Country
Italy
Duration
5 Days/4 Nights
Travel Type
Tour
 

For over a millennium, Florence has been a global icon of beauty. Even its lesser-known neighbourhoods are a delight.

The cradle of the Renaissance and the world capital of art in the 15th century, it boasts one of the oldest historic centres and some of the most famous museums in the world, as well as one of the most iconic and distinctive landscapes as far as the eye can see. Everything in Florence is spectacular: from the shops to the streets that lead to the hills overlooking the most touristy areas, from the most authentic and popular neighbourhoods, just outside the historic centre, to the monuments that exhibit its soul.

Inclusions

4 night accommodation at a charming 4* or 5* hotel (depending on hotel selection)
Daily breakfast
1 welcome dinner & wine tasting at Il Magnifico restaurant at the Il Tornabuoni hotel
A sensory experience Perfume Masterclass in the Florentine historic centre (small group tour): Includes a welcome and visit to Antica Spezieria Erboristeria San Simone store and the artisanal laboratory; An introduction to the history of perfumery in Florence; The creation of a personal fragrance from a kit of essences of your own personalized perfume (50ml) with a certificate; A complementary coffee break.
1 half-day private guided walking tour of the Florence historic centre
A cooking lesson with wine tasting includes: A private tour with guide and driver, pick-up and drop-off at your hotel, a cooking class with preparation of a 3-course meal of a typical Tuscan lunch, with a wine and extra virgin olive oil tasting. (duration approx. 4 hrs)
1 Super Tuscans Wine Tour: A private winery visit & wine tasting at Nipozzano; A winery visit with wine tasting at Ruffino, with exclusive Tuscan lunch (duration approx. 6 hrs)
Private transfers with driver from Florence airport to the hotel / from the hotel to the airport in a Mercedes E Class or van
Private assistance on arrival at the airport on the baggage carousel
Value added taxes – VAT percentage could be revised by Italian government during the year and rates could be revised without ample notice

Possibility to book the following options (on request +$):
– Additional lunches/dinners
– Car rental
– Private car with driver
– Pre/post tour

Exclusions

Flights – Porterage at the airport – City tax (payable at the hotel) – Meals or beverages unless indicated in the itinerary – Gratuities – Entrance fees to monuments and museums – Travel insurance – All other items not mentioned in Inclusions.

1

DAY 1 FLORENCE

Arrival at the international airport of Florence. At the baggage carousel your private assistant awaits you, who will accompany you to a professional driver that will pick you up in a comfortable, luxury vehicle, to transfer you to to the hotel. During the journey, the assistant will be able to provide you with some useful information for your stay. Once at the hotel, you can relax in your beautiful room. In the evening, a beautiful welcome tasting dinner awaits you at Il Magnifico restaurant at the Il Tornabuoni Hotel; the care and skill of the staff will give you a 360° sensory experience. Your eyes and your palate will be satisfied by a masterful dinner with wines paired by the sommelier. This dinner will be a great way to start your journey. Overnight in Florence.

Meals : Dinner

Accommodation : Florence for 4 nights

2

DAY 2 FLORENCE

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, the historic center of Florence awaits you for a real sensory experience – a Perfume Masterclass. Meet your Master Perfumer and learn the techniques and the secrets of the historical florentine alchemical tradition. The lesson will take place in an ancient, atmospheric workshop. Centuries of experience of this historic lab has mixed the scientific knowledge of medical care together with the empirical knowledge of the healing properties of herbs, flowers and fruits. You will relive the magical atmosphere of alchemists and apothecaries residing in Florence during the Renaissance period, surrounded by unique glassware, ampules and rare essences.
Following the historical footprints of Catherine de Medici and René le Florentine, your Master Perfumer will guide you through the process which will ultimately lead to the creation of your unique custom made individual perfume. At the end of the workshop, you will be rewarded with a 50 ml bottle of your own personalized perfume. You will also receive a certificate as a memory of the day. Lunch is at your leisure. In the mid-afternoon, a private guide will be waiting for you in the hotel lobby. Thanks to the great knowledge of our authorized guides, you can learn a lot about Florence, its art, history and beauty that fascinates people from all over the world. You will take a splendid walking tour of the major attractions of the historic center. Overnight at your hotel.

Meals : Breakfast

3

DAY 3 FLORENCE

After breakfast, a professional driver will pick you up for a special day dedicated to a Tuscan Cooking Class with wine tasting. Discovering Tuscany is a job for all senses, but mosty: taste. Culinary tradition is intrinsic to Italian culture, and especially here, where it becomes a major part of the cultural experience of the region. You will be hosted in an organic farm, in the heart of Chianti Classico area, in a typical farmhouse where a Tuscan family has lived for many generations. A charming home, surrounded by rows of vines, olive groves, flowers and vegetable gardens. Here you will have to roll up our sleeves up and start cooking your meal. With the help of a local Tuscan lady that will reveal traditional secrets, as well as cooking techniques, success is guaranteed! Create starters like bruschettas and crostini, cold cuts, cheeses and their pairing with honeys and jams. Don’t forget the pasta, and its fascinating world; You will make our own fresh home-made pasta from scratch, the old-fashioned way with a wooden rolling pin! Since any great meal ends with a dessert, you will make something traditional to be enjoyed at the end of the lunch too. A tasting of various wines and spirits produced in the farm is included in the experience, as well as the visit of the property and cellar door. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch

4

DAY 4 FLORENCE

After the breakfast, your driver will take you for a special tour dedicated to local wine and food lovers, the Super Tuscan Wine Tour. The definition was invented because Tuscan wine producers were tired of the bureaucracy: they wanted to be more creative, try different blends, but they would not be able to label their wine with the classical and permitted appellations (i.e. Chianti, etc.). Then, in 1992, finally Italy introduced the legal appellation of IGT wines, that includes Super Tuscans, too. You will first meet this special type of wine in Nipozzano, a 1000-year-old winery, property of the Florentine Frescobaldi family, wine producers since Middle Age. At Nipozzano you will visit their cellar and taste 3 different wines. Then the tour will continue at the worldwide renowned Ruffino estate where their fantastic wines will be paired with food. Lunch will take place in a private location, with 4 wines from their production. At the end of the meal, a dessert and grappa tasting will conclude the day.

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch

5

DAY 5 FLORENCE

Last breakfast at the hotel. Checkout and take private car with driver waiting you in the lobby to transfer you to Florence airport or train station for onward travel.

Meals : Breakfast

HOTEL OPTIONS OR SIMILAR

Palazzo Castri 4*:
The hotel interiors and exteriors seamlessly merge traditional and modern, elegance and comfort, to create a sophisticated ambience. The rooms offer sophisticated hospitality, and the designer interiors, magnificent view of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, fragrance of lemon and magnolia from the exclusive inner garden and smart modern spa are the perfect ingredients for an unforgettable escape from everyday life. Palazzo Castri 1874 combines the culture of hospitality with Italy’s traditional trademark elegance. Our staff are here to pamper you with our personalised services. The hotel is strategically located just seven minutes’ walk from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and a short walk from the station and Piazza Santa Maria Novella. We provide you with a latest-generation smartphone for phone calls and internet access when you are out and about in Florence, and back at the hotel our WiFi connection offers full coverage throughout the buildings and the garden.

Hotel Il Tornabuoni 5*:
A portrayal of Florence at its best Il Tornabuoni: every single detail of this beautiful property, beginning from its location in one of the oldest buildings in the historical centre, its design with only the finest of furnishings, its luxury trimmings, its food & beverage and amenities…the city itself. Majestically located on the corner between the Tornabuoni, Purgatorio and Parione streets, three gems in Florentine urbanism, and the hub of the most prestigious fashion shops, the true heartbeat of modern Renaissance. The building that houses the Tornabuoni dates back to the end of the 13th century. It was built by the Bombeni family and was bought in the second half of the fifteenth century by the Minerbetti’s, archaic family of English origin and of secondary descendant of the Beckets.

Rates in $CA, per person, starting from, in double occupancy 

 Land Package
Departures 2022  4* Option 5* Option
May, June, July, August
September 1 – October 15		 3840 4220
October 16 – December 27 3400 3840
Departures 2023  

LOW SEASON:
January, February, March
October 16 – December 27

 3470 3720

MID SEASON:
April

 3419 4025

HIGH SEASON:
May, June, July, August, September
October 1 – 15

 3740 4325

PEAK SEASON:
Pitti Uomo/Bambino/Filanti (TBA), Easter April 25, May 1, June 2, December 28 – 31, Other Holidays

 on request

Single Supplement

 on request

Supplement for arrivals on Fridays and Saturdays

 N/A +85 

**Prices in this document are for information only; they were issued at press time, for the current year. Please note that due to exchange rates and temporary promotions, they can increase or decrease at any time. Contact your travel agent for the price and promotion of the moment The prices indicated exclude the contribution to the Customer Compensation Fund of $3.50 per $1,000 of tourism product or service purchased from a travel agent in Quebec