Best Of Florence & Tuscany Day Tour By High-speed Train From Rome

As happened with another reviewer on here, I was quite surprised to discover our party was not eligible for the Tuscany portion of the trip. In trying to determine what happened, both Viator customer service and the tour rep repeatedly told me it was my fault for not booking the “add on.” I had never been given the option for the add on while reserving and paying for the trip; in fact, the booking never mentioned the Tuscany segment was an additional cost. After being repeatedly told it was my fault, I accepted it as such and our party did the shortened tour. On the train ride to Florence, I did several “ghost” bookings for the same tour on different days and several mentioned the add on and several did not so I find the description - and especially the name of this trip - very misleading. After our Florence tour was over, we were told we had five hours to spend in the city. Our party had previously visited Florence so did not want to kill five hours waiting for the train on which we were ticketed to return to Rome. When I contacted the tour group to ask if we could be rebooked on an earlier train, they said they could not help us. Additionally, the tour company never emailed the train tickets as they had informed me they would the day before and it was a bit tricky finding from where to download them. They also don’t book the train ticket seats together for either the entire group or even your own party within the group. I’ve booked at least 10 tours/services through Viator in the past and always been very satisfied with the ease and professionalism of all trips but this one was a waste of money.

Antonio 🙌🏼 (aka Tuscany Tony) Our tour was fantastic! We had Antonio as our guide, who was knowledgeable, friendly, and brought great energy to the experience. The day began in Rome, where we met at the train station (arrive at least 30 minutes early) and took a high-speed train to Florence. Upon arrival, Antonio welcomed us and provided headsets for better hearing. We explored the streets of Florence, learning a lot along the way, and had time to shop and wander around Piazza Della Signoria, where we saw the House of Gucci, a replica of Michelangelo’s David, and enjoyed a delicious panini at Dal Vinaio. Next, we boarded a comfortable, air-conditioned Mercedes van for a one-hour ride to Fugnano Winery. There, we sampled wines and local cuisine while learning about the winemaking process. Our winery guide, a passionate and knowledgeable expert from San Diego, led a brief tour. We enjoyed appetizers (bruschetta, cheese, balsamic vinegar, bread), followed by pasta and dessert. The final stop was San Gimignano, which my wife and I found to be the highlight of the tour. The stunning scenery was unlike anything else in the region. We had an hour to explore, try some gelato, and browse the local shops. It was much less crowded than Rome, so there were no long lines. Overall, the tour involved a moderate amount of walking.

It was a very enjoyable experience. Our tour guide Antonio really made the experience great. I would highly recommend this experience.

Everything was great!! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. The vineyard was amazing. I would definitely recommend this booking to others.

Jessica was amazing! This gave us the perfect sampling of the area and we cannot wait to get back! The winery was breathtaking and San Gimignano was gorgeous. Overall must do!