Enjoy a private shore excursion directly from your ship in Livorno. Our expert and courteous, English-speaking driver will pick you up in a luxury vehicle and take you to visit the very best highlights of Florence and Pisa, helping you to maximize your time and providing assistance and information in order to give you a first-class and worry-free experience.
Your private English speaking driver will be waiting for you at the pre-arranged time at the cruise port of Livorno, holding a sign with your name on it, as specified on your confirmation voucher.
After a 30 minute drive in the north direction, along the coast, you will reach the university town of Pisa, and you will be dropped off directly under the world famous Leaning Tower, in The Fields of Miracles, where you'll have the chance to admire also the main Cathedral, the Baptistery, The Camposanto and the old City Walls.
TIP: If you like to climb the Leaning Tower, let us know at the time of the booking so we will help you with the skip the line tickets.
Leaving Pisa, after approximately 1 hour drive through the Tuscan countryside you will arrive in Florence where your visit will start from Michelangelo Square, a beautiful terrace overlooking the city center from where you can have the best view of Florence. This is also the place where you can see one of the two copies of the famous statue of David. Nearby you can also see the withe and green marble façade of the San Miniato al Monte church - one of the purest examples of the Florentine Romanesque style.
After leaving the church, we follow an uphill road, bordered by the ancient city walls, until we reach Forte Belvedere, built around 1590 by the Grand-Duke Ferdinand to protect the Medici Villas.
Driving down from the Fort, passing the old gate of Costa San Giorgio, you will arrive in Santa Croce Square to visit the Santa Croce church, where many famous Italians (Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli) are buried.
TIP: If you are interested in the Accademia Museum (David) and/or the Uffizi Gallery, please advise us at the time of the booking so we can provide you the skip the line tickets in order to avoid waiting in lines and maximize your time.
Next stop in the heart of Florence is the Piazza della Repubblica surrounded by historical literary cafés, where long ago important intellectuals gathered, the Piazza del Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, the Baptistery, Giotto's Bell Tower) and the Piazza della Signoria (Old Palace, Loggia dei Lanzi.) and finally the elegant Ponte Vecchio, meaning "old bridge" which dates back to 1345, and today hosts elegant jewelry shops.
For the shopping lovers or the hungry soul, there are also many shops and “trattoria" to dive into, so everyone in your party can satisfy their desires whether it be a smart leather jacket, or a scrumptious plate of pasta. Your private driver will be ready to suggest the best options according to your specific needs, helping you maximize your time and keeping walking to a minimum.
Last but not least you will admire the imposing Pitti Palace, which was formerly the residence of the grand-dukes of Tuscany and later of the king of Italy, and today houses many galleries and museums (Gallery of Modern Art, Costume Gallery, Palatine Gallery, Royal Apartments, Silver and Porcelain museums, etc) and a magnificent park called the Boboli Gardens.
At the end of your day in Florence and after a very good gelato, your driver will bring you back on perfect time to re-board your cruise ship in Livorno.