Best of Tuscany

Begin your trip with complimentary airport lounge access before flying to Pisa, collect your car hire and head for your accommodation, situated just ten kilometres from the airport and just a stone's throw from Pisa itself, Bagni di Pisa Palace & Thermal Spa is the perfect retreat for a rejuvenating getaway or a convenient base to explore the enchanting landscapes of Tuscany.

Spend two days at your leisure, exploring and discovering the highlights of Pisa and its neighbour Lucca. Make the short drive into Pisa boasting its most iconic monument, the Leaning Tower, enclosed by the exquisite Piazza dei Miracoli, which also houses the impressive Duomo Cathedral, Baptistery. Then make the scenic drive to leafy Lucca. Once a republic capital, its 16th-century wealth survives today in gilded churches and terracotta-capped residences. It’s all watched over by dramatic Renaissance walls and even garden-capped towers. 

Drive south and enjoy a walk through San Gimignano, home to a prestigious collection of frescoes and important works of art, dating back to the 13th and 17th centuries, then its on to one of Tuscany's most beautiful cities Siena. Leaving your car and heading into the city’s historic centre on foot where stepped streets map hilltop contours, bringing you between grand piazzas and the spectacular Italian Gothic cathedral. Siena's heart is its central piazza known as Il Campo, known worldwide for the famous Palio run here, a horse race run around the piazza two times every summer. 

Stay: Athena Hotel, Siena (Superior)

This morning head south with recommended stops in Montalcino, buried in the hills of the Val D'Orcia, known for its world famous Brunello di Montacino wine. Continue to Pienza, the birthplace of Pope Pius II. A legacy of Pius, the small village was transformed into a Renaissance city  of palaces, houses and squares. Head south and reach your accommodation Forteverde in San Casciano, a natural spa set in a magical setting of olive groves and vineyards, with unspoilt Tuscan views.

Stay: Fonteverde, San Casciano dei Bagni (Deluxe)

After breakfast, make the short drive to Montepulciano, standing high atop a hill in southern Tuscany, a medieval town of rare beauty, full of elegant Renaissance palaces, ancient churches, charming squares and hidden corners, boasting panoramas over the Val d'Orcia and Val di Chiana valleys. We recommend sampling one of Tuscany's most renowned red wines Nobile di Montepulciano whilst exploring the region and at your accommodation - a country house dating back to the 1700s. It’s an impressive sight, wrapped in vineyards and olive groves. Within easy reach of Cortona. Rooms are all wooden beams and intricate stonework, carpaccio is served up to sunset views and the spa treatments are superb. You’ll also want to spend some time unwinding on the gorgeous pool terrace.

Drive north to your luxurious 13th century villa accommodation on the banks of the Arno River, a short distance outside Florence. What’s more, its views of 25 acres of gardens are taken in by everything from yoga classes and a fine-dining restaurant and opulent rooms housed in the Villa. The Tuscan countryside extends as far as the eye can see; you’ll also be perfectly poised to explore Florence with its highlights including stops at the Duomo and its stunningly polychromatic façade along with the Ponte Vecchio, a multi-storey bridge that remembers all of the city’s medieval bustle. Lastly, don’t miss out on the Uffizi Gallery, home to a collection of the Renaissance masters.

Today make the drive back to Pisa to return your car and make take your flight back to the UK