SMALL GROUPS TOUR
Villa Garzoni
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Day one : Arrive in Tuscany You either join our flight at 08.25 from Heathrow arriving in Pisa at 11.35 or you make your own way either to Pisa for this time or directly to the hotel . At Pisa you are met by your small luxury coach and English speaking driver and tour escort who take you the hour and a half approximately to your hotel for the first three nights , the Villa le Barone at Panzano near Greve in Chianti . There is time to unpack and explore the hotel and its grounds as well as the country tracks nearby before dinner .
Day two : Visit Villa Poggio Torselli and Villa Vignamaggio Today combines visits to Villa Poggio Torselli and Villa Vignamaggio with guided tours at both gardens . The first visit today is at Villa Poggio Torselli . Villa Poggio Torselli , near San Casciano Val di Pesa , dates from the 15th Century and is renowned for its spectacular flowering plants including Indian giant hibiscus and a golden crown of 120 secular lemon trees . There will be free time for lunch in Greve in Chianti , a pretty town at the heart of the Chianti wine region , with a choice of cafes and small restaurants for lunch . Villa Vignamaggio was the home of the Gherardini family and Lisa Gherardini who is said to be the subject of da Vinci ’ s Monna Lisa . Return to the hotel Villa le Barone at about 16.30 hrs , in good time for dinner which will be at 19.30 hrs .
Day three : Visit Badia a Coltibuono and Villa Geggiano Departure this morning for a full day tour is at 09.00 hrs . You visit two gardens today : Badia a Coltibuono and Villa Geggiano . The gardens at Badia a Colibuono , a former mediaeval abbey , take their spirit from the old monks ’ hortus conclusus . Today there is still a domestic quality to the garden with its pots of lavender , potted olive trees , clumps of hydrangea , and a vine-covered pergola . There is a formality dating from the early 20th Century with its box parterre and magnolia grandiflora too . This is a garden for all seasons . The second garden of the day is Villa Geggiano , now a national monument , where you have a guided tour and a wine tasting . After the visit at Geggiano you are driven into Siena for a late lunch under your own steam , and free time for sightseeing until about 16.30 hrs . You should arrive back at the hotel at about 17.45 hrs in time to rest and change before dinner at the hotel at 19.30 hrs .
Day four : Departure for Lucca and visit Villa Garzoni gardens en route You leave Greve this morning for your second stay of the tour , near Lucca . En route we have included a visit of the gardens of Villa Garzoni , dating from 1652 and famous for the balustraded terraces , symmetrical staircases and water cascades , which make the most of the hillside location . Lunch is included at the Ristorante Garzoni . You arrive at your hotel near Lucca mid to late afternoon , with time perhaps for a spa treatment or a swim in the hotel ’ s pool . Dinner is taken at the hotel .
Day five : Full day tour to Villa Grabau and Villa Oliva Today a local guide accompanies you on your visit to Lucca and the baroque gardens of Villa Pfanner and then nearby Villa Grabau and the gardens of the Villa Oliva . These two villas and their gardens near Lucca give you a flavour of the variety of the gardens in this area with both English-style parkland with rare trees and formal water features . Time in the day to have a light lunch ( under own steam ). Dinner is taken back at the hotel .
Day six : Full day tour to Parco Villa Reale di Marlia and Villa Torrigiani Your guide accompanies you to two splendid gardens in the Lucca area again today . The Parco Villa Reale is a very large garden with numerous water features , gardens within gardens and an enormous amount to explore . Lunch is included at a local trattoria in between visits . Villa Torrigiani is very pretty , formal and ornate . Villa Torrigiani is very pretty , formal and ornate . You return to the hotel for dinner and your last night .
Day seven : Return to London from Pisa You have some time this morning to relax before heading back by your small coach to Pisa airport and your flight to London Heathrow which leaves at 19.05 .
Dates and prices This tour departs on the following dates from London for these prices per person sharing a double or twin room : 18 May 2023 £ 3,230 17 September 2023 £ 3,230
Single room supplement £ 920 Superior double or twin room at the Villa le Barone £ 44 per person per night Deposit payment : £ 400 per person
We include
• Flights with British Airways London Heathrow to Pisa in Euro traveller
• Transportation from Pisa airport and back to Pisa airport in a small coach for maximum 14 people with one piece of luggage per person , English speaking driver / escort
• Entrance tickets to the gardens mentioned with guided visits of all except Villa Grabau .
• Three nights ’ dinner , bed and breakfast at the Villa le Barone in a classic double or twin rooms .
• Three nights ’ dinner , bed and breakfast at the Hotel Villa La Principessa near Lucca in double or twin rooms .
• Two lunches in local restaurants per person
Villa le Barone Panzano , Greve in Chianti This is a traditional hotel , once an aristocratic villa and now a 4 star hotel of less than 30 rooms , in its own grounds amid a typical Tuscan landscape of rolling fields and vineyards . There is a swimming pool and tennis court .
Hotel Villa la Principessa near Lucca This is a 4 star hotel situated in an historic villa enjoying a countrified location about 4 kms from the centre of Lucca . It is charming with 41 rooms and suites , a swimming pool and restaurant . An historic botanical park surrounds the hotel .
Different travel arrangements If you want us to arrange flights on other dates and from UK regional airports or to extend your holiday with a stay elsewhere in Italy , just let us know . If you are not arriving from the UK , then we can give you a price that excludes flights and perhaps with extra transfers included . We will adjust the details and the price accordingly .
For our complete range of Italian holidays see www . expressionsholidays . co . uk or telephone 01392 441250 5