Florence Travel Guides and Tours

Tauck's top selling Italy tour – highlighted by an after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel – explores Venice, Florence, Rome, Pompeii, Tuscan hill towns, and the Amalfi Coast – total Italian immersion, with world-renowned art, architecture, preserved medieval towns, and dramatic scenery. Select Small Group departure dates available with no more than 26 Tauck guests! Discover Bella Italia on Tauck's most comprehensive Italy tour, in the country, on visits to scenic Tuscan hill towns, in centuries-old cities and countryside villages, and along the Amalfi Coast. Classic Italy is highlighted by a Tauck Exclusive – an after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel for an extraordinary look at some of the world's most magnificent art treasures, without the crowds! Experience the rich history of the Vatican and the Roman Empire. Art is the focus in the beautiful city of Florence, a Tauck Italy tour highlight. A lecture by an art historian precedes a walking tour of the city and a visit to Galleria dell'Accademia. You'll also tour the magnificent Uffizi Gallery, accompanied by a local guide. Cruise by private boat along the shores of Cinque Terre villages clinging to coastal mountains, and stay at a 17th-century country house hotel in Torgiano where you'll share the secrets of great Italian cooking with an Umbrian chef. Historic sights in Pompeii, a two-night stay in magical Venice, and visits to the hill towns of Orvieto, Assisi, and San Gimignano complement a three-night stay in Rome.

Indulge yourself in the unforgettable flavors and vistas of Italy as you travel through the hill-towns and vineyards of Tuscany and Umbria. From the Renaissance treasures of Florence to the grape-laden groves of Siena and all the way to the chocolate hub of Perugia, you will encounter only spectacular scenery and decadent cuisine every step of the way. Trip costs include: Round-trip air transportation with a major airline, airport transfers and escorts The services of a Go Ahead Tour Director A licensed local city guide in Florence, Siena and Perugia 8 nights accommodations in comfortable, well-located hotels with twin beds and private bath or shower All hotel service charges and tips, baggage handling and local taxes Buffet breakfast (B) daily 1 specialty lunch (L) 4 featured, three-course dinners, highlighting local Italian specialties and including wine or beer (D) Private deluxe motorcoach Guided sightseeing and entrance fees to select sights as described Go Ahead travel bag and increased status in our World Traveler Club, including credit toward your next tour Featured Food & Wine Events 3 wine tastings in San Gimignano, Montalcino and Corbara (W) Private Tuscan cooking class

Tauck's after-hours visit to the Vatican Museums, frescoed cathedrals, priceless art masterpieces, the glory of the Roman Empire, medieval hilltop towns, and the treasures of the Uffizi Gallery are all highlighted on this 8-day Florence, Rome, and Tuscany tour. From Rome's monumental Colosseum to Florence's architectural masterpieces to medieval hill towns, our one-week Umbria, Lazio and Tuscany tour is filled with special experiences – including Tauck's exclusive, after-hours visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel – a rare opportunity to contemplate the inspirational treasures, without the crowds! Three nights in the heart of Rome set the stage for viewing landmark sights such as the Roman Forum, ornate architectural masterpieces such as St. Peter's and preserved ancient hill towns dotting the countryside like Siena, Perugia, Assisi and Orvieto. And art historians and local guides provide the inside story behind Florence's art masterpieces, before your guided visit to the Uffizi Gallery.

Family FYI: Did you know that there are nearly 40 separate ancient catacombs beneath the city of Rome? An after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums, a pizza-making lesson in Pisa, a tour of Roman catacombs and multiple-night stays in Florence, Venice and Rome highlight this most family-friendly of Italy tours. Of all of Tauck's popular Italy tours, this is the one designed with your family in mind – on which you'll share the splendors of Italy together! Explore the imperial city of Rome and the legacy of the powerful Roman Empire that ruled the world millennia ago. Look up at the celebrated ceiling of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, as well as around at other Vatican treasures, on a special after-hours tour of the Vatican Museums, without the usual crowds! Discover the amazing art masterpieces of fabled Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance; explore Rome's fascinating Catacombs of St. Callistus, deep beneath the Eternal City; travel to the Tuscan city of Pisa and watch a pizza-making demonstration; and explore Orvieto's fascinating medieval tunnels. Take the high-speed Eurostar train to Venice and a remarkable world of Renaissance architecture surrounded by water. Tauck's most family-friendly of Italy tours includes a gondola ride and serenade along Venice's historic canals, a true delight!

Tuscany travel... a fresh new perspective on life under the Tuscan sun... the Culturious way. It's hands-on learning with local experts on many subjects, who share their experience, their knowledge and their passions. And you are suddenly living la dolce vita... Laughing at the enoteca while debating the merits of the olive oil flavors you’ve just tasted… triumphantly ordering gelato using the new Italian phrases you’ve just mastered… feeling the breeze while bicycling on the city walls of Lucca… savoring the delectable prosciutto and Florentine cheeses you’ve just chosen from a local market for lunch – or the fruit of the vineyards you’ve just walked through. This is Culturious… and this is Tuscany… now, your Tuscany. 2010 pricing starts at US $3490 per person double. Maximum group size is 16.

This is the perfect vacation to see Italy’s highlights. Three nights in Rome include a special welcome dinner and sightseeing that shows off St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. On the way to Florence, visit the Piazza del Campo in Siena and picturesque San Gimignano. Three nights in Florence feature guided sightseeing, including a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts to admire Michelangelo’s David, as well as visits to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and splendid Verrazzano Castle for a Chianti wine tasting and lunch. Two nights in Venice include visits to St. Mark’s and Doges’ Palace with its Bridge of Sighs as well as a Venetian lagoon cruise to the islands of Murano and Burano. Stop in Verona to take pictures of Juliet’s Balcony before ending in Milan with a visit to the magnificent gothic Duomo.Special Departure:Dec 16th Departure - Christmas Eve in Venice

Siena, Florence, Milan, Pisa, Rome, Verona, Venice, Verrazzano Castle, San Gimignano