Style : Group tour
9 Day Tastes of Tuscany tour

9 Day Tastes of Tuscany

Gate 1 Travel
3.8 . Great
72%
Travel Style: Array Mixed
Physical Level: All or most of day hiking or biking, hills included. Moderate
Lodging Level: 3 to 4 star western hotel equivalents. While not all lodging will be 'luxury' they will be quite comfortable by western standards. Comfort (4*)
9 days
From: $ 2,599 $ 289 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Travel to the Chianti region, where one of Italy's most famous red wine is produced
  • Walking Tour of Lucca, a jewel of medieval architecture
  • View Pisa’s famous Piazza dei Miracoli with its Leaning Tower
  • Wine tasting, cooking class and dinner at a Tuscan Farm
  • Explore the Renaissance city of Florence with a guided walking tour
  • Leisure time in Montecatini, to pamper yourself at one of the celebrated spas
†Transfers are available for purchase for land only or on alternative flight dates

Short Description

7 Montecatini

Style Group tour
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
3 to 4 star western hotel equivalents. While not all lodging will be 'luxury' they will be quite comfortable by western standards.
Lodging Level Comfort (4*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City N/A
End City N/A

Destinations

N/A

Attractions & Cities Visited

Cinque Terre

Activities & Interests

N/A

N/A
See more

Itinerary

DAY 1, Friday - Depart for Italy
Depart for Italy

DAY 2, Saturday - Arrive in Florence, Transfer to Montecatini
Arrive in Florence and transfer to your hotel in Montecatini, the spa center of Italy known for its world-famous thermal baths and expansive parks and gardens. The rest of the day is at leisure to immerse yourself in the beautiful surroundings. Tonight, attend an orientation meeting at approximately 6 PM (exact time will be advised on tour arrival day) with your Tour Manager on the upcoming journey that awaits you in Italy. We recommend you to select flights that arrive no later than 4 PM. The meeting will be followed by a dinner with your fellow travelers
Overnight: Montecatini
Meals: Dinner

DAY 3, Sunday - Chianti Wine Tasting and Lunch, Town of Greve
Today, enjoy breathtaking scenery as you travel to the magnificent Chianti region, in the very heart of the Tuscan countryside, where one of Italy's most famous red wine is produced. Chianti offers a unique landscape, with green, gentle hills covered with wide fields of vineyards and olive groves, small rural villages, characteristic parishes and countryside homes in stone. The Chianti landscape is so stunning that it has inspired many famous photographers - so keep your cameras ready. Stop at one of the local vineyards for a wine tasting followed by lunch, highlighted by regional specialties. Then, on to the small town of Greve where you have time to wander around, sip an espresso, or indulge in a gelato before returning to Montecatini
Overnight: Montecatini
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 4, Monday - Full Day in Montecatini
Full day at leisure to explore Montecatini and its surroundings on your own or take an optional tour to the spectacular Cinque Terre*, one of the most beautiful areas of the Liguria region. Here the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprises of five small villages, nestled in the cliffs overlooking the sea and the surrounding hillsides. Marvel at the scenic coastline while exploring the villages and the beautiful vistas. This active walking tour covers a fair amount of ground facing uneven surfaces, stairs, steps and significant slopes. Trains and/or boats will be the means of transportation between the towns
*Exact tour itinerary & operation of the tour is subject to weather conditions and group size and will be advised locally
Optional: Full Day Cinque Terre
Overnight: Montecatini
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 5, Tuesday - Excursion to Pisa and Lucca, Wine Tasting & Cooking Class with Dinner
Magnificent panoramas await you today. Drive through the rolling countryside dotted with olive trees to Lucca, a jewel of medieval architecture, with its massive 17th-century walls framing the city. Walk along the winding streets of the original Roman grid revealing layers of history at every turn. Arrive at the Church of San Michele adorned by its beautiful piazza, occupying the site of the ancient Roman Forum. Then, to Pisa to view the famous Piazza dei Miracoli with its Leaning Tower, one of the most instantly recognizable structures on earth. The monuments on the extraordinary Piazza dei Miracoli create a unique architectural blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles. A lovely end to the day with a visit to a traditional Tuscan farm. After a warm welcome and wine tasting, participate in a "hands-on" cooking class followed by dinner with delicious typical local dishes and regional wines
Overnight: Montecatini
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 6, Wednesday - Full Day in Montecatini
Explore Montecatini on your own today, or join the optional full day excursion to the enchanting medieval city of Siena that sits elegantly over three hills. The heart of the city is the stunning Piazza del Campo, the huge central plaza where the Roman Forum used to be. It is now the site of the famous Palio horse race, that takes place twice every summer to celebrate the holy apparition and assumption of the Virgin Mary, patron saint of the city. Tour Campo Square before returning to Montecatini for dinner at the hotel
Optional: Full Day Siena from Montecatini
Overnight: Montecatini
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 7, Thursday - Excursion to Florence
Today, travel to Florence, birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Upon arrival, take a guided walking tour through the heart of Florence, to view the magnificent Duomo, with its Brunelleschi-designed dome, the renowned "Gates of Paradise" of the Baptistery by Ghiberti and Giotto's Bell Tower. Proceed to the open-air art museum of Signoria Square, and admire the statues of the Loggia dei Lanzi, Palazzo Vecchio, former residence of the Medici family before continuing to the splendid Ponte Vecchio, the "Old Bridge". Spend time on your own in the early afternoon to visit museums, shop for gold and quality leather before returning to Montecatini
Overnight: Montecatini
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 8, Friday - Full Day in Montecatini
This last day is yours to relax. Explore the streets with its many elegant shops and stylish cafes, or treat yourself to a soothing massage at one of the spas in town. Perhaps join the optional morning tour and discover the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, often depicted in Leonardo's maps and in his famous drawings. Surrounded by centuries-old olive trees, in a landscape almost untouched by time, you will view the house where Leonardo was born in 1452. From there, continue to the town of Vinci, to visit the museum that documents the work of Leonardo the inventor, the scientist, and the engineer. End the tour with a Tuscan "merenda", savoring the typical wine and snacks of the area before returning to Montecatini. Tonight, join your Tour Manager and fellow travelers for a dinner
Optional: Half Day Leonardo da Vinci Tour from Montecatini (AM)
Overnight: Montecatini
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 9, Saturday - Depart Italy
Transfer to the airport in nearby Florence for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 2,599
Price Per Day: $ 289 per day
Checking price
Start DateEnd DateLand OnlyLand + Air Travel 
Apr-14-2023Apr-23-2023$ 1,799$ 2,989 Reserve
May-05-2023May-14-2023$ 1,849$ 2,809 Reserve
May-12-2023May-21-2023$ 1,849$ 3,069 Reserve
May-19-2023May-28-2023$ 1,849$ 2,949 Reserve
May-26-2023Jun-04-2023$ 1,849$ 2,949 Reserve
Jun-09-2023Jun-18-2023$ 1,849$ 2,949 Reserve
Sep-01-2023Sep-10-2023$ 1,899$ 2,999 Reserve
Sep-08-2023Sep-17-2023$ 1,899$ 2,649 Reserve
Sep-22-2023Oct-01-2023$ 1,849$ 2,599 Reserve
Sep-29-2023Oct-08-2023$ 2,049$ 2,799 Reserve
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Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Gate 1 Travel.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

655 Gate 1 Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

72%
3.8 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 433
Great 20
Average 19
Disappointing 22
Terrible 161
Value
3.8
Guide
3.8
Activities
3.8
Lodging
3.8
Transportation
3.8
Meals
3.8

9 Day Tastes of Tuscany

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Company Reviews

We loved Gate1 until our flight that we booked through them was cancelled. We have gone on 5 trips and loved them all but we learned the hard way about their policy. They own the flight until the flight. If flight is cancelled, they simply cancel the flig

3.0
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Value1.0
Guide5.0
Activities4.0
Lodging3.0
Transportation1.0
Meals2.0
We loved Gate1 until our flight that we booked through them was cancelled. We have gone on 5 trips and loved them all but we learned the hard way about their policy. They own the flight until the flight. If flight is cancelled, they simply cancel the flights for the entire trip and rebook at last minute rates. They called us to tell us it would be $2200 more and we would need to arrive a day early (meaning lose another day of work) and pay an additional $220 for hotel. This became no longer an Affordable Trip to Italy. You will be sitting in the last row of airplane next to the bathrooms if Gate 1 books your flight.
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One of the best !!!!

5.0
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Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
One of the best !!!!
We have been traveling with Gate1Travel many times and always enjoyed its tour guides. Not always the cheapest but the best customer service! Henry Maaravi (Israel tour guide) was the best so far! We also know many others have traveled with Gate1Travel and were impressed with the quality of the resources provided.
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Horiabel can not reach the company.

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Horiabel can not reach the company.

I’ve taken many trips over the years…

4.0
Details
Value4.0
Guide4.0
Activities4.0
Lodging4.0
Transportation4.0
Meals4.0
I’ve taken many trips over the years with Gate 1 prior to Covid. All were exquisitely memorable and wonderful experiences! However I booked one trip where they paid for my travel because it was included. I learned from that one experience to always book my own travel. Fortunately I chose to book different return flights from China. My travel partner was stuck 3 days in the airport while I had the best experiences getting to my destination even though my flight cancelled due to a flat tire, the airline placed us in two hotels with meals and arrived in less than two days. I also learned never book travel insurance through Gate1 the hard way. Note that even if you use outside insurance they give you a hard time providing documentation. Post Covid our flights cancelled to Fiji due to a cyclone. Our travel insurance company paid us in full after 30 days. Do your homework. Protect yourself while traveling.
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TRAVELING WITH GATE1 IS NOT FOR THE…

1.0
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We planned two trips with Gate1, but never left our house neither time. It is a chaotic experience.

Our first mishap was a trip planned to Portugal with a non-stop flight from Newark, New Jersey to Portugal. The airlines pulled the plug on the direct flight and Gate1 found another flight with stopover in Germany before traveling on to Portugal. I avoid any stops when traveling overseas. It increases the chance of being stuck in a country where you change planes, so I refused the offer of a trip around the world before reaching Portugal. Gate1 did not find another direct flight for me and told me my money was NON-REFUNDABLE. To avoid losing my money I booked a trip to Ecuador instead.

Gate1 charged me an additional $100 to book the trip to Ecuador because it was to a different destination. After booking to Ecuador, 2 days before departure, an earthquake shook Ecuador. Gate1 did not send out any information to let us know what the status of the trip was, total silence on their part. The earthquake occurred on a Saturday and the departure date is on a Monday.

We were leaving our house on Sunday to fly to Miami a day before our flight to Ecuador. I received no communications from them on what the status of the trip was in light of the earthquake. W didn't now whether to proceed or stay home.

We called Gate1and found lines busy multiple times with high call volume. In the absence of any communication from Gate1 we cancelled our flights to Miami. We paid for airfare from North Carolina and booked a hotel in Miami.

We lost money on the hotel reservation and had to pay for the stay anyway. I finally got Gate1 on the phone Sunday noon only to find out that the trip was still on as far as they were concerned. They could/should have communicated that to us without our having to call them to find out. We had cancelled the flight to Miami and the hotel by now. My husband and I discussed the safety concerns and decided to cancel.

Gate 1 suggested I rebook our flight to Miami on the same day of travel. There was no way we could make it to Charlotte, NC. (2.5-hour drive from our house) and get to the airport in time to catch the last flight to Miami. Gate1 then tried to convince me to book a flight from Asheville to Miami with a 2.5-hour layover in Atlanta arriving in Miami at 1 AM in the morning. I do not have any faith in making connecting flights on time with airlines anymore. A million things can go wrong and prevent a connection. Not to mention that the airfare would have cost us over $1,200.00 to book at the last minute. We had already spent $897.00 for airfare.

The agent then told me if I could find and book a flight by 5:30 she would hold our trip. I called back at 5:07 pm and Gate1 was closed. I decided the situation could not be salvaged and cancelled the trip. You may get your money back if Gate1 cancels the trip. You get nothing if you cancel the trip close to the departure date.

Gate1 told me that my money for the trip is non-refundable because I cancelled the trip. Ok. I get that. However, Gate1 was very lax in communicating with customers in an emergency where a natural disaster has occurred in a country, they planned to take customers to. Had they sent out an email regarding the status of the trip, we could have made a more informed decision, but we were left in the dark to speculate the worst and made our decision based on lack of information from Gate1

After Gate1’s failure to communicate promptly about the situation in Ecuador, they put all the responsibility and stress on me to rectify the problem. They waited until the last minute to say whether the trip was a go and left us hanging on wondering what was happening, and what to do.

I am done with Gate1. I will never use their service or recommend them to anyone. If things go well, you can probably have a good experience, but when things go wrong, their systems are designed to protect them, not you. They need to do a better job of communicating with customers at every juncture of the trip, especially when natural disasters occur in the area where they will be traveling to. Gate1 told me they had people on the ground in Ecuador who were keeping them informed of the situation. It would be nice if Gate1 can do the same for their customers
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Very poor customer service of 4 trips…

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Meals1.0
Very poor customer service of 4 trips with Gate 1, two resulted in canceled return flights, stranded in Ecuador and again in africa. While travel agencies have no control over airline cancelations, they should at least help to get another flight. Both times i was stranded, no one from Gate 1 would assist. I had to find my own last minute flight home, pay for transportation to airport, etc. All my original flights were booked thru and by Gate 1. They have ZERO customer service and do not care if you cannot get home. Burned twice by Gate 1.
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Details

Optional Activities

Cinque Terre Tour
Today, travel to the spectacular Cinque Terre, one of the most beautiful areas of the Liguria region. Here, the five small villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza & Monterosso are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your tour will include a visit to at least two of these spectacular villages, nestled in the cliffs overlooking the sea and the surrounding hillsides. This active trip covers a fair amount of ground. Expect from three to four hours walking where you will encounter some uneven surfaces, stairs, steps and significant slopes. Trains and/or boats will be the means of transportation.
* Exact tour itinerary and villages visited to be advised locally. Operation of the tour is subject of weather condition and group size.

Approximate tour duration is 9 hours.

OnDay : 4
Price : $99

Half Day Leonardo da Vinci Tour from Montecatini
Join us on this half day tour and discover the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, often depicted in Leonardo’s maps and in his famous drawings. Surrounded by centuries-old olive trees, in a landscape almost untouched by time, you will view the house where Leonardo was born in 1452. From there we will transfer to the town of Vinci, to visit the Museum that documents the work of Leonardo the inventor, the technologist and the engineer. End the tour with a Tuscan “merenda” savoring the typical wines and snacks of the area before returning to Montecatini.

Pick up details to be advised locally. Approximate tour duration is 5 hours.

OnDay : 8
Price : $65

Full Day Siena from Montecatini
Enjoy a tour of the medieval city of Siena, site of the famous Horserace of Palio. This traditional race takes place each year on July 2nd and August 16th, and runs in celebration of the holy apparition and assumption of the Virgin Mary, patron saint of the city. Tour Campo Square and St. Dominic's Church before returning to Montecatini.

Pick-up details to be advised locally. Approximate tour duration is 8 hours.

OnDay : 6
Price : $99

Cinque Terre Tour
Today, travel to the spectacular Cinque Terre, one of the most beautiful areas of the Liguria region. Here, the five small villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza & Monterosso are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your tour will include a visit to at least two of these spectacular villages, nestled in the cliffs overlooking the sea and the surrounding hillsides. This active trip covers a fair amount of ground. Expect from three to four hours walking where you will encounter some uneven surfaces, stairs, steps and significant slopes. Trains and/or boats will be the means of transportation.
* Exact tour itinerary and villages visited to be advised locally. Operation of the tour is subject of weather condition and group size.

Approximate tour duration is 9 hours.

OnDay : 4
Price : $99

Half Day Leonardo da Vinci Tour from Montecatini
Join us on this half day tour and discover the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, often depicted in Leonardo’s maps and in his famous drawings. Surrounded by centuries-old olive trees, in a landscape almost untouched by time, you will view the house where Leonardo was born in 1452. From there we will transfer to the town of Vinci, to visit the Museum that documents the work of Leonardo the inventor, the technologist and the engineer. End the tour with a Tuscan “merenda” savoring the typical wines and snacks of the area before returning to Montecatini.

Pick up details to be advised locally. Approximate tour duration is 5 hours.

OnDay : 8
Price : $65

Full Day Siena from Montecatini
Enjoy a tour of the medieval city of Siena, site of the famous Horserace of Palio. This traditional race takes place each year on July 2nd and August 16th, and runs in celebration of the holy apparition and assumption of the Virgin Mary, patron saint of the city. Tour Campo Square and St. Dominic's Church before returning to Montecatini.

Pick-up details to be advised locally. Approximate tour duration is 8 hours.

OnDay : 7
Price : $99

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport

Group Size

Small Group - 24 max

Additional Information


Additional Information:
Land only price does not include arrival/departure transfers.

Trip ID#:

gate1-IT-9DTOT-PKG-23

What's excluded

Not Included:Optional tours and gratuities.
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