City of Florence

Today we'll visit Florence: the birthplace of the Italian language, opera, and the Renaissance, where works of art like Michelangelo’s statue of David and Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus still reside. As we stroll through the city, we’ll pass by classical statues at the Piazza della Signoria. We’ll see the domed cap of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, better known as the Duomo, which dominates the skyline. Opposite the Duomo, look for the bronzed doors of Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise at the Baptistery. Later, we’ll walk across the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge where many of Florence’s famed leather and gold artisans keep shop.

• Morning: We’ll depart from our hotel and meet our expert local guide in central Florence for a one-hour and 30-minute walking tour. After the walking tour, our Tour Director will take us to a local leatherworks showroom where we’ll receive a brief, 20-minute demonstration on the leather trade in Tuscany.

• Afternoon: We’ll enjoy lunch followed by free time for those not participating in the optional excursion to Pisa.

• Pisa Excursion (-optional-): Select travelers will take a 90-minute transfer from Florence to Pisa where they will enjoy a guided walking tour of the area surrounding the Leaning Tower which includes a two-hour entry into the Cathedral and Baptistery. Upon their 90-minute transfer back to Florence, these travelers will enjoy three hours of free time until dinner. Note that it is not usually possible to get bookings to climb the tower.

• Evening: We’ll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant followed by a transfer back to our hotel via bus.

• Today, we’ll see: The Piazza della Signoria The Ponte Vecchio The Basilica of Santa Croce The Gates of Paradise