Livorno Private San Gimignano and Volterra Sightseeing Excursion

Description

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

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 driver and private transportation!

This excursion is for up to 8 participants. For larger groups, please see our Livorno Private San Gimignano and Volterra with Guide Excursion.

After meeting your English-speaking driver, you will set out in your air-conditioned transport for the approximately 90-minute drive to the unique San Gimignano. The driver will give commentary only while you are inside the vehicle. During 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. In 1990 UNESCO added the entire Historic Center to its World Heritage List.

You will have free time 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." You can also see the Palazzo Communale and the mayor's Palazzo Podesta.

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

Stroll the Piazza dei Priori, one of Italy's most impressive squares, which dates from the 1200s. View Roman ruins, and explore the Etruscan Museum with its bronzes, urns, and terra cotta sculptures. The Church of San Francisco has impressive frescoes, sculptures, and paintings. Your guide can also suggest where you might dine on some traditional Tuscan cuisine and wine.

All too soon, it is time to rejoin your driver and transportation for the 1 hour 20-minute drive back to your Livorno cruise pier.

What is included?

• Air-conditioned and licensed round-trip private transportation from your Livorno Cruise pier
  
• English-speaking private driver/guide
  
• Free time in San Gimignano and Volterra
  

Excursion Notes

• Excursion prices 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.
  
• Drivers are not licensed guides and therefore cannot enter sites or guide at sites. They will give descriptions of what you will see before arriving, and answer any questions afterward.
• 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 on 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 the restrictions and requirements for this excursion, no refund will be granted if the 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. All necessary details will be printed on your Electronic Shore Excursion Ticket.

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.