Italian Coast and Culture: Florence & The Tuscan Coast

Begin your holiday with complimentary airport lounge access and your flight to Pisa. You’ll pick up your hire car at the airport, perhaps pausing to take in the city’s famous leaning icon and fading merchants’ houses, before driving along the pretty Tuscan coastline to reach the picturesque Gulf of Follonica. Set in the heart of the Tuscan Maremma, your hotel is tucked away in the midst of a verdant pine forest, looking out to one of the area’s most stunning and alluring beaches, Torre Mozza.

Stay: The Sense Experience Resort

You’ll have three days to get into the Tuscan swing of things, exploring the pristine landscapes and white sands of the Gulf of Follonica with the use of your hire car. Prime among them is your hotel’s very own beach. You’ll also have time to discover some of Italy’s finest vineyards; perhaps take a boat trip to Elba Island; and walk the grasslands and forests of the Cornate and Fosini Nature Reserve to reach its historic castle. Alternatively, simply unwind at your hotel’s luxurious spa.

Stay: The Sense Experience Resort

Driving back up the coast, you’ll dip inland through the rolling Tuscan countryside on your journey to Florence, stopping off at some of the region’s medieval towns. Highlights include Volterra’s cobbled streets and rampart-framed Roman amphitheatre, along with San Gimignano’s sky-piercing brick towers. The latter are particularly impressive — grand follies of aristocratic families. You’ll then arrive in Florence, where you’ll drop off your car and make your way to the luxurious Relais Santa Croce, a hotel brimming with 18th-century elegance in the heart of the city.

Situated in the heart of Florence’s historic centre — overlooking Santa Maria Novella, a historic square that ranks among the city’s most idyllic — you’ll be perfectly placed to explore. To help, we’ve included a private walking tour. Highlights include stops at the Duomo, with its stunning polychromatic façade, and the Ponte Vecchio, a multi-storey bridge that recalls the bustle of the medieval city. You’ll also have plenty of free time, perhaps to indulge in a famous Florentine steak and a glass of Tuscan red in a backstreet trattoria. Finally, don’t miss the Uffizi Gallery, home to an outstanding collection of Renaissance masters.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before a scenic private transfer brings you back through the beautiful Tuscan countryside to Pisa Airport for your flight home.