Gems of Tuscany featuring Cinque Terre

You’re on your way to explore some of the beloved and lesser-known treasures of Tuscany, where a tapestry of culture, food, wine, and picture-perfect landscapes awaits.

Make your way to Viareggio along the Versilia Coast, where you’ll spend three nights discovering a different side of Tuscany. Here, you’ll find a coastal base for exploration, with Art Nouveau architecture, summertime beach clubs, and lakeside retreats that inspired some of Italy’s most celebrated opera. As arrival times vary, there’s no scheduled sightseeing today, so you can get to know this seaside town at your own pace. Wander the promenade, stop to sip an espresso, or simply settle into your hotel and breathe in the salty breeze. As evening falls, join your fellow travelers for a welcome drink to toast your upcoming journey.

This morning, leave the well-worn roads behind for the Carrara marble quarries, one of Tuscany's most extraordinary open-air workplaces. An off-road drive through the Apuan Alps follows paths carved by generations of quarrymen, revealing how this stone shaped Italian art and architecture, from ancient Rome to Michelangelo's David. Back in Viareggio, the afternoon is yours to soak up the sophisticated coastal atmosphere as you please. As the day winds down, a short drive brings you to Torre del Lago and the beloved home of opera composer Giacomo Puccini. Visit the maestro's residence-turned-museum – where La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly were born – and settle in for a private performance on Puccini's own piano before dinner at a local restaurant.

On a full day outing,* the dramatic coastline of Cinque Terre stretches before you – terraced vineyards tumbling to the sea, and five fishing villages clinging to cliffs like they've been there forever (they have). Ferry among the rugged coastline, stopping to visit one of these legendary villages before deep, sapphire-blue waters carry you to Portovenere, a colorful harbor town the locals call "the other Cinque Terre." A bit less traveled than the fishing hamlets of Cinque Terre, Portovenere’s allure lies in its neighborhood charm and relaxed pace, making it easy to linger here. Later, head back to Viareggio for an evening at leisure.