Duration: 12 hours
Type Of Service: VIP Small-Group Cinque Terre Discovery & Vineyards Escapes Tour with Seafood Lunch
There is nothing better than the VIP Cinque Terre Discovery & Vineyards Escapes to explore a real Italian coastal paradise with the exclusivity of a small-group tour. This is the most complete experience and the only one-day tour to Cinque Terre that will allow you to discover the beauty of the villages while breathing the true relaxed essence of this paradise. A small-group adventure. The personalized attention of a knowledgeable guide. Exclusive escapes from the crowds that will reveal hidden, no touristy, gems. Relaxed savoring of two of the treasures of this region: its cuisine made of ancient traditional recipes and its local unique wines.
Departure from meeting point in the morning, transfer to the North West Riviera with a comfortable air-conditioned minivan.
During the day the guide will introduce guests to this spectacular corner of Italy, famous for its panorama, its wine, its food, beautiful sea and hiking opportunities.
Our comprehensive exploration will include the visit of some of the most beautiful villages and landscapes of Cinque Terre National Park (a world-heritage protected by UNESCO since 1997) which are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso, the villages clinging to a remote stretch of the Riviera coastline. You will enjoy the five-mile-long rocky coast lined by thousands of dry walls built on terraces cultivated with vineyards, and the small medieval fishing villages built on rock… add to this the incredible color of the sea and the sky, and you may understand what paradise the Cinque Terre really is. Enjoy the most astonishing views either from land and sea, as we stroll along the national park by boat, train, and walking/hiking on the fabulous trails on the cliff (including famous Via dell’Amore - see notes -) in a perfect mix for a memorable experience.
A delicious full lunch with wine tasting in a typical restaurant on the sea is included, thus you will be able to enjoy incredible fresh seafood cooked the Ligurian way, accompanied by some great white wines typical of this region.
An amazing boat ride (weather and sea conditions permitting) will be an additional memorable perspective on the Riviera, to take back home with you the most incredible pictures of this day.
This experience is a unique opportunity to explore Cinque Terre in a day, also enjoying a few enchanting escapes from the crowds of the villages. You will have the chance to admire the astonishing coastal panorama from a high vantage point, with a very light hike on an almost levelled trail through seaside vineyards. Natural amphitheaters of luxuriant vineyards will disclose to your eyes and senses, facing the sea and the open horizon, and you will learn about the unique peculiarities of grape harvesting (that often include incredible steep mono-rails through the vineyards) and wine production of this region.
Get the best out of a day out, join this small group adventure!
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Duration: 10.5 hours
Type Of Service: Daytrip from Milan - Full Day Two Countries: Lake Como Tours with Bellagio and Lugano Switzerland - small group tour
Leave The City for a Day -Trying to decide which beautiful sights of Northern Italy to see and how much time you need to see them? We’ll make it easy for you. Our new day trips from Milan take you to three of the most beautiful and most popular destinations - Lake Como and Bellagio in Italy and Lake Lugano in Switzerland – in just one day!
And Bask in Lake Como's Beauty - Our one-day tours from Milan leave from a central, easy-to-reach location in the city. Your air-conditioned private coach will head straight from Milan to Lake Como, just an hour but a world away. Along the way, your expert, English-speaking guide will make sure you don’t miss any interesting sights and will entertain you with stories about them. We take care of all the details of your trip – including roundtrip transportation from Milan and tickets for a boat tour of Lake Como – all you have to do is show up and relax!
Nestled in the mountains with beautiful scenery that changes with each season, picturesque Lake Como has been Italy’s leading vacation destination for hundreds of years. During our boat tour, you’ll see the beautiful lakeside villas once owned by La Scala’s opera singers and now by headlining celebrities such as George Clooney, Richard Branson and Matthew Bellamy of Muse. You might even recognize villas from the Star Wars and James Bond blockbuster films.
Once in the beautiful city of Bellagio you will have free time explore on your own. Shop from local artisans, enjoy local food in nostalgic restaurants or step in for a quick drink in an ages-old bar, it is entirely up you. Take as many photos as you please in this picturesque town before we board our motor coach once again and continue our journey across the Italian border to Lugano.
We now take a scenic drive through the Alps and across the Swiss border to Lake Lugano. It’s easy to see why this city is one of Switzerland’s most popular vacation destinations. Lugano boasts a beautiful, large lake surrounded by huge and often snow-capped mountains.*
You can spend your afternoon in Lugano as you like with suggestions and directions from your guide. Culture aficionados should visit the church of Santa Maria degli Angioli home to Switzerland’s most important Renaissance painting - the beautiful ‘Passion and Crucifixion’ by Bernardino Luini, whose paintings have been compared to those of Leonardo da Vinci. You be the judge!
Lugano Like A Local - Feel like shopping? In Lugano’s downtown shopping district you’ll find plenty of choices - from luxury goods to, of course, delicious Swiss chocolate. We’ll give you lots of time to explore Lugano before you board the coach and return to Milan in time for dinner.
Combining visits to two countries and three of the area’s most beautiful locations in just one day, our day trips from Milan offer the perfect getaway from the hectic city life of Milan. We’ve taken care of the details, so you can just relax and enjoy the scenery…and so much more.
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Duration: 5 hours
Type of Service: Half Day Venetian Islands: Murano Glassblowing and Burano Lacemaking - group tour
Most first-time visitors to Venice spend the majority of their time around its famous Saint Mark's Square. Those with a bit more time in Italy also fit in a visit to Murano, a nearby island. This is the place to go if you're interested in the famed Murano glass, where you can watch a demonstration of glass making and maybe buy a Venetian glass souvenir or two.
Burano has been occupied from the 6th century, but it only became important in the 16th century, when women on the island began making lace with needles and it became popular among the European elite. It’s a fine art form and takes an incredible amount of patience and time to create. So as you can imagine, it’s a luxury few can afford. Most of the lace that's for sale in souvenir shops are affordable, so it's not created by hand. Still, it's beautiful and the shops are worth visiting.
Venetian Islands Tour: Murano Glassblowing & Burano Lacemaking - No trip to Venice is complete without discovering the Venetian Lagoon's two most cherished islands. This half-day trip to Murano from Venice with Burano offers perks not usually found on other group tours, like transport by private water taxi and a dedicated guide throughout. Gain perspective on the ageless arts of glassblowing and lacemaking and the mastery of artisans, as well as delight in the unique charm of the tranquil canals and piazzas.
Take a Private Water Taxi to Murano - Once you reach the meeting point in central Venice, you'll be whisked off to Murano to see its world-famous blown glass. On the way, admire the 'City of Bridges' from the water with sweeping views and entertaining commentary from your guide as you get ready to witness the magic of Murano glass.
All glassmaking was moved to this tiny group of islands in the Middle Ages, and it was the only place where mirrors were made for centuries. Techniques were so secret that perpetrators risked execution for leaking them. Times have changed, but you'll behold exactly what has made Murano glass so sought after for nearly 750 years.
Learn More with our Expert Guides - Upon arrival, you'll dock at a specially chosen glassblowing workshop where you'll marvel as craftsmen shape molten glass into dazzling works of art. See these sparkling treasures come to life as you learn how colors and the most ambitious shapes come to be. You can also browse in the gallery, or shop with our discount. Afterward, explore Murano to enjoy its sleepy canals and San Donato church, a stunning example of Byzantine architecture, without being hurried.
Discover the Finest Handmade Lace at Burano - The next stop on your Venice cruise is Burano. Considered by many as one of the most colorful places in the world, this small fishing community with its brightly colored houses also has some of the finest handmade lace anywhere. Watch this cultural tradition in action as women stitch by hand, like countless generations before them. After the demonstration, you will have free time to visit the lace museum, stroll Burano's vibrant waterways, or shop for souvenirs.
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Duration: 3.5 hours
Type of Service: The Original Crypts and Catacombs Tour - small group tour
Your tour starts at one of the Roman Catacombs, the Eternal City’s underground burial chambers where long winding passages unfold millennia of history among tombs and inventive handmade memorials, taking you to a time when Christianity was considered a simple cult whose members were executed as pagans and buried as martyrs.
Then it’s on to Basilica San Clemente where the sound of running water drove one clergyman to dig his way through the floor tiles. What he discovered were 'wedding cake' layers of history piled on top of each other so that visitors today climb down to a 4th century church, the 2nd century remains of a Mithraic temple and finally ruins that date back to the Great Fire under the reign of Nero in 64 AD. You'll even see the working aqueduct that led to the excavations in the first place. With ruins reaching nearly 60 feet deep, it makes you wonder what lies beneath the rest of Rome.
Your journey through the centuries ends with a bang at perhaps the most memorable sites – the Capuchin Crypt and Museum. Here the remains of 4,000 Capuchin monks literally rest in pieces. Their remains have been used to decorate the underground crypt with vertebrae chandeliers, real-life skulls and cross-bones and robe-clad skeletons leering from the walls. Morbid fascination or respectful art? You’ll be the judge of that.
Much of what Rome has to offer is buried underground and through this tour – the only tour that takes you to crypts and catacombs from different historical eras in locations across the city – you can discover the true underside of Rome.
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Sites Visited
Duration: 12 hours
Type of Service: Full Day Pompeii Tour from Rome with Mt. Vesuvius Volcano - small group tour
Discover Pompeii and the still-active volcano that brought the bustling Roman city to its terrible end on this exclusive day trip from Rome to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. Explore the city of Pompeii with an expert, English-speaking guide who will help you make the most of your time here. In 1.5 hours, you’ll see the most fascinating sites of the city, from plaster death casts to Pompeii’s fast food joints and streets cut out by carriage wheels 2,000 years ago. Visiting on a day trip, it’s impossible to walk all of Pompeii, but our carefully-planned route means you’ll see the best of it, with the most representative and well-preserved buildings it has to offer.
During our time in Pompeii group sizes will be limited to 25 people or less with headsets for every visitor, so your guide will be easy to hear and interact with. Like all tour operators, we use official, licensed Pompeii guides for this section of our tour. However, as is the case with our own staff, these guides are carefully chosen by us. We constantly evaluate Pompeii guides and ask for feedback from every customer to ensure that we only use the most talented and knowledgeable in their pool.
Another high point of our tour comes when we climb to the ridge of the crater of Mt. Vesuvius. This destructive force, which buried Pompeii in 79 AD, is to this day considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the 3,000,000 people who live around its base. Lava flows have scarred the sides of the volcano and are visible on the winding road up to the top – where you will take in incredible views over the Bay of Naples and its islands below.
During the winter season (November 20th - March 31st) and on days when Mt. Vesuvius is closed due to weather conditions, your tour of the past will take you to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples instead. Here you’ll see a fantastic array of artifacts, mosaics, statues and artwork excavated from Pompeii and Herculaneum – the perfect way to complement a visit to the ruins.
With transport to and from Rome included on a comfortable, air-conditioned coach, an expert, English-speaking tour leader to accompany you for the day and traditional Neapolitan pizza lunch, you won’t have to worry about anything but what you came to see. Take the extra time to reflect on one of Italy’s most fascinating sights – a city buried that was buried for thousands of years before being rediscovered 'frozen' in time.
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Duration: 6 hours
Type of Service: Tuscany Vespa Tour - The Tuscan landscapes on board of an Italian icon - small group tour and private tours offered
We designed this trip for those who want a quick and fun adventure. A private van transfer takes you into the countryside to meet your guide and your scooter, away from the busy and hustling city. The tour is led by our experienced guide. Every person will have his or her own scooter to ride if they wish. After an orientation, your English-speaking escort will lead you out for an engaging and enjoyable ride, along quiet and scenic country roads offering splendid views of the rolling hillside and visiting different small medieval villages, cruising along Chianti’s quiet roads, gliding past vineyards and villas.
No need to worry about where to go and what to see because your guide will lead the way! They know the most scenic roads, the loveliest places, and the best food and wine in Tuscany. We will then stop for some lunch savoring Tuscan specialties with a little tasting of Chianti wines, featuring sweeping views over the romantic Tuscan landscape. Touring by scooter is a wonderful way of exploring Tuscany. You can stop when and wherever you want and parking is never a problem. Furthermore, you and your Italian Vespa become a part of the scenery rather than being sealed off from it. Combine the freedom and exhilaration of touring by scooter with the amazing food, wine, and beauty of Tuscany.
A valid driver’s license is required and you must be at least 18 years of age. Guests do not need a motorcycle license. The Vespa experience offers an original take on touring Tuscany, while we take care of each and every detail.
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Duration: 8 hours
Type of Service: Personal sommelier - wine expert on board, awarded but non-commercial wineries visit with the vintners, highly educational wine tour for wine connoisseurs or simply wine lovers.
Tour Description:
Take a private wine tour experience to visit Tuscany's best wineries, where you will sample top-end wines and have an educational and tasty food & wine pairing session to combine each wine with each food specialty. Enjoy a full day escorted by a friendly professional driver-guide, specialized in wine-making and sommelier, fluent in English and knowledgeable about wines.
The tour includes a scenic drive through the Chianti Classico region, the first stop at a wine estate with full cellar tour and tasting of at least 3-4 wines. The second winery will host you for a food and wine pairing session (gluten free-vegan-vegetarian options possible in advance). Lastly, we will visit an award-winning winery to sample Super Tuscan wines. In the majority of the estates visited, you will sample extra virgin olive oil, and other local products.
Things to Know:
Duration: 8 hours
Type of Service: Personal sommelier - wine expert on board, awarded but non-commercial wineries visit with the vintners and historical overview of the region
Tour Description: The Chianti Classico area is the most beautiful Tuscan wine region crossed by the scenic road SR 222 running between Florence and Siena, both great home bases if you are thinking about booking this wine tour.
The area is a patchwork of mountains, soft rolling hills covered by olive trees and slopes with perfectly cared vineyards where more than 200 Tuscan vintners are growing local grape varieties such as Sangiovese along with international grape varieties introduced in Tuscany several years ago such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir.
A full day in Chianti will consist of a scenic drive and a wine tour rich in cultural insights from Etruscan times till modern times always with a deep attention to the history of winemaking in Tuscany through accurate cellar visits, generous wine tastings of Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva and Super Tuscans.
Things to Know
Duration: 8 hours
Type of Service: Etruscan Sites, Off the beaten path hilltop town, top end winery visits with farm to table Tuscan home-made meal - Chianti Tour from Florence
Comfortable pick up from your hotel, scenic drive along the Chianti Classico area with a full explanation of the region with cultural insights.
The first stop will be at a small medieval hilltop town still a living community which keeps the village immaculate as the 9th century to get an off the beaten path experience away from the crowds and big tourists centers. The walk through the village will be escorted by your driver/guide to give you a fun, educational tour and learn about historical curiosities anyway do not expect a museum and churches tour but be ready to fill your eyes with a movie-like setting.
Next, you will visit a small Etruscan site to get a historical and archeological introduction about Tuscan's ancestors, and afterward, you will be a visit to a family run winery with cellar visit and winemaking explanation followed by a farm to table meal with wine pairing plus a tasting of extra virgin olive oil.
After lunch, enjoy a relaxing car ride back to Florence as your English-speaking tour guide/driver shares great conversations with you and answers any questions you might have about wine and the Chianti region.
Things to Know
Duration: 4 - 5 hours
Type Of Service: Florence to Cinque Terre Private Car Transfer Tour with a one-hour stop-over in Pisa
Our car service transfers provide our clients the opportunity to make the most of their time while in Italy enjoying tours of other popular tourist destinations as they travel from one Italian city to another. On our Florence to Cinque Terre car transfer, enjoy a one-hour stop-over in Pisa and spend time at the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and the extraordinary Piazza dei Miracoli, as part of your private car transfer from Florence. Your driver will drop you off at Piazza dei Miracoli and await for your return at the car parking lot.
We can arrange for skip the line tickets for those guests who want to climb the two-hundred eighty-eight steps of the Leaning Tower while in Pisa. The Leaning Tower tickets are 28 euros per person.
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