Donna Franca Vacations

 Upon request

Tuesday- Day 1 - Rome (Welcome Dinner with wine out in a typical restaurant)

Independent transfer from Leonardo da Vinci Airport to downtown Rome.
After check-in at your centrally located four star hetel you will have ample time to unpack, relax and freshen up prior to meeting for a breafing with your professional English- speaking tour escort who will remain with you throughout the tour.
In the late afternoon,leisure time for an informal ' Passeggiata' through pedestrian Rome before your welcome dinner with wine at a Typical roman restaurant, your first encounter with our delicious Italian cuisine.
Return to your hotel for overnight.

Wednesday - Day 2 - Rome (Breakfast & Dinner with wine)

Enjoy buffet breakfast prior to your sightseeing of the Eternal City. First transfer to the Vatican  where you will attend the public Papal Audience ( Subject to His Holiness' availability) followed by an orientation tour of the Eternal City featuring the Arch of Constatine the Circus Maximus, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Piaza Venezia and the Coliseum.
Balance of day at leisure. Tonight for your enjoyment we have planned dinner with wine out at a characteristic restaurant of the city. Return to your hotel for overnight.  

Thursday- Day 3 - Rome(Breakfast and Dinner with wine)

Breakfast at hotel. Today we have planned a full day at leisure to explore at your own pace the hidden treasures of the Eternal City.
Take your time to sit at a sidewalk cafe' and enjoy a drink as you watch the Romans go by or join an optional tour to visit Tivoli Gardens at the magnificent Villa D'Este. Perhaps you will want to do some shopping. Rome is the perfect city to satisfy every possible interest you have. Tonight we have planned for your pleasure a dinner with wine out in a Roman restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Friday- Day 4 -Rome/Cetona/Assisi/Gubbio
(Breakfast, Lunch with wine. Visit to Donna Franca's Villa for wine tasting. Dinner with wine at hotel)

After breakfast at the hotel, journeyby motor coach to Cetona where you will enjoy a specially arranged lunch at the famouse 'Osteria Vecchi' followed by a visit to Donna Franca's Villa where you will have a chance to sample some of the wines from her private cellar. After lunch continue on to Assisi located on the slopes of Mt. Subasio in Umbria. Ample time to visit on your own St. Francis' Basilica with its stunning frescoes by Cimabue and Giotto. Today's final destination is the City of Gubbio, one of the most ancient towns of Umbria, extremely well preserved over the centuries and rich with monuments testifying to its glorious past. Upon arrival, check in at your lovely villa-type  hotel. Time to freshen up before your dinner at the hotel restaurant with wine. Overnight.

Saturday- Day5 - Gubbio/De Ruta/Torgiano/Spoleto/Gubbio(Breakfast, wine tasting with snacks, Dinner with wine)

After breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for the quaint village of DeRuta, famous for its artistic ceramics. Arrive in the town by following the only road into the village, which divides this town in two parts, with displays of typical pottery and artisan handicrafts along the sides of the roads. Your next stop will be for a treat at the Lungarotti Winery, where you will enjoy a tasting of its three specialties, Torre di Giano, Rubesco, and Jubilante with typical Umbrian snacks. Continue to the wine museum to view an interesting collection of medieval wine making tools and machinery. Proceed to Spoleto, the city known for the annual Festival of the Two Worlds which celebrates fine art, dance and music. Return to Gubbio. Relax and unwind before your dinner with wine at the hotel restaurant. Overnight.

Sunday- Day 6 -Gubbio/Siena/Radda in Chianti/Greve in Chianti/ Monsummano Terme (Breakfast, Wine tasting with Snacks, Candlelight dinner with wine)

Breakfast at the hotel. After check-out, depart for the city of Siena. Upon arrival you will meet a local guide lecturer for a visit of this medieval city. The tour will feature the Fontana Gaia, Palazzo Publico, the Loggia della Mercanzia, Santa Caterina Church. Continue through the Gallo Nero Chianti Classico district for your next destination. Radda in Chianti, a town situated on a hill covered with woods and extensive vineyards, forming the watershed between the Pesa and Arbia Valleys. After a brief orientation tour of the town, continue to Greve in Chianti, another medieval jewel of Tuscany where you will enjoy a specially arranged wine tasting with rustic snacks at the quintessential Castello di Vicchiomaggio. Proceed to your final destination, la Residenza del Granduca in montesummano Terme, formally one of the country residences of the Medici family. After check in time to relax before your candelight dinner with wine at the hotel restaurant. Overnight.  

Monday- Day 7 - Monsummano Terme/Lucca/Pisa/Monsummano Terme (Breakfast, Dinner with wine)

Today we have arranged an excursion to the medieval town of Lucca, one of Europe's first licensed casinos, and birthplace of the roulette! Visit the Ponte del Diavolo, a narrow stone bridge spanning the river. Legend has it that Satan agreed to build the bridge for the townspeople, under the condition that they would grant him the first soul to cross it. The next morning, when the bridge was finished, the citizens outsmarted the devil and sent a dog scampering across! After a short visit to Lucca, proceed to Pisa to view the Piazza dei Miracoli, the Duomo and the famous leaning tower. Return to Monsummano Terme for dinner with wine. Overnight.

Tuesday- Day 8- Monsummano Terme/Florence (Breakfast, Dinner with wine)

After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely morning at the Grotta Giusti Spa in Monsummano Terme where you can take advantage of the many spa treatments.
In the afternoon you will be picked up for a scenic drive to Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance. Before you enter the city, we have planned a stop at the Gucci and Prada outlets located in the outskirts of Florence. Indulge in a shopping spree of the finest Italian designer names at very discounted rates. Proceed to Florence, passing Michelangelo for a panoramic view of this beautiful city. Upon arrival and check in, it is time to relax before dinner and wine at a typical Florentine restaurant. Overnight.

Wednesday -Day 9- Florence. USA (Breakfast)

After breakfast, independent transfer to Florence Amerigo Vespucci Airport for your return flight to the USA, arriving the same day.
For clients who wish to extend their vacation in Tuscany, perhaps indulge in our 5 night Spa & Wellness Vaccation in Chianciano Terme. Partake in the pleasure of being pampered by one of the well trained estheticians at the Admiral Palace Hotel.

Rome: Pace Helvezia or similar
Gubbio: Villa Montegranelli or similar
Monsummano Terme: La Residenza del Granduca or similar
Florence: Adler Cavalieri or similar