Compare The Best of Italy & Sicily by Great Value Vacations vs Gourmet Food & Fine Wine Tuscany Tours by Alma Italia
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| Trip |
4 | Great
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 15 days | 9 days |
| Price From | $ 4,874 | $ 5,000 |
| Price Per Day | $ 325 | $ 556 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Luxury |
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| Flights & Transport | Airfare included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included |
15 Breakfasts and 5 Dinners |
Breakfast plus one other meal (lunch or dinner) |
| Description |
This 14-night guided vacation is perfect for those who wish to see all of Italy, including the Isle of Capri and Sicily. Guided sightseeing and highlight visits are included to St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum in Rome; the Academy of Fine Arts with Michelangelo’s David in Florence. In Venice you'll enjoy a private water-taxi ride and guided visits to St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Stop in Ravenna to admire the famous mosaics in the Basilica of St. Apollinaris in Classe; stay overnight in Assisi and admire St. Francis’ Basilica. |
Alma Italia’s HQ is in the heart of the Tuscany Chianti hills and our passion for our local wine has meant that over the years we have become friends with many of the finest vineyard owners all over Tuscany, offering the best wine tasting in Italy. From prestigious estates who have been producing great vintages for generations, to up and coming young superstars, we are happy to open our little black book of Tuscany wine tours and take you to meet our friends for a drink among the vines, and maybe even lunch or dinner. These are, without doubt, the best wine tours in Italy. Combine your dreams with our insider experience for the best wine tasting in Tuscany and delicious adventure of a lifetime. More than just an exclusive Tuscany wine tour, your travel experience will be custom designed to create an itinerary unique to your needs and wants. We can combine the best wine tasting in Italy with all the other culture and fun things that Italy has to offer. Exploring Renaissance cities, art, music, walking or cycling through beautiful countryside or even sailing and relaxing beach days can all be a part of your Tuscany wine tour! Our Italy based expert team will do the work they intimately know and love in bringing your desires to life. We will oversee every aspect and escort you along the way of your dream-like journey. |
Day 1: Welcome to Rome!
Accommodation: Una Hotel Roma
At 5pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome's lively restaurants. (Dinner)
Day 2: Rome
Enjoy guided sightseeing, including inside visits to all of the highlights of religious and ancient Rome: the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's ceiling paintings and The Last Judgment, monumental St. Peter's Square and Basilica to admire Michelangelo's Pieta, the amazing Colosseum, and the Roman Forum, where Roman legions marched in triumph. To make the most of your stay, join our optional walking tour, and see the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and other sites and squares of medieval Rome made famous in the movie Angels & Demons. (Breakfast)
Day 3: Rome - Pisa -Florence
Enter Tuscany and arrive in Pisa to marvel at the legendary Leaning Tower. Take your pictures pushing back the tower before continuing to Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance. Time to shop for Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry sold by the ounce, for which the city is famous. (Breakfast)
Day 4: Florence - Venice Island
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mgallery Lagare at Murano Hotel
This morning, focus on Florence. Your walking tour with a Local Guide features the magnificent cathedral, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze Gate of Paradise, and sculpture-studded Signoria Square. A highlight is a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts to admire Michelangelo's David. Cross the wooded Apennine Mountains and arrive in Venice. Enter in style by Private Boat and attend a Glassblower's Demonstration on the island of Murano. This evening, enjoy a ride by Private Water-taxi to St. Mark's Square to discover Venice by night.
Day 5: Venice Island
Meals: Breakfast
Board your Private Boat to St. Mark's Square and meet your Local Guide for a walking tour including visits to the byzantine St. Mark's Basilica, lavish Doges' Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Then, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride and an exciting optional lagoon cruise to the colorful island of Burano.
Day 6: Venice Island - Ravenna - Assisi
Follow the Adriatic coastline to Ravenna. Here, see the famous mosaics in the 6th-century Basilica of St. Apollinaris in Classe. In the afternoon, arrive in peaceful Assisi and visit the massive 13th century lower Basilica of St. Francis built above the Saint's grave. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 7: Assisi - Pompeii - Naples. Overnight Cruise to Palermo
Accommodation: Hotel San Francesco Assisi
Arrive in Pompeii, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. A guided walking tour through the excavations features patrician houses, public baths, and commercial districts that strikingly recall day-to-day life when Rome was at the apex of her power. In nearby Naples, a cappuccino and sfogliatella await you at the famous Grand Cafe Gambrinus before boarding your Ferry in Naples for the overnight cruise to Sicily. (Breakfast)
Day 8: Palermo
Meals: Breakfast
After disembarkation, start your sightseeing with a Local Guide. Visit the ornate Piazza Bellini, Capo Market, the baroque Church of Immacolata, and the Cathedral. Drive up to Monreale for a panoramic view of the Conca d'Oro and a visit to the 12th-century Norman Cathedral, famous for its 50,000 square feet of precious byzantine mosaics.
Day 9: Palermo - Marsala - Agrigento
Accommodation: Excelsior Hilton Palermo
In Marsala, visit a Salt Mill, then a true highlight: a local favorite Wine Tasting at the famous Florio wine cellar to try out and learn about Marsala wines. Next, drive along the western coast to Agrigento. Here, your Local Guide will take you for a spectacular walk through the magnificent Valley of Temples. Even travellers who have visited Athens and Delphi are awed by the gigantic yet graceful Greek structures that miraculously survived 24 centuries of tormented history. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 10: Agrigento - Taormina Riviera
This morning, enjoy the scenic beauty and treasures of the island's heart on your way to Taormina, where you will visit the 3rd-century Greek Amphitheatre, the second-largest of its kind in Sicily. Situated above the city, it affords spectacular views of the bay and Mount Etna. (Breakfast)
Day 11: Taormina Riviera
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Della Valle, Agrigento
Today is your chance to join the exciting half-day optional excursion to Mount Etna. Afternoon is at leisure to relax or for individual activities.
Day 12: Taormina Riviera – Sorrento
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Atahotel Naxos Beach Resort
Board your Ferry and cross the Strait of Messina to land at the toe of the Italian boot in Calabria. Tonight, you are in the charming resort of Sorrento, delightfully situated on the Bay of Naples.
Day 13: Sorrento. Excursion to Capri
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Cesare Augusto
Speed across the Bay of Naples by Jetfoil to the Isle of Capri, an ancient retreat for Roman emperors and renowned ever since that time for its beauty. Ride the Funicular to Capri village for a guided visit of this pretty town. Free time to explore the little shops on the charming piazzetta. Then, enjoy an exciting Boat Cruise (weather permitting) around the island. Return to Sorrento.
Day 14: Sorrento – Rome
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: NH Midas Hotel
Return to Rome. This evening, back in the Eternal City, a special farewell dinner with wine and opera entertainment awaits you at La Carovana restaurant as a proper way to say, Arrivederci, Roma!
Day 15: Depart Italy
Meals: Breakfast
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Day 1: Arrival
On arrival at the airport, you will be greeted by your new friends from Alma Italia. You can relax in the safety and security of a private transfer to your hotel. The next four nights you will be staying in a stylish boutique hotel in the heart of the Chianti Classico producing region. Spend the afternoon taking a swim in the stunning outdoor pool with a panoramic hilltop view overlooking the Chianti scenery, followed by sunset drinks on the terrace before dinner at the hotel. Bliss!
Vineyard sunset
Day 2: Chianti wine and olive oil tasting
Your local English speaking Alma Italia wine guide will meet you at your accommodation after breakfast for a full day of the best wine tasting in Tuscany. Indulge your love of Italian food in Tuscany, and enjoy a full-day tour that combines a cooking class and wine tasting. Following the cooking class enjoy lunch at the estate tasting yet more wines and tasting local olive oils.
In the late afternoon visit the village of Fiesole, overlooking Florence admiring the view before driving down the hill to experience the Renaissance capital of Italy up close. The town and its surroundings are full of charm, character, and history. Enjoy a traditional Tuscan dinner in a trattoria in Florence adored by locals for generations paired with their wine suggestions.
Florence bridge
Day 3: Relaxing cycle through the Tuscan countryside
Your Alma Italia guide will meet you at your accommodation after breakfast for a morning bike ride – Our private rides are tailored to clients’ specific preferences and biking abilities . You’ll cycle at your own pace on peaceful country lanes, through an endless panorama of vineyards, olive groves and centuries-old stone farmhouses. Along the vineyard cycle route enjoy a morning tour and tasting, and you’ll also enjoy a truly delicious Tuscan lunch featuring local products and wine pairings in a stunning Tuscan wine
estate. Relax with private transfers back to your accommodation for a swim in the pool and time to soak up some early evening sun.
Vine bike Tuscany wine tours
Day 4: Explore Siena and the surrounding vineyards
Enjoy a slow morning with a late breakfast and time to relax and enjoy the panoramic outdoor pool with incredible Chianti vineyard views. For those who want to be pampered by different wellness treatments, the hotel offers a range of spa treatments. Private wine tours in Tuscany should be relaxing after all!
Your Alma Italia host and driver will arrive later to take you into Siena for the day! Siena, built on three hills and surrounded by well-preserved walls, is filled with fine examples of Gothic architecture and has one of the world’s most unique piazzas, Piazza dal Campo, dominated by the greatest Gothic building in Tuscany, the Palazzo Pubblico.
Siena Duomo Italy wine week
Day 5: Maremma – Tuscany by the sea
In the morning, relax as your private driver whisks you through the beautiful countryside to the Maremma coast in southern Tuscany. You will feel instantly renewed as you see the blue Mediterraean sea stretch out before you. We will stop on the way to visit an esteemed award winning up and coming vineyard run by 2 generations of the same Tuscan family. You will notice how the proximity to the sea impacts on the wine, so different to that of Chianti Classico but no less delicious! The Maremma is now widely regarded as one of the regions to experience the best wine tasting in Ital and is definately a highlight on our private wine tours in Tuscany
The next Four night’s accommodation will be in an elegant, historic and unique small hotel situated on Tuscany’s Argentario peninsula. A former island off the coast of Tuscany, now connected to the mainland via three narrow sandbars, Monte Argentario is a hidden beach paradise for those looking to mingle sea and mountain fun, all in one place. A special place where the Italian elite seeking out a hidden getaway enjoy the groves of Argentario’s coastline. The two restaurants (one of which is Michelin star) offer unique atmospheres, they share mouth-wateringly good traditional Italian dishes with a modern twist, taste bud tingling vintages and stylish surroundings.
Tuscany wine tours
Day 6: Monte Argentario by private boat
A special day today as your Alma Italia guide takes you on a private boat for a day on the water to explore the coastline of Monte Argentario and Isola Giannutri, an incredible small island unspoiled and breathtaking in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. Shaped like a half moon , the island of Giannutri will bedazzle you with its unique underwater world and the ruins of imposing Roman villas. It is a simply stunning place to explore and relax with a lunch on the island and swimming in the crystal clear waters to refresh yourself in the afternoon.
Monte Argentario by private boat Italy tours
Day 7: Port Ercole and Morellino di Scansano
A day to explore. Head to 16th century Forte Stella at Porto Ercole, built in the shape of a star and a remnant from the island’s former Spanish invaders. Take a walk along the high-end boutiques of Porto Ercole towards the ‘borgo antico’ or old part of the village, continue towards the ‘la rocca’ fortress for amazing views with lunch in the old town. Or simply relax and enjoy the panoramic Seaview from the pool.
In the afternoon we will continue our wine tasting Italy tour with a visit to vineyard in Morellino di Scansano, now one of the most popular appellations for local Tuscans who consider the small area as offering some of the best wine tasting in Tuscany.
Vineyard san Gimigiano
Day 8: Italian food and wine by the beach
Bike to the Beach!
Your Alma Italia guide will meet you at your accommodation after breakfast for a full day of beaches, biking and of course, some of the best wine tasting in Italy. – Our private bike routes have optional extensions, so you can choose the perfect amount of biking to suit your ability. The ride takes you through medieval towns, beautiful vistas and ends at the Tyrrehnian sea with a swim along the way. Enjoy an amazing local lunch to end the trip – A wide range of local flavours ensure a stunning Tuscan lunch paired with wines in a memorable setting. Late afternoon (chauffeured) transfers back to your accommodation.
Tuscany wine tours
Day 9: Time to say Arrividerci
After a final breakfast in the hotel, relax with private transfers to the airport for your flight home.
