Florence - AO Trips

Timing: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Description: A short one hour bus drive will take us to Pisa. It is known throughout the world for Miracles Square, a perfect setting where the Cathedral, Baptistry and the leaning tower stand. After a brief time for touring and taking pictures, we will continue to charming Lucca. A medieval walled-in village, Lucca is considered one of the most beautiful towns of Tuscany. Upon arrival we will meet with local guides who will help us discover the city center.

We will walk through piazza San Michele with the beautiful church, the elegant Via Fillungo, the amphitheater square, built on the site of an ancient roman amphitheater, the Cathedral of St. Martin that hosts the marble statue of Ilaria del Carretto, a masterpiece of the Renaissance era and the piazza Napoleon, built when the sister of Napoleon lived in town in the early 19° Century. Paolina Bonaparte transformed the town, restored palaces, and recreated the city walls in public gardens, as they now stand today. You will have some free time to grab a bite to eat or to shop. At the end of the tour, we will transfer back to the hotel.

• WHAT TO WEAR/BRING: Comfortable walking shoes, hat and sunscreen.
• INCLUSIONS: Roundtrip Motorcoach transfers, coach escort, 2 local guide(s), entrance fees to Cathedral and Baptistry in Pisa and Cathedral in Lucca, headsets for each guest, water on coach.
• EXCLUSIONS: Lunch is not provided.
• RESTRICTIONS/NOTES: NA
• ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderate (walking is required in Pisa and Lucca – some surfaces will be uneven and may be at an incline.)
• PRICE:  USD $189.00 per person
• MINIMUM 30 / MAXIMUM 50 per coach

Note: The order of the tour (Pisa - Lucca or Lucca - Pisa) will vary by coach.

Timing: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Description: San Gimignano is the most charming and picturesque village of Tuscany, famous for its house towers. The city center is surrounded by the original medieval city walls and to walk through the narrow streets takes us back to the Middle Ages. We will visit the Piazza della Cisterna, with the famous water wheel in the center. We will admire some of the most important house towers, which belonged to powerful and noble families. Our tour will end in front of the Cathedral. Built in romantic style, the Cathedral hosts precious frescos of the 13th century. Participants will be given 45 minutes of free time to shop before returning to the hotel.

• WHAT TO WEAR/BRING: Comfortable walking shoes, hat and sunscreen.
• INCLUSIONS: Roundtrip Motorcoach transfers, parking fees, coach escort, local guide(s), headsets for each guest, water on coach.
• EXCLUSIONS: Lunch is not provided
• RESTRICTIONS/NOTES: NA
• ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderate (walking is required in San Gimignano – some surfaces will be uneven and may be at an incline.)
• PRICE:  USD $145.00 per person
• MINIMUM 30 / MAXIMUM 50 per coach

Timing: 9:00 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Description: Participants will be transferred to the Chianti area and visit three different wineries. We will explore vast wine cellars and learn how each winery produces their wines: the type of grapes grown and used, the grape aging process, and yearly production. At one winery, we will have lunch, accompanied by a tasting of four different wines. 

Due to the popularity of the Chianti Wine Region Tour, we are pleased to announce we have been able to expand the number of tours available. You will visit 3 of the wineries listed below, which will vary by group and by coach.

Ruffino’s Poggio Casciano Estate is in the Tuscan hills outside the village of Grassino, just a few miles from Florence. ‘Poggio’ is the Tuscan word for a terraced hilltop, which perfectly describes the terrain. The name ‘Casciano’ is said to derive from Cassius, a commander in the ancient Roman army who was granted large land holdings in the region. At this estate, antiquity and modernity blend beautifully. A 14th century villa with classic Tuscan terra cotta and ochre exterior overlooks scenic vineyards and serves as Ruffino‘s main visitor center. The lovely gardens and courtyard complete the visitor experience. Innovation also finds a place here. An underground barrique tunnel connects the villa with the newer winery buildings where extensive soil and climate research is conducted. This research has led to experimental plantings and blends, with an eye to ever-improving quality.

Castle of Verrazzano stands on a hill overlooking vineyards and olive trees and has produced excellent wines since the 15th century. Giovanni da Verrazzano, native of the castle was a great navigator and discoverer of new lands: between 1522 and 1523 he persuaded King Francis I to promote an expedition aimed to find a passage to the west from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Verrazzano was thus the first to explore the east coast of the current United States of America. On April 17, 1524, he reached the New York Bay; to celebrate the event New York has named a bridge for him, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

Fattoria Lilliano Chianti Classico

The first records of Borgo di Lilliano date back to the Middle Ages. At that time, it was a fortified complex comprising the Church of Santa Cristina with a characteristic single large nave (unusual for the parish churches of Chianti). The facade, decorated with a well-preserved cornice made of limestone, is highly original. The complex was owned by the Marquis of Tuscany, later by the Abbey of Poggibonsi and by the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova di Firenze. It was then known as Palazzo di Santa Maria Nuova a Ligliano. Lilliano suffered sieges and destruction during the wars between Sienna and Florence due to its position on the border between the territories of the two extensive, argumentative republics and to the fact that it was close to important strongholds such as Staggia, Castellina in Chianti and Monteriggioni.

While retaining the medieval formation which can be seen in the topography, the cellars and enclosure walls, the architecture developed gradually through a series of styles to assume its current eighteenth century appearance. The bottling and sale of wines began in 1958 by princess Eleonora Ruspoli Berlingieri, whose family bought the estate in 1920. Giulio and Pietro Ruspoli are the current owners.

Villa Fattoria Le Corti is located approximately 40 minutes drive from central Florence, has been owned by the noble Corsini family since the 14th century. The property is spread over more than 568 acres, of which about 99 acres are vineyards. The wine cellars, built in the 17th century under the family villa, are on 3 levels and host big and small barrels where wine is produced and aged. The winery produces excellent red and white wines and extra virgin olive oil.

Castello Vicchiomaggio is a well-known producer of internationally renowned wines. The estate covers 346 acres, of which 84 acres are vineyards, 25 acres are olive trees, and the rest is park. The stone tower at Castello Vicchiomaggio dates to the 1100s and the castle, then known as Vicchio of the Lombards, was first recorded in official documentation from the 15th Century. The castle was an important defensive fortress in the Middle Ages due its strategic location close to the town of Greve in Chianti. The name Castello Vicchiomaggio was adopted during the Renaissance period in tribute to the Maggiolate of Calendimaggio. During its long and elaborate history, Castello Vicchiomaggio has played host to a range of noted historical figures, including Leonardo da Vinci.

Villa St. Andrea winery is located 4 miles from the small town of San Casciano Val di Pesa, one of the main centers of production of Chianti wine, approximately 40 minutes drive from central Florence.  The estate is spread over more than 1,483 acres, of which about 124 acres are vineyards.       

Note: The wineries visited along with the order of the wineries may vary from group to group and coach to coach. You will have the opportunity to buy wine and olive oil to ship home.

• WHAT TO WEAR/BRING: Comfortable walking shoes, hat and sunscreen.
• INCLUSIONS: Roundtrip Motorcoach transfers, coach escort, local guides at wineries, water on coach, visit to 3 wineries with tastings, 3 course set menu lunch, water, coffee. 
• EXCLUSIONS: NA
• RESTRICTIONS/NOTES:  NA
• ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderate (some walking is required at wineries, there will be steep steps to take in order to tour the winery cellars – some surfaces will be uneven and may be at a steep incline.)
• PRICE:  USD $275.00 per person
• MINIMUM 25 / MAXIMUM 30 per coach