Relax & Discover Holidays
Half Board
Flight Choices
Day 2 Carrara & Lunae Winery
Today we include a visit to Carrara to see how the area's beautiful white and blue-grey marble is quarried. You'll visit the quarry itself, where the shimmering marble is a spectacular sight, and a marble workshop where you'll see how this high-quality material, which was used to create some of the most remarkable buildings in Ancient Rome, is used in sculpture today. We also include a visit to the Marble Museum, where you'll see statues, archaeological finds and machines used to process marble.
Later, we'll head to the Cantine Lunae Winery, owned by five generations of the same family. Here we'll learn about the centuries-old wine-making techniques which are still in place, and enjoy a tasting of a few different wines. These will be paired with a lunch of local food including cheeses, salami and the traditional flatbread focaccia.
Day 3 Marina di Pietrasanta - at Leisure
Spend today at leisure enjoying the facilities at your hotel or exploring Marina di Pietrasanta at your own pace. Alternatively, why not join our full-day optional excursion by coach, which takes you firstly to Lucca, which boasts some of Italy's finest examples of medieval and Renaissance architecture and is said to be one of Tuscany's best kept secrets. The town is famous as the birthplace of the composer Puccini. It is also the home of the Volto Santo relic – a wooden sculpture of Christ – which is kept in its beautiful cathedral.
You'll continue to Pisa, where you will see the famous Leaning Tower, one of four buildings which make up the cathedral complex known as the Field of Miracles. The tower took 176 years to complete and began to lean shortly after construction began.
Day 4 Cinque Terre
Today's included full-day excursion by coach and train takes you to the enchanting area known as the Cinque Terre. This translates as Five Lands and refers to the five villages perched precariously on the cliffs high above the Mediterranean Sea, which are almost all inaccessible by road.
Meals included: B,DDay 5 Marina di Pietrasanta - at Leisure
Enjoy some free time today. You could explore the surrounding area, spend a lazy day on the beach or relax by the swimming pool.
Alternatively, why not join our optional excursion, which begins in the beautiful village of Portovenere, sat atop a rocky peninsula in the 'Gulf of Poets', an area once very popular with writers such as Byron, Shelley and DH Lawrence. Highlights are a picturesque harbour lined with brightly coloured houses and an impressive stone-built castle. Next, you'll head to the beautiful seaside town of Lerici, home to an imposing castle, a small historic centre and a crescent-shaped piazza.
Day 6 Portofino & Santa Margherita
After breakfast, join us on today's included tour. We'll start by exploring the hidden hamlet of St Fruttuoso. Nested in a small bay and surrounded by the luscious vegetation of a country park, the hamlet can only be reached by boat or by trekking on foot, keeping it far from the everyday world. Here a 10th century Benedictine monastery on the shore of crystal-clear water waits to be discovered.
Next, we'll venture to Portofino which we reach by local boat service along a pretty coastal stretch. What used to be a tiny fishing port is today the Italian Riviera's most exclusive resort, offering designer boutiques and a fine selection of cafés and bars. Take a stroll among its snaking streets to the Church of St Giorgio, a short walking distance from the harbour. From here, the views across the bay are quite spectacular.
You'll also visit the picturesque seaside resort of Santa Margherita, which is home to a lovely palm-fringed harbour that's a magnet for small yachts.
Day 7 Marina di Pietrasanta - at Leisure
Spend today at leisure exploring, or enjoying the facilities at your hotel, which is just steps away from the sea on the beautiful Versilian Riviera.
Alternatively, if you want to discover even more, why not join an optional excursion to Genoa. This large port city, with its twisting maze of narrow streets, is famous as the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, and its maritime history spans centuries. Your guided tour will take you past a diverse mix of contemporary, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, grand palaces and a host of museums and galleries.
Meals included: B,DDay 8 Pisa - UK
After breakfast today we'll transfer you to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
Meals included: B
