Skip to Main Content
Road Scholar logo
Italy

Under the Tuscan Sun: Italian Adventures With Your Grandchild

Program No. 23575RJ
Under the Tuscan sun, you and your grandchild will create memories that will last a lifetime as you discover amazing art, learn some Italian and explore ancient ruins together.
WishlistShare
Start
  • Under the Tuscan Sun: Italian Adventures With Your Grandchild
  • Wooden sculpture of Leonardo Da Vinci's drawing of the Virtruvian Man in a sphere
  • Tuscany with Your Grandchild
  • Tuscany with Your Grandchild
GrandparentSmall GroupAges 13 – 17
Length
9 days
Rating (5)
Activity Level
Starts at
4,599 / ADULT
3,999 / CHILD
Flights start at
1,350
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
9 days
8 nights
What's Included
16 meals ( 7B, 3L, 6D )
2 expert-led lectures
13 expert-led field trips
5 hands-on experiences
An experienced Group Leader
7 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Expand All
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 2:00 p.m. Walking about 1 mile with limited or no public seating. Mostly level urban stone streets/sidewalks, limited public handrails, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring, cobblestones, inclines, loose gravel.
Afternoon:
After checking in to the hotel and getting your room, take some time to freshen up and relax. After check-in, our Group Leader takes us on a short neighborhood walk to get our bearings. We note the closest grocery store, pharmacy (green cross), ATM, and a few cafés and bakeries near the hotel. We also spot the nearest bus stop/taxi stand, as well as a good place to buy water and snacks. This is a Road Scholar Grandparent program. Grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren at all times. If/when separate age group activities are conducted concurrently, program staff will supervise. Minors are never to be left unsupervised. We will learn from the Group Leaders and local experts, who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private bus unless noted otherwise. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, attending performances or other events, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Group Leaders will always be happy to offer suggestions. Transportation will be provided primarily by bus and regional train. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times might change due to local circumstances/conditions. We will alert you as quickly as possible in the event of changes. Thank you for being so understanding. Next, we will join our Group Leaders in a welcome cocktail (or fruit juice).
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Walking up to 4 miles throughout the day with extended standing during site visits with limited or no public seating. Mostly level urban stone streets/sidewalks, limited public handrails, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring, cobblestones, inclines, loose gravel. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice. Getting in/out of a funicular.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Orientation: 9:00 a.m. The Group Leaders will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, and emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will walk from the hotel to a nearby park to enjoy an interactive outdoor demonstration of medieval skills led by a local living history association. Participants will have the chance to engage in hands-on learning, including archery, fencing, dueling, and even witnessing a cannonball launch. This immersive experience will transport us back in time to explore the martial traditions of the medieval era. Please note that the demonstration will be indoors in inclement weather to ensure everyone's comfort and safety.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions. In the hotel meeting room, our Group Leaders lead a quick Italian 101—greetings, numbers, please/thank you, how to order, and how to ask for directions. It's practical and interactive, and we'll use these phrases all week. A lightning history: modern Italian grows from the Tuscan/Florentine dialect. Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio wrote in the vernacular in the 1300s; after the unification of Italy in 1861, Tuscan became the standard Italian. Today, Italian is spoken worldwide and continues to shape music, food, and design. In the evening, while adults enjoy a relaxed social hour, teens join a souvenir swap led by our Group Leaders. We each share one small item from home with a fellow participant, trade stories, and get to know one another. Later, we walk to the funicular for a ten-minute ride up to Montecatini Alto. The 1898 cable cars climb to a hilltop town of narrow lanes and medieval buildings, offering expansive views over Tuscany.
Dinner:
At a restaurant in Montecatini Alto.
Evening:
After our visit to Montecatini Alto, we will descend back into Montecatini Terme using the funicular and walk back to our hotel. Once we return to the hotel, the rest of the evening will at leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 70 miles throughout the day, approximately 2 hours total riding time. Walking up to 3 miles throughout the day with extended standing during site visits with limited or no public seating. Mostly level urban stone streets/sidewalks, limited public handrails, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring, cobblestones, inclines, loose gravel. No elevator at Leaning Tower; 269 steps to the top.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We take the bus to Pisa and walk to Piazza dei Miracoli (Piazza del Duomo), where a local expert leads our field trip. The piazza brings together three major monuments: the Cathedral (Romanesque façade and marble interior), the Baptistery, and the Leaning Tower. Pisa's wealth as a medieval maritime republic—rival to Genoa, Amalfi, and Venice—funded these projects; the Tower began to tilt soon after its 12th-century construction on soft subsoil. Those with energy and enthusiasm can join the Group Leaders to climb the Tower's 269 steps to the top and back down; elevator is not available. Please note that there is a possibility of encountering crowded conditions during our visit.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leaders will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
Following lunch, we gather at the appropriate time to board the bus to Tirrenia, a coastal town with wide sandy beaches. At a local beach club, we have free time to relax—stretch out on a lounger or swim in the sea. Afterward, we return to Montecatini by bus.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 20 miles throughout the day, approximately 1/2 hour riding time. Getting on/off a regional train; traveling about 10 miles throughout the day, under 1/2 hour riding time; be prepared to stand if seats are unavailable. Walking up to 4 miles throughout the day with extended standing during site visits with limited or no public seating. Mostly level urban stone streets/sidewalks, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We board our bus to a local chocolate maker for an expert-led visit. Teens join a hands-on workshop while adults enjoy a tasting. We see the bean-to-bar steps and sample selected chocolates. We continue to Pistoia for a short expert-led visit of the historic center. We stop in Piazza del Duomo to see the striped Romanesque cathedral and the Baptistery, then walk past the Ospedale del Ceppo with its ceramic frieze.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We visit a traditional candy maker for an expert-led visit of the production area and the steps of classic candy making. Our next stop is a traditional frantoio (olive oil mill), where we'll discover the ancient art of olive oil production. After an expert-led visit to the facility, we'll sample some of the finest local olive oils and experience firsthand the flavors that define this essential Tuscan product. Finally, we return by bus to Montecatini.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a regional train; traveling about 35 miles throughout the day, under 1.5 hours riding time; be prepared to stand if seats are unavailable. Getting on/off a bus; driving about 35 miles throughout the day, approximately 1 hour riding time. Walking up to 5 miles throughout the day with extended standing during visits with limited seating. Mostly level urban stone streets/sidewalks, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring. Elevator available at museum.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We leave the hotel on foot for Montecatini station and board a regional train to Florence. At Santa Maria Novella, we meet our local historian for an expert-led walk through the historic center. Florence began as a Roman settlement in the 1st century BCE, grew into a major medieval city, and, in the 15th–16th centuries, became the cradle of the Renaissance under Medici patronage. Banking, commerce, and skilled workshops fueled the arts, producing figures like Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Botticelli. We end at the Accademia for an expert-led visit to Michelangelo's David. Carved from a single block of marble (1501–1504) and standing over 17 feet tall, David shows precise anatomy, focused expression, and balanced stance—hallmarks of Renaissance ideals in a single work.
Lunch:
On your own to sample the local fare.
Afternoon:
From 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., we have free time to explore Florence at our own pace. Afterward, we regroup and walk across the Ponte Vecchio into the Oltrarno. In the evening, we attend a hands-on class at a local cooking school. We learn to make fresh pasta and gelato, using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, and sit down together to enjoy what we've prepared.
Dinner:
At the cooking school, we will enjoy the foods we helped to prepare.
Evening:
After our exciting day in Florence, we'll relax and take a bus back to the hotel, and the rest of the evening is at leisure.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of a bus; driving about 35 miles throughout the day, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking up to 5 miles throughout the day, extended periods of standing; dirt pathways, cobblestones, mostly level urban stone streets, and sidewalks, unavoidable steps/stairs. Bring a bathing suit and a towel for swimming at the agriturismo.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We head out with our Group Leaders to a nearby market, a lively mix of stalls and small shops. As we walk the streets, we see leather goods, handmade pottery, scarves, and souvenirs alongside food counters with fresh meats, salumi, cheeses, and baked goods. Next, we board the bus for a scenic ride to Vinci, Leonardo's birthplace. We begin in Anchiano at his childhood home, where we explore at our own pace with short holographic videos that introduce his life and work. We then continue to Vinci to visit the Museo Leonardiano, which displays working models based on Leonardo's drawings, with clear English explanations.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After we visit Vinci, we board the bus for a short ride to a countryside agriturismo a few miles west. On arrival, we visit the farm to see traditional practices firsthand and meet the people who work the land—vineyards, orchards, and fields depending on the season. We then break for leisure time by the pool. Bring a bathing suit and a towel if you'd like to swim. Later, we gather outside with our Group Leaders for a practical session on rustic Tuscan cooking and everyday Italian kitchen habits, with simple tips you can use at home.
Dinner:
At the agriturismo.
Evening:
We will be transported back to our hotel in Montecatini Terme aboard our bus, and the remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a regional train; traveling about 40 miles throughout the day, approximately 2 hours riding time; be prepared to stand if seats are unavailable. Walking up to 5 miles throughout the day, extended periods of standing; cobblestones, mostly level urban stone streets/sidewalks, unavoidable steps/stairs. Biking about 4 miles; vehicle-free, paved pathway.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We walk to the station in the morning and take a regional train to Lucca. On arrival, we choose between biking on the medieval walls—about 2.6 miles of tree-lined ramparts, roughly 16 feet high—or an independent visit to the Palazzo Pfanner gardens. Later, a local expert leads a walk on a section of the walls. Built about 500 years ago to defend the city, they now serve as Lucca's favorite promenade for walkers and cyclists, with broad paths and views over churches, towers, and the Roman-era street grid. From this elevated loop, we get a clear panorama and a simple way to understand the city's layout and history. Please note that there is a possibility of encountering crowded conditions during our visit.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon:
We meet at the designated time and walk to the Lucca train station. We board a regional train back to Montecatini Terme. On arrival, taxis are available to the hotel, or those who wish to can walk back.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m. See your program’s “Getting There” information regarding transfers.
Breakfast:
At the hotel depending on departure times; for those with early departures, the hotel will prepare a bagged breakfast. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
Please select a day to update the map
Map details are not available for this location.