One Day Trip To Enjoy Tuscany and Visit Volterra and San Gimignano
Exclusive Tour that includes Tuscan Wine Degustation in local Cellar
Please, do not choose us if you like crowded tours.
| DEPARTURE LOCATION | From your Cruise in Livorno Port (just outside the cruise) | ||||
| DEPARTURE TIME | Between 8:00am to 9:30am (according to your ship schedule and to you) | ||||
| DURATION | About 8 hours | ||||
| AVAILABILITY | Everyday *subject to availability | ||||
| SUGGESTED WEAR | Comfortable athletic clothing, hat, jacket and sunscreen | ||||
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| Worry-free Shore Excursion: | We will ensure your timely return to the Livorno port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details. |
From Livorno Cruise Port directly in Tuscany Hills
We will pick-up you and your group directly from your cruise port (we have pass to reach the cruises inside the port) with our comfortable Minivan to reach our first stop through the pictoresque Tuscany Hills.
We will travel along a panoramic road through the countryside of tuscany to arrive to the beautiful Roman and Medieval villages of Volterra and San Gimignano, which seems as though it has been frozen in time.
San Gimignano: Discover The Italian Medieval History
Our first stop will be San Gimignano, a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena. It is also known as the “Manhattan of the Renaissance”, for the 13 medieval towers that symbolize the prosperity of the country and the wealth of its merchants. This Tuscan hill-top town, famous all over the world for the skyline of its medieval tower, rich in history and ancient traditions, will surprise you also for the delightful wine and food. In fact, the town of San Gimignano is sourrounded by vineyards and olive groves.
Visiting San Gimignano is a unique chance to go back in time, walking along narrow streets, admiring old stone buildings, the 13 remaining towers and loose yourself in a pleasant medieval atmosphere. We suggest to stop in one of the many wine shop of the village to taste the typical local white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, produced from the ancient variety of Vernaccia grape which is grown on the sandstone hillsides of the area. This town is also well known for the production of saffron and for its delicious Golden Ham.
What You Will See during Your Private Tour in San Gimignano
Within the walls, the well-preserved buildings and churches are great examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
Here, you will know about the history of the town and of its most famous buildings:
- Piazza della Cisterna, the main square of the town
- the Communal Palace (Palazzo Comunale)
- Piazza Duomo and the Collegiata Cathedral, with its bell tower “Campanile della Collegiata”
- the Church of Sant’ Agostino, housing many artworks from early Italian renaissance artists
- and, obviously, many Towers of San Gimignano
The entire “Historic Centre of San Gimignano” has been declared UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Volterra: an Unforgettable Town to Visit in Tuscany
Volterra is a walled mountaintop town, famous for its alabaster production and for its Etruscan walls of which there are stillstanding ruins.
Volterra is probably one of the most interesting town to visit during your Trip in Tuscany, thanks to its ancient history. In fact, Volterra was inhabited since the Iron Age and has been continuously inhabitated as a city since the 8th century BC, under the Etruscan domination.
During the panoramic road to Volterra, you will see its unique clay hills, where there are a lot of quarries of alabaster. As said, alabaster is one of the most used raw material from local craftsmen to make beautiful handmade artifacts.
What You Will Admire during Your Private Tour in Volterra
Once arrived in Volterra, we will let you admire the impressive Roman Theatre, built during the 1st century bc and excavated in the 1950s, and you will be leaded through the narrow streets and small squares of the town to discover:
- Piazza dei Priori, with the famous Palazzo dei Priori
- the Palazzo Pretorio (external)
- the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
- the Etruscan City Walls with the ancient Etruscan port
- the Medicean Fortress
It will be a fascinating walk through Etruscan, Medieval and Renaissance courts, during which you will visit the traditional shops of alabaster and local crafts. In Volterra you will have free time for your shopping or to get lost in the history of this town.
Tuscan Wines: Taste The Italy! (optional)
If you say Italy, you’re saying Wine. The Chianti is probably the most famous Tuscan wine all over the world. But it’s not the only wine in Tuscany.
Guided Tour in the Winery: Enjoy Only Original Tuscany Wine
In Volterra, we will have a wine degustation in a local cellar, with local wines. You can taste the Original Tuscan Chianti, the Vernaccia, the Vin Santo of the Chianti, the Brunello and many other Italian Good Wines.
Discover the Taste of the Original Extra Virgin Olive Oil
An italian degustation is not complete if you don’t taste, with the wine, some local food and a classic slice of bread with the delicious Extra Virgin Olive Oil, produced only with local olives.
Itinerary:
Departure From Livorno Cruise Port
Visit in San Gimignano
Visit in Volterra
Tuscan Wine and Olive Oil Degustation
Return at the Livorno Port
Worry Free Shore Excursion Guarantee
Ensured Return on Ship
We are expert in the Cruise Shore Excursion market and we know how much important is for you to be sure to return timely on your ship.
We works everyday with cruise passengers, so we know exactly at what time you need to be back at the cruise ship's pier. We guarantee your timely return to your ship.
In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call.
Ship cancelled? Money Back Guarantee
If your ship don't docks at port for bad weather conditions and you are unable to run this activity, your money will be refunded 100%
Departure From Livorno Cruise Port
Visit in San Gimignano
Visit in Volterra
Tuscan Wine and Olive Oil Degustation
Return at the Livorno Port
Request More Info About San Gimignano, Volterra & Wine Tasting Shore Excursion from Livorno
Terms And Conditions
- Deposit 30% is required at reservation time, by credit card or paypal (in both case 4% more) in order to guarantee your reservation.
- Due payment may be made 15 days in advance by the same way or the day of tour in cash in Euro
- There will be a full charge to your deposit for bookings canceled less than 7 days prior or for no-shows.
- No charge for cancellations made with at least 7 days prior notice. If you are interested in proceeding we will send you the complete terms of service upon request.
- They can also be viewed on the website by clicking the TERMS AND CONDITIONS link at the bottom of any page.
Tour Reviews
We took a 9 day cruise and did a combination of cruise sponsored excursions and self booked – hands down the best excursion was our excursion with Bellaitaliatour. We took the Volterra and San Gimignano tour (Simona was our guide). It felt like seeing the sites with an Italian family member – Simona personalized each part of the trip and was so much fun to chat with throughout the day. It was the perfect mix of seeing historical site, tasting wine and shopping. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
What an incredible day! We asked last minute to substitute Pisa for San Gimignano since my kids really wanted to see the leaning tower ( and I had been there before). We started the day in the enchanting town of Volterra. What a beautiful town. Then we were off to an intimate and beautiful winery in Tuscany to taste some delicious wines. Finally, off to Pisa for some memorable family pics. Our tour guide Massimo was so interesting and engaging! My kids said this was one of their favorites days of our 10 day Mediterranean cruise. You will not regret booking!
Our family recently booked a tour with Bellaitaliatour of the Tuscan towns of Volterra and San Gimignano and a wine tasting. The tour and especially our wonderful tour guide, Simona, exceeded our expectations. There were 3 adults and two 13 year olds and Simona made each of feel very welcome. She has a lovely sense of humor and connected with each of us. I recently injured my knee and Simona was very careful to describe each part of our visit to be sure I was able to handle the walking. She was very knowledgable about the area, the history, the best places to shop and the “must see” sights. Our trip was 11 day, snd Simona was by far the best tour guide of all! Thank you, Simona, for making our visit to Tuscany so perfect!
Massimo is a great driver and guide. He was extremely helpful and flexible to ensure we made it in time for our lunch reservation. He had great tips but also let us do what we wanted to on our own. He managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the Pisa tower! Can’t recommend him enough. San Gimignano was beautiful even in the rain and we swapped Volterra for a Tuscan winery lunch, amazing!
My husband and I just returned from a month-long cruise this fall through the Mediterranean. We had been planning all summer and one place we really wanted to get the most out of was the hills of Tuscany. We did not want to take the cruise tour with busloads of people. We wanted a more personalized experience, easy access, and less chaos during the day. Also, wine tasting was high on our list of things to do, as well as visit the medieval towns and drive through the amazing countryside without rushing. After much reading of reviews, we settled on Bellaitaliatours for San Gimignano and Volterra with wine tasting. We are so happy we did. They provided us with excellent communication so we knew where we needed to be, who was picking us up, and what our itinerary would look like. Right on the dock of Livorno, at the exact specified time, we met Massimo, our driver. We feel we were so lucky to get Massimo for the day. He is so knowledgeable about the area and wine, having been born and currently living in a nearby historic town. He was also a sommelier and an expert on olive oil production! He provided wonderful history and tales of the places we passed through and the towns we visited. He was fun to talk to and his English was excellent. Before we entered each town, he gave us a map, and suggestions as to what to see, do and eat. Our last stop was on to Fattoria di Pancole winery where we met the owner who was so kind and hospitable. The wines, especially the Baracca 1903 and Dogato reds, were amazing. We would love to go back, because when we toured around the grounds, we saw they were also a resort with a beautiful swimming pool and 8 apartments to rent! So close to San Gimignano too! The ride back to the ship was so relaxing, because we knew and trusted Massimo would get us there with time to spare, and he did! I highly recommend Bellaitaliatours, and especially Massimo. You will have an amazing time!
The driver was wonderful spoke perfect English Was informative about where he took us.
Never rushed us. Plenty of time for pictures and of course lunch country side was beautiful
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