Semi-Private Small-Group (up to 8 people) Cinque Terre and Pisa leaning tower tour in a Black Mercedes Minivan.
Only in a small group, it becomes possible to visit the Cinque Terre and experience all the true magic of this enchanted coastline. We will visit 3 of the 5 villages on Cinque terre, using trains and boat. Usually the towns we visit are Riomaggiore, Manarola and Vernazza.
You can hike, it you wish to, from Riomaggiore to Manarola. 1 hour hike (this is subject to availability based on weather/danger). The driver will follow you by boat/train. Public boats also operate subject to weather conditions and along the Cinque Terre from April until about the 3rd week of October.
Inclusions & Exclusions
✔ Bottled water
✔ Train tickets
✔ Boat tickets
✔ Hotel pickup and drop-off or Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points
✔ Use of iPad mini with with pre-marked points of interest, Wi-Fi and mobile data to bring with you during visits
✖ Lunch
✖ Gratuities
✖ Entrances to museums, castles and villas
✖ Cinque Terre National Park tickets
✖ Professional Guide
Departure & Return
Departure:
,
Departure Point: Direct pick up and drop off from some hotels locates in the historic center (A zone). For all other locations private residences and B&B the meeting point is in front of Hotel Boccaccio-Tino Caffè, Via della Scala 57, Florence
Return: End right where it started.
Itinerary
1
Cinque Terre Trails
Cinque Terre are five coastal villages in eastern Liguria that make up a UNESCO World Heritage site! Here, a train links the five different villages together.
A small group tour with a max of 8 people is the perfect solution for those who want to keep the costs down and at the same time touch as many destinations as possible without being in a 54-seat bus.
Your driver will be with you for the entire day. He will escort you on the boat and train. - Public boats operate subject to weather conditions and along the Cinque Terre from April until about the 3rd week of October.
Duration: 5.5 hours
2
Borgo Storico di Riomaggiore
Arrive at Riomaggiore by black Mercedes Minivan. The town climbs up along the ridges overlooking the sea and it is characterized from the typical stone houses with coloured façades and slate-roofs. From Riomaggiore we will take the Public boat to Manarola. Public boats operate subject to weather conditions and along the Cinque Terre from April until about the 3rd week of October. If you wish to hike you can take the Trail 531 Riomaggiore to Manarola. Our driver will follow the group by boat.
Duration: 60 minutes
3
Trail 531 Riomaggiore to Manarola
Optional -If you wish to hike you can take this trail on your own or instead you can follow the driver on the boat/train. The tickets are not included. Check in the real-time practicability of the path network at this link: http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php#/
You will meet back our driver in Manarola.
Forward time: 1 hour
Difficulty Level: EE - For expert hikers
Length: 1.470 km
Difference in height: 202m.
Follow the path signposted along the vegetable gardens until the small bridge from which begins the long flight of steps that leads through cultivated and fallow fields, with a panoramic view, to the ridge of Costa Corniolo. From there you can admire the tip of Montenero eastward, Manarola and the coastline of Cinque Terre westward.
From the ridge of Costa Corniolo, the descent to Manarola begins on the left with the ancient flight of steps. It runs down the hill with spectacular views all the way to the village
Duration: 60 minutes
4
Borgo Storico di Manarola
Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. The local dialect is Manarolese, which is marginally different from the dialects in the nearby area. The name "Manarola" is probably a dialectical evolution of the Latin, "magna rota". In the Manarolese dialect this was changed to "magna roea" which means "large wheel", in reference to the mill wheel in the town. Then train from Manarola to Vernazza
Duration: 60 minutes
5
Vernazza
Vernazza is the only natural port of the five villages. Being the wealthiest village its architecture is most elaborate. See the Castle of the Doria, look at the watchtowers, and do not miss the Romanesque sanctuary of Our Lady of Reggio. You will be amazed by its simplicity and yet fascinated by its architecture. In Vernazza we can have a cooling swim in the sea, a nice shower and we can enjoy a delicious lunch made of authentic Pesto Pasta and fresh Mediterrean seafood (not included in the price).
Train from Vernazza to Riomaggiore back on the Black Mercedes minivan on the way to Pisa to see the Leaning tower.
Duration: 2 hours
6
Piazza dei Miracoli
Continue to Pisa. Free time to see the Leaning Tower and walk around Piazza dei Miracoli to see its other celebrated monuments: Pisa Baptistery, Pisa Duomo. During the hour-long visit, you’ll also discover Piazza dei Cavalieri, home to the historic university Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. The tour will reach the Pisa tower at around 16:30. Usually it is enough to look at it from the outside, it is beautiful. However if you want to reserve your own tickets to climb it, you can do it choosing 16:45 as the
time. Entrance Leaning tower's tickets are not not included. Back on our black Mercedes Minivan on the way to Florence.
Duration: 40 minutes
Additional info
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• If you're planning on going hiking, you need to be prepared – although the path is open to everyone, remember that the ground can be slippery, uneven, and in places steep and narrow
• Please wear suitable walking shoes, don't forget your swimsuit and towel if you want to take a swim
• The driver/guide will thoroughly introduce the places being visited, from a cultural, historical and artistic viewpoint while driving to and from them, but is not licensed to give explanations at sights or guide inside churches, or museums.You will have free time in the villages
• The link to book the Pisa Leaning tower tickets is this https://www.opapisa.it/en/tickets/buy/.
• Infant or Child need to reserve seat and have to pay the full amount
