Italy: Classic Tuscany - Overview - Sights and Soul Travels

Italy

Classic Tuscany - Overview

September 20 - 28, 2024

DATES & COST

September 20- 28, 2024
9 Days /8 Nights
This tour starts and ends in Florence

$4,480 per person/double occupancy
$1,480 optional single supplement
Early arrival: $480 single or double room (airport transfer included)
Includes all fees and taxes

This tour may be combined with:
the Venice and the Italian Lakes (September 11- 19, 2024) AND the Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast 2 tour to Croatia (September 29 - October 7, 2024)

THIS TOUR IS FULL
WE ARE ACCEPTING
STANDBY RESERVATIONS

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

2 nights at a hotel in Florence historical center
6 nights in a luxury Tuscan villa in Chianti Hills (Loro Ciuffenna)
Delicious a la carte meals - traditional Tuscan cuisine: 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 7 dinners, including drinks
Comfortable and spacious air-conditioned private bus transportation throughout the tour
Private airport transfer on arrival, group airport transfer on departure
Private guided tours of Florence (Accademia, Uffizi Galley, Duomo, Renaissance walk) and in Tuscany (Siena, San Gimignano, le Crete, Montepulcino, Pienza and Cortona)
Cultural activities as per itinerary: wine tours, private Tuscan cooking class, wine and olive oil tastings
Sights and Soul Travels' Tour Director, professional local guides, guided tours, all sightseeing and admission fees
All guides', drivers' and restaurants' gratuities

NOT INCLUDED

Additional/optional costs may include: optional single supplement, optional travel insurance, additional accommodations, early hotel check-in, meals not included in the itinerary, optional activities not in the itinerary, any required Covid-19 related testing, optional Tour Director's gratuity, telephone charges, room service, minibar, laundry, personal expenses, etc.

The tour cost does not include airfare to and from the tour’s location.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Renaissance splendor of Florence
Michelangelo's sublimely realistic David
The Uffizi Gallery
Exploring the Chianti Classico wine region
Staying in a true Tuscan villa
Medieval skyscrapers of San Gimignano
Siena's fan-shaped Piazza del Campo and the stunning Gothic Cathedral
The cypress trees and the golden hills of the Tuscan countryside
Tuscan cooking class
The classic Etruscan town of Cortona
Montepulciano and Pienza
Legendary landscapes with vineyards, olive groves, cypress trees, and hill towns
Superb cuisine of Tuscany, wine and olive oil tours

Testimonials

I love these tours. I love not having to change hotels every night. I love that activities are all included. I love the delicious meals and beautiful hotels, but most of all I enjoy all the wonderful ladies who sign up for these tours. - Peggy from California

The Classic Tuscany Tour was terrific! It hit all the best of Italian culture, food and wine. – Martha from California

Being in Italy was terrific, with everything well planned and yet flexible! I have not travelled a great deal but wanted to see new parts of the world. Sights and Soul has opened up “world traveling” for me. - Patricia from North Carolina

Great tour, great leader, I had a wonderful time! I also saw some very interesting places and people. – Peggy from Montana

Tuscany is an awesome tour. The hotels were great, a good mix of sights and relaxation. The food and wine were great. All the guides were very good and Teresa was an excellent tour leader. – Barbara from Alberta, Canada

I was so pleased with the tour! There is nothing I would change. I loved the binder you sent before the trip – so helpful! All the packing guidelines were needed! – Janie from Colorado

It was a great tour! It covered lots of highlights of Tuscany in a relaxed, fun atmosphere! I really enjoyed it. The accommodations were great and the restaurants were excellent too. – Kathleen from Georgia

Everything about this tour was fantastic. One of the best vacations I’ve ever had! It was the best! So glad I discovered Sights and Soul., and now I’ve told all my friends how great Sights and Soul is. Thank you! – Robin from Virginia

I love your tours – this was #4 and I am planning 5 and 6! – Deedee from Virginia

The villa in Tuscany was outstanding. Enjoyed the cooking class and the day trips to all of the different small towns. Teresa was a saint. She is patient, funny and wonderful to have as our leader. Federica was a wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide. This was my 15th tour with Sights and Soul. I would definitely move it to the top of my list of favorites. The comradery among the 10 of us and Teresa was wonderful made for such an enjoyable trip. Great accommodations, a little too much food. – Barbara from Missouri

The tour exceeded my expectations in every way. Great company, great food and a breathtaking location. The best experience during the tour was everything – the breathtaking scenery, the food, the wine, the company… Teresa is fantastic! She helped keep us organized, on time and informed. I can’t say enough good things about her. It was a remarkable experience! – Doris from New Jersey

My opinion is that the tour was well thought out. Locations selected were very nice. I LOVED the Belpoggio. Teresa was great. Very friendly and helpful, concerned that women were having their needs met and enjoying themselves. – Tracy from Michigan

I appreciate how every detail is managed, resulting in a well organized tour with still some flexibility. I love that you do not have early morning starts. The tour leader was excellent – very helpful and friendly. – Faye from Michigan

It was a pleasure to tour Florence and the Tuscan countryside with a group of smart, funny and adventurous women. Thank you! You guys do a very nice job. – Susan from Maryland

Excellent trip – totally relaxing – the best restaurants, the best hotels, the best guides + I did NOTHING but enjoy the ride. From a professional event planner: Well Done! – Denise from Georgia

Tuscany is enchanting and the Villa was perfect. Everything and everyone was there to make the trip a wonderful experience. – Arlene from Washington

This Classic Tuscany tour was magnificent: so rich in culture + history, amazing architecture, quaint, lovely towns + warm, friendly people. The excursions were excellent – beautiful sights + incredible amount of information. Food was delicious. Tour director: A+++ – Amy from New York

OMG--how can I explain my experience? This was one of the top 3 trips (in my 69 years). I did NOT want it to end. I am re-living/savoring every moment. The hotel choices were on the mark. Restaurant and wine-tasting experiences were super! Traveling with Teresa was a privilege. Thanks to all who made sure the trip was memorable in the best of ways. Molto bene! – Lucille from Connecticut

It was a really nice trip! I look forward to doing another Sights and Soul tour again sometime. – Joanne from California

I had a fabulously fun time on my first organized group tour! It was truly enjoyable and EVERYTHING went superbly well from the flights, transportation, hotels, weather, guides, itinerary, food, food, wine, prosecco, wine, cheese, wine, new friends! There were definitely a lot of laughs and high spirits.. and Joan was the host with the most! – Julie from California

I had a great time in Tuscany. I liked the way you planned the trip, and have great memories and pictures to remind me of the beauty of Tuscany. Thank you so much for making my dream come true, I will definitely keep Sights and Soul in mind when planning future vacations. – Danuta from Nova Scotia

Tour Director: Monika Matlak

If you ever dreamed about an idyllic vacation in Tuscany, staying in a lovingly restored luxury villa, wandering through historic towns and quaint villages, seeking out art treasures in tumble-down churches, shopping for antiques or fine wines along streets that have remained unchanged for centuries and sipping Campari in village squares, while watching the old way of life unfold before your eyes, this tour is for you.

Defined by unspoiled, picture-postcard undulating hills of zigzagging cypress trees and the endless search for the perfect olive oil, Tuscany preserves the traditional way of life. Dotted with fabulously beautiful cities: the Renaissance Florence with its magnificent art and architecture, rivaled by Gothic Siena and Etruscan Cortona, Tuscany combines history and art with nature and gourmet and wine experiences.

The Classic Tuscany Tour offers an intimate, in-depth look into Tuscan history, art, cuisine and viticulture. Accompanied by an experienced Tour Director and knowledgeable local guides, we'll marvel at the Renaissance Florence, then explore the Tuscan countryside. In Florence, we'll appreciate the genius of the Renaissance, see the sublimely realistic David by Michelangelo, the treasures of the Ufizzi Gallery, the architectural masterpieces of Brunelleschi and Giotto: Duomo and the Bell Tower. Then, we'll stay at a true Tuscan villa amid the surreal beauty of Chianti Classico, the region which embraces the essence of Tuscan culture, charm and history, from Etruscan bronzes to Lamborghini tractors, and we'll explore vineyards and quaint medieval hilltop towns, castles and fortified villages, forgotten abbeys and incredibly beautiful cathedrals.

In Florence, we'll take the Renaissance walk through the city's historic quarters and see Brunelleschi's Duomo and Giotto's Bell Tower, then tour the Ufizzi Gallery to see the world's most renowned works of art and the Accademia to admire Michelangelo's David.
While in Chianti (Loro Ciuffenna), we will get an insider's view of Classic Tuscany with tours led by knowledgeable local guides with whom we'll discover the fascinating towns of Siena, San Gimignano, Cortona and the classic beauty of le Crete and Chianti Classico regions.
We will tour several vineyards, take part in a private cooking class, while staying at a lovingly restored Tuscan villa set among the Chianti Hills.
Throughout the tour, we will dine in chic city restaurants, rustic country trattorias, and opulent castles, getting to know the Tuscan cuisine, especially pasta, wine, olive oil, gelato and fresh regional produce, while appreciating excellent Chianti wines.

Click on the image to enlarge the map

WHAT MAKES THIS TOUR SPECIAL

Carefully designed itinerary, including signature Florence, Sienna and Chianti Hills experiences
Accommodation in upscale, perfectly located Florence hotel and a private Tuscan villa
Knowledgeable private guides
Experienced Tour Director
Private, comfortable transportation
Exquisite private meals at vineyards, castles and Tuscan estates
Exclusive, private experiences, not available to larger groups
A small group of maximum 16 women
No forced shopping