POINTS OF INTEREST ART, HISTORY, CULTURE & NATURE During the tour you will not only discover delightful food and wines but also the most interesting monuments, works of art, churches and natural landscapes of the region: • Florence, the cradle of the Italian Renaissance, with the masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery, the Santa Croce church, the Baptistery, the Duomo and Giotto’s bell tower, the Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio bridge • Siena, where the famous Palio race takes place in the ancient Piazza del Palio square • San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its wonderful medieval towers and the San Gimignano 1300 Museum • Lucca, a walled city birthplace of composer Puccini • Pisa, which is home not only to the leaning tower, but also to some magnificent cathedrals and baroque buildings #DAY 1 ARRIVAL Welcome to Italy! Arrive in beautiful Pisa and transfer by private car direct to your hotel in Montecatini. Today you will have time to settle into your hotel, enjoy the charm of the Grand Hotel Vittoria. Relax at the Spa or dive into the beautiful outdoor pool, immersed in the green of the garden where you will find a real corner of paradise. Overnight: Montecatini #DAY 2 MONTECATINI After a leisurely breakfast you have the day free for optional tours. You have the ideal starting point for exploring the localities of this wonderful region, villages, districts and art cities. There’s something for all tastes. This evening you will meet the rest of your group and enjoy a delicious welcome dinner. Your tour director will provide an introduction to your days ahead. Overnight: Montecatini Meals: Breakfast and Dinner included. #DAY 3 FLORENCE Today you will discover Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance and famous for its great artistic masters, such as Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo. You will enjoy a walking tour through the historical centre of this amazing city and admire the religious buildings (the Baptistery, the Duomo and Giotto’s bell tower) and the houses of power in the old city (the Piazza della Signoria). The tour will end at the famous Mercato Centrale which is a large covered marketplace where authenticity, spontaneity and tradition play a leading role. Each stall is an ideal place for shopping and where one can find real, honest food at the right price, the very best which Tuscany and Italy have to offer. You will sample some delicacies and enjoy free time in the afternoon before making your way back to your hotel. Overnight: Montecatini Meals: Breakfast & tasting included. #DAY 4 MONTECATINI Considered the biggest “spa town” of Italy and famous for its thermal waters. Indulge in the elegance and relaxation of this medieval town located on your doorstep. Today we will visit an Artisan Coffee Blender to discover the secret of coffee roasting and then continue the morning for a special encounter with a renowned Tuscan Chef and learn some of the Arts of Traditional Italian cooking. You will prepare and enjoy your own lunch! The afternoon is free for you to explore Montecatini at your leisure. Overnight: Montecatini Meals: Breakfast, cooking lesson & light lunch included. #DAY 5 LUCCA & PISA Lucca the city of 100 churches and its old city walls is Lucca’s most distinct element. Definitely, one of Tuscany’s best kept secrets with its cobbled streets, charming piazzas makes this charming town endearing to all who pass through. You will experience a cooking show with lunch served on the ancient walls. Following your visit to Lucca you will continue to Pisa whose extraordinary Leaning Tower has withstood the force of gravity for almost 600 years. You will return to your hotel late in the evening. Overnight: Montecatini Meals: Breakfast & light lunch included. #DAY 6 FREE DAY – OPTIONAL EXCURSION TO CINQUE TERRE Enjoy a free day to explore Tuscany and the surrounding areas. You will have all day to stroll around, sip a cappuccino while people watching from one of the piazzas. Alternatively, you can take our optional excursion to Cinque Terre! Cinque Terre literally means ‘Five Lands’ and consists of five coastal cliff side towns linked by rail and footpaths. You will travel to the Italian Riviera, which includes the five captivating villages that make up the Cinque Terre. Overnight: Montecatini Meals: Breakfast included. #DAY 7 SAN GIMIGNANO, SIENA Today we will be driving to San Gimignano, famous for its medieval architecture and its towers. At the height of its glory, San Gimignano patrician families had built around 72 tower houses as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 have survived, San Gimignano still retains its feudal atmosphere and appearance. You will enjoy a stop of a famous Artisan ice cream maker to sample their specialities. We will leave San Gimignano behind and head towards Siena driving along the ancient Via Francigena route to experience some local wine tasting. Admire the most important and most beautiful architecture in Siena and enjoy some free time for shopping before returning to the hotel. Overnight: Montecatini Meals: Breakfast, tasting x2 and dinner included. #DAY 8 DEPARTURE After breakfast we will say goodbye to our travel companions and depart for home. We hope you enjoyed your 7 night trip to Italy. Arrivederci, Italia! Meals: Breakfast. #DEPARTURE DATES 2018 September 4th 04 Sep Depart Dublin 09.45 hrs Arrive Pisa 13.30 hrs 11 Sep Depart Pisa 07.30 hrs Arrive Dublin 09.02 hrs October 4th 04Oct Depart Dublin 10.30 hrs Arrive Pisa 14.15 hrs 11Oct Depart Pisa 08.10 hrs Arrive Dublin 10.00 hrs #PRICES PER PERSON Double/Triple Occupancy: Price from €2089 per person in double/twin. €225 single supplement. #THE PRICE INCLUDES: • Flights Dublin/Pisa Return • 20kg checked bag • 10k cabin baggage • Transfers Airport/Hotel/Airport • 7 Nights at the Grand Hotel Vittoria • Daily Buffet Breakfast • 4 meals based on traditional regional dishes • 1 slow food welcome dinner • 1 lunch after the cooking lesson • 1 lunch with cooking show • 1 farewell dinner • 3 tastings of a selection of wines and/or typical products from the Tuscany region • 1 Cooking lesson • Guided visit of Firenze (half day – no entrance fees included) • Travel in state of the art, luxury motor coaches • Baggage handling for the full duration of the tour • Professional Tour directors and licensed local guides as per itinerary #NOT INCLUDED: Cities tax, travel insurance, tips and anything not specifically mentioned in “The Price Includes”. #OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENT AVAILABLE FOR: Excursion to Cinque Terre #Note: If a change of hotel, restaurant, winery or other businesses becomes necessary for any reason, the hotels or other businesses substituted will be of equivalent or superior to those shown.

*=local charge