Intro:

Join us as we travel into the heart of Tuscany to the wonderful city of Florence, home of some of the greatest cultural achievements in history.

This tour is available as a Day Tour from Rome, and a Shore Excursion from Port of Livorno.

From Port of Livorno: Your Stefano Rome Tours English speaking driver will pick you up right by your ship at 8 AM.

From Rome Accommodation:  Your Stefano Rome Tours Englishs peaking driver will pick you up at 8 AM.


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Spend a day Florence, the cradle of Renaissance that produced some of the most significant thinkers, scientists, philosophers and artists in Italy, and the overwhelming works of art in Florence attests the historical and cultural impact of that era.

You will enjoy a relaxing drive through the rustic countryside of Rome into the verdant region of Umbria with hilltop medieval towns, and finally arrive in the picturesque region of Tuscany that welcomes you with vistas of rolling hills lined with cypress trees, farm houses and long forgotten villas dotting the Tuscan land.

After a short drive into the historic center, you will have the opportunity to visit Florence’s most significant piazzas and see why Florence is regarded as an outdoor museum.

Piazza del Duomo is among the most visited piazza that includes the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore that’s popularly referred to as the Duomo, the octagonal Baptestry of St John, and the colorful Giotto’s Bell Tower. The large dome designed by Brunelleschi remains the largest brick dome in the world, and it was the inspiration for Michelangelo’s dome of St Peter’s Basilica inside the Vatican. The Baptestry is renown for the large bronze doors with relief sculptures, the most famous being the East doors by Ghiberti that Michelangelo considered to be “the Gates of Paradise”.

You will continue to Piazza di Santa Croce to visit the beautiful Basilica of Santa Croce. Once you enter this Franciscan church, you’ll see why it’s also called the Temple of the Italian Glories: some of Italy’s most illustrious scientists, thinkers, and artists including Galieleo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Machiavelli are buried here.

Being in the heart of Tuscany, Florence is famous for its delicious cuisine prepared from fresh local ingredients and simple traditional recipes that are legendary. Now it’s time to stop for lunch and savor some Florentine dishes at a local restaurant or trattoria.

After lunch you will visit Piazza della Signoria that is famous for the replica of Michelangelo’s David standing in front of Palazzo Vecchio and the collection of notable sculptures inside the Loggia del Lanzi.

A short walk away towards the River Arno is the famous Ponte Vecchio lined with precious gold shops that themselves look like jewelry boxes. Ages ago, this Old Bridge was occupied with butcher shops, but in 1593 the Medici Grand Dukes wanted to clean up the image of the bridge and add a level of prestige by replacing the butchers with gold merchants. Vasari’s corridor that dominates the bridge connects Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti and offered a safe passage for the Medici dynasty to commute safely from the government palace to their residence.

A visit to one of Florence’s notable museums will give you the opportunity to see the original statue of David by Michelangeo inside the Accademia,.

Please note that museums are closed on Mondays and they can be substituted for other sites.

From here your driver will bring you back to your ship in Livorno or your Rome accommodation. Thank you for choosing Stefano Rome Tours for your tours and shore excursions in Rome and beyond. We look forward to seeing you soon in Italy!

Please note

IMPORTANT:  PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER if you don't receive correspondence from us within 24-48 hours, especially if you use hotmail or msn email accounts.

* The Tour Price includes your own personal English speaking Driver with a private deluxe vehicle, VAT tax, fuel cost, insurance, and all applicable toll and parking fees. The Tour Price does not include entrance fees to museums, lunch, gratuities, licensed tour guides hired separately, or any other personal guest expenses.

* The Total Price for the tour is per vehicle not per person. Guests may share the cost of the tour.

* Payment for the tour will be made in Euro funds at the end of your journey directly to your Driver.

* If you are pleased with the service you received from your Driver, a minimum of 10% gratuity is customary in Italy.

* Tour Sharing: Save a lot on this Shore Excursion by sharing your tour with fellow cruisers for up to 8 guests per mini van! It’s easy: just place an ad on Cruise Critic’s roll call and invite others to join you. Share the fun and the expense: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34

* Please be aware that Academia Museum (as are all museums) is closed on Mondays, and on national holidays: January 1, May 1 and December 25. On these dates your museum visit will be substituted with other sites in Florence that best suit your interests and desires.

Please book your Academia Museum no-line admission tickets in advance for the 2:45 PM time slot. Not reserving your museum visit in advance may result in a lengthy wait in line. Please book your tickets here:

http://www.florence-museum.com

* Entrance into the church of Santacroce is 5 euros per person to be paid upon arrival

* If you prefer to have a licensed local tour guide accompany you during your tour, we can make arrangements for you as a courtesy service to our clients. Tour Guides are payed separately at the end of the tour service in Euro funds.

* Please allow up to 24-48 hours for email inquiry replies and service confirmation. We have limited office hours on Sundays, please allow for additional time.
 

CANCELLATION POLICY: Don’t worry, we will not ask you for your credit card information, require advance payments to reserve your tours, or penalize you with fees for cancellations. We operate on the traditional Honor System, so we kindly ask that any cancellations be made at least 7 days in advance so we can rebook your service and your reserved driver does not lose work for that day. We deeply appreciate your cooperation and consideration.

For more answers to your questions please visit our F.A.Q. Page

 

Tips
* Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing.