LIV05 - BEST OF LUCCA AND PISA

Guests who have visited Florence previously and are looking for a truly memorable and exceptional excursion will find that this tour fits the bill. A 45-minutes' drive from Livorno through the heart of one of Italy's richest agricultural regions will take you to Lucca.
This city is one of Tuscany's well kept secrets. The picturesque fortress town is steeped in history; it was here that Caesar, Pompeii and Crassus agreed to rule Rome as a triumvirate in 56 B.C. Later Lucca was the first town that accepted Christianity. In the Middle Ages, the city fell to Florence and during the French invasion Napoleon made Lucca a Municipality and gave it to his sister Elisa whose name is still connected with a number of buildings and sites.
Audio guides can be rented in Lucca or we can hire for you a licensed tour guide for 2,5 hours for about 120.00 euro.

Proceed to Pisa. Once a famous sea-trading republic and an archrival of nearby Genoa. In fact, the Cathedral was begun in 1063 to commemorate the Pisans' victory over the Saracens in Sicily that year.The Leaning Tower was originally designed as a bell tower to the Cathedral. It was begun in 1173 and took almost 199 years to build.

To this day the name of the architect is a mystery. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was designed as a circular bell tower that would stand 185 feet high. It is constructed of white marble and has eight stories, including the chamber for the bells. There is a 297 step spiral staircase inside the tower leading to the top. The top of the tower is about 17 feet off the vertical. It is also slightly curved from the attempts by various architects to keep it from leaning more or falling over. Many ideas have been suggested to straighten the tower, including taking it apart stone by stone and rebuilding it at a different location. In the 1920s its foundations were injected with cement grouting that has stabilized it to some extent.

Until recent years, tourists were not allowed to climb the staircase inside the tower, due to consolidation work. But now, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is open again and it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy.

If you decide to climbe the tower please inform our office so we can suggest an appropriate time to book the tickets

Highlights:

- Walk around the ancient city walls
- Stroll through medieval alleys
- Leaning tower of Pisa

Notice:

Complete information including our phone numbers, meeting time and place are included in your confirmation voucher.
Please give your voucher to the driver at the end of the tour. We hand select our drivers and tour guides in order to give you the ultimate experience.
We would love to hear from you after your tour is completed. Your feedback is very important to us so please Send email

Important information

- This tour includes a professional informative English-speaking driver. Due to strict Italian laws & regulations that protect officially licensed guides, our drivers cannot walk with you into any site but can answer any question you have from the vehicle. A Professional licensed guide, where needed, can be hired on request at an extra cost.
Please note that Lucca is mostly pedestrian.

Inclusions

- Professional informative English-speaking driver
- Private vehicle for the day
- Pick up and drop off at the port
- Guaranteed return to the pier on time
- Flexible itinerary

Exclusions

- Lunch
- Admission fees if not mentioned
- Tips to driver and guide ( please read below for more information)

Gratuities

Tips are never included in our quotes.
I think that a tip shouldn't be included in the rate otherwise it would be a tax.
Tip only if you really liked the service.
Tips are a personal gesture and are given whenever the client feels it is necessary.
Tips are generally: 10% not bad - 15 % great - 20 % best tour in my life. Please report any abuse.