Taste of Tuscany

[cab]

We have booked the Taste of Tuscany tour for June, 2008. I don't believe that this tour includes a tour of inside the Vatican. Our group intends to arrive a day early, so we are looking to book a separate tour of the Vatican - if anyone has a suggestion for a good guide or tour operator for a group of 7, please let me know.

The one downside we saw to this trip is that most of the Tuscan dinners are at the hotel. We have been to Florence before, and really can't spend time there again without a visit to Il Latini for dinner. Is it possible to break away from the group for a dinner and get a cab or bus back to the hotel?

Any trip reports on this tour?

 

[mary1025]

If you want to revisit the restaurant in Florence, I would suggest flying out the day after the tour ends. ABD will take you into Florence the last day, you can explore more in depth on your own, eat at your favorite spot and depart the next day. Dinners at the Villa were an integral part of our trip experience - don't miss them!

I would highly suggest coming into Rome at least a day early. I don't have specific recommendations for a Vatican tour, but I know the Pope has an audience almost every Wednesday - a wonderful opportunity. Most people went on the tour offered by the Vatican (not an outside group) and were pleased.

 

[ppiew]

When we were there, many American students were soliciting groups and gave guided tours of the Vatican (St. Peters and the square). They were excellent and relied on tips to be paid. I was hesitant in joining into this as I thought it might be a scam, but it really was very very good.
As far as the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican offers a tour (long line - get there early) that goes thru the art galleries and ends in the Sistine.