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.

Is this a Private tour ?

The tour is private, just for your party, however if you prefer to share your tour with other passengers to alleviate costs, please register and sign in on a popular cruise community website called Cruise critic. This is the link:http://boards.cruisecritic.com Once you have joined, look for your cruise ship and the thread talking about your cruise. Place a post requesting if anyone wants to join you for the shore excursion you have chosen. We would be happy to provide a detailed itinerary and assist you with all the questions your fellow cruisers may have.

Is the driver also a guide?

Our English speaking drivers are NOT licensed guides. In order to provide you with the best-in-class service, our English speaking driving guides have been trained to offer our clients a nice overview with information regarding the major highlights avoiding the expensive charges of hiring a private guide. Due to strict Italian laws & regulations that protect officially licensed guides, our driving guides can comment and explain the sights only from inside the vehicle, but are not allowed to do so once they are outside the vehicle. They are regularly licensed instead to chauffeur the public. We highly recommend that you never book with any touring company that does not make this clear.

Does the driver go with us inside the monuments?

No, only a licensed guide is authorized to accompany you during the visit of sights. Our driver will drop you off close to the sights but will stay with the vehicle for the duration of your visit.

Does this tour include lunch and admission fees to sites?

Lunch and admission fees are not included in the rate. Please contact our office for pricing and reservations.

Does the tour include a guide?

A walking guide is not included unless otherwise mentioned. If you choose to hire a private guide please contact our office for pricing and reservations.

Is the itinerary flexible?

Our itineraries are completely flexible, and we will be happy to operate any changes to the original itinerary (within reason). Please contact our office with all the requests you may have so that we can better organize your day.

Do you guarantee the return to the ship on time?

In almost 30 years of business, we have never missed the ship that is why we have organized all itineraries to guarantee your return on time.

Where do we meet the driver?

The driver pulls up to the ship if you are travelling in a small group.Please read your voucher confirmation for the exact details.