Tour Plan
Day 1 – From Genoa to Cinque Terre (Manarola)
Arrival at Genoa airport, you will be met by your private English speaking driver and transfer to your hotel in Cinque Terre area, precisely in Manarola: Boutique Hotel Torretta Lodge. Check in at the hotel and free time at leisure.
The inside of an ancient tower offering spectacular views and plenty of atmosphere. Superbly located in the center of the wonderfully picturesque village of Manarola, offering amazing views of the stunning Bay. The Ligurian village of Manarola is a once-in-a-lifetime sort of trip for most. The architecture is Ligurian style. A combination of antique and contemporary pieces harmoniously furnish all the sunny rooms, most with balconies overlooking the vineyards to one side and the blue Mediterranean sea to the other.
Day 2 – Tour of Cinque Terre
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be met by your private English speaking guide and together, you will discover the beauties of this area. The Ligurian Coast is a masterpiece of nature that offers its visitors unique and breathtaking views; here you will find five little “jewels” or hills - the Cinque Terre - the true “jewels” of the Mediterranean sitting along a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera where the sea is part of UNESCO. You will meet your private guide and start your tour from Riomaggiore. This southern-most village offers a very high concentration of houses in a small area, a distinctive feature giving the impression of a "tree" with its buildings as the branches. Here, you will start by walking along the vineyards and what is known as the ‘Love route’ to Manarola, a region characterized by its colorful houses facing the sea, and its small intertwining streets connected by a network of stairways that lead to the little village. Next, perched atop a rock 90 meters high, you will visit the only hill of the Cinque Terre that is not directly on the sea: Corniglia. Here, you will enjoy some free time for lunch. Take time to explore, before continuing your journey to Vernazza, nestled in a breathtaking inlet whose shoreline features classic cultivated terraced grapevines. Finally reach the idyllic village of Monterosso which is the farthest to the west and the most populated of the five Cinque Terre villages, it is situated in the center of this small natural bay. End of the tour, the rest of the day will be at leisure.
Day 3 – Cinque Terre free day
Free day at leisure for you to enjoy this peaceful and beautiful area.
Day 4 – From Cinque Terre to Florence
After breakfast and check out from your hotel, meet your private English speaking driver for a direct transfer to your hotel in Florence: Hotel L’Orologio 4****. Check in at the hotel and free time at leisure.
The concept of the boutique hotel L’O” is inspired by the prestigious world of high-end watches and influenced by the owner’s personal collection of vintage watches. Overlooking the Piazza Santa Maria Novella, one of the most beautiful squares in Florence, each floor of the hotel is dedicated to a watch brand. The interior design, entrusted to architect Marianna Gagliardi, reflects an impressive attention to details: particularly unusual and precious. The hotel offers 55 rooms and suites, dedicated to a watch brand, with photos and paint reflecting it. Located on the ground floor, the Bar de L'O is a unique design location. It features a mahogany desk and it's covered by parchment. The whole environment is magically enhanced by a large water tank with natural light and a fantastic light floor.
Day 5 – Florence free day
Breakfast at your hotel and enjoy a free day at leisure in this gorgeous walkable town.
Day 6 – Florence: Walking Tour with Food tour & Accademia Gallery
Breakfast at your hotel and meet your private English speaking guide in the hotel lobby and start your walking tour of Florence. You will have the opportunity to observe up close the priceless Duomo with its dome done by Brunelleschi, the largest brick dome in the world, stretching protectively over the Florence Cathedral. You will also see its splendid bell tower: the famous Campanile of Giotto. Next stop will be the political center of the city that will open its doors to us, offering you the chance to visit Palazzo della Signoria, residence of the Medici family and seat of the secularists' power with Palazzo Vecchio, seat of the municipality, as well as the oldest "piazza" (square) in Florence, Piazza della Repubblica, surrounded today, by historic cultural cafès, where young intellectual Florentines have always liked to gather. Your walking will lead you to the nearby San Lorenzo Market, where you will have a taste of Tuscany’s “green gold”, its renowned olive oil, as well as a variety of cheeses, salami and prosciutto, truffle sauces and balsamic vinegar. You will have also a wine tasting and enjoy some of the region’s finest wines. Still not full yet? Next stop will be at a local “fiaschetteria” where you will have a tasting of some of the city’s traditional recipes. The tour will finish in grand style with one of the finest gelato parlours in the city where you can pick your flavor made with genuine and fresh products. After this culinary experience, you will discover the Accademia Gallery Museum where the most symbolic work of Michelangelo is housed: Il David, an expression of beauty and physical perfection. You will admire also other sculptures by Michelangelo and the original plaster cast of: “Il Ratto delle Sabine” by Giambologna (The Rape of the Sabine Women), discover why and how all artists made life size plaster casts before the actual sculpture, except for Michelangelo. Enjoy the incredible collection of Renaissance paintings , including “La Madonna ed il Bambino” (Madonna and Child) and “la Madonna del Mare” (Madonna of the Sea) by Botticelli.
End of the tour and you will have a free afternoon at leisure.
Day 7 – Florence: Siena guided tour including wine tasting and lunch in San Gimignano
After breakfast, meet your private English speaking driver in the hotel lobby and reach Siena where you will meet your private English speaking guide and begin to discover the city with a pleasant and interesting walking tour, Siena is a city that dates back to the Etruscan period. Later became a Roman colony at the time of Emperor Augustus and during this period went by the name Saena Iulia. While walking along the streets you will reach the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta known as the Duomo, a classic example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture, the Battistero di San Giovanni, and the historic Piazza del Campo with its unusual sloping seashell shape: it is here that the famous Palio horse race of Siena takes place, every year on 2nd July and 16th August, the race lasts 90 seconds, here in the main square, but the preparations and festivities last for three months, before and after the race. After the tour you will meet up again with your driver for a direct transfer to one of the most important wineries in the area.
First step of the visit will be the vineyards and the particular spiral vineyard garden that is capable of combining production with aesthetics and tradition, it has become a must see for the "maniacs of the discovery". It is a harmonious succession of rows of vines arranged in a spiral circle, in an intermittent motion from an island in the central stone, as a vantage point to enjoy this spectacle of nature. After that you will have a visit to the cellars, where you will be able to admire and smell the typical wooden barrels in which the wines are aged. At the end of this fascinating tour you will have a wonderful lunch including the tasting of 10 wines and accompanied by the local products from this amazing farm.
Day 8 – Florence to Capri with stop in Naples for pizza lunch
After breakfast and check out from your hotel, you will be met by your private English speaking driver who will escort you directly to the railway station for departure by fast train to Naples. Here, you will be met by your private English speaking driver who will drive you to a famous Pizzeria with a sea view. Here you will be able to taste the real Neapolitan Pizza! Naples is the home to pizza in Italy. After lunch, your driver will bring you to the port to get the public ferry to Capri.
At your arrival you will be greeted your local taxi driver, with an open top taxi, typical to the island, who will drive you to your hotel:
Hotel Relais Maresca 4****. Check in at the hotel and the rest of the day will be at leisure.
Ideally located just a few steps from Marina Grande beach and the Piazzetta, the heart of Capri’s shopping and social life, the Relais Maresca is one of the oldest on the island. Dating back to 1876, it offers 27 rooms on 3 floors, all featuring typical Mediterranean style, Vietri majolica tiles in bright, cheerful colors. The hotel restaurant serves traditional regional and Mediterranean dishes on a magnificent terrace with sea view. Guests can enjoy beauty and wellness treatments in the luxury Spa or, on request, in their room. Facilities include a state-of-the-art meeting room equipped for all kinds of events. The concierge offers assistance in organizing excursions, mini cruises and boat tours of some of the most beautiful places of the island and the Amalfi Coast.
Day 9 – Free day and dinner cooking class
After breakfast, free day at your leisure to enjoy and discover the island.
In the evening meet your local Capri taxi driver at your hotel and transfer to a charming location.
Immerse yourself in a private cooking class at home. Learn the secrets of the local recipes and taste the fruits of your hard work, it’s a hands on lesson! Cooking class location as follows:
- A private cooking class with 3 authentic local recipes (pasta or 3-course menu or vegetarian or gluten free)
- Tasting of the freshly cooked dishes
- Beverages included (water, local wines and coffee)
- Apron
- Shopping bag
End of the cooking class and the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 10 – Capri to Sorrento
Breakfast and check out from your hotel in Capri, meet your private Capri taxi driver for a transfer to the port to get your ferry back to Sorrento. At your arrival in Sorrento, you will meet your private driver for a transfer to your charming hotel in Sorrento: Hotel Corallo 4****. Check in and the rest of the of the day will be at leisure.
Located in the town of Sant’Agnello, just 2 km from the center of Sorrento, the Hotel Corallo is built on a cliff on the sea, with scenic terraces overlooking the Gulf of Naples, Mount Vesuvius and the Sorrento Peninsula. An elegant aristocratic home, the hotel was once a meeting point for intellectuals and artists, such as writer Luigi Pirandello, who stayed there in the Thirties. An exclusive blend of past and present, the hotel has 53 rooms, all elegantly furnished and equipped with a balcony or terrace with chaise lounges. The restaurant serves Mediterranean specialties from an à la carte menu featuring delicious, sophisticated dishes. Guests have access to the beach of La Marinella, just 50 m away, which can be reached via elevator or a walkway. Other facilities include a splendid infinity Jacuzzi on one of the scenic terraces, a solarium, a meeting room that can host up to 150 guests and a magnificent banquet hall.
Day 11 – Sorrento: Private tour of the Amalfi Coast
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be met by your private English speaking driver for a full day tour along the Amalfi Coast. He will drive you along the enchanting route of the “Divine Coast”: and on the way, you will have stops at the panoramic viewpoints to take some breathtaking pictures. Then, you will have free time to discover and relax on the top of Positano, a small village with Mediterranean styled white washed houses covered with bright pink bougainvillea. On the way to Amalfi, you will visit a Ceramic shop in Conca dei Marini as pottery is typical to this region. At the end of your visit, your driver will bring you to the nearby Amalfi, one of the oldest Maritime Republics. Here, you will have free time for lunch, at your leisure. You can choose lunch overlooking the sea or in a typical little Italian “piazza” surrounded by the typical southern Italian scenery. After lunch, free time to wander through the labyrinth streets and admire the magnificent and imposing facade of the cathedral of Saint Andrea with its unique Arab Norman and Romanesque Style. Later, your driver will escort you to Ravello for relaxing moments on the picturesque square where you will admire the magnificent panorama that has inspired poets, philosophers and beauty lovers for centuries. After this tour, your driver will be ready to take you back to your hotel in Sorrento.
The rest of the day will be at leisure. Overnight in Sorrento.
Day 12 – Sorrento: Pompeii tour with lunch in a winery
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be met by your private English speaking driver and travel to Pompeii where your English speaking guide will be waiting for you, to guide you through Pompeii and its fascinating excavations. You will admire the ruins of this famous city that, in AD 79 was submerged by lava and boiling hot ashes from the nearby volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. You will be able to examine close up the daily life of this Roman population and how it was devastated by one of the worst natural disasters in ancient history. The excavations of Pompeii are, due to their importance and relevance, the most visited archeological site in the world. After the tour, your driver will accompany you to a winery settled close to the Archeological Site. Here, you will enjoy a guided tour inside the 4 hectares of the property, with historical witnesses, vineyards and elegant cellars, also you will visit the Wine Museum in a building dating back to the 16th century. The tour ends up with Wine Tasting and tastings of some of the traditional Neapolitan recipes and ancient roman dishes.
After lunch transfer back to your hotel in Sorrento.
Day 13 – Sorrento: Naples departure
After breakfast and check out, you will be met by your private English speaking driver at your hotel for a transfer to Naples airport for your flight back home.
3 nights at Hotel Torretta Lodge in Manarola (or similar) – 1 double classic room with courtyard view
All meals not mentioned in the program
A perfect holiday in Italy! - From the time we arrived in Naples until the time we left Sorrento a week later, everything was perfect! The driver that we had was wonderful ( his name... read more 
sancurtis
Dennis D
Betty M
Jacob A