Today you will depart on the overnight flight to Florence, full of joyful anticipation.

OR if you’d like to arrive early for Golden Week, pre-hotel nights in Florence or Lucca can be arranged.

*Flights are not included in the price of this package.  We are happy to arrange them for you.

Benvenuta! You’ll be picked up at the Florence airport or train station by your private driver and the beautiful adventure will begin with a ride past rolling hills of vineyards, olive groves, and cypress trees. The lovely town of Lucca is your home base for the week, at the boutique Palazzo Dipinto, perfectly located in the historic center. You’ll have time to settle in, and perhaps step out the door to discover Lucca’s charming atmosphere of piazzas, caffes, boutiques, and Romanesque churches.

In the evening we’ll gather for an aperitivo to toast the week ahead. Susan will give you tips about keeping a travel journal, so you can create a treasured souvenir or your week through journaling. We’ll dine nearby in a cozy restaurant, enjoying delicious flavors of the season—the first of many memorable meals.

Meals Included: D

Buongiorno! Wake up and smell the caffe. An abundant breakfast awaits you in the hotel dining room. Get used to this dreamy start to all your Tuscan days.

Then we’re off to a countryside wine estate on the outskirts of San Miniato, a village famous for its truffles. We’ll have fun in the nearby forest, following a truffle hunter and his dogs to watch them dig up tubular treasures. Back at the farmhouse, signora Maria will lead us in a cooking class—a chance to roll up our sleeves for pasta-making and immerse ourselves in Tuscany’s culinary traditions. Lunch, enjoying the fruits of our labors, will follow, along with time to enjoy stunning vineyard views.

We’ll be back in Lucca in the afternoon, giving you time to relax, wander, and perhaps enjoy an aperitivo and people watching in a piazza. Dinner is on your own, with Susan’s recommendations.

Meals Included: B, L

This morning we’ll meet our entertaining local guide for a Lucca orientation walk to discover the town’s treasures and hear stories about powerful women who lived here, such as Elisa Bonaparte (Napoleon’s sister) who ruled Lucca in the early 19th century. Along the way, we’ll see beauties such as the Renaissance masterpiece tomb of Ilaria del Carretto in Lucca’s Duomo and have a caffe break to taste buccellato, a Lucchese sweet bread flavored with raisins and anise. The walk ends at the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, a former Roman amphitheater, now a delightful circle of caffes and shops.

There will be free time for lunch on your own and shopping, with Susan’s suggestions.

In the afternoon, we’re off to the town of San Giuliano Terme for a blissful spa experience. From the days of the Roman Empire, waters from mineral rich springs here have been praised for their health benefits. We’ll be welcomed to the former villa of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, now an elegant 5-star spa/hotel. We’ll enjoy soaking in the spa’s thermal pools and there will be time for spa treatments of your choice. We’ll finish the experience in the beautifully frescoed bar, for an aperitivo and view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the distance.

Back in Lucca, dinner is on your own with Susan’s suggestions.

Meals Included: B

Today’s adventure takes us to the seaside, to discover the chic resort town of Forte dei Marmi. It’s a total change of scene, with wide sandy beaches, sparkling ocean, backdropped by the Apuan Alps, where Carrara marble is quarried.

We’ll be in Forte dei Marmi for the town’s famous weekly market, where designer Italian clothing and luxury housewares are sold at discount prices. Lucky for us, a local guide will lead us through the big assortment of stalls to find the best selections.
(An optional Jeep Tour of  Carrara Marble Quarries can be arranged, at additional cost, for travelers who would prefer that to the Forte dei Marmi experience).

Then we’ll move on to nearby Pietrasanta, a medieval town nicknamed “Little Athens”, as it has long attracted international artists, many who work with the local marble. The historic center is an open air museum, with modern sculptures, boutiques, and churches such as the Misericordia, where frescoes by the Colombian artist Botero can be admired. We’ll have lunch together in the midst of this fascinating spot and take a private tour of an artisan workshop, to get an insider’s experience of the town.

We’ll be back in Lucca by late afternoon and the evening is yours to enjoy dinner on your own.

Meals Included: B, L

Today we’ll take a ride through the countryside to Pistoia--nicknamed Little Florence--for its historic center of beautiful Medieval and Renaissance architecture. Our guide will show us around her hometown’s daily market and central piazza, where great artists such as della Robbia and Brunellescchi contributed their artistry to Pistoia’s Duomo. We’ll also stop by a traditional confetteria, to sample the town’s beloved sugared almonds.

For lunch with a panoramic view, we’ll move on to Montecatini Alto, a hilltop medieval village, with a charming historic center. Down the hill is marvelous Montecatini Terme, awarded by UNESCO as one of The Great Spa Towns of Europe. Here we’ll enjoy Art Nouveau architecture, stepping back to the 1800s, when the town’s mineral springs attracted visitors from all over Europe. We’ll visit the gracious Terme Tettuccio pavillion for a taste of healing waters served from a gorgeous bar, surrounded by fountains and vibrant murals.

Back in Lucca there will be free time before we gather for a special early evening event: a concert honoring Puccini, who was born in Lucca. Singers will perform arias and duets from his operas that include such masterpieces as La Boheme and Madame Butterfly. It’s a profound experience to hear his music in the town that inspired him.
The concert ends at Italian dinner time (8:00pm), and dinner is on your own, with Susan’s suggestions.

Meals Included: B, L

This morning we’ll take a short drive to the outskirts of Lucca to visit the enchanting Villa Reale di Marlia. The property is surrounded by impressively landscaped gardens, featuring artful topiary, fountains, and sculptures. As we tour the dazzling interior of the villa, our guide will tell stories of fascinating women who lived here over the centuries, including such characters as Anna “Mimi” Pecci Blunt, who turned the villa into a fashionable salon in the mid 1900s, welcoming such guests as Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau.

Back in Lucca, near our hotel, we’ll visit female artisans. We’ll meet women weavers at the Palazzo Mansi, carrying on a craft that began here in the Middle Ages and brought wealth and prestige to Lucca. In an atelier housed in a glamorous 16th century palazzo, we’ll meet a clothing designer who carries on her family’s highly praised business, and promotes work from other local artisans, including jewelry makers and leather crafters.

After this inspiring morning, there will be free time for lunch and exploring Lucca on your own.

In the afternoon, we’ll gather for a ride to nearby Pisa. Beginning with our guide on the banks of  Arno River, we’ll soon discover that this medieval town has beauty and charms beyond its famous tower. Our walk will take us into the mini-Gothic masterpiece Santa Maria della Spina church, to “Knight’s Square” to admire Renaissance designs of Giorgio Vasari, and finally, as the sun sets, to what is called The Field of Miracles. This is the grand expanse where Pisa’s Duomo, Baptistry, Camposanto (Holy Ground) cemetery, and Leaning Tower have inspired awe in travelers for centuries.

After our tour, we’ll enjoy an aperitivo nearby to savor the Field of Miracles view for a while longer. Then we’ll have dinner at one of Pisa’s most beloved, traditional restaurants.

Meals Included: B, D

This is your day to immerse yourself in La Dolce Vita, and experience Lucca according to your desires. You may want to enjoy the park that tops Lucca’s wide wall, and circle it on foot or with a bike rental. There are more museums to explore, and Lucca’s monthly Antique Market, with loads of vendors right outside the walls. Susan will help you customize your day’s adventure.

In the evening, we’ll be driven to a countryside villa for our Farewell Dinner, where we’ll celebrate our Golden Week--grateful for new friends, inspired, and rejuvenated from our shared adventures.

Meals Included: B, D

Our driver will transport you to the Florence airport or train station, where you’ll depart with Golden Memories of our week together...

Meals Included: B