PREMIUM Golden Week: For Women Only –
Florence and the Italian Riviera
May 7 – May 16, 2022
for women to enjoy Italian pleasures to the max!
Rates Coming Soon
Small Group Tour: 14 guests maximum
To reserve your space, or for more information, contact Irene today at:
support@italyvacations.com or 1-800-482-5925
“Susan Van Allen infuses her tours with enthusiasm, engagement and enchantment! She is exceptional in her knowledge of the areas we visited and ensured we felt both part of a group yet individually independent. We had the trip of a lifetime last year, (Florence 2016), and this year was even better!!!! Hard to believe our first experience could be topped, but since it was—already saving up for the next trip with Susan!!!!” — Christina, Massachusetts
CLICK HERE for More Golden Week Testimonials
What’s Included
- Entertaining hosting and guiding by author Susan Van Allen, focusing on Italy’s celebration of all things female
- 8 nights at First-Class Hotels,
4 nights Plaza Hotel Lucchesi in Florence
4 nights Hotel Continental in Santa Margherita Ligure - Transportation by private minibus, including arrival transfers
from Florence airport or train station and departure transfers to Genoa airport or train station - Daily buffet breakfast at the hotel
- 3 multi-course dinners, with wine
- 1 cooking class in Florence, including market visit, followed by lunch
- 1 ceramics painting class
- Lace artisan workshop visit
- Guided tours of Florence Historic Center, Santa Maria Novella Basilica and Cloisters, Uffizi Gallery, Cinque Terre, and San Fruttuoso Abbey, by charming local experts, with whisper headsets included
- Entrance fees to museum and monuments, including Accademia (Michelangelo’s David)
- Gratuities for group activities: guides, drivers, and servers at group meals
- Travel journal and optional writing workshops
- $25 Donation to Friends of Florence, for art restoration projects
What’s Not Included
- Airfare
- Meals not specified in the itinerary
- Optional Travel Insurance
- Everything not mentioned under “What’s Included”
The week is expertly designed with a balance of planned group and free-time independent experiences
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Saturday – Depart USA to Florence, Italy
Day 2: Sunday – Welcome to Your Golden Week
Day 3: Monday – Taste Tuscany – Market Visit and Hands-On Cooking Class
Day 4: Tuesday – Discover Florence and its Treasures
Day 5: Wednesday – Marvel at Masterpieces / Be a Florentine Artist
Day 6: Thursday – Free Time in Florence / Welcome to Santa Margherita Ligure
Day 7: Friday- Full Day in Extraordinary Cinque Terre
Day 8: Saturday – Delight in Artisan Lace of Santa Margherita Ligure, etc /
Delicious Rapallo & Chic Portofino
Day 9: Sunday – Experience Magical San Fruttuoso / Sunset in Camogli
Day 10: Monday – Arrivederci!
Detailed Itinerary
Golden Day 1: Saturday, May 7- Departure from USA
You’ll be packed (with my tips), and full of joyful anticipation…
Golden Day 2: Sunday, May 8 – Welcome to Your Golden Week
Benvenuta! You’ll be met by our private driver at the Florence airport or train station and transported to the Plaza Hotel Lucchesi–a luxurious, historical property from 1860, set right on the River Arno–with a fantastic rooftop, steps from Santa Croce and a short walk to the Ponte Vecchio and Piazza Duomo. You’ll have time to get settled and explore as you wish.
In the evening we’ll gather for an aperitivo on the hotel rooftop to toast the week ahead, savoring our first tastes of Tuscany’s beloved wine. I’ll give you tips about keeping a travel journal, so you can create a treasured souvenir of your week through journaling.
We’ll dine nearby, enjoying specialties of this harvest season, the first of many memorable meals.
Meals Included: D
Golden Day 3: Monday, May 9 – Taste Tuscany
Wake up and smell the caffe. An abundant buffet breakfast awaits in the riverside dining room…get used to such elegance for the rest of the week.
Then we’re off for a culinary adventure to immerse ourselves in the delicious flavors of Tuscany.
An expert chef will lead us to a local market, followed by a hands-on cooking class to learn Florentine specialties, including pasta-making. We’ll have a leisurely lunch from the fruits of our labors.
In the evening, you can stroll through the historic center at twilight and have dinner on your own, with my recommendations of delicious choices.
Meals Included: B, L
Golden Day 4: Tuesday, May 10 – Discover Florentine Treasures
Today we’ll explore the range of treasures that abound in Florence. In the morning, with an entertaining guide, we”ll walk through the historic center, stopping at the Piazza Signoria and Piazza Duomo to admire the amazing architecture.
We’ll take a caffe break, Florentine style, in Piazza Republicca.
Next we’ll visit the first Florentine Basilica, that glorifies its feminine inspiration: Santa Maria Novella. Highlights inside include gorgeous Renaissance fresco cycles in the Tornabuoni and Spanish Chapels.
We’ll end our tour at the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy, a wonderland of beauty products, that was founded by the basilica’s Dominican monks over 400 years ago.
There will be free time for lunch on your own, a visit to the Duomo or Mercato Centrale.
In the afternoon, we’ll meet at the Accademia Gallery to stand awestruck before one of the world’s greatest sculptures: Michelangelo’s David.
The evening is on your own, to enjoy an optional journal writing workshop, perhaps a sunset aperitivo on the hotel’s divine rooftop, and dinner with my recommendations.
Meals included: B
Golden Day 5: Wednesday, May 11 – Marvel at Masterpieces / Be a Florentine Artisan
We’ll begin the day at one of the world’s most famous museums: the Uffizi Gallery. We’ll be guided through splendid rooms, focusing on masterpieces that glorify females—by such greats as Giotto, Botticelli, and da Vinci, and take a leisurely break at the terrace caffe, with its magnificent view.
Then you’ll have a break for shopping, sight-seeing, and lunch at your leisure.
In the afternoon we’ll have a hands-on experince of Florentine ceramics, a tradition since Renaissance days. At a family run workshop, since 1857, an artisan will lead us in learning the basics of ceramic painting, and each of us will create a piece to take home for a precious souvenir.
Tonight, a fortifying Florentine meal may fit the bill. Those who wish to join me for a Dutch treat dinner may come along to one of my favorite trattorias, where the specialty is bistecca=beefsteak, exquisitely done in lively surroundings.
Meals included: B
Golden Day 6: Thursday, May 12 – Free Time in Florence / Welcome to Santa Margherita
You’ll have the morning and lunch time to immerse yourself in La Dolce Vita, and experience Florence according to your desires, with my guidance to assist you. There are still more museums and churches with masterpieces to enjoy, shopping opportunities ranging from high fashion to outdoor markets, and wonderful places to eat.
In the afternoon, we’ll be transported through the stunning countryside to a paradise by the sea: the Hotel Continentale in Santa Margherita Ligure.
The views from your room’s balcony will take your breath away: sparkling harbor, elegant palm trees, and wonderful town.
You’ll have time to relax, and perhaps enjoy an aperitivo on the hotel terrace. We’ll dine together tonight at the hotel.
Meals included: B, D
Golden Day 7: Friday, May 13 – Full Day in Extraordinary Cinque Terre
The extraordinary stretch of coastline called the Cinque Terre (meaning Five Lands), is comprised of five colorful fishing villages that cling to the rugged coastline, surrounded by vineyards and terraced gardens.
With our guide Simona, we’ll have an insider’s experience of these unique villages, traveling by train and/or ferries to see such wonders as the Gothic Church of Santa Margherita in Vernazza, and the Capuchin Monastery in Monterosso, stopping along the way to take in breathtaking views. There will be free time to wander the enchanting pathways of the villages with our guidance, for shopping, a caffe break, and lunch on your own.
After this exhilirating day, we’ll transfer back to Santa Margherita Ligure, where you can enjoy the sunset and a relaxing dinner at the hotel or harbor.
Meals included: B
Golden Day 8: Saturday, May 14 – Delight in Discovering Santa Margherita Ligure / Lunch in Delicious Rapallo / Chic Portofino
This morning we’ll have a walk through the town of Santa Margherita Ligure, with stops to enjoy its stunning baroque church, shopping in lovely boutiques, and to see artisans at work, including lacemaking, which is a long-held tradition here.
Then we’ll be transported by private driver to the seaside resort town of Rapallo, a destination that was beloved by poets Yeats and Ezra Pound. You’ll have time to admire its 16th century castle, stroll through the historic center with its enticing shops, and have lunch on your own.
After lunch, we’ll ferry to chic Portofino, “The Pearl of the Italian Riviera”, that’s a choice yacht stop for jetsetters. You’ll enjoy discovering beautiful terraced gardens, maybe wander up to Castello Brown (where the film Enchanted April took place), shop in legendary boutiques, and we’ll enjoy an aperitivo together amidst these lovely surroundings.
Golden Day 9: Sunday, May 15 – La Dolce Vita Morning / Experience Magical San Fruttuoso / Sunset and Farewell Dinner in Camogli
This morning is free for you to experience Santa Margherita Ligure at your leisure.
You may opt for a swim at the hotel’s private beach and lunch on the terrace, a spa treatment, journal writing workshop, shopping in town, or visiting the elegantly decorated Villa Durazzo and its surrounding gardens.
In the afternoon, we’ll take a short ferry ride to one of the most magical spots on the Ligurian coastline: San Fruttuoso.
This secluded bay can only be reached by boat or hiking. The setting is dreamlike: sparkling turquoise waters and a stunning 10th century Abbey which we’ll tour with our guide Simona.
We’ll continue by boat to the village of Camogli, that got its name from case delle mogli=house of wives”, as it was a fishing village named for the women who managed things here while their husbands were away at sea. The soul of Camogli from days gone by remains—the harbor is full of fishing boats, there are little shops where Liguria’s best focaccia is fresh-baked, and artisan workshops.
Camogli is ideal to visit at sunset, so we’ll settle in at a traditional seaside restaurant, to enjoy our Farewell Dinner with a marvelous view.
After dinner, we’ll be transported by private driver back to Santa Margherita Ligure.
*In case of bad sea/weather, the visit to San Fruttuoso bay will be replaced with a visit to the villas and gardens of Santa Margherita Ligure village.
Meals included: B, D
Golden Day 10: Monday, May 16 – Arrivederci!
Our driver will transport you to the Genoa airport or train station, where you’ll depart with Golden Memories of our time together.
*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! Though we explore at a relaxed pace, with breaks to savor the atmosphere, please consider the following to be sure this trip is right for you:
–Most of our excursions are in pedestrian-only towns, along cobblestoned streets, there are marble-floored museum visits, and the Cinque Terre day includes walking up and down stone steps.
–In Florence, the itinerary does include mini-van transportation for walks longer than 20 minutes from our hotel. You also have the option to take a taxi (at your own expense) for the shorter city walks, which we can arrange for you.
–Our hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure sits on a promontory, about a 5-minute leisurely curvy walk to the Santa Margherita Ligure historic center and harbor.
–For those with motion sickness, precautions should be taken for the longer drives and ferry rides in the Italian Riviera.
For more information, and to Sign Up for this Adventure, Contact Irene at Perillo Tours:
support@italyvacations.com, 800-482-5925,
(10am to 6pm, Eastern Standard Time)
Would you like to arrive early or extend your Golden Week? Irene can arrange for discounted hotel rates. Just ask!
In Collaboration with Perillo Tours, America’s Leading Tour Operator to Italy for 70 years.
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