Organized Tours
This year I have decided to come up with a new idea.
For those who would love to visit something different and see the less known side of the area, but would prefer not to spend too much money, why not participate in an organized tour.
Just pick from one of the following tours and contact me to find out availability and dates. This will give you the possibility to discover more beauties of the place, in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere and maybe make new friends by experiencing some great tours together!
CALCI:
This tour offers the possibility to discover the charming little village of Calci, situated in the Valgraziosa (‘gracious hillside’), surrounded by olive trees and famous for its olive oil.
Our tour will take you into the Certosa, an enchanting hidden ‘jewel’, which was built in 1366 and was originally a Carthusian Monastery . These Monks where famous for their exceptional patience and dedication to elaborate artisan jobs. You will be able to visit the preserved monastery, see where and how the Monks used to live and the breathtaking Baroque decorations of the complex’s areas which form the building.
Half day Tour of 3 to 4 hours, €50 per person (including transportation and guide services, entrance fee to manastery)
Minimum of 6 people required
SAN MINIATO and WINE Tour:
San Miniato is situated in the province of Pisa. It is a historical and commercial center of relevant importance and is well known for its industrial area of leather and for its valuable white truffles. To read more about this beautiful little village follow this link SAN MINIATO
The tour will take you to this hidden little village perched upon a hill, which offers beautiful scenery and a side to Tuscany which is yet to be discovered. It will consist of an hour guided tour of the village, some free time to browse the little traditional food-shops and then we will head off to one of the most beautiful biodynamic wineries of the area. Nestled among typical Tuscan countryside, once home of Napoleon’s uncle, the estate owners will welcome us and take us on a tour through their vineyards and surrounding area, explaining their wine cultivation. Then, we will be able to sit down under a beautiful oak tree (weather permitting), sip some good wine, have some food and enjoy the breath-taking scenery.
Full day Tour of 7 to 8 hours, €100 per person (including transportation and guide services, wine tour and lunch)
Minimum of 6 people required
VOLTERRA:
The city of ‘wind and stone’, this is how the famous Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio defined it, but it is also the city of pure alabaster and the best preserved Etruscan site. To read more about VOLTERRA follow the link.
The 2 to 3 hour historical guided tour will take you around one of the most ancient villages in Tuscany, discovering all of it’s beauties, from it’s roman theater, the first ever arch constructed in Italy, to it’s alabaster production. Then, you will have time to enjoy the village on your own, by browsing through it’s lovely little shops, where you’ll be able to find leather goods, ceramics and most of all alabaster and for those of you who are more daring, why not visit the scariest Torture Museum in Tuscany.
Full day Tour of 8 hours, €85.00 per person (including transportation and guide services)
Minimum of 6 people required
Walking Tour of LUCCA:
For those who have already visited the city and for those of you who have never been before, this is a great tour to get to know the city more in depth, to appreciate it’s history, art, traditions and culture. The three hour walking tour will not only tell you about legends and traditions that are not to be found in tour books, but will also show you the best food-shops and typical recipes of the area, giving you an introductory tour to the city, but also showing you all of it’s beauties, in order to fully enjoy your first, or one of many stays in LUCCA to learn more about the city follow the link.
3 hour Tour €25 per person.
Minimum of 5 people required, free for children under 8 years old
Meeting point: Piazza Napoleone (under the statue)
Walking Tour of PISA:
Pisa is mainly renown for the leaning Tower, but it is not the only beautiful and interesting monument that forms the Miracle Square. This square is in fact one of the most interesting in Italy and hides within it many legends and an amazing slice of history. But the city does not start and end in the piazza, there are many other beauties shadowed by the tower’s fame, from Piazza dei Cavalieri, the political centre, to it’s breathtaking river-banks adorned by ancient, colourful palaces.
..Discover that not only the leaning tower leans!! To learn more about PISA follow the link.
3 hour Tour €25 per person.
Minimum of 5 people required, free for children under 8 years old
(Meeting point at the train station of Pisa San Rossore. Pisa is only a 20 min train ride away and the stop closer to the Miracle Square is Pisa San Rossore, only 2 min walking distance).
FLORENCE:
Discover the beautiful Renaissance city without having to worry about how to get there, which stop to get off at and making your way round the city, worrying you won’t be able to see it’s most important monuments in one day…not knowing which is the best gelato place and where to eat. If you’d like to enjoy the day to it’s best with no worries join this tour. I will guide you round it’s narrow streets and breathtaking squares, showing you the main stops and the best shops, enjoying also the local food and avoiding the tourist traps! We will take the train there together from Lucca and spend a great day in one of the most famous cities of the world.
To learn more about FLORENCE follow the link.
8 hour Tour €40 per person (including train ticket and Tour Leader service)
Minimum of 5 people required, free for children under 8 years old
GARFAGNANA:
Carrying on towards north, further away from Lucca, the countryside becomes greener and steeper, where it is possible to enjoy some of the best views of the area. We will make a brief stop at the Devil’s Bridge, to learn about its millenary history and legend. Passing by an array of small little villages continuing higher up, we will finally reach Barga, a small ancient village nestled upon a hill top, full of charm, art and delight. It is dominated by its prevailing white church and front square, which opens onto a beautiful village and mountain view . We will then continue to Castelnuovo Garfagnana, the largest province of the region, to visit its traditional cobbled roads and see one of the best preserved castles in the area. And finally, we will stop for lunch in a gorgeous little deli, to enjoy some of the best food of this region.
Full day Tour of 7 to 8 hours, €100 per person (including: transportation and guide services and lunch)
Minimum of 6 people required
CINQUE TERRE:
The ‘five lands’ (meaning of Cinque Terre) is an array of 5 characteristic little villages set along the Ligurian coast. They are renowned for lemons, pesto, their colorful little houses that adorn each village and for breathtaking sea-side sceneries. It is the best place to spend a beautiful day along the coast, enjoying long walks, one of which along the so called ‘love trail’, a picturesque and ‘romantic’ walk that follows the line of turquoise sea and connects two lands. We will start off from the furthest of the villages and make our way to the last one, taking also a short boat ride, and discovering all 4 of them (it is not possible to reach one of the lands from the coast). The tour will take you through the winding little roads (you will need good walking shoes) and the best panorama.
Full day Tour of 8 hours, €90 per person (including transportation and Tour leader service, boat ride and entrance fee to the ‘love trail’)
Minimum of 7 people required
SIENA & SAN GIMIGNANO:
This tour offers you the possibility to see the highlights of two of the most famous places in Tuscany, which are also among the most difficult to reach. Siena is about two hours away from Lucca and is the furthest city to the south-east. With our tour you can enjoy this part of Tuscany too, without having to worry about getting there. Our driver will drop us off right in the heart of Siena, where we will visit it’s beautiful squares, monuments and shops. We will have lunch* there and then head off to San Gimignano, the village perched on the top of a hill, also renown as ‘little Manhattan’, for its stunning tower-houses so rarely preserved, which dominate the town. It is a lovely little medieval village in the province of Siena, that also makes one of the best renown wines in Tuscany, Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
To learn more about SIENA follow the link.
Full day Tour of 9 hours, €90 per person (including transportation and Tour leader service)
Minimum of 6 people required
All the tours start and end in Lucca (except for the Pisa tour).
These tours have been designed for smaller groups in order to maintain a friendlier environment, with more personal attention.
*Some of the tours do not include lunch in order to be more flexible and meet everybody’s needs. One can decide to eat alone or all together, what to have and where to eat (a sandwich in the main squares, on the beach, or a full course meal at a restaurant). I will always help you make the best decision. This is also what makes it a more personalized tour.
To see the differences between Tour Guides and Tour leaders follow the link ‘Home’ page
CANCELLATION POLICY
• cancellation of the service up to 21 days prior the tour: 100% reimbursement
• cancellation of the service up to 15 days prior the tour: 50% reimbursement
• cancellation of the service up to 48 hours prior the tour:25% reimbusement
• cancellation of the service after the 48 hours prior the tour/no show: no reimbursement
• In case of extreme weather conditions we reserve the right to cancel the tour and reschedule for another date
