Home • Tour Package • Detailed Itinerary

Travel to Florence from the United States. Travelers arrive on Monday, May 19.

After depositing our baggage at the hotel, we’ll embark on an afternoon walk to get oriented in Florence and enjoy lunch along the way. Our route takes us to two of the city's most iconic piazzas: Piazza del Duomo, the sacred heart of Florence, and Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of the Renaissance city. From there, we’ll stroll down the ancient cobbled Borgo Santi Apostoli to visit Santa Maria Novella, a historic church brimming with art by Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Giotto, Giambologna, Vasari, and Ghirlandaio, which also served as a home to popes and hosted a Patriarch of Constantinople.Following our visit to Santa Maria Novella, you’ll have free time to relax and unwind—or enjoy a leisurely passeggiata through Florence's Renaissance streets.

In the evening, we’ll cross the storied Ponte Vecchio into the Oltrarno neighborhood to dine at Ristorante 4 Leoni in Piazza della Passera, a place where Lisa del Giocondo, the inspiration for Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, once played as a child. After dinner, we’ll indulge in gelato before returning to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Our morning ritual as locals—a leisurely cappuccino in the piazza after breakfast (colazione)—will prepare us for our first full day in Florence. We’ll visit the Duomo complex, including Santa Maria del Fiore and il Duomo, Brunelleschi’s magisterial dome, the Baptistery, and the Porta della Mandorla, where Renaissance art began. At the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, we’ll admire Ghiberti’s doors, described by Michelangelo as the “Gates of Paradise,” and Michelangelo’s Nicodemus.

Next, we’ll visit Orsanmichele, featuring statues by Nanni di Banco and Donatello, and Palazzo Vecchio, the political center of Florence as it evolved from an ancient commune to a republic and finally into an oligarchic government under the Medici. In the afternoon, you’ll have free time, with the option to enjoy an aperitivo on the rooftop of Hotel Baglioni. Dinner will be on your own at a restaurant of your choice or one of our recommendations.

Buongiorno! In the morning, we will have colazione and then visit the home and church of the famed Medici family, who rose from humble origins to the heights of power not just in Tuscany but throughout Europe. We will visit the church of San Lorenzo, their home church designed by Brunelleschi, the Capella Medici, their burial chapel, and see statues by Michelangelo, the Laurentian Library, and the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi.

Afterward, we will have lunch before visiting the leather market and the Mercato Centrale. You will have time to rest or shop more in the afternoon, or enjoy a drink and snack at a local café. In the late afternoon, we will transit to the ancient church of San Miniato al Monte, which sits on the southwest edge of the city overlooking Florence. Here, we will enjoy the famed overlook at Piazzale Michelangelo as we watch the sun set on Florence and its glorious wonders. Dinner will be on your own, with recommendations that include Zeb and Fagioli.

Today we will visit Santa Croce, home of the Dominican Order in Florence. Here, in the pantheon of Florentine luminaries, we will see the monumental tombs dedicated to great men and women of Florence (Dante, Bruni, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini, Marconi, and Florence Nightingale), frescoes by Giotto and Gaddi, crucifixes by Cimabue and Donatello, The Last Supper of Giorgio Vasari, and the exquisite Pazzi Chapel, designed by Brunelleschi, inside the church’s cloister gardens.We will then visit the National Museum of Sculpture, the Bargello, home to famous sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo.

Afterward, we will have lunch and take time to rest before a final afternoon visit to the Uffizi, the famed art gallery, to see its most important canvases. We will end the day hearing the vespers sung at the Badia Fiorentina, a tradition maintained for over 800 years. Dinner will be on your own, with recommendations that include Mangiafoco Osteria Tartuferia and Parione.

Today we depart Florence and travel by private transfer through the scenic Tuscan countryside to an agrotourismo perched atop a hill with a view of the rolling hills of Tuscany. Along the way, we will stop to explore Castelnuovo Berardenga, the ancient hilltop town of San Gimignano, known for its storied towers, and the ancient walled mountaintop town of Volterra, with its Etruscan and Roman ruins.

Today we will have the morning to explore the grounds of the agrotourismo before taking an afternoon sojourn to the medieval town of Siena, with its famous Duomo and treasures by Donatello, Michelangelo, and others. We will also visit the Palazzo Pubblico to see Lorenzetti’s Allegory of Good and Bad Government.

In the evening, we will enjoy dinner together at the agriturismo, sharing the company of the proprietors and savoring the cucina rustica of Tuscany, featuring local wines, olive oil, cheeses, and meats from the countryside.

After breakfast, we will head into the Tuscan countryside, focusing on tasting the vino that is the result of the glorious art of winemaking. Our itinerary takes us to San Biagio, Montepulciano, Pienza, and Montalcino. Along the way, we will stop to sample wines made from Sangiovese, Trebbiano, and Malvasia grapes, ripened under the Tuscan sun and nurtured by the expertise of renowned winemakers. In the evening, we will return to our agriturismo for another delightful dinner.

We will have a leisurely breakfast and a bit of time to enjoy the views of Tuscany before traveling by private coach back to Florence. After lunch, you will have several options for the afternoon, including time for shopping and relaxation or a visit to the Pitti Palace, the former home of the Medici and later the royal residence of the Kings of Italy. Inside the Pitti Palace is the Palatine Gallery, featuring famous works by Raphael, Titian, Correggio, Rubens, and Caravaggio.

You will have the opportunity to enjoy dinner on your own, with an option to join Doug and Dustin at a wine tasting overlooking the Arno. In the evening, we will take a planned walk, including a longer chat in the Piazza della Signoria about the art there, featuring statues and castings by Michelangelo, Giambologna, Cellini, and Donatello.

After our morning café and cornetto, we will visit the Brancacci Chapel in the medieval church of Santa Maria del Carmine to admire breathtaking frescoes by Masaccio and Filippino Lippi, which set the standard for Renaissance painting. We will then visit the venerable Santa Trinita, the home church of the Vallambrosians. Founded in the 11th century, Santa Trinita was a church for the wealthy and houses remarkable artwork by Lorenzo Monaco and Ghirlandaio, including his frescoes in the Sassetti Chapel.

After lunch, we will walk to the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata to visit the museum of the Ospedale degli Innocenti, the first orphanage, and then explore the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata, with its stunning Baroque interior and works by Andrea del Sarto, Perugino, Bronzino, and others. We will conclude with a drink and snack at Café Verone, which offers a scenic view of Florence. Dinner will be on your own, with recommendations from Dustin and Doug.

Today, you have a choice: either continue exploring the wonders of Florence or take a side trip to Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna, often regarded as the culinary heart of Italy. Bologna is famed for its pastas, including tortelloni, tagliatelle, and ragù alla bolognese, as well as wines like Lambrusco and Pignoletto, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and cured meats such as Prosciutto di Parma and Mortadella.

In Bologna, we’ll tour the Piazza Maggiore with its glorious Basilica di San Petronio, and take a walking tour to iconic sites, including Le Due Torri and the Basilica di Santo Stefano, before traveling 45 minutes back to Florence by train. For those staying in Florence, enjoy exploring additional Renaissance sites, shopping for leather or jewelry, or simply relaxing. In the early evening, we’ll meet for an aperitivo at the rooftop café at Hotel Baglioni, where a glorious sunset and splendid view of Florence awaits. Dinner will be on your own, with recommendations for Coquinarius or Parione.

Today, on our last full day in Florence, we will visit Santa Croce, home of the Dominican Order. Here, in the pantheon of Florentine luminaries, we will see the monumental tombs dedicated to great figures such as Dante, Bruni, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Galileo, Rossini, Marconi, and Florence Nightingale. The church also features frescoes by Giotto and Gaddi, crucifixes by Cimabue and Donatello, The Last Supper by Giorgio Vasari, and the exquisite Pazzi Chapel designed by Brunelleschi, located within the cloister gardens.

We will then visit the National Museum of Sculpture, the Bargello, home to renowned sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo. Afterward, we will enjoy lunch and rest before our final afternoon visit to the Uffizi, the famed art gallery showcasing its most significant works. The day will conclude with vespers sung at the Badia Fiorentina, a tradition maintained for over 800 years.

After refreshing at the hotel, we will gather for our last dinner (l’ultima cena) together at Osteria d’Cicalini, reminiscing about our Italian excursion and the magnificent wonders of Florence and Tuscany—its visual arts, architecture, sculpture, painting, frescoes, wine, history, and culture!

This morning, for those returning to the United States, we will arrange morning transit to the Florence airport for your flights home. For those opting to stay longer in Italy, we are happy to offer advice on places to visit and where to stay.Either way, our guides at The Cultured Traveler, Dr. Erwing and Dr. Gish, will wish you Arrivederci e Buon Viaggio!