Italian Capitals of Fashion, Renaissance, Lakeshores & Coastline Tour

Florence maintains its connection to the Renaissance, along with its Roman roots, as highlighted along the Arno River and in the stunning architecture that lines the streets. Your private transfer will greet you at the Florence Airport and escort you into the heart of Tuscany’s capital city. The scent of rich steaks emanates from the crowded restaurants as cafes set out umbrellas to shade the patrons from the warm, drifting sunlight. Locals watch passersby and sip their fresh-brewed espresso. Your guide will meet you in the bright lobby of your hotel ready to introduce you to the beauty of Florence.

Start with the 14th-century Piazza della Signoria that has always been the political center of the city since its inception and then the Neptune Fountain as it edges the corner of Piazza Vecchio, which stands for the Old Palace. The fountain remains the centerpiece of the piazza, built to celebrate the wedding of Francesco de’Medici in the mid 16th-century. Four horses and three Tritons surround Neptune, who rises above the heart of the fountain with a dramatic gaze. While passersby stroll through the piazza, your guide will points you to a granite disc feet from the fountain’s edge. The plaque commemorates where the zealous cleric Savonarola was executed after trying to force inhabitants of the city into righteousness during the Renaissance. The elegant statues in the Loggia dei Lanzi embody the choices of Florentines, who chose beauty and expression in their art over religious virtue.

In the morning, the sunlight washes over the city and glares off of the green and white hues of the Cathedral’s marble façade. The brick dome rises more than 375 feet above the piazza as the aroma of freshly baked brioche emanates from the hidden bakeries found throughout the city to provide delicious treats to the corner cafes and restaurants. After breakfast, you will meet your guide and return to exploring the splendors of the city. Your guide will lead you on a highlights tour of the famous Florentine museums, beginning with the Uffizi Gallery located south of Piazza Signoria. You will pass near the Casa de Dante, a 13th-century edifice near where the famous epic poet once lived.

The square outside of the 14th-century palace is narrow but leads people to the banks of the Arno River. Cosimo I de’Medici patronized the structure to accommodate the offices of the magistrates. In the 18th-century, the museum opened to the public with windows that allow bright, soft light into the marble halls that line the closed galleries. The scent of oils and polish drifts through the exhibits as your guide escorts you along the expansive museum to explain the history and grandeur of the structure and its exhibits before you arrive at the Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli. The painting was created in the 16th-century to depict the goddess born from the sea. After lunch, continue to the Galleria dell’Accademia in search of Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture, David.

Florence has a variety of museums, artwork, and cultural treasures that could keep a visitor occupied for months to reveal all of the gems of the city’s history, from hidden palaces to vibrant frescos. Today you can luxuriate in the pleasures of Florence with a tour of the city’s overlooked beauty or venture into Tuscany to view the cypress lined streets and rolling hills for which the region is known. Inside the city, your guide will show you the lesser known, but still inspiring works.

Begin your tour at San Lorenzo, the family church of the Medici’s, and considered one of the greatest artistic achievements of the last 500 years. Michelangelo designed the Sacristy in a structure created by Brunelleschi and decorated by Donatello, amongst other Renaissance masters. The Sacristy contains four Medici tombs, two of which show elaborate statues reclining as if resting on capital columns, a testament to Classical architectural elements. Stroll through the markets of San Lorenzo to view one of the oldest marketplaces in the city, the Mercato Centrale, along with the merchants market lining the cobbled streets.

Follow your guide across the river to the Oltrarno, home to the craftsmen of the city since the Renaissance. Leatherworkers and marble sculptors, along with bookbinders and paper makers continue their work in the small shops that line the narrow streets near the river to connect the Pitti Palace with Piazza Santo Spirito. Enjoy a private lesson to learn how to make marbled paper and bind books by hand; your instructor is a master artisanal decorator eager to teach you the delicate traits of the Florentine trade.

In the morning, locals jog along the cobbled streets that line the Arno River as crew members set out their shells and row against the calm current. After breakfast, your private transfer will meet you at your hotel and lead you away from the living Renaissance history of Florence to travel along the rolling hills of the countryside to La Spezia. The winding streets of the old city lead to the port that houses Italy’s largest naval base. You will board a local train at the station and travel the short distance to the quiet cliff-side town of Riomaggiore, the southernmost town connected to Cinque Terre.

The Ligurian Sea laps at the rocky shoreline beneath the pastel painted homes wedged between steep headlands. The 14th-century Church of San Giovanni features a pulpit is carved from pure marble and adorned with a wooden crucifix to contrast with the splendor of the Renaissance triptych. The breeze carries the seaside aroma and blends the slightly salty air with the fragrant basil and lemon trees that grow in the private gardens. Your guide will meet you in Riomaggiore and lead you along the trail that connects to Manarola, the neighboring town. The gardens lead to tiered vineyards that climb the mountainside.

The trail provides unparalleled views of the water as the mountains separate the towns from one another along with the rest of Italy. The trails were once paths used by goat herders, and your guide will explain the history of the five towns, from medieval times to the global depression that had each home raising their own crops. At your first wine cellar, you can feel the cold air that protects the wines from the sun as a sweet aroma blends with the oaky scent of the barrels. The cliffs of the region climb to a height of 2,500 feet above sea level and the variety of earthy terrain lends different characteristics to each vine. Your first glass will have the aromas of vanilla and lemon curd, exemplifying the region in a single glass.

Today you will set out on a luxurious cruise around the Ligurian coastline that begins once you board the boat in La Spezia. The sea breeze rushes over the boat to brush against your cheeks as fishermen set out in search of marlin, octopus, and prawns. The turquoise water glows against the limestone cliffs and verdant trees that climb the hillsides as you marvel at the cliffs that adorn the jagged shore.  The boat docks in the marina at Monterosso, which has one of Cinque Terre’s finest beaches. Stroll along the old cobbled streets of the city as the road narrows as it reaches the cliffs to lead you to a tunnel that connects the old district to the newer neighborhoods.

The precipice that overlooks the water holds the medieval Aurora Tower, constructed by the Genovese to protect the town from pirate attacks. Spend time on the sandy beach that arches beneath the rugged mountains as the water shimmers with three shades of blue. The sand is hot beneath your feet and the umbrella over your lounge chair provides the perfect canopy as the scent of pesto sauce emanates from the restaurants. If you prefer a more active view of Cinque Terre, take a walking path to the neighboring town of Vernazza and climb over the undulating mountains that form the Cinque Terre’s most challenging trail.

The sea crashes against the shoreline of La Spezia as fishermen return from the waters with nets of fresh seafood ready for market. The scent of fresh-brewed espresso filters through the cafes, and your private transfer will meet you in the hotel lobby to escort you to Milan, the industrial capital of Italy and one of the world’s leading fashion cities. Your guide will take you on an engaging tour of Milan that begins with a visit to the Teatro alla Scala, the world famous opera house. The theater contains 2,800 seats to house the opera world’s most well known and often feared enthusiasts. If no rehearsals are scheduled, you can look inside the opera house itself to see the grand auditorium, from the colored velvet seats to the elegant boxes that circle the orchestra.

Continue to the stunning Duomo at the heart of the city for a unique view of the Gothic architecture with more than 2,200 marble statues. Walk among the stone pinnacles and elaborate sculptures for a view of Milan that reaches the snow-capped mountains north of the city. The gargoyles roar in silence above the piazza below and you will feel as though you have the city to yourself. In the evening, walk along the Navigli District as it’s situated alongside the canal where the pedestrian bridges provide a charming atmosphere as you criss-cross over the quiet water.

The rush of Milan returns in the morning as locals venturing to work by way of the café. After an early breakfast, your private transfer will meet you at the hotel to lead you into the Italian Alps that separate Italy from Switzerland. The roads wind beneath evergreen forest and snow-capped peaks and you will reach the shoreline of Lake Como as it is peppered with villages and the central town of the same name. Trees shade the lakeside stone streets where the Romans settled a colony, and the contemporary town that follows the ancient grid is crowned by the entrance gate of Porta Pretoria. Roman baths excavated in the 1970s contain remnants of fragmented frescoes dating back to the 1st and 2nd-centuries AD.

The town of Bellagio is located on the eastern shore and is often mentioned as the most beautiful town in the region, located where the three arms of the lake converge. The pristine architecture shines with bright colors and reflects in the tranquil waters. Boutique shops line the quiet streets and lead to stone stairs that connect the upper tiers of town to the boat landing. Terraced gardens spread around the Villa Serbelloni, to overlook the glistening waters of the lake. The views open to provide a panorama of the mountains and lake with incredible natural beauty, along with the 19th-century Italianate garden. Roses blossom near boxwood hedges as the alpine air is clean and refreshing. The cypress trees add a layered herbaceous fragrance to the garden.

In the morning, you will have time to traverse the shores of Lake Como and enjoy the splendor of the Alps. Villa Balbianello features a garden that overtakes the rugged bluff above the water. The 18th-century Baroque villa contains columns and balustrades to frame your views of the lake. Your guide will meet you at your hotel when you’re ready to escort you back to Milan for a half-day tour of the city’s fabulous museums. The Pinacoteca di Brera was constructed between the 17th and 18th-centuries as a Jesuit college but soon became the Academy of Fine Arts and now boasts a magnificent library and fabulous observatory. It is also one of Italy’s most celebrated art museums that exhibit works by northern Italian masters. An early 19th-century monument dedicated to Napoleon I decorates the entrance courtyard.

The marvelous interior offers a sample of the splendor shown throughout the galleries. Images created by disciples of Leonardo da Vinci hang on the walls, along with the artists Correggio, Tintoretto, and Veronese. Foreign masters such as Rembrandt and Van Dyck add to the eclectic dimensions of the museum. The gardens are not a secret, but visitors often overlook the incredible charm of the inner courtyards, which act as a hidden oasis in the Italian metropolis. Exotic trees shade the cobbled walkways and flowerbeds blossom near serene, reflective pools.

The modest brickwork of Santa Maria dell Grazie guides your eye to the gigantic six-sided dome. Antique paintings hidden beneath the dome’s construction were exposed after World War II during much-needed repair work. Throughout the day, people make their way to the church to view Leonardo da Vinci’s famous work The Last Supper, which was painted on the refectory wall in the 15th-century. The scene depicts the final supper of Jesus and His disciples in dramatic realism. Your private transfer will meet you at the hotel and escort you to Malpensa Airport for your flight home as you have now uncovered the marvels of Milan and experienced the highlights of Tuscany, Liguria, and Lombardy.