Stroll around charming medieval hilltop towns and experience the rich cultural legacy of the great art masters on this Tuscany, Umbria, and Florence tour. Step back into the Middle Ages in villages such as Siena, Monteriggioni, and San Gimignano. See amazing frescoes and art in cathedrals in Perugia and Spoleto, as well as in the Basilica in Assisi where St. Francis is buried. Enjoy the refined sights in Florence, including Michelangelo's sculpture of David. Tour the Uffizi Gallery with an art historian. Enjoy a Tuscan cooking demonstration, a wine-tasting, and a visit to the local food market.

Itinerary

Day 1: Medieval Monteriggioni
Tour begins at Rome Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino one hour after the arrival of Our-selected flights. Drive along country roads lined with sunflowers and cypress trees to your hotel located close to the medieval hilltop village of Monteriggioni. Get to know your travel companions at the welcome reception and dinner.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Il Piccolo Castello, Monteriggioni, Italy

Day 2: San Gimignano sights and bicycle ride
Visit San Gimignano, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Tuscany. View towers built as both private fortresses and as symbols of wealth, and visit Piazza della Cisterna. In your free afternoon, perhaps take a bike ride through the Tuscan countryside.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Il Piccolo Castello, Monteriggioni, Italy

Day 3: Explore Siena
Travel to Siena, built atop seven hills. Join a local expert for a walking tour of the town’s medieval sights. Attend a wine tasting, then continue to Florence for a dine-around offering a selection of Tuscan restaurants.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Bernini Palace Hotel, Florence, Italy

Day 4: Art in Florence
An art historian presents a lecture at your hotel on the history of the artistic masters in Florence before you tour the Uffizi Gallery with a local guide. Gaze in wonder at works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, and more. Chose among many museums in your free afternoon for your own Florence tour.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Bernini Palace Hotel, Florence, Italy

Day 5: Statue of David in Florence
At the Galleria dell’Accademia, marvel at Michelangelo’s marble statue of David standing nearly 17 feet tall. The rest of the day is free to spend in Florence as you wish.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Bernini Palace Hotel, Florence, Italy

Day 6: Tuscan cooking class
Travel to the Etruscan hill town of Cortona, featured in the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun. Take a walking tour through the maze of medieval streets, and stop at the Museo Diocesano to see some fine paintings. Learn about the cuisine of Tuscany at a cooking demonstration and lunch at a gastronomic school in a 15th-century house. Your 5-star hotel tonight overlooks the Umbrian valley below.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: Hotel Brufani Palace, Perugia, Italy

Day 7: The Pleasures of Perugia
Perugia is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Italy, dating back to prehistoric times; located high on a hill, it has been ruled by the Etruscans and the Romans - and was once under direct control of the Papal State. Take a guided walking tour to view the wonderful examples of medieval architecture within its city walls. Take in the 15th-century Oratorio di San Bernardino, and view the cathedral where a Renaissance painting is credited with miracles, and two popes are buried in the transepts. The town is known around the world for its chocolate - attend a demonstration at your hotel in the art of making this delectable treat!
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Brufani Palace, Perugia, Italy

Day 8: Discover Assisi and Perugia
Visit the medieval town of Assisi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A highlight is a visit to the Basilica di San Francesco, the burial place of St. Francis, beloved patron saint of animals. Enjoy free time in Assisi, then return to Perugia for this evening's farewell reception and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hotel Brufani Palace, Perugia, Italy

Day 9: Ciao Italia
Tuscany, Umbria, and Florence tour ends at Rome Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino 2 1/2 hours before the departure of Our-selected flights. If you are departing at other times, you must secure your own transportation. If you are departing on a flight before 12:00 noon, you must depart Perugia very early (pre-dawn hours) for the airport.
Meals: Breakfast

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