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The Italian Riviera, Portofino & the Cinque Terre

From £1,599.00
Duration 8 Days
Departures from: May 2024 - Sep 2024
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From £1,599.00
Duration 8 Days
Departures from: May 2024 - Sep 2024
Tour Overview

Revel in the glamour and scenic highlights of the Italian Riviera as you explore by road, rail and boat. You'll visit Carrara, famed for its beautiful marble, discover the enchanting villages of the Cinque Terre and sail to the exclusive resort of Portofino. There's plenty of time at leisure, but if you want to see more, you can opt to visit the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and the medieval town of Lucca, known as one of Tuscany's 'best-kept secrets'! You can also explore the delightful village of Portovenere, the seaside town of Lerici and spend a day discovering the historic port city of Genoa.

  • puglia excursions Relax & Discover Holidays
  • meals icon Half Board
  • Flight Choices icon Flight Choices

Your Holiday Includes

 
  • Return flights from London
  • 7 nights half-board in a 4-star hotel
  • 15 meals: 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 7 dinners and welcome drink
  • Travelsphere Holiday Director and Specialist Local Guide
  • Overseas transfers, other transportation and porterage

Included Holiday Highlights

  • Carrara Marble Quarry and museum
  • Cantine Lunae Winery, tasting and lunch
  • Travel by coach and train to the Cinque Terre 
  • Scenic cruise along the coast
  • Explore the magical hamlet of S. Fruttuoso
  • Visit exclusive Portofino and Santa Margherita

Itinerary

Day 1 UK - Pisa

Today you will fly to Pisa. On arrival you'll transfer to your hotel. Relax here or maybe take a stroll across the road to the beach, before dinner this evening.

Meals included: D

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.

Meals included: B,L,D

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.

Meals included: B,D

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,D

Day 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.

Meals included: B,D

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.

Meals included: B,D

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,D

Day 8 Pisa - UK

After breakfast today we'll transfer you to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Meals included: B
  1. Favourite Moment

    Learn about centuries-old wine-making techniques and enjoy a lunch of traditional dishes at the family-run Cantine Lunae Winery.

Accommodation (as specified or similar)

Caesar Hotel

The Caesar Hotel is situated in Lido di Camaiore, just a few steps from the beach. The hotel is owned and run by the Giugni family since 1965. Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, bar, restaurant, sun terrace and a spa with an indoor swimming pool (payable locally). Hotel rooms have air-conditioning, Wi-Fi and flat-screen TV.

Optional Excursions

Experience even more of your destination by adding one or more optional experiences to your holiday before you set off. Take a look below at the extra trips you can enjoy on this tour

Lerici and Portovenere

Lerici and Portovenere

Enjoy a full day excursion in the company of a Local Guide. We start the day by following the coast to Portovenere, which is a delightful little port on the Ligurian coast with its colourful medieval houses and sea-front fortress. You will have free time to explore this most romantic village with its pastel painted houses that cluster around the harbour, or you can wander along the pretty waterfront promenade, with nearby Byron’s Grotto an inspirational spot for the famous poet.

Our next stop is the town Lerici which is located in the glorious Bay of La Spezia, famous for its natural beauty. This picturesque village dates back to medieval times when, under the rule of Pisa, it fought cross-bay battles with Genovese Portovenere as well as with local pirates. The town is set on a magnificent coastline of grey cliffs jutting down into a crystal-clear sea and surrounded by a national park that is nearly an unframed painting of pine forests, olive trees, and tiny colourful hamlets. The waterfront piazza is filled with trompe-l'oeil frescoed buildings and seaside cafés where you can sit and admire the charming harbour.

Full Day – Moderate Walking – Picturesque
Enjoy a full day excursion in the company of a Local Guide. We start the day by following the coast to Portovenere, which is a delightful little port on the Ligurian coast with its...

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Historical Genoa

Historical 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.

Full day – moderate walking – Don’t miss!
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 ...

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Italy - Pisa and the walled town of Lucca

Italy - Pisa and the walled town of Lucca

Head to Pisa to see its famous Leaning Tower. This bell tower resides in the Field of Miracles beside an amazing collection of religious buildings. Head inside the cathedral to see the marble pulpit created by the great sculptor Giovanni Pisano and nearby you’ll see a bronze lamp that according to a popular story Galileo was watching sway gently when the law of the pendulum occurred to him. Whether this tale is true or not, Galileo grew up here, so surely he was inspired by his surroundings. Continue to the perfectly preserved walled town of Lucca where you’ll find fine examples of medieval and Renaissance architecture, charming piazzas and even a tree-topped tower on a stroll through its historic centre.

Please note: Entrance fees are payable locally at the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the cathedral.

Full Day - Moderate Walking - Must See
Head to Pisa to see its famous Leaning Tower. This bell tower resides in the Field of Miracles beside an amazing collection of religious buildings. Head inside the cathedral to see...

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Prices shown are based on twin occupancy of a double or twin bedded room with private facilities unless otherwise stated. Single occupancy supplements will apply. Travelsphere have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the hotel images provided on this website and images of room types displayed may vary to those offered on your tour. Therefore due to the possibility of inadvertent errors we do not guarantee their accuracy. Accommodation, airlines used and flight times are subject to change and will be confirmed in your final documents.

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