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Hotel: Grand HotelVittoria or Hotel Nizza et Suisse in Montecatini
Day 1 - Depart the USA: Depart New York (JFK) for Italy.
Day 2 - Montecatini: Upon arrival proceed to baggage claim and after clearing customs, be met by our representative and transfer to our hotel to spend the rest of the day at leisure. For centuries, Montecatini has been an exclusive world-renowned spa resort, famed for its spring waters, thermal baths and numerous spa treatments. Have a welcome cocktail and briefing at 7:00 pm at the hotel. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. (Dinner)
Day 3 - Montecatini/Florence/Montecatini: After breakfast, you will transfer to Florence for a walking tour. Its striking buildings, formidable galleries and treasure-crammed churches attest to the Florentine love of display. Its elegant appearance and the skyline, with its russet rooftops and lofty domes, contributed to give this city its role as an important center for culture and arts. See the Cathedral, whose gigantic “cupola” is the symbol of Florence’s artistic achievements, the Baptistery (from outside) with its fine bronze doors adorned with the famous gates of Paradise and the Piazza della Signoria. Enjoy free time for shopping or visiting some of the numerous museums and art galleries. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 4 - Montecatini/Lucca and Pisa (Optional Tour $157 based on 10 going)/Montecatini: Day at leisure or after breakfast, take an optional tour to Lucca and Pisa. Lucca is peaceful place with narrow lanes that wind among the medieval buildings, opening suddenly to reveal churches, tiny piazzas and many other reminders of the city’s long history, including a Roman amphitheater. This town is well known for its magnificent 16th and 17th century ramparts, which having remained intact, encircle its narrow streets which are lined with many medieval buildings. In the afternoon we continue to Pisa to see its incredible Leaning Tower, the bell tower of the 900 year old Cathedral of Pisa. It is 14 feet off center at the top because of settling after construction was started in 1173. Your visit of Pisa will also include a sightseeing tour of Pisa’s Campo dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles, to see the Baptistery and Duomo (entrance included); all fine examples of the Pisan-Romanesque architectural style. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 5 - Montecatini/Siena/San Gimignano/Montecatini: After breakfast, transfer to Siena & San Gimignano for your full-day tour. Set in the most beautiful Tuscan countryside of rolling hills, lush vines and gray-green olive trees, Siena offers much to see, from the fine palaces that line the narrow cobbled streets and the superb Duomo, to the celebrated Piazza del Campo where the famed Palio horserace is run yearly. Continue to San Gimignano, a town of Etruscan origin. Built by noble families, the fourteen remaining towers that lined the ramparts look like medieval skyscraper. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 6 - Montecatini/Cinque Terre (Optional Tour $122 based on 10 going)/Montecatini: Day at leisure or after breakfast, take an optional tour to Cinque Terre. You’ll depart at La Spezia, a coastal town east of Montecatini, along the Mediterranean Sea. Take the train or the ferry boat (April – Nov weather permitting) to The Cinque Terre, one of the most beautiful areas of the Liguria Region. Here, five small villages are suspended between sea and earth, nestled in the cliffs overlooking the sea and green hills. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 7 - Montecatini/Chianti (Optional Tour $133 based on 10 going)/Montecatini: Day at leisure or after breakfast, take an optional tour of the Chianti Region. The beauty of this territory, known for its wineries, lies in the perfect equilibrium between the soft forms of slopes and their thousand nuances of color and the crowded woods populated by ancient castles, secular parishes and beautiful villas. You will visit Greve in Chianti and have a wine tasting and a country style lunch at a local winery. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 8 - Montecatini: Spend the day at leisure to explore Montecatini on your own, enjoy a spa treatment or just relax. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 9 - Montecatini/USA: After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight home. (Breakfast)
TWO NIGHT OPTIONAL ROME EXTENSION with our Affiliate Company:
Day 9 - Montecatini/Rome: After breakfast, meet our guide and driver and set off for Rome. Upon your arrival in Rome transfer to your hotel for check in, where the rest of the afternoon is at leisure and yours to enjoy. Romans say that “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, nor can Rome be seen in a day. One could live in the Eternal City for years and still not see everything. It’s hard to say what you’ll find most breathtaking: Etruscan tombs, the Republican meeting rooms, imperial temples, early Christian churches, medieval bell towers, baroque basilicas or renaissance palaces. Tonight you are on your own for dinner. You will have no trouble finding local restaurants in this residential area of Rome. Just outside the hotel and around the corner are some lovely places were the locals meet to eat, have a glass of local wine and enjoy a dish of pasta. Ask your guide or the concierge at the hotel to make a recommendation, they are eager and pleased to help. Overnight at The Grand Hotel Beverly Hills. (Breakfast)
Day 10 - Rome: After breakfast, start your full-day tour of Rome. You’ll enjoy a guided tour of Imperial Rome. Visit the Roman Forum, the most important archaeological area in the city and once the center of the public life; visit the Colosseum, the most famous monument of ancient Rome and an impressive testament to her past greatness. After lunch in a local trattoria, continue the tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. The Vatican Museums and their immense wealth of art, resulting from centuries of papal collections, offer an extraordinary experience. Amongst others, see the great masterpieces of Renaissance art with the frescoes of the Raphael Rooms and one of Michelangelo’s greatest achievements, “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel. Return to the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure, where you can do some shopping or take a stroll on the Via Veneto. Tonight dinner is on your own; enjoy your last night in Rome. (Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 11 - Rome/USA: After breakfast, say ciao to Rome, transfer to the airport for your return flight home. (Breakfast) Please note: Though rare, it may be necessary to substitute hotels and adjust itineraries due to local conditions.
Rome extension: $595, single $299 ( joining our affiliate group).
Included
- Round-trip flights from New York (JFK) . Fuel surcharges included (valid at time of printing). Other selected gateway departures are available for an additional cost.
- Round-trip airport to hotel transfers (JFK passengers only- ask reservations if other cities coordinate).
- Hotel accommodations as above or similar for 7 nights , including hotel taxes and service charges.
- Meals as indicated
- Tours as indicated.
- Admissions to sites in our itinerary
Not Included
- Airline traxes
- Optional excursions mentioned
- Meals not mentioned
- Drinks, personal expenses
- Tips for guides and driver
- All services not specified in the program.
NY Extensions to this Trip
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Trips designed by women for women