| WALKING

Itinerary

Day 1 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Depart U.S./Fly overnight to Florence

Depart from the U.S. for Italy. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Arrive in Florence/Begin your Trip Extension in Florence

Upon arrival at the Florence airport, a VBT local representative meets you outside the customs area and helps you transfer to your hotel. The representative will be holding a VBT sign. At this time, please verify with your representative the time of your transfer from your Rome hotel to the airport at the conclusion of your VBT trip.

If you arrive early, your room may not be ready until 1 p.m. You may store your luggage with the reception desk.

At the hotel you will be provided with a City Information Packet, a city map and recommendations for your stay in Florence. You have the rest of the day free to explore the city, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Please note: To visit the Uffizi Gallery, you must make reservations in advance. To reserve online, go to http://www.b-ticket.com/b-ticket/uffizi/.

Day 1 of AIR PACKAGE Depart U.S./Fly overnight to Florence

Depart from the U.S. for Italy. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 3 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent exploration of Florence

After breakfast you may wish to explore the city's most famous museum, the Uffizi Gallery (advance tickets required). Or stroll along the shop-lined promenades of the Via Tornabuoni, then cross the river Arno in search of antiques or handicrafts in the Piazza del Duomo.

Day 2 of AIR PACKAGE Arrive in Florence

Upon arrival at the Florence airport, a VBT local representative meets you outside the customs area and helps you transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to your hotel. The representative will be holding a VBT sign. At this time, please verify with your representative the time of your transfer from your Rome hotel to the airport at the conclusion of your VBT trip.

If you arrive early, your room may not be ready until 1 p.m. You may store your luggage with the reception desk.

At the hotel, you will receive a City Information Packet with a city map and recommendations for your stay in Florence. You have the rest of the day free to explore the city, the birthplace of the Renaissance. In the evening, relax in one of the city's restaurants and sample the local cuisine.

Day 4 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent exploration of Florence

Continue your independent exploration of Florence.

VBT Air Package guests arrive throughout the day.

Day 1 of WALKING TOUR All guests meet in Florence/Transfer to San Gimignano/Welcome reception

VBT No-Air Package guests: Meet your VBT Trip Leaders at 10:30 a.m. in the lobby of Hotel Adler Cavalieri, via della Scala 40, Firenze, phone + 39 055 277810. Your VBT Trip Leaders will be wearing VBT staff garments. Please come to the meeting in your walking clothes. If your arrival at the hotel is scheduled later than 10:30 a.m., or if you are delayed, please contact the hotel and the staff will pass your message along to your VBT Trip Leaders. The group will not leave Florence until 1 p.m. If you arrive later than 1 p.m., you must take a taxi (approximately 1 hour) at your own expense (approximately 100 euros/$150 USD) to Villa Ducci. In the event of delays or other problems with your arrival, please see page 3 “For Travel-Related Emergencies.” VBT highly recommends flying to Italy at least one day before the tour begins; this allows you to rest and recover from jet lag before you begin sightseeing and walking.

VBT Air Package and Pre-Extension guests: Meet your VBT Trip Leaders at 10:30 a.m. in the main lobby; they will be wearing VBT staff garments. Please come to the meeting in your walking clothes.

At the hotel our VBT Trip Leaders will hold an introductory and safety talk. Grab some lunch on your own while still in Florence and before boarding a private motorcoach to transfer to San Gimignano (approx 1 hour). During the transfer you will receive an interesting introduction to the region. Our walk starts on a country road outside the medieval walls of San Gimignano, and as we approach the city we are able to admire its unique skyline. We continue our walk within the walls past ancient palaces and the famous towers. It's hard to believe that such a small medieval center once bristled with 72 towers, erected in a 14th-century building frenzy by competing families to show their power and wealth. Today, only 14 towers remain, and the entire walled town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Later this afternoon, settle in at Villa Ducci. This hotel, located just outside the charming town of San Gimignano, is the ancient residential villa of the Ducci family, built in the 19th century around a medieval tower. It has been transformed into a comfortable hotel with a swimming pool. The garden has sweeping views of San Gimignano's medieval towers.

This evening we gather for a welcome reception, followed by a dinner of regional specialties served in the hotel's restaurant.

Day 2 of WALKING TOUR San Donato/Castelvecchio

Have breakfast on the terrace of Villa Ducci and get ready for our exciting walk to San Donato. We will take a short shuttle to the hamlet of Santa Lucia – just outside San Gimignano. From here, we will walk a stretch of the ancient Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route connecting the city of Canterbury in England to Rome. We wade across a small river and soon are in the open countryside leading to the abbey of Montauto. We continue on a very scenic road, some stretches lined with cypress trees. As we crest the hill, the skyline of San Gimignano appears in the distance.

Our destination is a typical Tuscan organic farm, producing wine, oil and vegetables. We relax for lunch on the farm gardens and meet the owners. After lunch, the options are many: shuttle or walk to San Gimignano to visit the wine museum or browse some craft shops on your own, or follow our leaders on an interesting walk to Castelvecchio in a thick Holm Oak forest.

Later today, return to the hotel and relax by the swimming pool and gardens.

Tonight dinner is on your own in San Gimignano.

Day 3 of WALKING TOUR A day in Chianti/Castello di Volpaia winery

Begin your day with an optional early morning walk to the nearby Pieve di Cellole medieval church, deep in the Tuscan countryside. After breakfast this morning, we shuttle to Panzano. As we leave San Donato and approach the river Pesa, we are surrounded by gentle hills covered with vineyards and dotted with old brick farmhouses, in the famous Chianti Sienese. In Panzano, we have a chance to try our Italian as we shop for our picnic lunch! Our walk starts from the piazza and soon becomes an unpaved winding, white gravel road leading us into a scenic and quiet countryside. The harmony of the landscape – sweet hills, endless vineyards, woods of chestnuts and oaks with tiny hilltop villages in the distance is a retreat for our minds.

Along the way we find a perfect place for our picnic lunch. Later, you may opt to walk the additional 2 miles to Volpaia on well-trodden paths through the vineyards, or you may take a shuttle.

The Castle of Volpaia was built in the 11th century as a fortified village on the Florence/Siena border. The two parties were fighting all of the time. Today, only part of the walls and two towers remain, and the place is one of the best-preserved villages of the period. It is entirely committed to the production of wine, oil and vinegar by the Stianti family. We tour one of the cellars and are welcome to visit the “vinsantaia,” where sweet Vin Santo is produced by letting grapes dry for days. Our guide then takes us to the castle reception room, where a tasting of wines and oil is ready for us.

Later, we shuttle to Siena and settle into our charming, centrally located hotel, an ancient Carmelite monastery turned into a comfortable hotel. Tonight, we will dine at a local “trattoria.”

Day 4 of WALKING TOUR Siena/Monteriggioni

An early morning stroll in Siena is perfect to get the real feeling of the city, when only locals are around having their cappuccino standing at bar counters before getting to the office or taking the children to school. Walk the quiet cobblestone streets back to our district, Contrada Della Chiocciola, and have breakfast in the cloister of the hotel. Later we are met by our local city expert and explore the city during a walk customized for us. We will see Siena's main monuments as we tour of one of the “contrada” and learn about the famous horse competition, Palio.

Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city. Its inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right into the area of urban planning. Throughout the centuries, they preserved their city's Gothic appearance, acquired between the 12th and 15th centuries. During this period, the works of Duccio, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini influenced the course of Italian and, more broadly, European art. The whole city of Siena, built around the Piazza del Campo, was created as a work of art that blends into the surrounding landscape.

Stay in Siena for lunch on your own and then make plans for the afternoon. Stay in Siena and continue exploring on your own, or shuttle with our tour leaders to the walled city of Monteriggioni. Built in 1213, the Castle of Monteriggioni could not be conquered by the Florentines in spite of their frequent attacks. It fell only when the captain of the troops betrayed the Sienese. Through the gate of this fortified bastion, we start our descent to Abbadia a Isola and Castel Petraia in the Elsa valley on an easy and relaxing walk.

Dinner will be on your own tonight.

Day 5 of WALKING TOUR Montalcino/Sant' Antimo Abbey/Pienza

This morning we shuttle to hilltop Montalcino. Though it is most famous for its Brunello wine, you may remember it best for the workout that the narrow, steep streets provide. Ascend to its topmost “fortezza” for spectacular countryside views.

Leaving Montalcino, we hike country paths and sidle along vineyards of Sangiovese grapes, olive groves, and lovely hamlets. Our route descends gradually into the Starcia Valley, where we find a picturesque spot for our Tuscan picnic lunch. We continue to the Romanesque Abbey of Sant'Antimo, whose luminescent alabaster interior shimmers with the day's changing light. From here, we shuttle to charming Pienza, hailed for its Renaissance town planning.

There'll be time to explore before dinner on our own.

Day 6 of WALKING TOUR San Quirico/Bagno Vignoni

Make sure you browse Pienza's street market this morning before setting out for a great walking day. After breakfast, a short shuttle takes us to the starting point, San Quirico d'Orcia. This fortified little town on the northern edge of the Orcia Valley is on the ancient pilgrimage route, Via Francigena, which brought fame and wealth to the city. Important travelers, like Emperor Federico Barbarossa, stopped here with his army on his way to Rome. We admire the Romanesque church, Collegiata, with three doorways featuring fine stone carvings.

We leave San Quirico and start our loop walk to Bagno Vignoni. This is a tiny spa town founded by the Romans, who discovered its sulphurous waters 2,000 years ago. The Medici later built a huge pool in the town's main square, where the hot water bubbles up. Have lunch at one of the cafes around the picturesque pool, or picnic just outside town near the natural waterfall.

In the afternoon, you can choose to remain in Bagno Vignoni and opt to take the waters at the nearby Hotel Posta, or continue our scenic walk on a different route to San Quirico.
Later, we regroup in San Quirico at the Leonini Gardens for a mid-afternoon “merenda.” Enclosed within the ancient ramparts of the city, the gardens are a particularly lovely corner of Tuscany. They retain the original Renaissance structure and prove to be a well-preserved example of the traditional Italian-style garden. This style of laying out parks was repeated in later centuries.

We drive back to Pienza and get ready for our festive farewell dinner in a local “ristorante,” where we will be feasting on delicious pici pasta.

Day 7 of WALKING TOUR Goodbye to Pienza/transfer to Rome

After breakfast, one last, short walk towards the peaceful Pieve di Corsignano country church allows us to stretch our legs and say goodbye to the rolling clay hills of the Orcia Valley. We then transfer to Rome, arriving at about 12:30 p.m.

VBT No-Air Package guests: Your trip finishes at River Palace Hotel, via Flaminia 33, phone +39 06 830011 around 12:30 p.m.

VBT Air Package guests: Arrive at our Rome Hotel at approximately 12:30 p.m. and have the rest of the day at your leisure.

If you have chosen the independent Post-Trip Extension to Rome, you will remain at this hotel for three nights. When you arrive today, VBT's Rome representative can answer your questions. You will receive a City Information Packet that includes maps and recommendations for restaurants, museums and transportation in Rome while you explore on your own.

An optional walking tour of Baroque Rome will be available. Highlights include Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the most famous Baroque Churches, Campo dei Fiori, Palazzo Farnese e Spada and the Jewish Ghetto. This three-hour program may be booked with your VBT hotel representative upon arrival in Rome (it may not be booked in advance of travel). The approximate price is 30 euros/$42 USD per person and includes the services of our local English-speaking guide.

Day 8 of AIR PACKAGE Depart for U.S.

After breakfast* this morning, you will transfer to the Rome airport (approximately 40-60 minutes, depending on traffic) for your departing flight.** Please be sure you are ready in the hotel reception area at the designated transfer time.

*Please note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk to verify the times that breakfast is served.

**VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder.” VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Day 1 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Remain in Rome for your optional extension

If you have chosen the optional Post-Trip Extension, remain in Rome for an additional two nights and spend today exploring the city. This is an independent extension – there is no VBT representative or Trip Leader.

Today's opportunities are endless. You might visit the Forum, the political and commercial center of ancient Rome when the empire was at its greatest power. Various emperors constructed the temples, monuments and other buildings here over a period of nine centuries. Today, you can still see the Curia where the Roman Senate met. Take a walk up the Palatine Hill, where tradition says the first settlers of Rome built their huts under the direction of Romulus, and which was later the home of Caligula, Nero, Tiberius and Domitian. Or you can step out of Italy while you're still in Rome with a visit to the Vatican, an independent state. The Vatican museums are filled with magnificent art that goes far beyond such well-known pieces as the Pieta and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. Tour Rome's famous Catacombs, located in tunnels carved out of rock along the Via Appia (“Appian Way”). Or spend an idyllic afternoon in the gardens of the Villa Borghese, one of Europe's most elegant parks. And by all means, do as the Romans do — sip espresso, savor Italian wine and take the time to enjoy “la dolce vita.” After a full day of independent exploration, retire to your hotel or perhaps enjoy one of Rome's fine restaurants.

Day 2 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Independent exploration of Rome

Continue your independent exploration of Rome.

Another optional walking tour of Ancient Rome is available today. Highlights include the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Capitolio, Marcello Theatre and the Jewish Ghetto. This two-hour program may be booked with your VBT hotel representative upon arrival in Rome (it may not be booked in advance of travel). The approximate price is 20 euros/$28 USD per person and includes the services of our local English-speaking guide.

Day 3 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Depart for U.S.

After breakfast* this morning you will transfer to the Rome airport (approximately 40 to 60 minutes depending on traffic) for your departing flight**. Please be sure that you are ready in the hotel reception area at the designated time.

*Please note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk to verify the times that breakfast is served.

**VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder.” VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Italy: Quiet Pathways of Tuscany

Pre and Post Trip Extensions

Pre-Trip Extension

Florence 2010 - Tuscany Walking - 2 nights for only $345

Begin your Italian walking tour with two magical days in Florence, the art lover's paradise. The Italian province of Tuscany may lay claim to more classified historical monuments than any other region in the world, and the most dazzling are in Florence. The Renaissance began here, and the period's great works of art are on display throughout the city. Florence also has delightful cafes for relaxing and people-watching. A city that is fun to explore on foot, Florence has many attractions concentrated in the relatively small historic center stretching from Piazza del Duomo south to the Arno River.

Note: Single supplement for this extension is $145.

Post-Trip Extension

Rome 2010 Tuscany Walking - 2 nights for only $345

Discover the Eternal City at your leisure as you spend two nights in Italy’s timeless capital. History, art and architecture abound, from Greek sculpture to Roman ruins.

Marvel at the grandeur of the Vatican, where St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel await. Stroll through the ancient ruins of the Roman Forum and the Coliseum. Take time to walk up the Spanish Steps, toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure your return to Rome, or just spend a relaxing afternoon at a quiet outdoor café. Many attractions are within walking distance of your centrally located hotel.

Only available with the Air Inclusive Package.

Note: Single supplement for this extension is $345.

Accommodations

Hotel Adler Cavalieri - Walking Tuscany

An ancient Florentine palace completely redecorated and refurbished in the old Florentine style, Hotel Adler Cavalieri is located in the historical center of Florence, a few steps from the main railway station of Santa Maria Novella. Its location in the old city center is an easy walk to restaurants, cafés and shops.

Il Chiostro Del Carmine

Located in the heart of Siena, far from the city noise and near the city walls, this historic property was once a 14th-century Carmelite monastery and is now classified as a holiday resort. It features 17 comfortable rooms overlooking either the internal cloister or the valley south of Siena. The atmosphere is very peaceful and familiar. Breakfast is served in the ancient “barrel room” where monks used to press and store wine in big barrels. The cloister offers seating and relaxation.

Il Chiostro di Pienza

Set in the heart of Pienza, Il Chiostro di Pienza is a historic 15th-century cloister that has been renovated into a magnificent 4-star property. It was named after the beautiful cloister of the convent and church of San Francesco. As you relax in your comfortable accommodations, you find its central location enables you to explore this Renaissance city, well-preserved and rich in history. With views of the Orcia and Asso valleys, a refined restaurant featuring Tuscan specialties, and an outdoor swimming pool, Il Chiostro’s hospitality has delighted visitors for years. An internet connection is available in the hotel lobby.

River Palace Hotel

Located in the heart of the city, a few steps from Piazza Del Popolo and the wonderful Santa Maria del Popolo Church (with paintings by Caravaggio), this charming property is intimate and refined. It features a very good restaurant called Caravaggio, a nice breakfast room, and friendly staff at bar and reception. VBT has reserved only superior rooms, larger than the otherwise very small standard bedrooms. A great spot to discover the Eternal City. An Internet connection is available in the hotel lobby.

Villa Ducci

The hotel was once the residential villa of the Ducci family, who in the 19th century built their house around the ancient medieval watchtower of San Biagio. The villa was completely restored in 2003 and transformed into an elegant small hotel, featuring an amazing view of the city of San Gimignano and its medieval towers from the swimming pool and garden. An Internet connection is available in the hotel lobby.

Rating Level

Easy/Moderate

This tour features a combination of easy terrain, moderate hills, uneven footpaths, and in Chianti, typical “white roads” (well-beaten gravel roads). On rainy days, the footpaths can often be wet and muddy. City walks are on paved and cobblestone roads. Our VBT minibus is available at specific meeting points for those who need assistance. Both morning and afternoon options are available most days. Optional early morning walks are offered on two days. Ideal for enthusiastic beginners and experienced walkers as well.

Ways to Save

Group Discount Program:

You can earn a FREE VBT tour with our generous group discount program.
Click here for details.

Refer a Friend and Earn $100 in Travel Credits:

If you refer a friend to VBT and they choose to travel with us, you earn $100 in travel credits toward your next trip and your friend gets $50 off their first VBT trip.

Click here for details.

Book Early and Save with Our Good Buy Discount:

If you pay in full within 30 days of making your reservation, you’ll start earning interest on your travel investment-up to 10%. The earlier you pay, the more you save! (Balance must be paid by check to qualify.)

Earn Frequent Traveler Credits with every VBT trip:

Every time you travel with VBT, you earn a 5% Frequent Traveler Credit for your next VBT vacation—valid through December 31, 2011.

Savings for Single Travelers:

If you are on a tour where sharing is possible and you would like to share a room, we will do our best to match you with a roommate. We will charge you only 50% of the single supplement; if a match is available, we will refund you the single supplement after you return. If available, the single supplement fee is $395.

Best Value Guaranteed:

Click here for details.