10 days
Rome and Romantic Tuscany

Day 1: Rome

Upon your arrival at the Rome Airport, our local representative will be waiting to greet and escort you to a private car waiting to take you to your hotel in the city center. The balance of this first day is at leisure. Relax after your trip, or begin to explore the sights of the Eternal City.
Hotel:Grand Hotel de la Minerve (or similar rating hotel)

Day 2: Ancient Rome Tour

Your private guide will meet you at your hotel. You will go by car to the Circus Maximus, Rome's ancient chariot racing venue, and the Palatine hill above the Roman Forum. You will continue by car to the Colosseum where your walking tour begins with a visit of the famous site of the spectacle of gladiatorial combat. You will then make your way to the Roman Forum and explore the ruins of this ancient political, religious and commercial center. Your walk will continue to the Pantheon, the best preserved of the remains of Ancient Rome. Here your tour will end and you will be free to explore the lively area of the Pantheon or return to your hotel.

Day 3: Vatican Tour

Today your guide will meet you at the hotel to take you on your private tour of the Vatican. You will be transferred by car to the entrance of the Vatican Museum where you will begin your tour. This tour will take you through the galleries of the Vatican Museums, home to the most celebrated art collection in Europe. You will see Michelangelo's incredible frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Last but not least you will visit the largest sanctuary of Christianity, St. Peter's Basilica. The tour will end in St. Peter's Sqaure, from which you can take a taxi back to the hotel or continue sightseeing on your own.

Day 4: Rome - Tuscany

After check-out from your hotel you will be picked up by your English-speaking driver for your transfer to Florence. On the way, you will stop to visit two extraordinary Etruscan towns: Lazio and Orvieto. In Northern Lazio, you will cross a narrow bridge to the fascinating hill town of Civita di Bagnoregio, a place of awe-inspiring beauty and seclusion. In Umbria you will stop in Orvieto, famous for its Etruscan ruins as well as its Gothic cathedral and the excellent wines preserved in its underground cellars. You will arrive in Florence in the evening and check-in to your next hotel: the beautiful La Collegiata, overlooking San Gimignano. Tonight you will enjoy a romantic dinner at the restaurant of the hotel.
Hotel: La Collegiata Hotel (or similar rating hotel)

Day 5: Bike Ride to San Galgano Abbey & Afternoon in San Gimignano

This morning your driver/guide will meet you at the hotel for your half-day excursion. You will drive to the town of Monticiano where you will begin your bike tour through the Merse Valley to the Abbey of San Galgano.

You will ride through a magnificent natural setting along an ancient road that led from Siena to the sea. You will follow the train to the Merse River where you will cross the wooden bridge that leads to the Abbey of San Galgano. You will visit the Cistercian Abbey of San Galgano, an icon unto itself, the foremost symbol of this land. It is historically and architecturally one of the most important religious monuments in the Sienese countryside. You will also visit the Pieve of Montesiepi, home to the Sword in the Stone and a group of frescos by Ambrogio Lorenzetti. From here you will retrace your steps to the bridge over the Merse River and climb on a dirt road until you return to Monticiano, where you will be transferred back to your hotel. Later in the afternoon you will be transferred to the beautiful town of San Gimignano which you see from your hotel. The emotions of San Gimignano start while we are still approaching the town. Now and then, between the trees in the distance, the town briefly appears like a fairy tale mirage, a skyline of towers - a 13th century Manhattan. We arrive at the town walls and then walk under the ancient gateway, which leads us into the paved promenade with it's beautifully preserved stone-walled buildings that are richly occupied by handcraft workshops and antique stores. The promenade then leads us to the two main squares, gently covered by a warm carpet of red bricks all around, noble palaces, towers, churches and endless, wonderful views. You will have dinner at a local restaurant before returning to the hotel for your overnight.