Leave the trip planning to us!
I often get asked what there is to do in Tuscany and what should not be missed. To meet this ongoing demand, we have designed bundled experiences with all arrangements made by us. In addition to having exclusive local guides, we will handle the scheduling, communication, and all the tiny little details so all you have to do is show up and enjoy.
All tours described below are private for you and your group and can be customized to your interests. We believe Lucignano is a perfect base location to explore the best of Tuscany. It is one hour south of Florence and 20 to 30 minutes from world-renowned medieval villages, wineries, and UNESCO World Heritage sites including Pienza, Cortona, Arezzo, Montepulciano, Siena, and more.
Packages - click to learn more
Historical Experiences Package:
Tuscany is so rich in history from art to architecture to landscapes, and historical figures (Etruscans, the Medici, the Romans). Specifically, in the area just south of Florence is in the Val di Chiana and Val d’Orcia there is much to uncover and explore about what makes it one of the most culturally rich areas of Italy and also the world. These are not ordinary tours. They are created individually for your private group and tailored to your interests.
We will work with a local licensed tour guide to design a full day tour in Florence (6 hours plus a lunch break) and one half day tour (3 hours) in a local medieval town of your choosing (Lucignano, Cortona, Arezzo, Siena, or Val d'Orcia). Half day tours can also be combined into a full day. For example, a popular recommendation is combining a tour of Lucignano and Cortona.
Should you need transportation for these tours, we can also make arrangements for the group. Licensed professional drivers are able to drive through all parts of the city including in ZTLs (city centers often not permitted for through traffic). This is a great option if you are short on time and want to see something specific, have difficulty walking long distances, or simply do not want to deal with traffic or train schedules. See FAQs for more information.
For more details on each location, see below
Half Day Tour Locations:
Lucignano
Lucignano is the perfect base for exploring this rich culture because it is in the center of the Valdichiana, the vast valley that stretches between Cortona to the east, Montepulciano to the west, Arezzo to the north and Chiusi to the south, Lucignano is known as “the pearl of the Valdichiana”. Learn about the history of this small village and its unique urban layout, a perfectly preserved ellipse, that was fought over for centuries by the cities of Florence, Siena and even Perugia because of its spectacular strategic position, on a hill with a 360 degree view for miles around. Despite its size, there is plenty to see in Lucignano, in particular the local museum and the church of San Francesco, two of the most special local treasures.
Cortona (40 minutes drive from the B&B)
Cortona was a major Etruscan city and still preserves some of its 5th century BC walls, going on to become a major Roman town on the Via Cassia and then a powerful medieval “city state” fought over continuously by Arezzo, Perugia and Florence. A tour of the city would include visits to one or two of the local museums - the MAEC, famous for its Etruscan collections, and the Museo Diocesano, which houses a stunning Fra Angelico Annunciation, among other works. Today the city is a bustling, lively cultural center that hosts several arts festivals in the summer months, with appealing shopping and several good restaurants.
Arezzo (30 minutes drive from the B&B)
The capital city of the Province, Arezzo is an elegant and prosperous city that hosts a major antiques fair on the first weekend of every month. Arezzo was also first founded by the Etruscans and then the Romans before becoming one of the major medieval city states until it was ultimately defeated by Florence. The city’s churches are filled with major artworks, in particular one of the most important fresco cycles of the early Renaissance, Piero della Francesca’s cycle of “the True Cross” in the church of San Francesco.
Full Day Tours:
The Val D’Orcia and Montepulciano (40 minutes drivefrom the B&B)
The Val D’Orcia is a Unesco world heritage site and is considered one of the most beautiful areas in southern Tuscany with its perfectly preserved iconic Tuscan landscape. There are five main towns in the Val D’Orcia: Pienza, Montalcino, San Quirico, Radicofani, and Castiglione D’Orcia as well as many other smaller villages and hamlets. Pienza is unquestionably the more important from an art historical point of view as It was rebuilt in the Early Renaissance (1458 - 1464) under Pope Pius II as an ideal Renaissance city which makes it unique. The main square with its Duomo (cathedral), Palazzo Piccolomini and the town hall facing onto it is considered one of the most important examples of early Renaissance architecture.
A visit to Pienza can be combined with one or more of the following:
A wine tasting of Brunello in Montalcino (roughly 30 minutes from Pienza)
Visit to and lunch at a cheese farm - Pienza is also famous for pecorino, sheepsmilk cheese
Montepulciano: another beautiful Tuscan city and one of the highest of the hill towns, the main street is lined with imposing Renaissance “palazzi” (family homes) because of Montepulciano’s ongoing alliance with Florence. A lovely city in which to stroll the steep streets, gaze at spectacular views and visit some of the artisan’s workshops along the way.
Florence
Introduction to Florence (1 hr drive from the B&B)
Start at the Ponte Vecchio, the bridge that crosses the River Arno. Completed in 1345, Ponte
Vecchio is the only bridge that survived World War II, when the retreating German army
destroyed the other bridges over the river. Learn about the fascinating passageway crossing
over the bridge that enabled the Medici to walk in grand style from their offices in Piazza della
Signoria to their home in Palazzo Pitti. Continue to the Piazza Signoria with its incredible
open-air gallery of original statues and learn about Florence’s political history, including how
the Medici family became so powerful. Walk down the bustling Via Calzaiuoli to the Cathedral
Square and visit the Baptistry, the oldest religious building in the city, which still maintains its
original 13th century mosaic decoration and magnificent gilded bronze doors. Gaze at
Brunelleschi’s awe-inspiring Dome of the cathedral and discover how he managed to build
such a masterpiece. You will end your day with a visit the Gallery of the Accademia. Here you
will view works by Michelangelo, including his world famous statue of David and the
unfinished "Slaves" . The Accademia also houses a significant collection of paintings,
Alternative suggestion to the Accademia: Museo dell'Opera del Duomo:
This is truly one of the most beautiful museums in the city. Originally the workshops
of the cathedral complex (and where Michelangelo made his David), it was recently
magnificently renovated and reorganized and now houses a life size reproduction of the
Cathedral's original facade incorporating the original statues, the recently restored two sets of
gilded bronze doors by Ghiberti, removed from the Baptistry, Donatello's extraordinary Mary
Magdalen and one of Michelangelo's most moving works, the late unfinished Pietà that he
was working on for his own tomb and never finished as well as many other works removed
from the Cathedral, Baptistry and Bell Tower over the years. Highly recommended.
Not a newbie to Florence?
If you have been to Florence before but perhaps have not seen it through the lens of historical landmarks, museums, or art history, we can tailor the tour to you. When you book the package, we can discuss variants to this trip and come up with an itinerary that matches your interests.
Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance but most people visiting the city for the first time
have only heard of Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael. In fact the Renaissance was born
roughly 100 years before these three great giants hit the scene with three slightly less wellknown but equally important artists - Masaccio the painter, Donatello the sculptor and Brunelleschi the architect. Today's tour will start in the Brancacci Chapel which is literally considered the first great Renaissance fresco cycle. The paintings tell the story of Saint Peter and the most famous scenes were painted by Masaccio when he was working as the young
associate of the older artist Masolino. Here you will see when perspective was first
introduced into painting, when suddenly images of the real world opened up before the eyes
of people who were accustomed to looking at fairy tale like representations of the religious
stories that populate the walls of earlier churches. Continue to the church of San Lorenzo,
rebuilt by Brunelleschi for the Medici family, this is the earliest example of a Renaissance
church interior and also houses works by Donatello who worked with Brunelleschi in the Old
Sacristy. Continue to the Duomo where we will talk about Brunelleschi's outstanding feat in
building the massive dome that is such a distinctive feature of Florence's skyline. Then a
short walk to the Bargello, the National Museum of sculpture where you will be able to see
Donatello's two David's and understand the extraordinary evolution that took place in the art
of sculpture in the first couple of decades of the 15th century - literally the Birth of the
Renaissance.
Other Variations:
San Lorenzo and the Medici
Start the day with a guided walk through the lively central market of San Lorenzo, where the
locals shop for fresh produce of all sorts, and learn about Tuscan food while feasting your
eyes on the magnificent displays of fresh vegetables, cheeses, wine and olive oil.
Continue the morning with an introduction to the history of the Medici Family, beginning with a
visit to the Church of San Lorenzo that was patronized by the Medici and re-designed for the
family by Brunelleschi. Continue to the Medici Chapels to see the sculpture and architecture
Michelangelo designed in the New Sacristy for the Medici family tombs, left unfinished when
the artist left Florence for good in 1534. You will also visit the Laurentian library, designed by
Michelangelo for the Medici Pope, Clement VII. Next you might visit Palazzo Medici Riccardi,
the Palace that the Medici commissioned in the early 15th century, which became a model for
all subsequent Renaissance palaces in the city. Here you will see the exquisite Chapel
decorated with frescoes of the Procession of the Three Kings in which the artist included
numerous Medici and other contemporary portraits.
The Uffizi Gallery
After a break for lunch, continue your day with a visit to the Uffizi Gallery to see the world class collection of paintings that was started by the Medici and has continued to evolve since the Medici family died out in the early 18th century. The Uffizi is the oldest museum in the world and houses the world’s most important collection of Renaissance painting. The gallery is home to masterpieces by Giotto, Filippo Lippi, Piero della Francesca, Botticelli, Leonardo,
Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio.
Florence's Neighborhoods
Florence today is still divided into four main neighborhoods named after the most important
religious complexes at their heart, three of which: Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and
Santo Spirito, were founded by the so called reform orders in the early 13th century: the
Franciscans, Dominicans and Augustinians respectively. These communities provided much
more than a purely religious function, creating a point of reference for the communities that
settled around them and literally causing the growth of the residential districts giving them a
fundamental social significance and sense of community. They are also repositories of some
of the greatest art in the city as the powerful families of the past helped to finance these
institutions by commissioning chapels and works of art to decorate them. This was literally a
sort of necessary status symbol in the Florence of the 14th and 15th centuries and it can often
be fascinating and more meaningful to see some of these works of art in their original context.
Santa Croce
The Church of Santa Croce is part of the monumental monastic complex built by the
Franciscan community in the 14th century. Often referred to as the Florentine Pantheon,
Santa Croce houses the tombs of a number of great Florentines, including Michelangelo and
Galileo. Many of the chapels in the transept still have their original 14th century decoration, in
particular two chapels fresco-ed by Giotto and the main altar by Agnolo Gaddi. There is also a
beautiful sculpted Annunciation by Donatello and Brunelleschi's sublime Pazzi Chapel, which
is an example of an intact and perfectly preserved Renaissance chapel where architecture
and sculpture combine to produce the serene and ideal environment that the artists of the
Renaissance were aspiring to.
End the morning in the Bargello, the oldest civic building in Florence, used as a prison during
the Medici period, and, after years of neglect, restored into a beautiful museum. It now
houses a major collection of Renaissance sculpture with works by Donatello, Luca della
Robbia, Michelangelo and Giambologna, as well as a number of fascinating smaller
collections of precious objects donated by private collectors. The building itself, with its
medieval architecture and decoration, make this museum especially fascinating.
Santo Spirito and Oltrarno
Continue your discovery of Florentine neighborhoods, crossing over the river into the
Oltrarno district. Oltrarno, which literally means “beyond the Arno,” defines the areas around
the churches of Santo Spirito, Santa Maria del Carmine and San Frediano, as well as the Pitti
Palace. Considered by many Florentines to be the “real” Florence, this area is much less
visited by the crowds of tourists that pack the main streets and squares on the other side of
the river. Its narrow streets and alleys are lined with local shops and artisans’ workshops.
Start with a visit to the Brancacci Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, which
was fresco-ed with stories of the Life of Saint Peter by Masaccio, Masolino and Filippino Lippi.
It is considered the most important fresco cycle of the entire early Renaissance and was
studied by many subsequent artists, including Michelangelo who earned a broken nose here
when he got into a fight with another artist!
Continue to Piazza Santo Spirito where there is a lively daily market locals frequent for fruit
and vegetables as well as clothing and household goods. The Church of Santo Spirito,
designed by Brunelleschi who, unfortunately, did not live to see its completion, is a
magnificent example of his architecture. Finish this morning at the Pitti Palace where you can
choose either to visit the Palatine Gallery, which houses a major collection of High
Renaissance and Baroque works by Raphael, Titian, and Rubens among others, or go into
the Boboli Gardens, created by the Medici in the 16th and 17th centuries, that stretch out
behind the Pitti Palace. (there is also a beautiful view of the gardens from the Palatine
Gallery)
Santa Maria Novella
Santa Maria Novella is the massive monastic complex founded by the Dominican monks in
the early 13th century. The church itself was mostly built in the 14th century but like so many
other churches decoration continued well into the 19th century while more recent restoration
projects have brought many of the earliest works of art back to their original splendor. One
can literally trace the history of Florentine art with a visit to the church's interior which houses
a magnificent crucifix by Giotto, Masaccio's Trinity (one of the most important works of the
early Renaissance), Ghirlandaio's frescoes on the walls of the Toranbuoni Chapel where
Michelangelo started his training as a young apprentice, and finally Filippino's Lippi's frescoes
in the Strozzi Chapel. The church also comprises several cloisters containing more works of art
and a small museum which houses Paolo Uccello's beautiful frescoes of stories from Genesis
salvaged from their original outdoor position. Santa Maria Novella can easily be combined
with either a visit to the San Lorenzo district or a walk across the river to the Olrarno: Santa
Maria del Carmine and Santo Spirito (see above for descriptions)
Variations for Mondays
Some options for Mondays in Florence: People often believe that everything is closed on
Mondays but actually many things are open and it can be a less crowded day to visit the city
as a consequence. See list below for some suggestions. Any of these sites can be included
in other tours as well:
The church of San Lorenzo - designed by Brunelleschi for the Medici Family, it houses
Brunelleschi's old Sacristy with decoration by Donatello as well as incorporating the Medici
Chapels with the tombs designed by Michelangelo for the Medici family and the ornate
Chapel of the Princes where the Medici Grand Dukes are buried. This can also be combined
with a visit to the Laurentian Library which Michelangelo designed for the Medici's collections
of books and manuscripts. (NB the Medici Chapels are open on the 2nd and 4th Monday of
the month so will not be open on "your" Monday which is the 3rd Monday but the Church is
well worth seeing as is the library.)
Palazzo Medici Riccardi - the 15th century palace designed by Michelozzo where the Medici
lived until the 16th century - it houses the beautiful chapel of the Magi with frescoes by
Benozzo Gozzoli of the Procession of the Three Kings (closed on Wednesdays)
The Monastery and Museum of San Marco - the monastery built by Michelozzo for Cosimo
de' Medici where all the monks' cells are fresco-ed by Fra Angelico and the museum which
houses many of Fra Angelico's major panel paintings (NB Open on the 1st, 3rd and 5th
Monday of the month and so open!)
The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo - which houses many of the works removed from the
Cathedral complex including the original bronze panels from Ghiberti's doors of the Baptistry,
a late Pietà by Michelangelo as well as works by Donatello and the tools Brunelleschi used to
build the Dome.
The Bargello - the most important collection of Renaissance sculpture in the city, housing
works by Donatello, Luca della Robbia, Michelangelo, Cellini and Giambologna (NB open on
the 1st, 3rd and 5th Monday of the month - one of my favourite museums)
The Church of Santa Croce - which houses the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo as well as
major works of art by Donatello, Giotto and Brunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel.
The Church of Santa Maria Novella which houses frescoes by Masaccio, Ghirlandaio (on
which Michelangelo worked as an apprentice), and Filippino Lippi.
The Brancacci Chapel which is frescoed with stories from the Life of Saint Peter - the most
important fresco cycle of the Early Renaissance by Masaccio, Masolino and Filippino Lippi.
(closed on Tuesdays)
Active Experience Package
If you are an active traveler looking to experience the Tuscan countryside via bike, foot, or horseback, this is the package for you. Included is the arrangement of an e-bike tour, a local cooking class, and one of the following of your choosing (horseback riding, private yoga classes, kayaking, hiking, or vintage car or vespa tours). Note that some of the activities are only available in certain seasons. All tours are led by local, licensed and experienced guides thus your bookings will go towards helping small business owners in the area. Private yoga classes can be arranged right here at the B&B.
Food & Wine Experience Package
If you are a lover of food and wine but you are not sure where to start when it comes to booking restaurants and wineries, we've got you covered. After years of discovering new restaurants, agriturismos, working farms, castles, and wineries we have tons of great off the beaten path places to check out. We can guarantee authentic dining experiences unique to this area whether that is through expression of the cuisine or atmosphere. This package includes a food and wine e-bike tour, wine tasting + lunch in Montepulciano, & a wine tasting experience at a local vineyard. We will also take care of all your dinner reservations outside of the above, delivering a spectrum of dining experiences tailored to your interests. This is for those wanting to immerse in truly authentic hyper local-Tuscan cuisine and for those with an adventurous spirit.
Experience Add-Ons:
If you have traveled to Italy or Tuscany before or you don't want to miss out on a specific experience during your trip, add an individual experience or two to your B&B booking or to one of the packages above. We can arrange it for you. Note: some experiences are only available in certain seasons and availability may be limited for some so we advise booking ahead.
Cooking classes (pasta, pizza, cheese making, general Tuscan cooking)
Italian vintage car tour
Vespa tour
e-bike tour
Private yoga class at the B&B
Truffle hunting
Fly fishing
Wine tasting (by type of wine, region/town, wine + lunch pairing)
Pricing
All experience bundles are offered at a booking fee of 50 eur, paid at check-out. With this you get peace of mind and a worry-free easy vacation. All the scheduling, communication with vendors, and tiny details arranged for you.
Drivers, tour guides, meals, wine tastings, or events are paid separately and directly to that local vendor. Further more, we only work with professional drivers for transportation options (licensed to drive in ZTLs (city centers), specialized vehicles) and a licensed tour guide / art historian for all the historical tours. All experience bookings are private to you and your group. This allows us to tailor the experiences to your interests.
Based on what bundle you are interested in, we can provide an estimated cost prior to booking. Below are some estimated costs for reference (note these are not exact) .
Licensed tour guide: 80 eur/hr
Museum tickets: 12 - 50 eur per person pending the museum, etc
Transportation add-ons: Includes the vehicle appropriate for group size and licensed & professional driver to destination and back (FD = full day, HD = half day)
Full day (FD) Florence: euro 600
Val d’Orcia FD/HD: 450 / 225 euro
Cortona FD/HD: 400 / 200 euro
Siena FD/HD: 500 / 250 euro
Arezzo FD/HD: 450 / 225 euro
e-Bike tours: 120 - 180 eur per person pending time of year, location, and any add-ons like wine tasting and cooking classes
Wine tasting: 25-55 eur per person (some tasting fees are waived if you buy wine)
Cooking class: 135-175 eur per person depending on location, length, and type of class
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
Are their age restrictions or fitness level needs for any of these tours?
Tours are for all age groups and fitness levels (e.g. e-bike tours, hiking, yoga, etc).
Is transportation included?
Transportation can be offered and added to any tour. If you plan to rent your own car while in Tuscany (highly recommended (see blog post)) but you do not want to drive into Florence or another city on your own, we can arrange a car/driver option for the package). At the time of booking, we will discuss options, pricing, and how many people would be included in the tour. The transportation cost covers the vehicle & the licensed professional driver to and from the destination.
Cost includes vehicle and licensed & professional driver to destination and back. These costs are estimates and may vary depending on the season and year.
Full day (FD) Florence: euro 600
Val d’Orcia FD/HD: 450 / 225 euro
Cortona FD/HD: 400 / 200 euro
Siena FD/HD: 500 / 250 euro
Arezzo FD/HD: 450 / 225 euro
What about museum tickets or tastings? Are those included in the price?
If the tour includes a museum, a wine or food tasting, or the like, the price of these items are paid directly by you. Once you discuss your tour details with the guide, she will send you a link to purchase the museum tickets or tastings. We try to make this as easy as possible and also as transparent as possible.
Are meals / food included in the packages?
Meals are not included in the package price unless you book a cooking class in which case you will eat what you make. If you are part of a historical tour to Florence, Siena, or any other city, certainly we can make lunch reservations for you (or you can wander and find your own establishments pending your cravings) however, the cost of the meal is paid separately by you. We make the reservations and find tailored dining experiences for you based on our years of knowledge in the area.
Who do you use as your historical tour guide?
We use our lovely local guide Camilla. She lives in the village of Lucignano and has decades of experience in art history, historical landscapes, and much more. She speaks Italian and English.
Camilla J. Baines
Art historian and licensed guide for and Siena and its Province and Florence
Camilla is the daughter of an English father and American mother and was born and grew up in London where she studied art history at London University. She is an art historian as well as being a licensed guide for Florence and other parts of Tuscany. She also works with Stanford University in Florence teaching seminars for students doing a semester abroad. She has over 20 years experience in giving private and specialized tours.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellation policies vary by experience but typically it is the following:
2 weeks prior 50% nonrefundable
1 week 100% nonrefundable
Is tipping customary?
If you had a great time, we encourage tipping for all our guides.
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