Tuscany and Cinque Terre

Day 1: Reliving the Renaissance in Florence
Arrive in Florence; a transfer is included from Peretola Airport to Gallery Hotel Art. A twisted maze of narrow alleyways...and Tuscany travel days begin. Florence’s Renaissance heart makes yours beat a little faster as you ramble through it with your Florentine guide. Walk along the Arno and check out Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo. See, touch and feel the mark of Michelangelo and Brunelleschi in stately palazzi, beautiful basilicas, and even arrogant monuments built by the Medicis to themselves. Cocktails and canapés offer a warm and tasty Culturious welcome tonight. Cross the Arno, across the Ponte Vecchio, to a riverside restaurant for a true Tuscan welcome, maybe peeking into one of the bridge’s ancient shops, where jewelers have plied their trade for half a millennium … diamonds are forever! The restaurant is lively, the views wonderful, the conversation... you have arrived in Italy.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Inside a City of Secrets
Michelangelo's shadow looms large in Firenze. But how... why... where? A Florentine art history scholar tells all. The Uffizi – founded by the Medicis to display their countless treasures – reveals a few secrets of its own. Getting up close and personal with Botticelli’s Birth of Venus or Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo – in a frame designed by the Master himself – can’t help but touch your soul… and the artist lurking within. We've all got passionate interests, and you'll have time to explore yours in Florence today. Next up is a visit to the Galleria dell'Accademia, home of Michelangelo's famed David. By midday you'll understand how art and history are inextricably intertwined in Florence. Continue a chat about art… and the Renaissance... and all things Florentine with phrases picked up in today's basic Italiano lesson… bellisimo!
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: Living the Florentine Life
In the Tuscan hills overlooking Florence, take a walk that begins in the village of Fiesole. Wind over hilltops past ancient stone quarries to Maiano and a cappuccino… ah, Tuscany travel memories. With a local guide, stroll through Florence’s Mercato Central, where you might try sampling traditional Florentine street food – lampredotto sandwiches… fresh fruit... porchetta… gelato… Take a walk along the cobbled streets of the Oltrarno, its Renaissance palaces harboring salacious scandals and murky intrigues… You’re in the thick of Florentine life in the old San Niccolo district’s bustling squares and artisans’ workshops. Restoration specialist Bettina Schindler-Pratesi shares the secrets of her work… giving new life to old ivory, bone and mother-of-pearl. Dine as you please on your own this evening, perhaps a taste of vino and local cheeses at an enoteca… now that's amore...
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4: The Way to Cinque Terre
The road winds and twists and turns as you travel toward the Gulf of Genoa. Take a winding road deep into a mountain to see where celebrated Carrara marble, considered the finest on earth, has been quarried since Roman times. In a hidden gem along the way – the old Toscana village of Colonnata – live like a local and try a lardo at a trattoria. Reaching Portovenere on the Gulf of Poets, you’ll instantly get why this stunning Roman-Byzantine town was named for the goddess Venus. Colorful houses cascade along a hillside against the azure sea… the black-and-white-striped Gothic church of San Pietro perched above... images captured as you cruise from Portovenere to the Cinque Terre village of Monterosso – and not soon forgotten...
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 5: Discovering “The Five Lands”
Gazing over the sea from your hotel perched above Monterosso al Mare, life is beautiful. Perhaps a dip in the sea from the private beach of Porto Roca? Dotted with lemon trees and calla lilies, Monterosso is one of five remote fishing villages strung like jewels along the coast – Cinque Terre, “the five lands.” They’re now linked to the outside world by rail, but for centuries were accessible only by sea… or on foot, the best way to appreciate life in what is truly a world of its own. If you wish, take one of the world’s most spectacular coastal hikes, through terraced vineyards overlooking the sea from Monterosso to Vernazza – the “pearl of Cinque Terre.” If not, you'll travel by train, which is an experience unto itself. Fall in love with village life… indelible seascape memories… and lunch in a sidewalk café, alive with the flavors of local wines, citrus, olives, and the catch of the day. The remainder of the day is free to do as you please, find your own pursuits... and what could be better than that.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 6: Tasting Tuscany
A jog, or a swim, is an excellent way to start the day before a drive through the Tuscan Hills to Lucca. If you’re wondering if Tuscany is all about the food, a hands-on lesson with experts in the art of making fresh pasta at Fattoria Colle Verde, one of the region’s foremost wineries and olive oil producers, may shed some light. After a little testing and a little cooking, cap your pasta-making debut with a little virgin olive oil tasting… a little Tuscan wine tasting… and more than a little pasta tasting at lunch. You can take a walk through olive groves and across rolling hills for a taste of life in the Royal Villa of Marlia – picture Napoleon’s sister strolling the grounds (she lived here), or artist John Singer Sargent (a frequent guest) painting in the garden... or head straight to the walled city of Lucca, your home for the next two nights.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 7: A Feast for the Senses in Lucca
Medieval Lucca’s redbrick walls shut out traffic and the modern world… leaving a peaceful community that still revolves around its original Roman street plan. And because it’s topographically flat – unlike most Tuscan towns – Lucca is a cyclist’s dream. One of the best ways to explore this colorful, elegant, historically powerful and culturally rich city is by bike – zipping down its narrow lanes… across its ancient piazzas… even along the top of its massive walls! And if you're not interested in bicycling, there's so much to see and do in town. Delighting all the senses is a hallmark of the Tuscan Hills… so a local winery just outside of town is the perfect venue for tasting local wine, sipping prosecco, sampling a canapé... perfect for reflections on a week well spent. And to finish it off, a memorable dinner of Tuscan specialties in an absolutely magical spot… under the setting Tuscan sun.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 8: Arrivederci, Tuscany
Tour ends: Florence. Fly home anytime. A transfer will be provided from Hotel Ilaria to Peretola Airport in Florence. As you return to Florence through those magical hills for your journey home, the rich flavors of Tuscany travel, Culturious-style, linger in your memory. And there they’ll stay… warm and inviting… till your next visit.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Don't miss our current specials: Tauck Tour Deals Traveling with a group of friends or family can add to the joy of any journey. Book a group of 10 on any Tauck land journey or cruise and the 11th guest travels FREE. Book a group of 8 on any Tauck Bridges family adventure and the 9th guest travels FREE Tauck Single Specials For those seeking singles tours, we are pleased to offer special values on select departures to our guests who choose to travel solo. You can travel with peace of mind, knowing that you are among like-minded travelers and will have all the day-to-day details handled for you! While everyone is welcome, on these select dates we offer special arrangements to those traveling solo at a reduced cost. Tauck Single Specials in North America Best of the Canadian Rockies Michigan's Lakes & Mackinac Island Charleston/Savannah Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia San Fransisco, Sonoma & Napa Valleys Tauck Single Specials in Europe A Week in Ireland A Week in Spain Mediterranean Discovery Istanbul and the Black Sea Treasure of the Mediterranean Cruising Mediterranean Shores The Blue Danube Holland Belgium in Spring Strasbourg to Prague Serenade The Rhine and Moselle Budapest to Amsterdam by Riverboat Budapest to the Black Sea Classic Italy Bellissima Northern Italy Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence and Rome A Week in Paris and Provence Tauck Singles Specials in Latin America Panama Canal & Costa Rica
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
9/18/2010 - 9/26/2010	$3,490
10/9/2010 - 10/17/2010	$3,490
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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