Painting, Pasta & Pinocchio - Tuscan Adventure Tour Itinerary
REF:
EUF11
VERSION:
6
| Duration: | 8 days - Florence to Florence |
| Countries Visited: | Italy |
| Age Guide: | Child 6-11 years
Adult 12-65 years |
| Max Group Size: | 16 |
| Transport: | Private Vehicle, Bicycle, On Foot |
| Accommodation: | Hotel (2 Nights), Agriturismo Farmhouse (5 Nights) |
| What's Included: | 7 Breakfasts, 2 Dinners - All Activities and Entrance Fees as per Itinerary - Escorted Tour - English Speaking Local Guide - Guided City Tour in Florence - Art Lesson in Florence - Bicycle Rent for Half Day Countryside Tour - Pasta Lesson - Entrance to Collodi Park, Home of Pinocchio |
| Local Payment: | NO LOCAL PAYMENT |
| Highlights: | Italy - Florence - City Tour of Florence - Art Lesson - Tuscany - San Quirico d’Orcia - Montalcino Fortified Village - Cycling Through Tuscan Countryside - Pasta Making Lesson - Pisa - Leaning Tower of Pisa - Collodi - Pinocchio Park |
| Optional Highlights: | Italy - Academia Gallery - Duomo Climb - Leaning Tower of Pisa Entrance - Horse Riding |
| Introduction | Discover Tuscany on this family tour, which starts and ends in the enchanting city of Florence. After a walking tour of the city, search for the inner Michelangelo, with an art lesson at a local art school. We then base ourselves for the next five nights in the beautiful Tuscan countryside, staying in a converted farmhouse complete with stables, swimming pools and tennis court. We explore the medieval villages of San Quirico d’Orcia and Montalcino and then experience the picturesque countryside by bicycle, cycling past endless olive groves and countless vineyards, seeing the sights and breathing in the fresh air. Then make a mess in the kitchen as our chef shows you how to create your own “delicioso” Pasta dish which you can enjoy for dinner. Heading back to Florence, we visit the town of Pisa, with its famous leaning Tower, sitting in the field of Miracles. It is from this tower that the famous scientist Galileo dropped objects, to devise his theory of falling bodies. Next stop Collodi, where you have time to explore the birthplace of Pinocchio. Walk through Pinocchio Park and see why the wooden lad wanted to be a real boy! |
| Joining Hotel: | Hotel la Fortezza
Viale Milton
Florence 95 50129
Italy
Tel: +39 055 4639101
Fax: +39 055 46391388 |
| Day 1: | Florence. A pre departure meeting will be held in the hotel reception area at 6pm. This meeting will give you the opportunity to meet your Tour Guide and fellow travellers. Your Tour Guide will inform you of the tour program for the next few days.
After the meeting, enjoy a traditional Italian meal of authentic pasta or Pizza. (D) |
| Day 2 | Florence - City Tour, Art Lesson. After breakfast join your Tour Guide for a morning walking city tour of Florence, the cradle of renaissance culture. The local guide will tell exciting stories about the famous sights such as Ponte Vecchio, Duomoa and Piazza della Signoria.
The tour will include the bustling Piazza della Signoria, with its magnificent outdoor sculpture gallery, and sculpture of Perseus slaying Medusa, as he carries her snake filled severed head as a testament to his victory over the evil gorgon. Also see Neptune’s fountain, and a life size copy of Michelangelo’s David.
Also on the tour you will see the Ponte Vecchio, the most popular bridge that crosses over the Arno River. This bridge was once where Florence’s best meats could be bought. The butchers would sell their meats and throw the expired cuts of meat and fat into the river. The stench was so foul, as the discarded meat would decay in the heat, that the Medici’s banished the butchers from the bridge and sent them further away. Today the bridge is very well known for its fancy gold and jewellery shops.
The Duomo is another spectacular sight of Florence, with a colourful façade, that seems as though the Cathedral is wearing pyjamas, stripey with its pink and green marble. The Duomo is as spectacular inside as it is outside, with its astonishing Dome painted by Brunelleschi. The fresco painted here, depicts the division of an angelic Heaven from a very grotesque Hell. Quite gruesome indeed!
These along with a myriad of other sights and stories will throw your imagination back to the 14th century when the powerful Medici family ruled this town.
After a break for lunch, you reunite with your guide who will take you to a local art school where you can try your hand at being artistic - after all you are in the home of art!
Later this afternoon, you will be transferred to the Tuscan countryside to spend 5 nights in a converted farmhouse complete with stables, swimming pools and tennis courts. (B) |
| Day 3: | Medieval Villages of San Quirico d’Orcia and Montalcino. Today we drive out to explore the medieval villages of Quirico d’Orcia and Montalcino. These villages are nestled in one of the most important wine regions of Tuscany. Montalcino, is a fortified village with very tall walls that are built in the shape of a pentagon, a tower punctuating each of the 5 angles of the fortress. The walls provide a wonderful parapet walking opportunity, and a panorama of stunning views of the countryside beneath. Maybe try some gelato, as you walk through this gorgeous Tuscan town, picking up a few little souvenirs along the way.
San Quirico d’Orcia, is another walled town, this time with 14 towers. The town sits on the northern edge of the Val d'Orcia of southern Tuscany. This beautiful countryside town has Etruscan origins, and so its exact history is not known, because the Etruscans themselves are a mystery, as very little artefacts on these people have been found.
We return to our Agriturismo to overnight. (B)
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| Day 4: | Cycle Trip in Tuscan Countryside. After breakfast, we collect our bicycles and join the guide as he leads you on a bicycle ride through the stunning Tuscan countryside. This day is full of fun as you ride past vineyards, olive groves, poppy fields and sunflower fields, depending on the season.
The afternoon is free for you to enjoy the facilities that the farmhouse has to offer. Or perhaps take a walk in the nearby countryside. (B)
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| Day 5: | Pasta Course. This morning is free to relax by the pool, write an update in your diary or just admire the countryside. Maybe even go for a horse ride or have a riding lesson.
A mouth-watering pasta-making course is planned for the afternoon, where you will have the opportunity to play chef, and make your own pasta. Dinner tonight will be as good as you make it to be!
Pasta is almost synonymous with Italy; wherever Italians have immigrated they have brought their pasta with them. It has been suggested that Marco Polo, brought back pasta from his travels in China, but in truth, Mediterranean people have been eating pasta long before Marco Polo packed his bags for the East.
There are roughly 350 different shape of pasta in Italy. You can find tubes, bow ties, shells, cylinders, flat thin strips, flat thick strips, stripey pasta with frilly edges, flat sheets of pasta and star shaped pasta just to name a few. You can then choose between dry pasta (pasta seca) and fresh pasta (pasta fresca) varieties. Then there are the flavoured pastas, pumpkin pasta (orange), spinach pasta (green) or tomato pasta (reddish), again just to name a few.
Pasta often comes with different sauces. The sauces can include lots of herbs such as pesto, tomato base such as Bolognaise, or cream based pasta sauces such as a mascarpone or carbonara. On thing is for sure, if pasta was known to the Italians before Marco Polo, the tomato certainly was not, as this was brought to Europe by the discovery of the Americas. Lucky for that, as tomatoes play a very important part in the Italian and Mediterranean diet! (B,D) |
| Day 6: | Free Day. Today is a free day for trekking, cycling or maybe fishing or exploring more of the surrounding area.
One option is to visit the nearby Tuscan city of Siena. Siena is well known for the horse race, the Palio, which occurs twice a year. The town prepares for this horse race by having parades and entertainment involving high pageantry, with flag waving, medieval costume wearing, and horse parades. This is called the Corteo Storico. The horse race itself is held in the main square of Siena, called the Piazza del Campo, quite a large square any other time of the year, bar during the Palio, where thousands of people from all over the world flock to Siena to experience the horse race. This is when the usually large square becomes full of people tightly packed together. The winner of the race is the horse that crosses the finishing line with his head ornaments intact, and not necessarily with his jockey astride! The winner is then awarded a banner of painted silk, or ‘palio’, which is designed by a different artist for each race.
The city itself is a gorgeous medieval town steeped in history, from Etruscan origins to the birthplace of St Catherine of Siena, the patron saint.
Another option is to explore the village of Buonconvento with its multi media museum which explains the story of the regions agricultural lifestyle in a very amusing way. (B) |
| Day 7: | Visit to Pisa and Collodi the Pinocchio Park. After breakfast we depart for Pisa. The seaside town once famed for its merchant fleets, is now famed for its quirky monuments. You will visit the Piazza dei Miracoli, or the Square of Miracles, which has now been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many grand monuments in this square but none of them gain as much attention and intrigue as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which was originally meant to be a bell tower, and originally meant to be vertical!
Please note that entry to the Leaning Tower is not included.
Building of the bell tower started in 1173, and from a very early stage of its construction it began to lean due to the poor soil at its foundations. It has also been said that Galileo dropped 2 cannon balls of different masses from the top of the tower, to prove his theory that the speed that an object fell was independent of its mass. However this has never truly been proven nor formally documented, therefore remains a legend.
The other monument in the square is the Cathedral, with its wonderful frescoes and its delicately carved pulpit, and and intricate details on the bronze doors. Galileo was thought to have formulated his theory about the movement of a pendulum by watching the swinging of a lamp hanging from the ceiling.
The Baptistery is the third building in this square, and its polygonal shape adds to the unusual series of oddly shaped buildings in this square.
After Pisa, we drive to Collodi, the home of Pinocchio. Pinocchio is a fictional character that first appeared in 1883, in the Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. The story goes that a wood carver called Geppetto carved Pinocchio from a piece of wood. Pinocchio was meant to be a puppet, but he had other dreams, as he wanted to be a real boy. He eventually gets what he wished for, and that is where the adventure begins.
In Collodi, you have free time to explore the Pinocchio Park, Garzoni Gardens, Butterfly House, and have lunch.
Later we depart for Florence and an optional farewell dinner. (B) |
| Day 8: | Florence – The tour ends after breakfast. (B)
Please note that additional nights accommodation and pre-booked transfers can be organised on request. |
| Finishing Point: |
Hotel la Fortezza
Viale Milton
Florence 95 50129
Italy
Tel: +39 055 4639101
Fax: +39 055 46391388 |
| Please Note: |
Please be aware that arrival times and the itinerary may change due to unforeseen delays or events such as unpredictable climate, road conditions of the local area, festivals and public holidays. However, we shall endeavour to ensure all sites are visited and that your tour runs smoothly. |
| What's not included: | All optional excursions, visas and meals unless otherwise stated in the itinerary. |
| | Pre Departure Information Follows |
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| Pre-Departure Meeting: | The Pre-Departure meeting is held at 6 pm on DAY ONE of your tour. The pre-departure meeting is held to discuss the tour itinerary in more detail, meet your tour leader and fellow passengers.
In addition the tour leader will check that all passengers have the necessary travel documents and insurance for the tour. It is IMPORTANT that you attend this meeting.
Please advise KUMUKA or your AGENT if you CANNOT attend this meeting.
All passengers MUST bring:
1. Passport.
2. Travel Voucher.
3. Travel Insurance Policy.
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| Insurance: | Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours. All clients MUST be insured to cover personal accident, medical expenses, cancellation, curtailment and repatriation. It is also very important that your insurance policy is relevant to the Kumuka style of travel. Kumuka offers a specially negotiated insurance policy specifically tailored to adventure travel. As well as providing substantial cover for medical emergency, cancellation and curtailment, personal luggage, money and valuables and legal expenses, this insurance will also provide cover for the adventure activities you may choose to undertake whilst on tour. Please call us on the Kumuka free phone number 0800 068 8855 (UK only), or on 1300 667 277 in Australia, for further information.
No client will be allowed on tours without suitable insurance. If you have already arranged insurance elsewhere, please be aware that many of the optional activities such as bungy jumping or water rafting may not be covered on your policy. If you plan on doing any of these activities please purchase additional insurance.
At the start of your tour you will be asked to present your original policy document and complete an insurance information form. We recommend that you have a photocopy of this document, which you keep separate from the original. Please note: you will not be permitted to join a Kumuka Tour without travel insurance and you will be asked to purchase a Kumuka policy if you do not have travel insurance. |
| Passports: | Your passport is a valuable document and you should exercise extreme care in keeping it safe. We recommend that you keep your passport on you at all times, preferably in a money belt that is worn under your clothing or kept in a safety deposit box at your hotel. We advise that you take copies of relevant pages in your passport and any visas that you may purchase in case of loss or damage. Again, we recommend that you have a photocopy of all passport details, kept separate. Your passport must be valid for six months after the END of your tour. |
| Visa requirements: | It is important that you obtain the appropriate visas before you embark on your Europe trip. Country entry regulations change daily, www.kumuka.com provides you with visa information. Please consult your relevant embassy for all details such as opening hours or costs. Visas cannot be obtained once you have started your tour, and during the peak summer months it can take longer than normal to get visas, please allow extra time to do this.
EACH CLIENT IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING ALL NECESSARY VISAS BEFORE JOINING A TOUR.
Kumuka does not accept responsibility for changes in regulations or requirements for visas. The information provided is given in good faith. |
| Medical Information: | Vaccinations:
No vaccinations are compulsory in Europe, however you may need additional inoculations so please contact your G.P or a travel medical centre for further information.
We also recommend:
A dental check-up prior to travelling.
That you know your blood group in case of emergency.
That if you have any pre-existing medical conditions which might affect you on tour, you make these known to your tour leader or representative and your agent/Kumuka at the time of your booking.
You can also visit www.kumuka.com for further details.
Medical Supplies:
We advise that all passengers bring along their own personal first aid kit.
Below is a list of some recommended items:
Band Aids/Bandages, Laxatives, Upset stomach remedy, Anti-diarrhoea remedy, Panadol/Aspirin, Rehydration remedy, Antiseptic cream/powder, Sterile dressing, any relevant course of medication such as contraceptive pills.
A complete Travellers Medical Pack can be purchased for approximately US$25 at most Vaccination Centres, Chemists and outdoor travel shops. |
| Climate: | For detailed climate information see www.kumuka.com.
Travel Tip: Always bring a lightweight, waterproof jacket and/or an umbrella even during the height of summer - this should prepare you for anything! |
| Security: | Europe, like the rest of the world, is no stranger to theft. You must exercise extreme care with wallets, cameras and other valuables especially in towns or busy tourist areas. We advise that you make copies of your passport, credit cards, airline tickets and your insurance policy and that you keep a careful note of both used and unused traveller’s cheque numbers. At times when you are unable to store your valuables in safety deposit boxes in hotels we recommend that you carry some sort of money belt or hidden pouch for safekeeping of valuable items. |
| Books and Reading Material: | You might like to read up on the destinations that you are about to visit as these cities all have interesting sites and histories. We recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, The Rough Guide and Insight Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the countries you visit. |
| Money: | We recommend an average of €40-50 per day. This of course depends on your own spending habits, the number of optional excursions you wish to take and the amount of additional snacks, souvenirs and drinks you wish to buy along the way.
We advise that you carry a mixture of cash, credit/debit cards and travellers cheques with you on your trip and that these are in Euros.
We suggest that you record your travellers cheque numbers and keep these records separate from your cheques.
American Express and Thomas Cook Travellers Cheques are welcome and can be cashed in at most banks and bureau de changes.
Credit cards are accepted virtually everywhere. They can also be used to obtain money from ATMs. You should make sure you know your PIN number.
ATM cards can be used widely in Italy. Again, you will need your PIN. Your bank will provide you with more details. |
| Local Customs: | Please use your discretion and be sensitive to cultural differences in the countries that you visit, in particular visits to religious buildings and when taking photographs. Your Tour leader will advise you of any specific customs to observe such as covering your shoulders and knees when entering a Catholic church etc. |
| Luggage and Personal Equipment: | How much should I take?
Because of limited luggage space on transfer vehicles, we must limit each passenger to ONE main suitcase or frameless backpack the size should be no more than 75cm x 45cm x 25cm and one day bag.
Your main bag must not weigh more than 20 kg’s.
A frameless or internally framed backpack is the best way to carry your belongings since it is easy to lift on and off vehicles.
A small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.
We also recommend that you keep your passport, credit cards Travellers Cheques etc. on you at all times, preferably in a money belt worn under your clothes.
TRAVEL TIP: You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases! |
| Personal Effects: | We suggest that you take into account the time of year you will be travelling, and pack accordingly to the season. Quick drying clothes are recommended, and at many hotels there are laundry facilities.
Personal Effects:
Camera & film, Spare passport photos, Water bottle, Money belt, Sewing kit, Sunhat/ Sunglasses, Music CDs/Ipod, Books, Wet Ones, Soap to wash clothes, Writing materials, Swiss Army knife, Calculator, Personal toiletries, including tampons, contraceptives, Insect Repellent, Sunscreen. |
| Time: | For detailed information see www.timezoneconverter.com or www.timeanddate.com |
| Language: | English will be widely spoken in the major tourist attractions of the main cities. Take the time before your trip to read up on the country you will be visiting and perhaps learn a few words of the language. Your effort will always be welcomed and will make your trip all the more enjoyable. |
| Photography: | All types of camera film are readily available in Europe; however, it is often cheaper to purchase it in your country of origin or through duty free.
As a guideline, most people use approximately one to two rolls of 36 per week. Fast film (200-400 ASA) may be useful at times and black & white film is nice to use for portraits of local people. A zoom lens is also useful.
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission. |
| Food: | Vegetarians or those with special dietary needs can also be catered for however in some countries the type of food may be limited. Please let the Reservations team know your special requirements as soon as possible so we can do all possible to assist your needs. |
| Accommodation: | We have put a lot of thought and effort into locating the most appropriate type of accommodation for each night in Italy. You will be staying at comfortable centrally located tourist class hotel when in Florence, and 5 nights in a converted farmhouse, agritourism hotel in the Tuscan countryside, which is equipped with stables, swimming pools and tennis courts.
If you wish to spend a few additional days in your start city before the departure of your tour, then we can arrange accommodation for you. If you would like to stay additional nights after the tour, we will be more than happy to arrange this for you as well. All our accommodation is carefully chosen, conveniently located, clean and comfortable.
Please be aware that accommodation availability can fill very quickly especially during high season and recommend that you book this as soon as possible. It will NOT be possible to confirm any pre tour accommodation made 2 weeks or less prior to your arrival. |
| Tipping: | Tipping is a way of life and very much expected. For many tipping is a means of supplementing their wage and is a normal part of payment for goods and services. Be sure to keep small denomination notes or coins on you to avoid embarrassment.
It is customary to tip for services received, however, not compulsory. Tipping is done at your discretion. |
| Optional Activities: | During the tour your Tour Leader will recommend a variety of optional activities operated by carefully selected ground handlers to make your tour even more enjoyable. These ground handlers and activity partners have been chosen for their standards in quality, professional ability and reputation. All optional activities are available at your own expense, and are undertaken at your own risk. Kumuka cannot be held responsible for injuries or claims arising from adventurous activities by third party. To start planning and budgeting for any optional activities that you may chose on your tour, please visit: |
| Drug Policy: | Under no circumstances are any illegal drugs allowed on any part of the trip. It is against the law to use or be in possession of illegal drugs and substances. Anyone discovered in possession of any such drugs, will be subject to the local authorities. No refund whatsoever will be returned, should this situation occur.
If you are on prescription drugs, then it is advisable to have a note from your doctor confirming this. |
| Staying in Touch: | Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:
Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.
Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.
Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka
Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts
Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does! |
| Tour Feedback: | Tour Questionnaire - We would like to hear about your experiences on tour. One week after your tour ends you will automatically receive a feedback questionnaire via email. If we do not have your email address you can still complete a questionnaire by visiting www.kumuka.com/feedback
Email - If you have any specific comments about your tour then please write to us by email to operations@kumuka.com |
| Contact Details: | KUMUKA WORLDWIDE
UK OFFICE
Hillswood Business Park 3000
Hillswood Drive Chertsey KT16 0RS
Tel: +4420 7937 8855 Fax: +442075043782
Email: sales@kumuka.com
www.kumuka.com
AUSTRALIAN OFFICE
Level 5, 387 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9279 0491 Fax: 02 9279 0492
Email: sales@kumuka.com.au
www.kumuka.com.au |
| Map: |  |
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This tour is operated by Kumuka Worldwide. Information given in all brochures, leaflets
and dossiers is given in good faith by the company, and is based on the latest information
available at the date of publication. The company reserves the right to change any
of the facilities or vehicles described in the brochure without becoming liable
for compensation or refund. |
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