FLORENCE Shore Excursions & Tours
Coach hire to Florence - Pisa - Siena - Lucca - San Gimignano

Shore Excursions
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To receive a quotation for the following Excursions, we need to know:Excursion #, the date required, name of ship, # of people in your group

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                                 Shore Excursion to Florence & Pisa                from  32 euro per person              
Duration: Approximately 9 - 10 hours - Radioguides not included

Livorno is Italy's second largest port and serves as the gateway to the Tuscany region. This comprehensive excursion begins with a scenic drive through the Tuscan countryside from Livorno to the fascinating city of Florence. Surrounded by the Appennine Hills and situated on both banks of the Arno River, Florence had a significant impact on the culture of Italy and all of Europe. Florence acquired its wealth from wool and banking and from the 13th - 16th century is where poets, painters, sculptors and architects produced a stream of exquisite works of art. Meet our Official Licenced Guide and by foot start the visit of Florence (2 hours). You will see the Piazza del Duomo, the religious center of Florence in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The "Duomo" is the fourth largest church in the world, was begun in 1296 and took 173 years to complete. The side of the Baptistery facing the Duomo has gilded bronze doors declared by Michelangelo as worthy of being the "gates of paradise." Sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti labored more than 50 years on this incredible project. In the Piazza della Signoria view a copy of the "David" and the Loggia dei Lanzi, along with original sculptures; yhen you will be able to see Santa Croce, one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Italy. See Donatello's Annunciation, Giotto's Death of St. Francis and the tomb of Michelangelo. Enjoy a photo opportunity at Ponte Vecchio before free time for lunch (not included). In the afternoon we will drive to the historic town of Pisa. Here, you'll make a brief photo stop by Campo dei Miracoli, or Miracle Square. Marvel at the exterior of the Campanile, better known as the Leaning Tower. This remarkable structure is, of course, Pisa's greatest attraction. It was built as the cathedral's campanile, or bell tower and began to tilt because of the marshy ground beneath its foundation. It has continued to lean at a rate of 1-2 millimeters every year. Re-board your motorcoach and continue to return to Livorno.

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                Shore Excursion  Florence on Your Own                 from  28 euro per person  (Return)         
Duration: Approximately 10 hours

If you want to explore this fascinating city on your own, we can provide a motorcoach transfer to Florence, complete with an official
English-speaking Tour escort. After a drive through the Tuscan countryside, you will be dropped off at a central location in Florence and have approximately five hours to shop and explore the city at your leisure. Motorcoach drop off and pick up points will be agreed with the Tour Escort. Please reboard the motorcoach no less than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.

Note: Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Guests are responsible for all sightseeing and meals.

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                                                      Shore Excursion Historic Siena                                                  
Duration: Approximately 10 hours

In the late Middle Ages, Siena and Florence competed fiercely with one another - in commerce, finance and culture. Finally Florence, under the Medicis, won. Siena remains today one of Italy's most interesting and charming cities, more medieval than Renaissance. It is protected by miles of imposing walls set with monumental entrance gates, towers and bulwarks. This tour begins with a two-hour drive through the rolling Tuscan countryside, past vineyards that produce fine Chianti wines and hills dotted with the villas of the wealthy. At Siena's walls, you will meet an official English speaking Licenced Guide to begin an exploration of the hilly city on foot. You'll enjoy a brief visit to the Basilica of San Domenico, containing the Chapel of St. Catherine, who is credited with returning the Papacy to Rome. Strolling downhill, you'll pass St. Catherine's house and Il Duomo, the cathedral that contains the Piccolomini library. The library has magnificent frescoes by Pinturicchio and the floor in the cathedral is made of priceless inlaid pavements that depict biblical stories. In the Baptistery is the superb bronze bas relief titled The Capture of St. John the Baptist, by celebrated sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti. Across the square is the museum of the cathedral, with sculptures by Giovanni Pisano and the dazzling Maesta displayed in Duccio's Hall. Lunch will be served at a restaurant near the Piazza Del Campo where the palio is held twice a year. This is the most colorful, exiting and dangerous of all Italian festivals, a bareback horse race with no rules. Don't miss the Mangia Tower at the Palazzo Pubblico. You will have time to admire the Gaia Fountain on one side of the Piazza and see the Mayor's Courtyard in the Palazzo Publico across the square. You will then walk back up through town to the city gate, where your motorcoach will drive you back to the ship.
Note: There is extensive walking. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

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                                            Shore Excursion Scenic Drive & Wine Tasting                      
Duration: Approximately 4 hours

Italy produces some very fine wines and Tuscany is the place where wine is "Tradition". View some of the prettiest countryside in Tuscany. Low hills covered with vineyards, olive groves and oakwoods line the slopes where some of Italy's finest wine and olive oil is produced. In September a remarkable exhibition of "Montecarlo" and Rosso delle colline lucchesi" wines and farm products takes place. Both items come from the farms in the surrounding hills and the entire valley, known as the "Plain of Lucca". Drive to a vineyard where you will be shown the whole process of winemaking and the traditional methods of bottling. Then enjoy amples of red and white wines along with snacks before returning to Livorno and the ship.

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                         Shore Excursion Splendor of Florence                    from 32 euro per person                     
Duration: Approximately 9 - 10 Hours

A 90-minute drive through the picturesque Tuscan countryside takes you to the fascinating city of Florence. This one-day visit gives you a magnificent sampling of the city's treasures. As you approach Florence, you will stop at the Piazza Michelangelo for an overview of the city's tile roofs, steeples and domes. All the main attractions in Florence are centrally located and perfect for a walking tour. You will visit the Galleria Dell'Accademia, with several notable masterpieces including Michelangelo's statue of David. Next you'll visit the Piazza del Duomo, the religious center of Florence in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Called "il Duomo," it is the fourth largest church in the world, was begun in 1296 and took 173 years to complete. The side of the Baptistery facing the Duomo has gilded bronze doors declared by Michelangelo as worthy of being the "gates of paradise." Sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti labored more than 50 years on this incredible project. Continue on to the Piazza della Signoria and view a copy of the "David" and the Loggia dei Lanzi, along with original sculptures. Then walk to Ponte Vecchio for a photo opportunity before lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will visit Santa Croce, one of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Italy. See Donatello's Annunciation, Giotto's Death of St. Francis and the tomb of Michelangelo. Enjoy some free time for shopping before your return to Livorno.

Note: All sightseeing in Florence is on foot. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Order of tour may vary.
Guides are not allowed to escort large groups through the church of Santa Croce if a mass is in progress.
In this instance the guides will describe the church from the outside and guests may then enter individually.

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                                       Shore Excursion Treasures of Tuscany                                        
Duration: Approximately 9 - 10 hours

Travel from Livorno heading east through the Tuscan countryside, which has been praised for its beauty and charm by poets for many centuries. Its golden grapevines and silvery green olive trees make an entrancing picture. You'll stop in San Gimignano, an enchanting medieval village with Etruscan origins, taking the name of bishop Gimignano, who died here in the 4th century. Ringed by three sets of historic walls, San Gimignano bristles with just a few of its original 72 medieval towers and thus is know as San Gimignano delle Belle Torri, or San Gimignano of the Beautiful Towers. After a walking tour of this fascinating town you'll have lunch at a charming local farmhouse, enjoying a taste of Tuscany's legendary cuisine. Continue on to medieval Volterra, one of the finest and lesser known hilltop towns tucked away in the heart of Tuscany. Unchanged from the scenes depicted in a Renaissance painting, the town is a perfect haven of Etruscan, Roman and Medieval art and architecture. Enjoy a walking tour through the narrow, stone paved streets and see the main highlights which include the Piazza dei Priori, Piazza San Giovanni and the ruins of the Roman Theatre, dating back to the 1st- century BC. After your guided tour you will have some free time on your own before reboarding you motorcoach and returning to the ship.

Note: Much of this tour is on foot over cobblestone streets. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

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                                   Shore Excursion A Visit to Pisa               from  21 euro per person                                
Duration: Approximately 3 - 4 hours

Meet our Guide at the Port of Livorno, board our motorcoach and through the lovely Tuscan countryside you reach the historic town of Pisa, located on the banks of the Arno River. During the Middle Ages, Pisa was a strategic naval power that rivaled Genoa. Begin your tour in Campo dei Miracoli, or Miracle Square. During World War II, much of Pisa was destroyed by German and Allied bombing, however the cathedral, baptistery and famous leaning tower escaped unharmed. The 900-year-old cathedral is lavishly decorated and contains remarkable sculptures from the 12th through 17th centuries. The baptistery has incredible acoustics. Each note echoes while a subsequent note is sung, thereby enabling one voice to be heard in harmonious chords. The leaning tower is, of course, Pisa's greatest attraction. It was built as the cathedral's campanile, or bell tower, and began to tilt because of the marshy ground beneath its foundation. It has continued to lean at a rate of 1-2 millimeters every year. There may be some free time to enjoy a coffee or browse for souvenirs in Pisa before returning to the ship.

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