6 days from £499
Departs 11th June 2007

ITINERARY

MON - UK to Chianciano Terme
Scheduled flight from London Heathrow to Rome (call for details of regional flights) where we are met by our tour manager and private executive coach. We transfer to the 3* Hotel Villa Ricci in Chianciano Terme in Tuscany for a five night stay on bed and breakfast basis. The evening is free to dine out in the hotel restaurant or one of the nearby restaurants.

TUE - Pienza & Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore
We enjoy a relaxing morning at the enchanting town of Pienza, the location for the filming of scenes from the ‘English Patient’ and the birthplace of Pope Pius II. We then travel on to see the magnificent 41 frescoes of the life of St. Benedict at the beautiful Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore where we enjoy a guided tour by one of the monks (subject to availability - please provide a donation after the guided tour). This evening we have the option of dining at the Pallazzo Bandino, where we sample traditional Tuscan farmhouse food accompanied by locally grown wines (subject to minimum numbers).

WED - Arezzo & Cortona
This morning we visit the walled hillside medieval town of Arezzo which is famous for its hanging flower baskets and the Church of San Francesco with frescoes by Piero della Francesca. After our visit to Arezzo we travel on to Cortona, home to Fra Angelico and with works by other masters such as Signorelli. Why not relax and enjoy a coffee in a typical Italian café, or visit the Museo Diocesano di Cortona with works by Donatello and Brunelleschi.

THUR - Monteriggioni, Volterra & San Gimignano
Monteriggioni is our first destination today - a delightful Tuscan town encircled by medieval walls. We then visit Volterra dating from Etruscan times with its Duomo and the excellent Museo Guarnacci containing Etruscan artefacts. Our final stop is San Gimignano, a beautiful Tuscan village set in the heart of the Chianti wine growing region and known as the ‘Small Manhattan’ due to its skyline of thirteen medieval towers.

FRI - Siena & Montalcino
Siena and Montalcino are today’s destinations. On arrival in Siena there is the option of a guided tour taking in the Campo, where the Palio horse race is run every July and August, and the Duomo, the earliest of the great Tuscan Gothic churches. In the afternoon we travel to Montalcino where we have time to explore the ornate medieval streets of this picturesque town which dates back to the 10th century.

SAT - Orvieto
Early departure this morning as we travel to Orvieto and its stunning Duomo, one of Italy’s finest cathedrals where we have an optional guided tour. We continue on to Rome for our scheduled Alitalia flight back to London Heathrow.

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