THE ITALIAN RIVIERA TOUR - TRIP CODE: TOURLIGURI
8 days 7 nights
Day 1: Sestri Levante
Arrival in Sestri Levante in the morning and free time for lunch. In the afternoon, meeting with the tour guide and visit of this beautiful village, known for its beautiful bays "Baia delle Favole" and "Baia del Silenzio” and for its characteristic city center with the typical "caruggi" full of historical shops. Then hike to the Punta Manara’s Promontory, where you can enjoy a splendid view over the town. Transfer to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Cinque Terre National Park
Breakfast in the hotel, meeting with the tour guide and transfer to Riomaggiore by train, the first village of the park, from where begins our excursion. The Cinque Terre National Park is composed by five villages : Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. The most famous path is the "Via dell’Amore" that connects Riomaggiore to Manarola, and, continuing on the "Sentiero Azzurro", visit of all the other villages. In addition to very beautiful churches and sanctuaries, the peculiarity of this area is the landscape with terraces overlooking the sea with a lot of vineyards producing excellent wines DOC, as Schiacchetrà, and olive groves. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon wine tasting in a delicious winery in Monterosso. Return by train to Sestri Levante and dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Day 3: The three Island and Portovenere
Breakfast in the hotel, meeting with the tour guide and transfer to La Spezia. Transfer by boat to Portovenere (approx. 30 min. navigation). The morning is dedicated to a visit of this great village with its harbor, St. Peter Church, built at the top of the village where you can enjoy a wonderful view, the 12th century Castle and Byron's Cave, where the famous English poet went to get inspiration for his poetry. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon boat tour of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto Islands. Palmaria Island, certainly the most known, is rich in Mediterranean vegetation and steep cliffs, Tinetto, completely bare of vegetation and Tino, Military zone, where you can still find remains dating from the eleventh century. Return by boat to La Spezia and to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Portofino Park
Breakfast in the hotel, meeting with the tour guide and transfer to Ruta di Camogli. Excursion to get to San Fruttuoso, an ancient fishing village, in less than 3 hours. The path is completely surrounded by the Mediterranean vegetation, with an incredible panorama. Free time for lunch and guided tour of the hamlet with its abbey, dating back to 1.000 a.C., recently restored by the FAI. Then transfer by boat to Portofino and guided tour of the beautiful village. Return by boat to Rapallo and from there to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Genoa
Breakfast in the hotel and baggage preparation. Transfer to Genoa. Meeting with the tour guide and visit of the historical city center. A walk through the narrow streets of the city, called "caruggi" fascinating tales reveal the official history with special anecdotes and curiosities, myths and legends, which reveal the charm and beauty of this magnificent city. Visit of Piazza De Ferrari, Doge's Palace, Christopher Columbus’s House, San Lorenzo’s Cathedral, Piazza Banchi, "Museums of Strada Nuova", Palazzo San Giorgio and the Old Port area. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon we suggest:
- Visit of the famous Aquarium, located in the Old Port. It’s one of the largest aquariums in the world, with dolphins, sharks, seals, manatees, turtles, reptiles and many other species;
- “Pesto demostration” in the Imperial Palace with tasting about pesto and “focaccia bread” with a glass of local wine
- Macramè workshop lace knots, Ligurian style;
- Ceramic workshop
Transfer to Imperia, accommodation in the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: The caves of Toirano and Finalborgo
Breakfast in hotel and transfer to Toirano. In the morning guided tour of the Toirano Caves, a complex of karst cavities known for its variety of forms of stalactites and stalagmites, and for the discovery of traces of Homo Sapiens from more than 12,000 years ago and the remains of "Ursus Spelaus" approx. 25,000 years ago. Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon transfer to Finalborgo, meeting with the tour guide and visit the famous village enclosed by medieval walls, still well preserved, where you can find craft shops, art galleries and lovely medieval courts. The main attractions are: Santa Caterina Convent, now hosting to the Museum of Finale, Superga Church, the medieval doors of the village: Porta Testa, Porta Romana and Porta Reale and the St. Blaise Church, sumptuous example of baroque architecture. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Dolceacqua, Apricale and exotic gardens
Breakfast in the hotel and transfer to the Nervia Valley. In this valley there are the most beautiful villages of western Liguria as Dolceacqua, certainly the most picturesque, with the Doria Castle, a dense network of narrow streets and stone houses and the famous bridge and Apricale, medieval village perched on a hill that has one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, with the parish church, oratory and a lot of palaces that are all different from each other, filled with murals, sculptures and paintings of many artists who have left their works in this place, even in recent times. The work certainly more curious is the bike on the roof of the church, visible from afar. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon transfer to Ventimiglia, then guided tour of the Villa Hanbury Botanical Gardens unique in the world, where lives many different species of exotic plants. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 8: San Remo
Breakfast in the hotel and baggage preparation. In the morning transfer to San Remo, meeting with the tour guide and visit of the capital of the Italian Riviera with the old town, called the "Pigna", with the houses perched, small squares and steep streets and the modern Sanremo with its elegant palaces and its beautiful parks. Free time for lunch and
departure.
