Hidden Treasures of Tuscany

We meet at London St Pancras, where we join the Eurostar service to Paris. Travelling in style in spacious Standard Premier Class, we're served a light lunch at our seats. Changing trains, we continue by First Class rail to Chambéry. After a short break, we board a comfortable coach for a beautiful journey through the Alps. Enroute, we enjoy stops to absorb the incredible views of towering, alpine peaks , before arriving in Turin where we spend the night. We have our first dinner together in this handsome Italian city.

• Dinner
• Eurostar Light Meal

After a relaxed morning with free time in elegant Turin we take the train to Tuscany, travelling to Poggibonsi via Florence. Arriving in the early evening, from Poggibonsi we are transferred by coach the short distance to our hotel, just outside the beautifully-preserved walls of the enchanting medieval hill town of San Gimignano and our delightful base for the next seven nights. This evening we enjoy a three course dinner in a local restaurant.

Please note, the daily itinerary for this tour differs for each departure, according to the specific date of the local festival we attend. If you would like to find out more about which festival we visit on each departure, please call us to speak to one of our friendly advisors.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we are taken on a guided coach tour to another Tuscan gem, the wonderful Renaissance hill town of Montepulciano, renowned for its stunning Renaissance architecture and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, one of Italy's best-loved red wines. In the highest part of the town is the handsome Piazza Grande, a popular meeting place, surrounded by the cathedral, Renaissance palazzos and churches. The town has panoramic views across two beautiful valleys, Val d'Orcia and Val di Chiana, endless rolling hills, rows of cypress trees and vineyards. After a guided tour of the historic centre on foot we stop for lunch in a local restaurant.

Our Montepulciano experience continues this afternoon, as we are taken for a private tour and wine tasting at a traditional Tuscan winery. We return to our hotel at the end of the day and this evening you are free to dine independently. You could wander into San Gimignano for dinner where there are many enticing dining options.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Today we have a full day to enjoy our idyllic surroundings, relax beside the inviting outdoor pool of our hotel, and to explore enchanting San Gimignano. This delightful town is a 400m walk from our hotel and is known for its unique skyline of fourteen towers, one of which - Torre Grossa - can be climbed. These fascinating stone towers once numbered 72 and were built in early medieval times by wealthy families, as a symbol of their affluence. The historic centre of San Gimignano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and inside the city walls you can wander among a well-preserved collection of Romanesque and Gothic buildings including the Palazzo Comunale, and Church of Sant'Agostino which is worth visiting for its beautiful medieval frescoes.

There are many tempting eating places in San Gimignano, from rustic trattorias to fine dining ristorantes - some have terraces with lovely views of the surrounding countryside. The town's specialities include cured Tuscan ham, Pecorino cheese, various meat dishes, and freshly-made pasta with a rich tomato sauce and Tuscan herbs.

• Breakfast

This morning we travel with a local guide to the sacred site of Assisi by coach. Here in the rolling hills of Umbria, we enjoy a special experience in a peaceful atmosphere, as we visit the famous Basilica of St Francis, with a Franciscan monk as our guide. Our excursion continues as we travel to Perugia, a beautiful old town, perhaps best-known as the home of 'Baci' or 'Kiss' chocolates - individually wrapped, hazelnut truffles coated in chocolate. After free time to look around the town our guide takes us on a visit a chocolate laboratory for an explanatory talk and a chocolate tasting. We return to our hotel at the end of the afternoon and enjoy a three-course dinner at a restaurant in San Gimignano.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today is a highlight of our holiday as we transfer by coach to Siena station for a unique, steam-hauled excursion to a Tuscan village festival. We travel onboard the Treno Natura, on a line used exclusively by this historic train. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the excitement and tradition of a small village festival, celebrating seasonal food and wine.

Depending on your departure date, you might join a truffle tour in beautiful Crete Senesi, or join in village festivities celebrating a wine harvest. Or experience the age-old village traditions of an Autumn festival to mark the chestnut season or the first batch of new olive oils. With a local tour guide to introduce you to the festival activities, you have free time for lunch and we're transferred back to our hotel in the late afternoon. This evening we have a three course dinner at a local restaurant in San Gimignano.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today is another chance to explore lovely San Gimignano, or you might choose to take a bus or train to medieval Siena, a charismatic Tuscan city where a labyrinth of narrow streets open out onto charming piazzas. The Duomo here is one of Italy's most magnificent, with statues by Donatello and Michelangelo, and an elaborate mosaic floor.

Siena's most impressive sight is the incredible Piazza del Campo, a grand, shell-shaped piazza that's regarded as one of Europe's finest medieval squares. This is the site of the renowned Palio horse races, an extraordinary event which the city has celebrated since the 17th century, now held twice a year in July and August.

In Siena's artisan shops you can sample some of the cured meats and cheeses that are popular here. Maybe opt for Siena's best-loved cheese, Pecorino, or finocchiona, a delicious local salami made with fennel. In San Gimignano, local produce includes saffron and a white wine, produced from the local grapes - Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

• Breakfast

We enjoy another highlight of our holiday today, as we travel by rail to the beautiful Renaissance city of Florence. We enjoy a guided tour of the city's treasures, including the impressive red-tiled Duomo, the Santa Maria Novella Church and the legendary Ponte Vecchio, the famous 14th-century bridge. After our tour you have free time to explore. You might like to take a leisurely stroll beside the luminous green-blue waters of the Arno, passing the Palazzo Pitti and Basilica di Santo on the south bank of the city or visit the Boboli Gardens on the edge of the city. Instead, continue to discover the many examples of Renaissance art, overflowing in the city's galleries, museums or palaces.

When you've had your fill of art and buildings, maybe make your way to one of the city's roof terraces for lunch or stroll across the river to the wonderful Boboli gardens, a peaceful green space with fantastic views of Florence. Alternatively, Mercato di San Lorenzo is the city's largest market with an abundance of fresh products, leather and local crafts, an indoor and outdoor dining area, and a Chianti wine booth. A place to warm up or cool down, depending on the season!

We return to our hotel and dine together in San Gimignano this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we say farewell to Tuscany as we transfer by coach to Livorno where we travel in First Class carriages on the train to Ventimiglia, near the French border, via Genoa. This scenic rail journey takes us along the stunning Ligurian coastline, past the pastel-coloured houses of the Cinque Terre. When we reach Ventimiglia, close to the French border, we continue by coach, travelling along the attractive French Riviera to the town of Saint-Raphaël, on the stunning Côte d'Azur. We spend the night here, enjoying a final dinner together with fellow travellers and new friends.

**Please Note: For certain departures, there will be a change of location to Toulon.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we start our journey homewards and, as we travel by First Class rail to Paris, we have time to savour the new memories we've created on our Tuscan adventure. In the French capital, we change for the Eurostar service, which takes us back to London St Pancras where our journey ends.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Light Meal