Our new 9 Days/8 Nights exclusive semi-escorted self-drive vacation featuring a Ferrari F355 GTS or Ferrari F348 TS. The Lady in Red offers an extraordinary travel concept: an innovative approach to the self-drive vacation, offering absolute luxury combined with the ultimate Gran Turismo Experience.
Donna Franca Tours offers an extraordinary travel concept: an innovative approach offering absolute luxury combined with the ultimate Gran Turismo escape. Our journey is unique, individually created for you to fully experience La Dolce Vita by offering a sublime blend of art, fashion, architecture, gastronomy and spectacular scenery. Become part of a real Ferrari Team enjoying the opportunity to personally drive these spectacular models, traveling for kilometers, accelerating through the winding roads of Italy from Rome to Venice and putting your driving skills to the ultimate test.
Featuring Rome (2 Nights), the Roman Castles District, Lake Bolsena, Orvieto, Norcia (1 Night), Montefalco, Spello, Lake Trasimeno, Montepulciano, Florence, Fiesole (2 Nights), Gaiole in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Bologna, Padua, Venice (2 Nights)
Included Features
- Eight nights’ accommodation in select centrally located hotels
- Buffet breakfast daily, hotel taxes, and service
- Airport transfer by private car and driver
- Private car transfer to pick up your self-drive Ferrari rental
- Ferrari F355 GTS or F348TS rental from Rome to Venice for six (6) days including the kilometers on this proposed itinerary, 22% Vat taxes, car insurance with deductible
- Telepass electronic toll collection transponder
- Itinerary from Rome to Venice escorted by an English speaking driver guide in a separate car
- Private guided walking tour of Baroque & Renaissance Rome with the underground Stadium of Diocleziano entrance fee included
- Guided Ferrari self-drive excursion to the Roman Castles District with Castelgandolfo, Ariccia, Velletri, Nemi, Marino, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora, Monte Porzio Catone and Frascati
- Guided Ferrari self-drive excursion to Lake Bolsena, Civita di Bagnoregio, Orvieto, Spoleto, Norcia
- Sala Sibilla Spa private access for two (2) hours at the Palazzo Seneca in Norcia
- Guided Ferrari self-drive excursion to Montefalco, Spello, Lake Trasimeno, Montepulciano, Florence and Fiesole
- Winery visit & wine tasting with snacks at the Lungarotti Cellars in Montefalco
- Winery visit & wine tasting with snacks at the Barocchi Wine Cellar of Il Falconiere in Cortona
- Winery visit & wine, cheese tasting at Tenuta La Braccesca Estate in Montepulciano
- Private guided walking tour of Florence
- Guided Ferrari self-drive excursion to Gaiole in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti
- Winery and castle visit, wine tasting followed by lunch with wine at the Castello di Brolio in Gaiole in Chianti
- Visit an organic olive grove for an informative seminar with tastings at the Azienda Agricola Pornanino of Radda in Chianti
- Guided Ferrari self-drive excursion to Bologna, Padua and Venice
- Private guided walking tour of Bologna with market visit and food tastings
- Private arrival and departure motor boat transfers in Venice with assistance and porterage
- Private guided walking tour of Venice
- Motor launch excursion to the Venissa Winery in the Venice Lagoon for a winery visit, wine tasting and lunch at their Michelin starred restaurant
* Cost of gas, parking excluded. A security deposit of $5,500.00 by client credit card is required at the time of the booking.
Itinerary
DAY 1- ROME
Arrival by private car with driver from Rome FCO Airport to the Rome Hotel. After checking in to your centrally-located hotel, you will have ample time to unpack, relax and freshen up prior to jump starting your visit with an afternoon private guided walking tour of Baroque and Renaissance Rome including entrance to the underground Stadium of Diocleziano under Piazza Navona.
DAY 2 - ROME / ROMAN CASTLES DISTRICT - ROME
BREAKFAST
After buffet breakfast at the hotel, private car transfer to pick up your detailed Ferrari rental and meet your local driver escort who will accompany you in a separate vehicle and debrief you on the vehicle’s operation. We travel east of the Eternal City and ascend the Alban Hills to the Roman Castles District. Our first stop will be in Castelgandolfo, summer residence of the Popes overlooking a dormant volcanic crater lake. Proceed along the winding roads, passing by vineyards, olive groves, the picturesque towns of Ariccia, Velletri, Nemi, Marino, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora, Monte Porzio Catone and Frascati. We return to the Eternal Cit
DAY 3 - ROME / LAKE BOLSENA / CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO - ORVIETO - SPOLETO - NORCIA
BREAKFAST
Buffet breakfast at the hotel and check out. Our second driving day of adventure begins by meeting your local driver escort. Enjoy an exhilarating drive to Lake Bolsena, the largest volcanic lake in Europe. Roman historic records indicate activity of the Vulsini volcano occurred as recently as 104 BC; it has been dormant since. We continue to Civita di Bagnoregio, a stunning hilltop village of Etruscan origin accessible by a pedestrian bridge and frequently included in Italian films. We continue to the Green Heart of Italy, Umbria. Stop in Orvieto, a walled Etruscan hill town built on a tuff ledge renowned for its 14th century cathedral considered one of the best examples of Italian Gothic architecture. Free time to self-explore this medieval gem and for lunch on your own before driving to Spoleto, home to the Festival of the Two Worlds, an internationally acclaimed annual music and opera festival. Our final stop is in Norcia, famous for its charcuterie and birth place of St. Benedict. Check in & room assignment at the Relais & Chateaux Palazzo Seneca. Time to relax with private access to the Sala Sibilla Spa. Overnight.
DAY 4 - NORCIA / MONTEFALCO / SPELLO / LAKE TRASIMENO / CORTONA
BREAKFAST / WINE TASTING WITH SNACKS
Buffet breakfast at the hotel and check out Meet your local driver escort and self-drive to Montefalco, a 12th century jewel famous for its wine production. Stop at the Lungarotti Winery for a winery visit, wine tasting with rustic snacks. We continue to Spello, a medieval gem which is part of the club of "The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy" due to its significant environmental, cultural and artistic heritage. We travel past Perugia and along the shores of Lake Trasimeno where Hannibal defeated the mighty Roman Legions and enter the Region of Tuscany. Arrive in Cortona, a hilltop town overlooking the verdant Valdichiana made famous by Frances Maye’s novel, “Under the Tuscan Sun”. Check in and room assignment at the Relais & Chateaux Il Falconiere, a fabulous family run country inn, wine resort and spa. Enjoy a visit of the family’s Barocchi Wine Cellar for a wine tasting with snacks. Balance of the afternoon at leisure. Overnight.
DAY 5 - CORTONA / MONTEPULCIANO /FLORENCE / FIESOLE
BREAKFAST / WINE TASTING WITH SNACKS
Enjoy a leisurely buffet breakfast at the hotel and check out, meet your local driver escort and depart across the valley to Montepulciano, a walled fortress town famous for its wine production. Stop at Antinori’s Tenuta La Braccesca Estate for a visit of their cellars, wine tasting with snacks. Enjoy an exciting drive past lush vineyards, manicured farms and villages. Arrive at the Cradle of the Renaissance, Florence. Stop for a private guided walking tour where the genius of the Italian Renaissance comes alive. See the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, crowned by Brunelleschi’s great dome and flanked by Giotto’s sleek bell tower. At the adjacent Baptistery, see Ghiberti’s famous Bronze “Gates of Paradise,” almost lost to the floods of 1966. Stroll through Piazza della Signoria past the Palazzo Vecchio and Ponte Vecchio. Continue past Piazza San Firenze to Santa Croce Church and Square. After the visit, ascend to the Etruscan hilltown of Fiesole which seems to hover above the city.. Check in and room assignment at the Il Salviattino. Hotel. Overnight.
DAY 6 - FIESOLE - CHIANTI - GAIOLE IN CHIANTI - RADDA IN CHIANTI - CASTELLINA IN CHIANTI - PANZANO IN CHIANTI - GREVE IN CHIANTI - FIESOLE
BREAKFAST & CASTLE WINERY VISIT, LUNCH WITH WINE, OLIVE PRESS VISIT & TASTING
Enjoy buffet breakfast at the hotel prior to heading out with your local driver escort for a full-day excursion to one of the most beautiful wine producing districts in search of Tuscany’s hidden gems. The first stop will be in Gaole in Chianti. Stop at the Castello di Brolio, one of the most ancient wineries of the area, for a guided castle visit, wine tasting, followed by lunch with wine at the estate’s locanda. Continue to Radda in Chianti where we will stop to visit the Azienda Agricola Pornanino, a lovingly restored biological olive oil estate surrounded by 36 hectares of olive groves and wooded hills. Partake in a visit to the olive press, olive groves, and enjoy an informative seminar on the values of this green gold. We drive past Castellina in Chianti, Panzano in Chianti, Greve in Chianti with landscapes that recreate Renaissance paintings. Return to Fiesole in the late afternoon. Overnight.
DAY 7 - FIESOLE / BOLOGNA / PADUA / VENICE
BREAKFAST/FOOD TASTING
Buffet breakfast at your hotel and check out. Meet your local driver escort and self-drive over the majestic Apennine Range, passing mountain pastures and woodlands into Emilia Romagna. Stop in Bologna, home to one of Europe’s oldest universities and famous for its culinary traditions. Enjoy a guided walking tour with the massive Piazza Maggiore, Basilica di San Petronio Church, Neptune’s Fountain, the iconic degli Asinelli and Garisenda Towers that each lean in a different direction. Learn about Bologna’s culinary prowess and enjoy a food tasting of local delicacies. We drive through the fertile Pop River Valley Plain, the “breadbasket” of Italy to the Veneto Region. Stop in the City of St. Anthony, Padua to view the cathedral and Prato della Valle, one of the largest public squares of Europe. Our final stop is in the City of the Doges, Venice. Private motor launch transfer to the San Clemente Palace situated on its own private island in the Venetian Lagoon. Check in and room assignment.
DAY 8 - VENICE
BREAKFAST / WALLED WINERY VISIT / WINE TASTING & LUNCH
Buffet breakfast at the hotel before embarking on a private guided walking tour of Venice, including such highlights as St. Mark's Basilica, Palazzo Ducale, Bell Tower, Clock Tower, Santa Maria Formosa, Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo, Marco Polo’s House, Malibran Theater, the Rialto Bridge and San Zaccaria. Enjoy a panoramic cruise to Mazzorbo Island. Stop to visit a unique walled vineyard in the lagoon, Venissa, for a guided visit of their vineyard that has withstood the salt and high flood waters for centuries, giving life to a wine with one-of-a-kind characteristics found nowhere else in the world. Enjoy lunch at their Michelin starred restaurant before returning to Venice The rest of the afternoon is yours to leisurely continue your exploration of “La Serenissima.”
DAY 9 - DEPARTURE
BREAKFAST
Early morning breakfast at the hotel, followed by your private motor launch transfer to Venice Marco Polo Airport to board your return flight to the US, or extend your stay in Italy.
Accommodation, Departure Dates and Prices
DELUXE PACKAGE
Splendide Royal Hotel in Rome
Relais & Chateaux Palazzo Seneca in Norcia
Relais & Chateaux Relais Il Falconiere in Cortona
Il Salviattino Hotel in Fiesole
San Clemente Palace Kempinski in Venice
Or Similar
PRICING PER PERSON, DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
VALID FOR TRAVEL APRIL 01, 2021 - JUNE 30, 2021 & SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 - OCTOBER 31, 2021
PARTY SIZE DELUXE PACKAGE
2 Participants $13,599.00
4 Participants $12,799.00
Single Supplement On Request
VALID FOR TRAVEL JULY 1, 2021 - AUGUST 31, 2021
PARTY SIZE DELUXE PACKAGE
2 Participants $12,999.00
4 Participants $12,199.00
Single Supplement On Request
Extra nights at any of the included hotels are available upon request at a supplementary cost based on travel dates. Vacation may be personalized to suit. Larger parties welcome. Please contact us for a price quote and details.