Florence and Venice - 7 Days Tour

DAY 1

We will meet at the hotel in Florence in the afternoon of the first day for a first introduction to the Florentine culture and way of living. The tour will begin walking in the city center with a visit to Palazzo Davanzati, a perfectly preserved ancient palace where you will see how a wealthy family used to live during the Renaissance.

We will then continue to Palazzo Medici Riccardi, home to Cosimo il Vecchio and Lorenzo il Magnifico, and theatre to creations by Michelangelo, Donatello, Botticelli and many more iconic artists. Dinner will be at a family-run restaurant to enjoy some great Tuscan food and local wine.

DAY 2

The day will start with a visit to the masterpiece Michelangelo’s David, in the Accademia Gallery, then we will walk to the very heart of the city: Piazza della Signoria, dominated by Palazzo Vecchio, which used to be, and still is, the Florence town hall. After exploring the history filled piazza and corners of the Palazzo, we will pass the famous Old Bridge and visit a few local artisans shops to learn more about long lasting traditions and crafts.

DAY 3

We will explore the world-renowned region of Chianti, with its rolling hills, precious vineyards, and elegant farmhouses. During the day we will spend some time in one of the loveliest Medieval towns of the area before stopping at an organic winery. Here we will have a visit of the estate, learn about the wine and oil production, have a  wine tasting and a delicious lunch with local products. After lunch we will drive back to Florence.

DAY 4

The morning will be free for you to enjoy your own time. We will meet for lunch at a local restaurant, then head to the sacred bit of our Florence tour: Santa Croce and San Miniato. Santa Croce is the stunning Gothic church where most of the eminent Florentines are interred: Michelangelo, Galileo, Foscolo and Machiavelli, just to name a few. After visiting Santa Croce we will walk uphill to the incredible San Miniato, the romanesque church perched on top of a hill dominating the city.

DAY 5

We will take the high-speed train to Venice, check-in our nice hotel and then have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we will head to the Basilica of San Marco, a stunning example of byzantine architecture, also known as Golden Church. We will then experience a gondola ride and explore the canals on the unique venetian boat. To end our day, a visit to the legendary Peggy Guggenheim Collection, where we will see XX Century art in a palazzo on the Canal Grande . We will end this intense day having dinner at a local restaurant.

DAY 6

We will start our day just like locals and head to the Rialto Fish Market, then pay a visit to the gorgeous Rialto Bridge, from which you will have a great view on the Canal Grande, the main waterway in town. The walk continues to the Scuola Grande di San Rocco,  a confraternity established in 1478. Here, in the place that is also known as the Sistine Chapel of Venice, you will see some paintings of Tintoretto depicting episodes from the Old and New Testament. Afternoon is free for you to enjoy your own time in magical Venice.

DAY 7

This will be the day to explore the islands of the lagoon of Venice, with their old traditions and pretty villages. Using the vaporetto, the typical public ferry-boat of Venice, we will reach the island of Murano, where the glass-blowing craft begun, to observe the artisans and marvel at their expert moves as they mold and blow the glass paste. We will then move to the island of Burano, with its colorful houses and the traditional lace making. You will see old ladies threading the most delicate and intricate laces, a skill they inherited from many previous generations. Make sure you will have your camera with you to take the photos of the amazingly colored homes. We will then head back to Venice and in the evening we will have dinner at a local restaurant.

DAY 8

After breakfast it will be time for goodbyes and arrivederci until the next tour together!

PRICE: 4,200 USD per person in double occupancy. To book your tour we require a non-refundable deposit of 500 USD / 450 Euro per person payable by credit card or Paypal. The final payment of 3,700 USD is due 60 days prior to the trip departure. The final payment can be made by credit card or personal check (an additional 3% processing fee applies if final payment is made by credit card).

PRIVATE TOUR - Sharing the tour with others is generally great fun, but if you wish to travel just with your partner or family we will be happy to make this tour private. This means we will also be able to customize the itinerary based on your needs and desires. Contact us to know more and receive a personalized quote.

CANCELLATION: For cancellations received from 60 to 30 days before departure: 50% of tour price will be refunded. For cancellations received less than 30 days before departure: no refund will be given. 

ACCOMODATION: We have carefully selected a number of boutique hotels that meet our requirements of style and comfort. 

Double Occupancy: Double occupancy pricing is the price for one person to stay in a shared (i.e. double) room. In other words, each person staying in that room will pay the posted double occupancy rate. If you are a couple or friends traveling together, please know that you will each pay the double occupancy rate.

Single Occupancy: Need some alone time? We hear you. That’s why we offer single occupancy rooms. The single occupancy rate is what you will pay to have the room all to yourself.

Roommates: If you do not have a travel partner, you can purchase single occupancy room and have it all to yourself! We do not pair up trip attendees because we find there is not enough privacy in the rooms to allow strangers to room together.

CITY TAX: Many cities in Italy have implemented tourism taxes on hotel stays. Unfortunately we are unable to include these taxes in the tour price as the majority of hotels require the tax to be paid in cash upon check- out. The tax is usually 1 euro per hotel star per person per night. (A four star hotel will usually be four euro per person per night).

DATES 

Tour Starts: In the afternoon on Day 1 at 4:00 pm in our hotel in Florence - April 27th (Spring tour) and September 21st (Autumn tour)

Tour Ends: After breakfast on Day 8 at our hotel in Venice - May 4th (Spring tour) and September 28th (Autumn tour)