The elegance of Italy

• Morning

VIP MEET & GREET AIRPORT TRANSFER from Venice Airport to Hotel Your airport assistant will meet you at the GATE with a nameboard. They will help you collect your luggage and escort you to your private driver and assistant. Please call the 24/7 phone number on your itinerary if you do not see your assistant within a reasonable time frame. Included: -Porter Service at Airport for 5 luggage -transfer with Van Mercedes and water taxi -private English-speaking assistance from the Gate to taxi and to Hotel.

• Afternoon

Walking Tour of Venice Experience the best of Venice with this tour. Meet your private guide and have a stroll visiting the most characteristic and important places of Venice’s history. You will be escorted through the millennium of life of the Serenissima Republic, recalling a past full of charm of this unique city. Route: Piazza San Marco (see the Bell Tower, Clock Tower and Procuratie), Basilica San Marco (exterior), Palazzo Ducale (interior). Duration:Approx. 2 hrs Meeting Point: San Marco Square, between the two big columns Included: Private English-speaking guide, Doge’s Palace tickets

• Dinner

at ANTINOO’s RESTAURANT – White Room At Antinoo’s Lounge & Restaurant you can enjoy the modern and contemporary taste of Venice. In the White Room you will be enveloped in an environment of white shades of the walls characterized by the play of geometric figures in relief. A refined and charming environment, overlooking the Grand Canal, which in summer leaves room for a panoramic outdoor terrace. The restaurant has recently obtained Due Cappelli by Le Guide de L’Espresso 2023, Due Forchette by Guida del Gambero Rosso 2023, Veneto Food Excellence Award 2022 and has been mentioned by Michelin Guide 2023

• Venetian Island Tour The Venice lagoon is an incredible set of islands: two of the most famous are Murano and Burano. A visit with a tour escort on board of a private boat is the best way to fully enjoy them! Pick up in Venice and lead to Murano, famous all over the world for the production of artistic glass; we will visit a glass factory and see the famous glass masters at work. For centuries Murano glass Masters have been recognized Worldwide for their amazing skills acquired through at least fifteen years of hard training. Even today, artists and designers from all over the world come to Murano with their ideas and ask the masters for their miracles to make their glass masterpieces. Back to the watertaxi, we will continue to the island of Burano, famous for its lace production and for its amazing-colored houses. There will be time to enjoy a stroll through this small island of fishermen. At the end of this pleasant promenade, your private boat will take you to a prestigious Venetian wine resort where you will enjoy a tasting of 4 different wines. Meeting Point: meet your personal guide in the Hotel Lobby Duration: Approx. 4h

 

• Private Gondola Ride Meet your private assistant at your hotel and get ready to embark on a journey back in time. Il Gondoliere (the Gondola driver) is a keeper of many of Venice's secrets. The original gondolas of Venice were covered with a 'felze', sheltering its occupants from the weather as well as prying eyes. The Gondola driver's familiarity with the hidden parts of Venice comes from having an unobstructed view through the entrance doors into the main palaces on the canals. You will experience a glimpse into hidden Venice from this unique vantage point. Your gondoliere will share the fascinating history of the palaces you pass as well as stories about the families that resided in those palaces, past and present. Your private assistant will meet you at your hotel and escort you walking to the “stazio” (the Gondola parking) where your Gondola experience will begin. If you choose, your assistant may accompany you during the ride and escort you back to the hotel. Otherwise, at the end of your ride, they will leave you to explore Venice and its canals in complete privacy with explicit instructions on how to return to your hotel. Meeting point: meet your personal assistant in the Hotel Lobby Duration: 30 min Included: Assistant from Hotel to Gondola NOTE: there isn’t any assistant or guide on Gondola

 

• HOTEL SINA CENTURION PALACE

• Transfer from Hotel Sina Centurion to Venice Train Station Included: -private English-speaking assistance from the Hotel to the train station -transfer with Van Mercedes and water taxi -Porter Service at Train Station for 5 luggage
• Transfer from Florence Train Station to Hotel Meeting: meet your personal driver outside the train terminal
• FLORENCE
• The Best of Florence and Accademia

Set off on a journey to discover the highlights of Florence and follow an expert and entertaining guide to the most significant places. Marvel at the impressive cultural, historical and artistic heritage of this charming city. Start your experience touring around the religious center of the city: admire the Duomo, whose impressive Dome was designed by Brunelleschi, and the Baptistery. From the religious center, we will walk to the political center, and enjoy a pleasant stroll through Piazza della Signoria, surrounded by ancient palaces and by the Loggia. In this open-air museum, we will see original masterpieces made by Giambologna and Cellini. Crossing Ponte Vecchio, the medieval bridge on the Arno River, we will end this tour in the prestigious Accademia Gallery, where, at your own pace, we will explore stunning artwork, such as the David by Michelangelo. Duration: 3 hours.

• UFFIZI The Gallery entirely occupies the first and second floors of the large building constructed between 1560 and 1580 and designed by Giorgio Vasari. It is famous worldwide for its outstanding collections of ancient sculptures and paintings (from the Middle Ages to the Modern period). The collections of paintings from the 14thcentury and Renaissance period include some absolute masterpieces: Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Beato Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, in addition to many precious works by European painters (mainly German, Dutch and Flemish). Moreover, the Gallery boasts an invaluable collection of ancient statues and busts from the Medici family, which adorns the corridors and consists of ancient Roman copies of lost Greek sculptures.

Duration: 3 hours Included: Private English-speaking guide; entrance fees at the Uffizi gallery;

• HOTEL L’OROLOGIO

 

• Transfer from Florence to Portovenere with Stop in LUCCA
• Lucca Walking Tour Lucca is called many things: a city of arts, a city of churches, gardens, towers. Most of all it is known for its walls. From Roman times until now the walls have stood. It is the only city in Italy that has kept its walls intact. The inner walled city is laid out in the ancient Roman grid plan. The Piazza San Michele is the site of the old forum. Bits of the Roman amphitheater can be found in the Amphitheater Square (Piazza dell'Anfiteatro). In Lucca in 56 BC, Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus formed their first Triumvirate. Where they had their tete-a-tete in Lucca is unknown. Lucca grew to prosperity in the silk trade of the 11th century. During the high middle ages the city was ruled by several dynasties. The last noble ruler was Matilda of Tuscany. After her death, the city became a chartered independent commune in 1160. Lucca remained as an independent republic for 500 years. The walls helped. Climb the town clock tower and/or the tree-topped Guinigi Tower. Take the hidden passageway leading to the Market Square, aka the Ampitheater Square. Visit Romanesque Lucca Cathedral. See San Michele in Foro, built in the 14th century on the site of the old Roman forum. The Church of San Frediano should not be missed. Lucca is the hometown of great opera composer Giacomo Puccini. Music fans can look forward to the annual Lucca Summer Festival featuring famous artists of the world. Strolling along the chic Via Fillungo, try the stuffed tordelli, befanini biscotti, and traditional buccellato.

 

• HIGHLIGHTS discover the Cinque Terre villages with an insider's touch

An authentic private experience through this area and its people. Following our insiders' track, you will discover the most authentic spirit of the five picturesque villages, beyond mass tourism. Moving around at your own pace and avoiding tourist traps, you will visit Vernazza with its tiny harbor, walk through the famous terraced gardens in Manarola, discover the postcard-perfect marina in Riomaggiore, take a stroll through the narrow alleys of Monterosso and admire the breathtaking view from the perched village of Corniglia. Your expert local guide will make you discover the best views and suggest the places we love most to taste local specialties, perhaps a simple cafe with a breathtaking view or a fantastic restaurant at the foot of a medieval tower. Included: full day private tour guide; train transfer from and to Hotel; Cinque Terre train tickets; pick-up hotel in Hotel. Not Included: boat tickets; meals; transfer not included in the above description; travel insurance; credit card fee; tips. Duration: 7 hours

• Dinner

at PALMARIA Restaurant Palmaria Restaurant wants to represent an opportunity for the entire area, a true hub of gastronomic culture, capable of generating new ideas and attracting different experiences. Following local tradition, but with an open eye towards the horizon outlined by our beautiful sea, the gourmet treat of Palmaria is intended to be a point of arrival for different cultures. The preference for light cooking, the ability to restore the purity of the product without frying and the choice of top quality organic ingredients, will remain our strong point. The expansion of the vegetarian menu and the gluten-free options will welcome the excellence of the neighboring regions. The Tuscan- Emilian Apennines and the innlands of Liguria, with their culinary pearls, will remain the main sources of inspiration.

• CINQUE TERRE BY PRIVATE BOAT Departing from Manarola you will sail along the beautiful coast of the Cinque Terre enjoying the best views of the 5 villages from the sea. You will be welcomed onboard a wooden small yacht selected for its comfort, high-level services, and welcoming and expert crew. You will enjoy a private boat tour curated into the details and the duration varies from 4 to 8 hours. You will have the possibility to swim in the best coves, sunbathe, and disembark in one or two villages. Depending on the length of the tour, it is possible to have a delicious light lunch on board with local products. Included: private boat tour with English-speaking captain; local wine and soft drinks; lunch onboard; beach towels; snorkeling apparel; fuel. Not Included: transfers; pick up hotel; tips; travel insurance; credit card fee Duration: 8 hours
• GRAND HOTEL PORTOVENERE*****

• Transfer from Hotel Grand Portovenere to Pisa Airport