Excursions in Tuscany and Italy - personalized tour programs to the most beautiful sights
EXCURSIONS IN TUSCANY AND ITALY
Anyone can join our excursions. No particular requirements nor enrollment in our Italian courses are requested to attend any of them. All excursions can be conducted in English or Italian.
Each excursion takes place every day
This tour program to the most notable and beautiful sites in Tuscany and Italy, represents a natural continuation of our Art History course outside Florence. It can also be considered just as a program of excursions by itself, for those who don't want to participate in the Art History course or any other of our courses.
This program of excursions is recommended for everyone who wishes to enjoy scenery while gaining a more complete view of Italian historical beauties.
Depending on the distance from Florence, some excursions last half day (4 hours) while others require a full day (7 hours). For the price, please consult the table below.
SIENA & MONTALCINO
Siena and Montalcino are two of the most fascinating towns in Tuscany. Siena is a Gothic pearl, perfectly crowned by its original walls with a Cathedral that is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy.
Montalcino is the home of Brunello, one of the most famed and expensive Italian wines. Near Montalcino lies the Abbey of Sant'Antimo, the perfect "cathedral in the desert". This huge structure lies in a field, far from any other constructions, and some of its columns are built with onyx, which light up when hit by sunlight.
PISA & LUCCA
No descriptions are needed for the celebrated Leaning Tower of Pisa and its marvelous square containing the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Old Cemetery all of which contrast beautifully against a see of green grass.
Lucca is famous for the Romanesque style, a period of art that came directly before the Gothic. The city is full of churches of incomparable beauty and is closed in by ancient walls surrounded by a moat.
AREZZO & CORTONA
Arezzo proudly holds one of the most important cycles of frescoes of all time: the "History of the True Cross" by Piero della Francesca. The frescoes have been recently restored and can be seen as they were at the height of their splendor.
Cortona lies on a hill overlooking Lake Trasimeno and offers visitors the chance to walk through its narrow Renaissance streets among historic palaces and ancient buildings.
VOLTERRA & SAN GIMIGNANO
Most of the important periods of art history: Etruscan, Roman, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance have in some way left their mark in Volterra. The city is famous for its alabaster quarries, workshops and for the works derived from this brilliant mineral.
San Gimignano has also been called the New York of the Middle Ages, due to its forest of high towers, each one taller than the previous one, representing the never ending competition among the local, aristocratic families.
PIENZA & MONTEPULCIANO
Pienza was one of the first examples of urban planning. Requested by Pope Pius II after whom it was named, Pienza demonstrates a classical simplicity in its buildings. The town is surrounded by a unique landscape which is a reminiscent of an ocean of green waves.
Over the centuries, Montepulciano has preserved its ancient structure. Below the town, in the open country, lies the Church of San Biagio, a monumental complex which is one of the most perfect examples of religious Renaissance architecture.
PERUGIA & ASSISI
Umbria is not only the greenest region of Italy but also contains numerous treasures of art. From the Palazzo dei Priori and the magnificent Cathedral of Perugia to Assisi, the holy town of Saint Francis, with its marvelous buildings, its basilicas, Roman temple, castle and the frescoes by Giotto.
VENICE
Venice is the city of romance and passion, one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Marriages, funerals, police, fire brigades, and trades, are all focused in and around the water. In the extraordinary frame of the Gran Canal eyes dance from building to building. One of the closest things to a fairy tale, everything in Venice seem surreal: the silence of its canals and walkways, the colors of the water and its light reflected on the surrounding houses, the rhythm of life.
ROME
Rome is the "Eternal city", where 2500 years have passed and left their traces. It is the only place in the world where you can see the temples and basilicas, the Coliseum, the Arcs of Triumph, the Imperial Forums all together and mixed with all the other historical periods of art: from Byzantine to Romanesque, from Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque. Rome is also capital of two countries, Italy and Vatican State whose museums are rich with masterpieces painted by Raphael and Michelangelo.
SOVANA & PITIGLIANO
Pitigliano is not only a unique place but is also one of the most suggestive of all Tuscany, built on a spectacular slope and overwhelming the valley below with its aqueduct and buildings lying on the edge.
Sovana is a mystic town with buildings that look like miniatures. In its surrounding area some of the most amazing Etruscan tombs can be found and visited.
THE MARBLE MINES OF CARRARA & THE TUSCAN RIVIERA
The Apuanian Alps are home to a famous source of marble, where artists went to get the material for their most exquisite art works. On approach, one is struck by a vision of white capped peaks, the effect given by the light colored marble. A visit is also made to the home and museum where Puccini wrote most of his famous arias -Turandot, Boheme, Madame Butterfly and a promenade along the sea at Viareggio, a resort town from the turn of the century with Art Deco and Belle Epoque buildings.
PRATO & PISTOIA
Pistoia is home to buildings and churches from several art periods and the most beautiful of Pisano's pulpits, whose extremely accurate and realistic bas-reliefs anticipated the perfection of the Renaissance statues.
On the way back a stop in Prato to see the Cathedral and its marvelous external pulpit created by Donatello.
FLORENCE
The beauties of Florence, from the Cathedral to the Baptistery, from Giotto's Bell Tower to Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella, from the Ponte Vecchio to the Pitti Palace, from the Boboli gardens to the Basilica of San Miniato and Piazzale Michelangelo are important testimonies to the strength and value of the city's history, and each and every one have contributed to making Florence one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
PRICES
The prices on the table refer to 1 participant with the guide (one-to-one excursion). For 2 or more participants, please consult the discounts written below the price table.
| Destination | ½ day | 1 day | Trasportation | Price in Euros |
| Siena | x | bus | 160 | |
| Siena & Montalcino | x | private car | 200 | |
| Pisa | x | train | 160 | |
| Lucca | x | train | 160 | |
| Pisa & Lucca | x | train | 230 | |
| Arezzo | x | train | 160 | |
| Arezzo & Cortona | x | private car | 200 | |
| Volterra & S. Gimignano | x | private car | 200 | |
| Pienza & Montepulciano | x | private car | 200 | |
| Sovana & Pitigliano | x | private car | 200 | |
| Pistoia | x | train | 160 | |
| Carrara (marble mines) | x | private car | 130 | |
| Perugia & Assisi | x | private car | 200 | |
| Florence | x | ---- | 120 | |
| Rome | x | train | 390 | |
| Venice | x | train | 390 |
The prices include a teacher-guide to your complete disposal as well as bus, train and entrance tickets to museums
"Private car" under the field "Transportation" refers to a car owned or rented by the customer(s).
DISCOUNTS
- for 2 participants, 30% discount on each one's fee
- for 3 participants, 40% discount on each one's fee
- for 4 participants, 45% discount on each one's fee
- for 5 participants, 50% discount on each one's fee
- for 6 or more participants, 55% discount on each one's fee
Each person can freely choose to participate in one or more excursions.
All excursions will be made by public transportation or private car.
