DAYS
FROM ONLY £1,099
PI SA, THE CINQUE TERRE & PORTOF INO
• Return flights
• Four nights' four-star and three nights' four-star superior accommodation with dinner and breakfast throughout
• Stay in medieval Lucca and the stunningly beautiful Santa Margherita on Italy’s famed ‘Riviera’
• Guided tour of Lucca, birthplace of Puccini
• Guided tour of Pisa including entrance to the Cathedral, Italy’s finest Romanesque building and beautiful marble Baptistery
• Tour of the rolling Tuscan countryside and its undiscovered medieval villages
• Visit to a working vineyard in one of Tuscany’s finest wine producing regions and the enchanting Tuscan villages of Campiglia Marittima and Castagneto Carducci
• Private boat visit to the Cinque Terre villages nestling on one of Europe’s most outstandingly beautiful coastlines, described by Lord Byron as ‘Paradise on Earth’
• Visit by boat to stunning Portofino, Italy’s most exclusive town with its extraordinarily picturesque waterfront
• Escorted by our experienced Tour Manager
Tuscany with everything that single word evokes within us, the ‘Cinque Terre’ probably Europe’s most astonishing coastline and its ultimate gem, embarrassingly beautiful Portofino captured on countless travel posters
DAY 1 - ARRIVAL Fly to Pisa, on arrival you will transfer to Lucca and your hotel, the four-star Grand Hotel Guinigi for four nights. Situated in a leafy area of Lucca and a twenty-five minute stroll from the famed city walls, the hotel offers a wonderfully tranquil base. There is a welcoming bar and lobby area on the ground floor. All rooms are furnished in soothing pastel shades with satellite TV and are fully air-conditioned.
DAY 2 - LUCCA After breakfast enjoy our guided tour of Lucca, famed for its wonderfully preserved renaissance city walls. This really is a lovely place to explore so we won’t be rushing off. Wander its charming cobbled streets, shady promenades or dally in elegant piazzas.
DAY 3 - TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE Today we discover some of Tuscany’s best secrets – you probably won’t find the hilltop village of Campiglia Marittima in a guide book, but it is marvellous to stroll around its maze of ancient alleys and squares. Vineyards abound here, producing the excellent wines Tuscany is famous for, with the small village of Bolgheri producing an outstandingly rich style. It would be a travesty to pass by without
stopping for a tasting – so we do. Next we call at Castagneto Carducci, before returning to Pisa. This evening we dine in a local restaurant.
DAY 4 - PISA After a leisurely breakfast it is just a short drive to Pisa for our guided tour. The great “Leaning Tower” is the centrepiece amongst a stunning array of perfectly harmonious buildings, unmatched anywhere. This afternoon we return to Lucca for a leisurely afternoon or perhaps another visit in to the historic centre of Lucca, before our final evening and dinner.
DAY 5 - SANTA MARGHERITA This morning we drive north past Carrara’s enormous quarries, source of the finest marble, prized by sculptors and used since Roman times to build the great monuments now stretched across the Italian nation and beyond. We explore Liguria’s naturally beautiful coast and stay three nights in the outstanding four-star superior Grand Hotel Miramare, Santa Margherita. This classic, 1906, fin-de-siècle building faces the sea to the front and mature landscaped gardens to the rear. Elegant Santa Margherita itself is ideal for our stay – quintessentially Italian and just three miles from Portofino.
DAY 6 - CINQUE TERRE Today we cruise to the extraordinary Cinque Terre (“The Five Lands”), five villages cut off from the landward side by the rugged terrain and steep coastline, almost unreachable by car. The individual names, Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are almost unknown but as the Cinque Terre they are celebrated as a region completely unspoilt by modern development.
DAY 7 - PORTOFINO Today we admire yet more stunning scenery with fine watercraft quietly going about their business on the shimmering waters as we sail to Portofino. Traditionally this pretty village with its jumble of colour-washed houses stretching up the hillside from the water’s edge earned its living from the sea. Why not explore the quieter backstreets for authentic Portofino life? Or take a walk to the headland where the view is stupendous. This afternoon, you have time to explore lovely Santa Margherita itself before our final dinner in the hotel’s classic dining room.
DAY 8 - RETURN FLIGHT After breakfast transfer back to Pisa Airport for your return flight.
IMPORTANT NOTE. For safety reasons visiting the Cinque Terre and Portofino by boat is subject to weather conditions. If we are prevented from sailing to the Cinque Terre we will travel by rail visiting the villages of Monterosso, Vernazza and Manarola. If we are prevented from sailing to Portofino we will travel by local bus. Should these circumstances occur, the Captain’s decision is final; please consider this when booking this holiday.
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