If you're planning to be in Florence for more than a day, you'll probably want to take at least one
outing to the country or the famed hill towns. But Tuscany can be maddening: train connections
are poor, and most of the best treasures can be reached only by car. The best solution is to let
Maria Teresa take care of the logistics. She'll settle your group into one of her air-conditioned
minibuses with one of her English-speaking guides, and she'll make sure you see sights you'd
never have found on your own, sights you'll remember for the rest of your life.
San Gimignano & Volterra
This day trip from Florence takes you to one world-famed hill town and another hidden beauty
that few tourists ever see.
We start by driving to San Gimignano, also known as "The Manhattan of
Italy." On our stroll through its narrow streets, we'll discover hidden
churches and their breathtaking frescoes, while learning about the history
and traditions of this 14th-century town. We'll also drop into the workshop
of a silversmith to see him perform his craft.
Now we're off to a recently restored farmhouse for a private tasting of
various delicious Tuscan snacks, washed down with a selection of the
farm's own wines.
The next part of our trip takes us to beautiful Volterra, with a stop along the way to visit a secret
12th-century Romanesque parish church.
A few minutes later we see Volterra, perched high atop its sandstone
ridge, surrounded by two defensive walls, one Etruscan and the other
medieval. Inside the walls is a splendid city filled with unforgettable
monuments spanning three thousand years of history. We will pause to
see many of them on our stroll through a town that is likely to be a
highlight of your entire Italian sojourn.
From Volterra's medieval ramparts we'll have a stunning panorama
of le balze, the unique brick-red hills through which we will now set
off, driving along a quiet backroad on our way to a local dairy farm.
This facility is not open to the public. We will have a private tour,
watch the famed local sheep's cheese being made, then taste several
delightful samples.
On the way back to Florence, we'll stop in a workshop that crafts small treasures out of alabaster,
a specialty of the Volterra region.
This full-day tour is for groups of 4 to 10 people. Depart from any hotel in Florence at 9 am and
return at 7:30 pm.
All-inclusive price per person: US$175.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Italy
History Whiz
Archeology/History
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