this wondrous city as we wish and enjoy dinner on our own.
Day 14: Venice
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
This morning we take a guided walk through vast St. Mark’s Square. The afternoon is free for independent exploration; tonight we bid “arrivederci” to Italy and to our fellow travelers at a farewell dinner.
Day 15: Depart for U.S.
Meals: Breakfast
We depart early this morning for our connecting flights to the U.S.
Day 1: Arrive in Italy
Transfers from your international airport to “I Girasoli” are available on request. Dinner and overnight at Casa Vacanze I Girasoli; an inviting hotel nestled in a magnificent park, with rooms, bungalows and pools also accessible to people with mobility impairment.
Day 2: Pienza
After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a full-day self-guided tour of Pienza, lunch included. Pienza is famous for its local pecorino sheep’s milk cheese and you can taste and buy it at many little stores in the town.
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 3: Cooking Class
After breakfast at the hotel, take a half-day tour that includes a traditional cooking class. Your hands-on pasta cooking lesson is followed by a 3-course lunch in a traditional Tuscan farm.
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 4: Florence
Spend the day in Florence! After breakfast at the hotel enjoy a 3-hour guided tour in the morning, lunch included. Spend some free time in the afternoon before returning for dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 5: Day of Leisure
After breakfast at the hotel, you are free to spend the day at your leisure. You can relax by the pool or ask for a round-trip shuttle to Lucignano historical center (available on request).
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 6: Siena
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then experience a 3-hour guided tour of Siena with lunch included.
Spend some free time in the afternoon.
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”.
Day 7: Cortona
Breakfast at the hotel is followed by a self-guided tour of Cortona with free time for lunch and a stop at the Valdichiana Outlet Village.
Dinner and overnight at “I Girasoli”
Day 8: Departure
Breakfast at the hotel and departure (transfer available on request).
