Livorno San Gimignano and Volterra with Private Guide Excursion

Description

• Round trip private transportation from the Transportation Hub at your Livorno Cruise pier!
  
• Air-conditioned and fully licensed private transportation!
• English speaking private certified guide in San Gimignano and Volterra!
  
• English speaking escort round trip from Livorno!
  
• Escape the cruise ship shore excursion crowds and enjoy unique sights of Tuscany and surrounding area!

Your time in port is precious so don't waste your day with an overcrowded cruise ship sponsored excursion. Enjoy a more personal, small group excursion to two of Tuscany's best hill towns with your private guide and private transportation!

This excursion is for 9 or more participants. For smaller groups, please see our Livorno Private San Gimignano and Volterra Excursion.

After meeting your English speaking escort at the transportation hub at the port, you will set out in your air-conditioned transport for the approximately 90-minute drive to San Gimignano, where you local guide will be waiting for you. The San Gimignano area has been inhabited since the 3rd century BC. By the 7th century, the hilltop was a walled city. In the 1200s, due to conflict between families, tower houses began to spring up. In an attempt to have the showiest, the families continued to build and add on until there were more than 70 tower homes looming over the town, the tallest being 230 feet tall.

Today, there are 14 towers remaining, which gives the town its nickname, the Italian Manhattan due to its skyscraper-like skyline. In 1990 UNESCO added the entire Historic Center to its World Heritage List.

After meeting your local guide, you will set off on a walking excursion to explore the Piazza della Cisterna, the main square of the town. The Piazza Duomo is home to the Collegiate Church, whose frescos were saved from the Nazis in the 1999 film "Tea with Mussolini." Many scenes were filmed here. You can also see the Palazzo Communale and the mayor's Palazzo Podesta.

Approximately 40 minutes to the west is the Etruscan town of Volterra. This hilltop has been inhabited since the 8th century BC. Much of what you see today dates from 1200 AD to the present. Although famous as a setting for the Twilight series of books and films, no actual filming was done here.

With your private guide, you will stroll the Piazza dei Priori, one of Italy's most impressive squares, which dates from the 1200s. View Roman ruins from above and see the Church of San Francisco. You will then have free time to explore the Etruscan Museum, see the impressive frescoes, sculptures and paintings inside the church, shop or sample Tuscan cuisine and wine. Your guide can make suggestions. Food, beverages and admissions are at guest's expense.


All too soon, it is time to rejoin your transportation for the 1.20-hour drive back to your Livorno cruise pier.

Please note that you should anticipate large crowds at all sites. When possible, a guide from Livorno will be used, replacing the escort on the ride to and from the hill towns.

What is included?

• Air-conditioned and licensed round trip private transportation from the Transportation Hub at your Livorno Cruise pier
  
• English-speaking private guide in San Gimignano and Volterra
  
• English-speaking escort round trip from Livorno
  

Excursion Notes

• Excursion prices shown are quoted in US dollars.
  
• As you may be visiting a religious or memorial site, shoulders and knees must be covered on men and women.
• We suggest you have cash (Euros) on hand for refreshments, excursion staff gratuities, shopping, etc.
• Sensible, rubber-soled walking shoes are highly recommended along with sun protection.
  
• Please be aware that due to security measures, the Port of Livorno may delay excursion vehicles from entering the pier area all at once, or may space ships out at 5 different piers which are a distance from each other. Quite often, these changes are done the morning of the excursion and are not announced until they happen. We will do everything we can to work around this but please understand we have no control over the port authority and we appreciate your understanding and patience. All sites mentioned on the excursion will be seen and if the port authority causes any delays, (and time allows), any lost time at the beginning of the excursion will be included at the end of the excursion.
  
• Please pay attention to restrictions and requirements for this excursion, no refund will be granted if requirements are not met.
• Guides are available in English, Spanish, French, and German at no extra cost. Please indicate when ordering if you require a foreign language.

Where we meet

For this Livorno excursion, you will meet your local excursion staff at the Livorno Cruise Port's Transportation Hub, located near the main entrance to the port. All necessary details will be printed on your Electronic Shore Excursion Ticket. Please allow enough time to catch the port shuttle to the transportation hub for your departure.

Excursion Restrictions

• This excursion is not wheelchair accessible.
• Guests must be able to step in and out of the transportation.
• Guests must be able to walk on paved, gravel and cobblestone surfaces.
• As these are hilltop towns, many of the streets are on inclines.
• There are steps required to enter several of the sites as well as steep curbs in some areas.

Excursion FAQ

Cancellation

• Your ship arrives into port late and you cannot make it in time to the meeting location (we will verify with the tour operator).
• Your ship skips/misses the port.
• Weather conditions or equipment failure prevents the operator from running the excursion.
• A medical problem prevents you from safely participating in the excursion (we will verify with the excursion operator and the guest may send doctor's note). This applies to individuals only and not the remainder of the group.
  
• Cancellations/deposit refund requests that do not comply with the above may not be subject to refund.
• Refunds may be subject to a service charge fee as determined by the payment processor, please refer to Terms and Conditions for more information.