GOLDEN WEEK IN TUSCANY:
Based in Lucca
For Women Only
June 5-13, 2027
Susan Van Allen infuses her tours with enthusiasm, engagement and enchantment!…
–Christina, Massachusetts
Attention All You Wonderful Women!
It’s time to treat yourself to the Beauties and Deliciousness of Tuscany
Boutique Hotel in Lovely Lucca / Countryside Cooking Class with Truffle Hunt
Blissout at Grotta Giusti Spa / Marvelous Montecatini /
Chic Forte dei Marmi on Market Day / Fabulous Artisans
Pisa’s Campo dei Miracoli with Tower at Sunset
Sample Brief Itinerary:
Day 1: Depart USA or Canada to Florence, Italy
Day 2: Welcome to Lovely Town of Lucca
Day 3: Treasures of Lucca / Winery Visit / Puccini Concert
Day 4: Countryside Cooking Class and Truffle Hunt
Day 5: Chic Forte dei Marmi on Market Day / Pietrasanta’s Artisans
Day 6: Marvelous Montecatini / Grotta Giusti Spa
Day 7: Enchanting Villa Reale / Pisa at Sunset
Day 8: La Dolce Vita in Lucca / Farewell Dinner
Day 9: Arrivederci!
JUNE 5 (travel day) – JUNE 13, 2027
$7890 per person in a premiere double room
$8690 per person in a superior single room
$8985 per person in a deluxe single room
$350 Deposit to Reserve
TO RESERVE: Contact Susan at
100placesinitaly@gmail.com
Sample Full Itinerary
Golden Day 1: Buon Viaggio!
Today you will transfer on your own to the airport, to catch the overnight flight to Florence, full of joyful anticipation…
OR if you’d like to arrive early for Golden Week, pre-hotel nights in Florence or Lucca can be arranged.
Golden Day 2: Welcome to Your Golden Week
Benvenuta! You’ll be picked up at the Florence airport or train station by your private driver and the beautiful adventure will begin with a ride past rolling hills of vineyards, olive groves, and
cypress trees.
The lovely town of Lucca is your home base for the week, at the boutique Palazzo di Pinto, perfectly located in the historic center.
You’ll have time to settle in, and perhaps step out the door to discover Lucca’s charming atmosphere of piazzas, caffes, boutiques, and Romanesque churches.
In the evening we’ll gather for an aperitivo to toast the week ahead. Susan will give you tips about keeping a travel journal, so you can create a treasured souvenir of your week through journaling. We’ll dine nearby in a cozy restaurant, enjoying delicious flavors of the season—the
first of many memorable meals.
Meals Included: D
Golden Day 3: Treasures of Lucca / Wonderful Winery
Buongiorno! Wake up and smell the caffe. An abundant breakfast awaits you in the hotel dining room. Get used to this dreamy start to all your Tuscan days.
This morning we’ll meet our entertaining local guide for a Lucca orientation walk to discover the town’s treasures and hear stories about powerful women who lived here, such as Elisa Bonaparte
(Napoleon’s sister) who ruled Lucca in the early 19th century.
Along the way, we’ll see beauties
such as the Renaissance masterpiece tomb of Ilaria del Carretto in Lucca’s Duomo…
AND have a
caffe break to taste buccellato, a sweet Lucchese bread flavored with raisins and anise.
The walk ends at the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, a former Roman amphitheater, now a delightful circle of caffes and shops.
Then we’ll take a short ride outside Lucca’s walls to a family run winery, to stroll the vineyards, taste their private collection of wines and olive oils, with a delicious lunch – stunning views included.
Back in Lucca by late afternoon, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy, with my suggestions.
Meals Included: B, L
Golden Day 4: Taste Tuscany / Puccini Concert
After breakfast, we’re off to a deeper countryside experience at a hilltop estate, surrounded by citrus trees, wildflowers, vineyards, and centuries-old trees.
We’ll have fun in the nearby forest, following a truffle hunter and his dogs to watch them dig up tubular treasures.
Back at the family’s villa, signora Ida will lead us in a cooking class—a chance to roll up our sleeves for pasta-making and immerse ourselves in Tuscany’s culinary traditions.
Lunch, enjoying the fruits of our labors, will follow, along with time to enjoy
stunning vineyard views.
We’ll be back in Lucca in the late afternoon, giving you free time before we gather for a special early evening event: a concert honoring Puccini, who was born in Lucca. Singers will perform arias and duets from his operas that include such masterpieces as La Boheme and Madame Butterfly. It’s a profound experience to hear his music in the town that inspired him.
The concert ends at Italian dinner time (8:00pm), and dinner is on your own, with my suggestions.
Meals Included: B, L
Golden Day 6: – Marvelous Montecatini / Grotta Giusti Spa
Our day’s adventure begins with a ride to marvelous Montecatini Terme, awarded by UNESCO as one of The Great Spa Towns of Europe. Here we’ll enjoy Art Nouveau architecture, stepping back to the 1800s, when the town’s mineral springs attracted visitors from all over Europe. We’ll visit the gracious Terme Tettuccio pavillion for a taste of healing waters served from a gorgeous bar, surrounded by fountains and vibrant murals.
Next we’ll be treated to a funicolare ride to Montecatini Alto, a hilltop medieval village, with panoramic views and boutique shopping.
Nearby is Grotta Giusti Spa, where we’ll enjoy lunch and spend the afternoon at this historic villa, that was beloved by travelers on the Grand Tour. We’ll soak in curative spring waters in a grand thermal pool, indulge in massages or spa treatments, and wander through the property’s amazing thermal grotto, that composer Giuseppe Verdi called “The Eighth Wonder of the World.”
We’ll be back in Lucca by early evening, feeling totally blissful, to enjoy dinner on our own.
Meals: B, L
.
Golden Day 5: – Chic Forte dei Marmi on Market Day / Pietrasanta’s Artisans
Today’s adventure takes us to the seaside to discover the chic resort town of Forte dei Marmi. It’s a total change of scene, with wide sandy beaches, sparkling ocean, backdropped by the Apuan Alps, where Carrara marble is quarried.
We’ll be in Forte dei Marmi for the town’s famous weekly market, where designer Italian clothing and luxury housewares are sold at discount prices. Lucky for us, a local guide will lead us through the wide assortment of stalls to find the best selections.
Then we’re off to lunch at a Forte dei Marmi beach club to enjoy ocean views and excellently prepared fresh fish.
We’ll move on to nearby Pietrasanta, a medieval town nicknamed “Little Athens,” as it has long attracted international artists, many who work with the local marble.
The historic center is an open-air museum, with sculptures, boutiques, and churches such as the Misericordia, where frescoes by the Colombian artist Botero can be admired.
We’ll be back in Lucca by late afternoon and the evening is yours to enjoy dinner on your own.
Meals Included: B, L
.
Golden Day 7: Enchanting Villa Reale / Pisa at Sunset
This morning we’ll take a short drive to the outskirts of Lucca to visit the enchanting Villa Reale di Marlia.
The property is surrounded by impressively landscaped gardens, featuring artful topiary, fountains, and sculptures.
As we tour the dazzling interior of the villa, our guide will tell stories of fascinating women who lived here over the centuries, including such characters as Anna “Mimi” Pecci Blunt, who turned the villa into a fashionable salon in the mid-1900s, welcoming such guests as Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau.
Back in Lucca, near our hotel, we’ll visit Palazzo Mansi, a Baroque palace, with splendid rooms adorned with vibrant murals, tapestries, and furnishings.
After this inspiring morning, there will be free time for lunch and exploring Lucca on your own.
In the afternoon, we’ll gather for a ride to nearby Pisa.
Beginning with our guide on the banks of Arno River, we’ll soon discover that this medieval town has beauty and charms beyond its famous tower. Our guided walk will take us into the mini-Gothic masterpiece Santa Maria della Spina
church, to “Knight’s Square” to admire Renaissance designs of Giorgio Vasari, and finally, as the sun sets, to what is called The Field of Miracles.
This is the grand expanse where Pisa’s Duomo, Baptistry, Camposanto (Holy Ground) cemetery, and Leaning Tower have inspired awe in travelers for centuries.
After our tour, we’ll enjoy an aperitivo nearby to savor the Field of Miracles view for a while longer. Then we’ll return to Lucca to enjoy dinner on our own.
Meals Included : B
Golden Day 8: – La Dolce Vita Day / Farewell Dinner
This is your day to immerse yourself in La Dolce Vita, and experience Lucca according to your desires. You may want to enjoy the park that tops Lucca’s wide wall, and circle it on foot or with a bike rental.
There are more museums to explore, artisan shops, and Lucca’s Saturday Market, with loads of vendors right outside the walls. Susan will help you customize your day’s adventure.
In the evening, we’ll be driven to a countryside villa for our Farewell Dinner, where we’ll celebrate our Golden Week—grateful for new friends, inspired, and rejuvenated from our shared adventures.
Meals Included: B, D
Golden Day 9: Arrivederci…
You’ll depart by private transfer to the Florence airport or train station, with Golden Memories of our week together.
Meals Included: B
Itinerary subject to change. If because of weather or unforeseen circumstances changes need to be made, replacement events will be equally as awesome as above.
Activity Level: Bring comfortable walking shoes! The historic centers of Lucca and the villages we visit are pedestrian only, and our time there will include some walking together to discover their treasures and time for you to go at your own pace–which may range from settling into a caffe to people watch or exploring further on foot if you wish. Also be mindful that some days will include 30 minute to one- hour private bus rides, so precautions should be taken for motion sickness, if necessary.
What’s Included
- Entertaining hosting by author Susan Van Allen, focusing on Italy’s celebration of all things female
- 7 nights at 4* boutique hotel in Lucca (Hotel Palazzo Dipinto) in Premiere, Superior, and Deluxe rooms
- Transportation by private minibus, including roundtrip transfers from Florence airport or train station to Lucca
- Daily buffet breakfast at the hotel
- 2 multi-course dinners
- 2 lunches – in Forte dei Marmi and at Grotta Giusti Spa
- Winery Visit with Tasting and Lunch
- Cooking class and truffle hunt, follow by lunch
- Wine and mineral water included with all meals
- Guided tours of Lucca, Pietrasanta, Villa Reale, and Pisa, with whisper headsets
- Entrance fees to Lucca’s Duomo, Terme Tettuccio, Palazzo Mansi, Pisa’s Campo dei Miracoli
- Puccini Concert Tickets
- Entrance to Grotta Giusti Spa with access to thermal pools and sauna
- Gratuities for all group activities
- Pre-Trip Booklet with packing list, itinerary, and other helpful trip information
- Charitable donation of $25 to UNICEF
What’s Not Included
- Airfare
- Meals not listed in “what’s included”
- Spa treatments
- Gratuities for private transfer drivers and hotel staff
- Optional travel insurance
- Everything not mentioned under “the itinerary includes”
The week is expertly designed and hosted by Susan Van Allen, with a balance of planned group and free-time independent experiences.
[testimonial_pro id=”13098″]
In Collaboration with PERILLO TOURS, America’s Leading Tour Operator to Italy for over 80 years.
Contact Info:
TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE FOR GOLDEN WEEKS, or for more information, contact Susan
100placesinitaly@gmail.com
Would you like me to book a Golden Week in Italy for you and your family or friends?
You can gather a group of 10, and we’ll do it!
OR I can custom-design an itinerary for your group—Let’s Talk!
Would you like to arrive early or extend your Golden Week, in Tuscany or Beyond? Discounted hotel rates and packages can happily be arranged. Just ask!
