Discover the idyllic town of Pienza, "Under the Tuscan Sun"
Savour lunch on a shady terrace with spectacular views over the Lazio countryside.
A hidden land with ancient Etruscan cities and frescoed tombs, spectacular perched medieval towns, catacomb labyrinths, water cascades, a colossal man-made waterfall, and a park full of giants and monsters. Visit perfect Pienza, ‘Under the Tuscan sun’ Cortona, dine in amazing locations, explore the undulating Tuscan Hills of the Val d’Orcia which so inspired the Renaissance painters. So different – so absolutely delightful!
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Travel in a first-class air-conditioned touring coach
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Welcome drink on Day 1 15 meals including breakfast daily (B), 1 lunch on a tree shaded terrace overlooking the Lazio countryside (L) and 5 evening meals including one in a labyrinth of ancient Etruscan caves, one in a Val d’Orcia farmhouse and private farewell dinner in a vineyard (D) A complimentary glass of wine, beer or soft drink with all included dinners
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Hotel porterage of 1 bag per person (where available) 9 nights specially selected hotel accommodation Free WiFi at most hotels (where available)
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Personal audio system whilst on tour (where available) Fully escorted by our experienced Tour Manager ALL tips for your Tour Manager, Driver and Local Guides Local guides as described in the itinerary
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Hand Selected Albatross Experiences including the underground Etruscan tombs, Villa Lante cascading gardens, Parco dei Mostri, Civita di Bagnoregio experience, Etruscan Via Cava walk, Val d’Orcia wine and Pecorino cheese tasting and the amazing Marmore Falls ALL excursions, scenic drives, sightseeing and entrances as described
Tour itinerary
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Hand Selected Experiences
These are just a few of the very special hand selected experiences that will really make your touring experience exceptional and unique, and don’t forget, with Albatross they are always included.
Villa Lante
Cascading Water Gardens
Driving through the undulating hills we arrive in the small town called Bagnaia to visit the ‘Mannerist’ style gardens of Villa Lante - an amazing, cascading set of water gardens created by the Duke of Bomarzo in the 17th century, Despite being voted one of the top gardens of Italy, it remains a hidden gem!Orvieto
Guided Walking Tour
A local guide takes us on a leisurely walking tour through the ancient streets and alleys of the pedestrianised old town to visit arguably the most beautiful Cathedral you will ever see! On the exterior you see the magnificent carved detail and coloured stonework & inside the astounding statue of the ‘Pietà’.Sacro Bosco
Park of the Monsters
Explore the pathways and woodlands of this unique park filled with weird and wonderful sculptures of everything from dragons to giants.Civita di Bagnoregio
A Mysterious Hilltop Town
Probably the most striking hilltop town in all Europe, with a thousand years of history as a walled citadel. Inside are picture-perfect stone buildings, squares, flower boxes, cafés and magnificent viewsPerugia
Explore the Heart of this Ancient City
The historic centre of Umbria's capital deserves time to fully explore it and unearth its treasures. Joined by a local guide, our visit begins by taking an escalator up into the dramatic ‘Rocca’ - the subterranean ruins of this 500-year-old fortress. Coming up to the surface, our walking tour takes us through this splendid historical town, famed for its rich chocolate & two historic universities. Highlights will be our visits to the glorious frescoed Collegio del Cambio and the colourful Cathedral.Val d’Orcia
Explore Montepulciano & Pienza
The Val d’Orcia is UNESCO Heritage Listed due to the unique character and beauty of its stunning countryside and open vistas. We visit the stunning hilltops towns of Montepulciano with its 14th century Palazzo Comunale and Duomo on the Piazza Grande, and Pienza with its compact, central Piazza Pio II, surrounded by 15th century buildings, such as the Pienza Cathedral and the Piccolomini Palace. A must do in both towns is visiting the wine cellars, olive oil and local food and produce shops, and savouring the the vast, breath-taking views.Bagno Vignoni
Unique Hot Springs
Following the Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrimage route, we visit the unique town Bagno Vignoni. This peaceful little town is unique in that the whole flooded central square is one giant thermal water lake. From the arcaded walkway at one end you can see the earth’s hot water bubbling into the surface, filling the huge pond.Waterfalls of Marmore
Europe’s highest man-made waterfalls
After lunchtime at leisure in the picturesque town of Todi, we visit the remarkable ‘Cascata delle Marmore' (Waterfalls of Marmore) - Europe’s highest man-made waterfalls. Our visit is timed to be there when the waterfalls are 'switched on' to witness the remarkable experience when a dribble of water turns into a cascading, raging torrent!Dates and Prices
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* Dates, prices, itineraries and hotels shown may be subject to change on specific departures. Please contact our European Tour Specialists for further details.
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Your Hotels
Tour Suitability
Our tours require a moderate level of fitness due to the unique places we visit and stay. This tour is not suited to anyone who has mobility issues.
- In mid-summer, the heat may be energy sapping.
- This tour visits a larger number of ancient hilltop towns and villages. Fortunately, the hardest, highest ones like Orvieto, Perugia, Todi all have either escalators or lifts up to the top of town.
- One city visit is quite taxing. It is the very nature of the difficulty which make the visit amazing. Civita di Bagnoregio is a medieval gem of a hilltop town accessed by a huge pedestrian viaduct. We drop you at the Belvedere lookout and from there you have about a 300 metre downhill walk to the viaduct and then about a 300 metre walk across the viaduct. In itself it’s not hard, but the last 100 metres of the viaduct up to the old city entrance gets quite steep. Take your time and you can do it. Whilst this is the only way into town and it is a standard pedestrian walkway, we flag this because it can be quite hard if you have fitness challenges. If you don’t want to do it, then the perfect alternative is to stay up on the shaded terrace of the Belvedere. You will get the absolute best views of the perched city from here, and you can relax in the café and gelato bar terrace. This is a splendid alternative.
- Two other cities stand out as having harder access. Cortona is accessed by uphill, cobbled streets about 200 metres in length.
- Montepulciano has a much longer uphill street. But here, if you want, you can catch a bus to the top and back down again. You have the choice. From experience you will take your time (and you have easily enough time!) to enjoy the uphill walk as this main semi pedestrian street is so enjoyable with its rows of wine cellars, shops, cheese and produce houses and cafes.
- The Via Cava– the carved Etruscan roads outside Pitigliano - are fascinating but being over 3,000 years old, the surfaces are uneven and heavily rutted! The total walkway is about 1 km each way, but the good news is the best bit is an easy walk along the first 200 metres. Again, you have choices.
- Marmore waterfalls – it is very straight forward to get to the main viewing area. An easy walk. If you want you can walk up alongside the waterfalls, which includes wooden steps and boardwalks, which can be slippery.
Please refer to our Tour Suitability section for more information.
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