Italy Spring Break 10 Day Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Venice

Take a water taxi directly from airport dock  to Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo. Once we have collected our bags from the airplane call water taxi at +39 3452796132 cost $190 Euros

Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo, www.alpontemocenigo.com

After we settle, go walk around and take a gondola ride. Experience Aperol Spritz and appetizer bar along the Grand Canal. We could walk to St Marks Square Thru fish Market and over Rialto Bridge

Dinner reservation at Osteria Mocenigo 7:00 pm For first night this was an easy dinner very close to our hotel

Day 2 Venice

Private Water Taxi will pick us up and take us down grand Canal and out to Murano

Tour glass blowing factory our Hotel is arranging factory for us to visit Gino Mazzuccato.   Call hotel (or taxi driver whatever we arrange)when ready to come back 30 minutes prior to leaving 125 Euros

Luch Al Gobbo de Rialto

In afternoon, Enjoy Venice

Walk back to Hotel have Aperol Spritz along the way and dinner reservation

Dinner AL Grill, Santa Croce, 2097, 30135 Venezia  / 2-minute walk from Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo

Overall Things to see and do in Venice

*Rialto Bridge

*Fish Market

*St Mark’s Square

Saint Marks Basilica and Saint Marks Square From 4 November to 31 March St Mark’s Cathedral is open to visitors but Skip the Line reservations are suspended because waiting times to enter the church from the main entrance reduce considerably and visitors can therefore enter without having to queue for a long time.

 Rick Steves audio tour (free to download on his app) St. Marks Basilica 48 minutes

Rick Steves St. Marks Square 44 minutes (free audio tour to download on his app)

Doges Palace and prison (get tickets, Bridge of Sighs will go thru this on entrance to Doge Palace

Campanile (Bell Tower Venices skyscraper) location St Marks Square

*Gondola Ride– Gondoliers are hanging out all over town.  Expect to pay about 80 Euros during the day and 100 Euros after 19:00.  Establish, price rate and duration before boarding

*Ciccheti Bars(Venice tapas)

Extra Things to see if we have time:

Naval History Museum

Fondaco del Tedeschi View Terrace (rooftop terrace atop luxury mall with views over grand canal (one minute from Rialto Bridge)

Florence

Day 3 Florence

4:00 Timed Entry to the Galleria dell Accademia (Statue of David) Must purchase tickets in advance

Hotel La Residenze del Proconsolo www.proconsolo.com

parking garage option close to hotel if needed I believe its parking duomo

7:00 Dinner Reservation at Trattoria Zaza

Day 4 Florence

9:00 Timed entry for Duomo (purchase tickets in advance for Duomo)

After Duomo explore Florence

Overall Things to see and do in Florence 

Shopping

Venchi Cioccolato e Gelato 

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

Piazza del Duomo.  Duomo.  Ticket includes Duomo, Bell Tower, Baptisery, Museum and Santa Reparata

Rick Steves Renaissance Self Guided Walk ( 2 hours): Audio Tour download on the Rick Steves App

1. The Duomo
2. Campanile Giottos Tower)
3. View of Brunelleschis Dome
4. Baptistery and Ghibertis Bronze Doors North Doors

• Baptistery and Ghibertis Bronze Doors East Doors
• Via de Calzaiuoli
• Piazza della Repubblica
• Orsanmichele Church
• Piazza della Signoria
• Loggia dei Lanzi
• Savonarola Plaque
• Uffizi Courtyard Statues
• Arno River
• Ponte Vecchio

Other ideas Florence:

Piazza Michelangelo (Wonderful view of Florence)

Vasari Corridor

Mercato Centrale

San Lorenzo Market and Market Central

Florence is Birthplace of Gelato

Pisa and Lucca

Day 5 Pisa and Lucca

Leave Florence and head for the countryside. We will visit Pisa and Lucca we will spend the night in Lucca

Hotel:  Luca- A Palazzo Busdraghi www.apalazzobusdraghi

Can ride bikes or walk around wall of city once we get to Lucca.

Dinner Reservations- Osteria Del Manzo, via cesare battisti, 28, 55100 Lucca / 5-minute walk from A Palazzo Busdraghi Hotel

San Gimignano

Day 6 San Gimignano

Fattorio Poggio Alloro Cooking School

 

After cooking school check into hotel and explore San Gimignano                                                 

Hotel:  San Gimignano LAnticopozzo

Montepulciano

Hotel Montepulciano Palazza del Mercante

Day 7

Explore Montepulciano make reservations to visit Cantine De Ricci wine cellar

Dinner 7:00 Osteria Del Borgo

Day 8 Heart of Tuscan Drive

Heart of Tuscany Drive Visit Pienza and Montalcino Val D’Orchia Loop.  This loop includes Montepulciano, Pienza, Bagno Vignio and d’Orcia.  Sites I think we would enjoy seeing starting from Montepulciano

Had lunch near Montalcino at Vineria Aperta

7:00 Dinner Reservation Osteria Del Borgo

Day 9 Spend time exploring Montepulciano and wine cellars

Lunch Pizza Linda

4:00 Wine experience Master Class at Osteria Del Borgo Perbacco Wine Club

7:00 Dinner Osteria Del Borgo

Overall Things to see and do in Montepulciano

Rick Steves Montepulciano walk (in his book)

Visit Contucci, skip palace formal wine tasting showroom facing the square and instead head straight for the wine cellar down the lane on the right. After sipping a little wine, explore the palace basement with its 13^th century vaults.  Originally part of the town walls these chambers have been filled since the 1500s. free drop in tasting, free cellar tour on request

Ramaio Cesare– Coppersmith made copper top Duomo Sienna, Cesare generally in his workshop

De Ricci Cantine– Most impressive wine cellar in Montepulciano sit below the Palazzo Ricci.  Enter thru unassuming door and find your way down  down down a spiral staircase.  Youll wind up in the dramatic cellars, with gigantic barrels  of wine. First three tastings free, two additional premium tastes 5 euros. Bottles affordable and they ship

Cantina della Talosa– This historic cellar, which goes down and down to an Etruscan tomb at the bottom, ages a well respected wine. They offer tours and tastings. Can drop by for a free sample can also  call ahead to book tour and tasting 20 euros

Siena

Day 10 Siena

Overall Things to see and do in Siena

1. Il Campo Best square in Italy
2. Duomo Art packed cathedral with mosaic floors and statues by Michael Angelo  and Bernini (Rick Steves pg 621 self guided tour of duomo)
3. Civic Museum – City Museum in City Hall with Sienese frescoes, the Effects of Good and Bad Government
4. Duomo Museum – Sienas best museum, with cathedral art (Duccios Maesta) and sweeping Tuscan views.  When you leave museum tour, there is a finale of the visit.  Eventually you will climb down the steps then up about 40 tight and claustrophobic spiral stairs to the first viewpoint.  You can continue up another 100 steps of a similar spiral staircase to reach the very top
5. City Tower Sienas 330 foot tower climb
6. Pinacoteca Fine Sienese Paintings
7. Baptistery of San Giovani—Cave like building with baptismal font decorated by Ghiberti and Donatello
8. Santa Maria della Scala—Museum with much of the original Fountain of Joy, Byzantine reliquaries, and vibrant frescoes depicting day-to-day life in a medieval hospital
9. Shopping
10.