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Tuscany, Umbria and Florence
2008 Itinerary featuring 9 days from $3,290       Small Groups  Two Week  
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Stroll around charming medieval hilltop towns and experience the rich cultural legacy of the great art masters on this Tuscany, Umbria, and Florence tour. Step back into the Middle Ages in villages such as Siena, Cortona, and San Gimignano. See amazing frescoes and learn the secrets of chocolate-making in Perugia, and visit the Basilica in Assisi where St. Francis is buried. Enjoy the refined sights in Florence, including Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. Tour the Uffizi Gallery with a local guide, and enjoy a cooking demonstration in Cortona, and a wine-tasting in Tuscany.
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2008 Itinerary

Day 1: Rome to Siena

Tour departs 10:00 a.m. from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino. Drive along scenic country roads and stop for lunch and a walking tour in Pienza, en route to hilltop Siena for a two-night stay in a grand hotel in the heart of town. Get to know your travel companions at the welcome reception and dinner tonight.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Lodging: Grand Hôtel Continental, Siena, Italy

Day 2: Experience the grandeur of Siena
Like Rome, Siena was built atop seven hills. Join a local expert for a walking tour through the ancient town, visiting the historic Piazza del Campo and the Duomo, among the greatest cathedrals in Italy. Spend the rest of the day exploring Siena's maze of narrow medieval streets as you please.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Grand Hôtel Continental, Siena, Italy

Day 3: San Gimignano sights and a dine-around in Florence
Travel to San Gimignano today, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Tuscany. View its iconic towers – built as both private fortresses and as symbols of wealth – on a guided tour; after lunch, enjoy a wine-tasting at a local vineyard. Journey through the Tuscan countryside to legendary Florence for a three-night stay; experience a dine-around tonight in the "birthplace of the Renaissance."
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Bernini Palace, Florence, Italy

Day 4: Michelangelo's David and more in Florence
A lecture by a noted art historian enhances your guided tour of Florence's celebrated Galleria dell’Accademia, the first art school in Europe; marvel at Michelangelo’s marble statue of David, standing nearly 17 feet tall, among many other masterworks. Your Florence tour continues as you visit the city's food markets with a local guide, then spend a free afternoon and evening exploring on your own.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Hotel Bernini Palace, Florence, Italy

Day 5: Discovering the Uffizi and Florence at leisure
As you tour the Uffizi Gallery – the oldest art gallery in the world – with a local guide this morning, you'll gaze in wonder at works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Rembrandt and more. The rest of your day is free to spend in Florence, pursuing what interests you most.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Hotel Bernini Palace, Florence, Italy

Day 6: Tuscan cooking class
Travel to the Etruscan hill town of Cortona, featured in the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun. Take a walking tour through the maze of medieval streets, and stop at the Museo Diocesano to see some fine paintings including Fra Angelico's Annunciation. Learn about the cuisine of Tuscany at a cooking demonstration and lunch at a gastronomic school in a 15th-century house. Continue on to Perugia, where your home for the next three nights is a luxury hilltop hotel overlooking the Umbrian valley below.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: Hotel Brufani Palace, Perugia, Italy

Day 7: The Pleasures of Perugia
Perugia is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Italy, dating back to prehistoric times.  A guided walking tour of the Umbrian capital reveals the wonderful examples of medieval architecture within its city walls; see the 15th-century Oratorio di San Bernardino and the cathedral where a Renaissance painting is credited with miracles, and two popes are buried in the transepts. The town is known around the world for its chocolate; attend a demonstration this afternoon where you'll learn the secrets of making this delectable treat! Cap the day with a candlelight dinner at La Taverna, famous for both its romantic ambiance and its mouth-watering desserts.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Brufani Palace, Perugia, Italy

Day 8: Discover Assisi and Perugia
Visit the medieval town of Assisi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A highlight is a visit to the Basilica di San Francesco, the burial place of St. Francis, beloved patron saint of animals and the most famous native of this historic town. Enjoy free time in Assisi, then return to Perugia; located high on a hill, the city has been ruled by the Etruscans and the Romans, and was once under direct control of the Papal State. As your Tuscany, Umbria and Florence tour draws to a close, please join us this evening for a farewell reception and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Brufani Palace, Perugia, Italy

Day 9: Ciao Italia
Your Tuscany, Umbria, and Florence tour ends at 7:30 a.m. at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino. If you are departing on a flight before 12:00 noon, you must depart Perugia very early (pre-dawn hours) for the airport. For those departing on later flights after 12:00 noon, an included transfer will depart the Hotel Brufani Palace in Perugia at 8:00 a.m., arriving at Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 10:30 a.m. If you are departing at other times, you must secure your own transportation to the airport.
Meals: Breakfast

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