Final-year school trip to Tuscany and the Cinque Terre: Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Vernazza and Monterosso (9 days)

Day 1: Departure from your school and overnight stop in Switzerland

• Departure from your school early in the morning, at the agreed time, and daytime drive to Switzerland via Luxembourg, Alsace and Basel (about 650 km from Brussels, 7 hours' driving excluding breaks).
• Our drivers drive for a maximum of 3 hours, then take a 30-minute break, day and night; two drivers take turns at the wheel.
• Free lunch during a break on the way.
• Overnight stop in the Lucerne area, dinner and quiet evening.

Day 2: The Gotthard and arrival in Florence

• Departure after breakfast and drive to Italy through the Gotthard tunnel and via Milan (about 530 km, 6½ hours excluding breaks).
• Free lunch during a break on the way.
• Arrival in Florence in the late afternoon and up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for the view over the city at sunset.
• Check-in at the accommodation in or near Florence for three nights, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 3: Florence, heart of the Renaissance

• The Piazza del Duomo: the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (free admission), Giotto’s bell tower and the baptistery.
• Climb up Brunelleschi’s Dome (on request).
• Free lunch, then the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio (outside view).
• Visit to the Uffizi Gallery, from Botticelli to Leonardo da Vinci (on request).
• Walk across the Ponte Vecchio, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 4: Michelangelo’s David and the Oltrarno

• Visit to the Accademia Gallery and Michelangelo’s David (on request).
• Free lunch at the Mercato Centrale, in the San Lorenzo district.
• Across the Arno and visit to the Boboli Gardens, behind the Pitti Palace (on request).
• Late afternoon in the lanes of the Oltrarno and on the Piazza Santo Spirito.
• Dinner and last supervised evening in Florence.

Day 5: Pisa and arrival on the Ligurian coast

• Check-out after breakfast and drive to Pisa (about 90 km, 1¼ hours).
• The Piazza dei Miracoli: the cathedral (free admission with reservation), the baptistery and the Leaning Tower.
• Climb to the top of the Leaning Tower (on request).
• Free lunch, then drive to La Spezia (about 80 km, 1 hour).
• Check-in at the accommodation in or near La Spezia for three nights, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 6: A day in the Cinque Terre

• Train from La Spezia to Riomaggiore and Manarola, with their colourful houses above the sea.
• Train to Vernazza, its little harbour and its tower, then free lunch.
• Supervised hike on the coastal path from Vernazza to Monterosso (about 2 hours, depending on the path being open), or train journey.
• Free time on the beach at Monterosso, then return to La Spezia by boat (on request) or by train.
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 7: Lucca and the Versilia

• Drive to Lucca (about 80 km, 1 hour) and a bike ride around the city walls, along 4 km of tree-lined avenues (on request).
• The Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, built on the ruins of the Roman arena, and the church of San Michele in Foro.
• Climb up the Guinigi Tower and its rooftop oak trees (on request), then free lunch.
• Late afternoon on the seafront promenade of Viareggio and return to the accommodation.
• Dinner and last supervised evening.

Day 8: Lake Lugano and overnight stop in Switzerland

• Check-out after breakfast and drive via Milan to Ticino (about 300 km, 3½ hours excluding breaks).
• Free lunch and a walk along the shore of Lake Lugano.
• Drive through the Gotthard tunnel to central Switzerland (about 170 km, 2 hours excluding breaks).
• Overnight stop in the Lucerne area, dinner and quiet evening.

Day 9: Return to your school

• Departure after breakfast and daytime drive via Basel, Alsace and Luxembourg (about 650 km to Brussels, 7 hours' driving excluding breaks), with regular breaks.
• Free lunch during a break on the way.
• Arrival at your school in the evening.