Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to the hotel for check-in. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner.

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Note: If you wish to spend more time in Florence, ask your Personal Vacation Manager about the optional hotel extension—which will add two nights to your Florence hotel stay.

After breakfast, we’ll head out of the city and into the countryside for a pasta-making class. Your lesson takes place at a charming location in the middle of the Tuscan vineyards. You will be greeted with a welcome drink in the garden before entering the facility and exploring. For the first cooking activity, you will concentrate on the main specialty of Italian and Tuscan cuisine—homemade pasta. The chef and staff will provide the directions and ingredients needed and then give you the opportunity to try your hand at it. They will then teach you how to prepare a few other traditional dishes, using the precious Tuscan extra virgin olive oil and other local ingredients. The course will conclude with a tasting of Tuscan wines to pair with the dishes, which the group will all enjoy, served along with some additional appetizers like bruschetta.

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With a full belly and a tipsy smile, you will board the bus and drive through the beautiful hills of the Chianti Valley towards Greve. This valley is considered by many to be the heart of the Tuscan countryside and is renowned for its famous wines. In the charming village of Greve, you will take a stroll and then visit a historical and traditional butcher’s shop to taste their homemade products. Return to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

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Check out of the hotel and say goodbye to Florence; today we will head further south into the heart of the Tuscan countryside to visit a local farm that specializes in olive oil production. In Italy, olive oil is not only a cooking ingredient, but also a cultural symbol steeped in tradition. From the olive branch representing a peace offering to olive groves being passed down from generation to generation, the olive tree provides traditions that date back to Ancient Rome. During our visit we will learn about the production process and then sample some of the estate’s prized oils. A snack will be provided during the tasting. We will then continue to our new hotel in a quaint town in Tuscany, where you will have the remainder of your evening at leisure.

Start the day with a visit to the hilltop town of Volterra, a former Etruscan settlement with a splendid view of the surrounding landscape. Besides the views, the city is also renowned for its alabaster, a beautiful pale stone that is soft enough to carve. Your guide will provide a tour of the most important sights of the town, then take you to visit an artist at his alabaster workshop. You will then enjoy some free time in the village to stroll along the medieval alleyways and have lunch on your own.

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In the afternoon, you will visit one of Tuscany’s secret gems: Certaldo. This was the hometown of Giovanni Boccaccio, author of the “Decameron” and one of first Renaissance humanists. We will take a walk through the historic town and enjoy the views of the surrounding hills below. The tour ends with a visit to a ceramic painting shop, where you will see an artisan at work.

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Upon arrival at our hotel, you will have time to check in and get settled before rejoining the group for dinner. The Palazzo San Lorenzo, an elegant XVII-century palace, is located in the historic center of Colle Val d’Elsa, a quaint medieval village in the heart of the Tuscan countryside.

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Today we will visit lively Cortona, which is characterized by its well-preserved medieval character. Steep, cobblestone paths lead through the narrow alleyways in the historic center, then open up onto the large squares of ‘Piazza della Repubblica’ and ‘Piazza Signorelli’, where the town comes to life. Shops offer gastronomic delicacies and handicrafts, while street cafés invite one to linger. Many scenes of the famous movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” were shot here, as well as the villa of the book’s writer, Frances Mayes.

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We will then visit a winery in the region of Montepulciano, another town in the heart of Tuscany where some scenes of the movie were shot. This area is situated on a stone mountain and the local vintners carved out their wine cellars in the cool stone. Their ‘noble’ wine was already known in the 8th century as the ‘Vino dei Signori’ – wine of the nobility. We will end the day’s excursion at one of these famous local wineries to enjoy a sensorial wine experience. You will visit the vineyards and cellars and then taste the wine directly from the barrels as we toast to an unforgettable Journey! Lunch will be served in the estate’s local farmhouse before returning to the hotel for an evening at leisure.

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Today we will explore the city of Siena, a prominent city within the Tuscan region with a centuries-old rivalry with Florence. Enjoy a guided tour of the medieval city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admire the beautiful Palazzo del Campo, famous for its semiannual horse race and the Siena Cathedral, a masterpiece of Italian Romanesque and Gothic architecture. We will then drive to a region blessed with lush vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees to visit a local winery for lunch. We will enjoy a delicious menu of local products, then return to the hotel for an evening at your leisure.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to the port, where you will board the Celebrity Constellation for a transatlantic cruise to Florida.

Ports of call include Cartagena and Malaga, Spain; the Azores; Bermuda; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Enjoy breakfast onboard, then disembark the Celebrity Constellation.