The Italian Riviera, Portofino & the Cinque Terre

Itineraries

• Day 1 UK/Pisa
• Depart on your scheduled flight to Pisa today. On arrival you’ll transfer to your hotel in the exclusive Tuscan resort of Forte dei Marmifor a seven-night stay. Relax here or maybe take a stroll across the road to the beach, before dinner this evening.
• Day 2 Carrara
• Today we include a visit to Carrara to see how the area’s beautiful white or 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 awinery, where we will visit the vineyard and enjoy atastingof twodifferent wines.
• Day 3 Lucca & Pisa
• Spend today at leisure enjoying the facilities at your hotel or exploring Forte dei Marmi 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 and what is known as the Field of Miracles, the tower took 176 years to complete and began to lean shortly after construction.
• 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 which perch precariously on the cliffs high above the Mediterranean Sea and are almost all inaccessible by road.
• Day 5 Lerici & Portovenere
• Enjoy some free time in Forte dei Marmi. 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 stonebuilt 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 our included three-quarter-day tour to Portofino, which we reach by local boat service from Rapallo 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 cafs and bars. Take a stroll among itssnaking streets to the Church of St Giorgio, which is a short 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 Genoa
• Spend today at leisure exploring the resort of Forte dei Marmi, or enjoying the facilities at your 4-star 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.
• Day 8 Pisa/UK
• After breakfast today we’ll transfer you to the airport for your flight back to the UK.Please note that the itinerary for 2020 will differ slightly from that shown here. We are now including a wine tasting and light lunch on day 2.