DISCOVER THE SOUTHERN TUSCANY

General information

DurationDestinationDeparture
8 days and 7 nights
Italy (Castiglione della Pescaia, Pienza, Montalcino, Sorano, Saturnia, Porto Ercole, Massa Marittima, Siena)
Italy (Rome, Florence, Pisa)

Description

Day 1 Castiglione della Pescaia

Arrival in afternoon. Check-in at your hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in Castiglione della Pescaia.

Day 2 Siena

We will travel through the Tuscan countryside to reach the historic city of Siena, built on the hills in the middle of the pilgrimage road Via Francigena. Our guide will lead you through the city’s history and local culture strolling the streets lined with medieval and Renaisssance palaces to the Piazza del Campo, where the famous Palio horse race is held twice a year. We will visit the outstanding cathedral, a masterpiece of Italian Romanesque-Gothic architecture. Built in black and white marble it has fine and intricate carvings by Giovanni Pisano and boasts works by Donatello, Pinturicchio, Bernini, Michelangelo and others. During the afternoon you are free to explore as you wish the town. Don’t forget to taste the local typical panforte (fruit cake) perhaps in the long tradition pastry shop of the famous singer Gianna Nannini’s family. Return for dinner and overnight stay in Castiglione della Pescaia.

Day 3 Etruscan Coast: Populonia, Suvereto,  Massa Marittima

Full day dedicated to the Etruscan Coast, whose name is tied to the presence of the mysterious Etruscan civilization that inhabited this area before the Romans. In the morning we head to Populonia, the only Etruscan village located on the sea, in antiquity a big centre specializing in the manufacture and trade of iron from Elba Island. We will visit the Archaeological Park of Baratti and Populonia, divided in acropolis and necropolis, which is nestled in between the promontory and the dramatically beautiful Gulf of Baratti. In the afternoon we head to Suvereto, an old village of Etruscan origin, rich in history and art, displaying an enchanting architectural harmony. Our next stop is the old mining town Massa Marittima that achieved great splendour in the Middle Age thanks to the copper and silver mines in the area. We will stroll through its old alleys and beautiful buildings dating back to the XII-XIII century to the unusual square Piazza Garibaldi and the 13th century Romanesque-Gothic cathedral. Guided visit of a wine cellar and tasting of Monteregio Doc of Massa Marittima. Return for dinner at the hotel in Castiglione della Pescaia and overnight stay.

Day 4 Isola del Giglio: Giglio Castle, Porto Ercole

Departure for Porto Santo Stefano where we take a boat to Giglio Island, one of the small islands along the Tuscan archipelago. Here we reach the old charming town of Giglio Castle, located upon the highest hill of the island, offering a spectacular view of the Tyrehenian Sea. It is accessible through a picturesque, ancient port that, once crossed, reveals a world exuding an air of heavenly tranquillity and times past. The historic centre is dominated by the Rocca Aldobrandesca and is enclosed by well-preserved great defensive walls. Returned to Porto Santo Stefano we continue to Porto Ercole. Originally a small fishing seaport, Porto Ercole is now an elegant, exclusive tourist harbour, with a marina surrounded by colourful buildings, particularly busy during the summer. After enjoying a stroll through the harbour we will explore the rest of the town with its impressive Spanish fortress and Forte Stella, antic Spanish castle with a six point star plan, offering stunning views of the south east coast of Monte Argentario. Return for dinner and overnight stay in Castiglione della Pescaia.

Day 5 Terme di Saturnia

Today you can relax on the beach, go shopping or join us to the optional excursion to Terme di Saturnia, known worldwide for its thermal waters with therapeutic properties.  The myth of Saturn tells us that one day he was very angry with men, because they were continually at war against each other, so he grabbed a lightning bolt and threw it on the ground, causing warm, sulphuric water to sprout from the crater of a volcano, covering everything around it and then everything died down. That comforting womb eventually gave birth to wiser and happier men. The setting of the legend is acknowledged to be here, at Saturnia. This water, still gushing out at a rate of 500 litters per second at a constant temperature of 37,5°C, is known as the falls „Cascate del Mulino”. You can take a bath in the natural landscape, the constant temperature and the Jacuzzi effect created by the flow of water are very relaxing. Alternatively, you may enjoy the facilities offered by the SPA centre. Return for dinner and overnight stay in Castiglione della Pescaia.

Day 6 Pitigliano, Sorano, Sovana

Departure for the territory called “triangolo del tufo” which takes its name from the large tuff area on which the wonderful little towns of Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana have been built.  Our first stop is Pitigliano. Seen from afar, his sudden image hanging on the tufa cliff carved by ancient Etruscan tombs almost takes you aback: the town is inserted into landscape with such a compactness that it is almost impossible to separate the work of the people from the work of the nature. The village, dominated in the past by the Orsini family, is known as “the little Jerusalem” because of the Jewish community who came here in the 15th century and whose traces are preserved in the Jewish Ghetto. Sorano rises on tufa rock like Pitigliano. The houses on the high margin intertwine with each other and almost become one with the rock below. The centre is dominated by the 14th century Orsini Fortress, one of the most beautiful examples of Renaissance military architecture. Our last visit is Sovana, a picturesque town with barely 120 inhabitants, once the capital of the rich Aldobrandeschi family. The roads approaching the town follow the traditional roads of the Etruscans, so the famous Etruscan tombs are in evidence everywhere. Its heyday was in the 11th century with the accession to the Papal throne of Gregory VII, born here, in Sovana. His house is now a museum ... of snails. Return for dinner and overnight stay in Castiglione della Pescaia.

Day 7 Val d’Orcia: Montalcino, Pienza

We will spend the day in the stunning Val d’Orcia with undulating hillsides covered by vineyards, green and yellow coloured valleys and isolated farmhouses surrounded by tall cypress trees, landscape made famous by the Van Gogh’s paintings. We stop to Montalcino whose acclaimed vineyards produce one of the world’s great wines, Brunello di Montalcino. We will have a guided tour of one of the many wine cellars followed by a wine tasting of Brunello di Montalcino and other fine wine, then will visit the town centre. Enjoy your free time strolling through the narrow streets and picking up a few bottles of fabulous red wine before we head to the charming town of Pienza. An architectural masterpiece, Pienza is the birthplace of Pope Pius II, who ordered the town to be redesigned following the Renaissance principles of the „ideal city”. We will visit the cathedral and wander through the ancient streets of the town with romantic names: Via dell’Amore, Via del Bacio, Via della Fortuna. You will have enough free time to enjoy the great shopping in Corso Rossellino, visit the Pope Palace, or sample the famous local pecorino cheese at lunch at one of the town’s “trattorias”, where you can enjoy classic dishes of Tuscan culinary tradition. Return for dinner and overnight stay in Castiglione della Pescaia

Day 8 Castiglione della Pescaia

Breakfast and departure for return journey. End of our services.

 

Category

 
Economy (Scheduled Tour)
Bed & Breakfast 3 Stars
 
Comfort (Scheduled Tour)
Half Board (dinner) 4 Stars
 

Price includes

Accommodation, depending on your option, in good 4* hotels centrally located or 3* not centrally located hotels, double occupancy rooms, as described:
7 night accommodation in hotel in Castiglione della Pescaia on a half-board basis, drinks not included
Local English speaking guides in Siena, Arezzo, Pienza. Other languages are available on request.
Entrance to the Cathedral in Siena, the Archaeological Park of Baratti and Populonia, the Cathedral in Pienza, Forte Stella in Porto Ercole, the Cathedral in Massa Marittima
Guided visit and wine tasting session in Montalcino and Massa Marittima
City Tax

Price does not include

Optional excursion with entrance at Terme di Saturnia
Optional visits
Bus GT for the entire tour with arrival and departure from Rome / Pisa / Florence airport, including all expenses (check point and parking fees, board and lodging for driver)
Please note: Modest dress to enter all churches in Italy, no shorts. Shoulders and knees must be covered.

Itinerary

Day Overnight Itinerary highlights
1   Rome - airport
  Florence - airport
  Pisa - airport
  Castiglione della Pescaia
  Pienza
  Montalcino
  Sorano
  Saturnia
  Porto Ercole
  Massa Marittima
  Siena

Accommodations provided in each place

PlaceEconomyComfort
Siena3 Stars4 Stars