Private Day Trip to Montalcino and Montepulciano from Florence

Meet your private driver at 9:00am at your Florence hotel to begin the 2-hour drive through a landscape of cypresses, olive groves, vineyards, ancient churches, and stone farmhouses. Arrive into the wine area of Brunello at Montalcino with a specially arranged wine tasting tour of a family estate (additional charge of €10 per person) before strolling around the center of town and enjoying lunch (own expense) at a local enoteca/trattoria.

The town, settled since Etruscan times, is dominated by the imposing Rocca, or fortress, built in 1361. It offers views stretching across Monte Amiata, the Crete to Siena, and the Valdorcia and Maremma hills. Another interesting landmark is the clock tower which looks over the town hall and the Piazza del Popolo with its Gothic loggia.

In the afternoon, travel past the World Heritage Site of Pienza, once home to Pope Pius II. Visit the magnificent hill-top town of Montepulciano built on the narrow limestone ridge of Monte Poliziano and encircled by walls and fortifications. It is renowned for two excellent wines, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the Rosso di Montepulciano. Inside the walls, the streets are crammed with Renaissance-style palazzi, and churches. The long winding Corso street climbs from the Porta al Prato up to the Piazza Grande, which crowns the summit of the hill. Notable among the civic buildings are the Tarugi, Contucci Palaces, and the Palazzo Municipale. Once in the center, you can arrange a special wine tasting in some stunning underground cellars of a palazzo in the center of town, at an additional cost of €15 per person.

After a day discovering this incredible Tuscan wine heritage area, sit back, relax and enjoy the comfortable 1.5-hour journey back to Florence with an approximate 6:00pm arrival.

With your own private driver entirely at your disposal throughout the day, this tour is flexible and can accommodate more than just what is shown on this sample itinerary.