Italy Tour for Families: Discovering Liguria & Tuscany

Genoa is a city of explorers and naval might, opulent palaces and seaside glamor. A spectacular fountain arches water around a central spouting stream at the heart of Piazza de Ferrari. Art Nouveau buildings set an impressive scene, making an impression on travelers both young and old. The 19th-century neo-Baroque Exchange adorns the east side of Via XX Settembre, and the elegant shopping arcade of Galleria Mazzini features boutique stores that fill the 19th-century edifice. Your private transfer will meet your family at the Cristoforo Colombo Airport to bring you into the city to enjoy your first impressions and glances.

The kids will be impressed with the stature and the age of the 12th-century city walls. The renowned explorer Christopher Columbus lived close to the protective towers in a restored house near the cloister of Sant’Andrea. You will have only arrived, and the family has already been immersed in the city’s rich, unforgettable history. Once settled into the relaxing comforts of your hotel, your guide will meet you in the lobby eager to escort your family to the Church of Saint Peter in Banks for an introduction into the lavish past of the former maritime powerhouse. The ancient Genoese erected the first shops around the square before building the Cathedral at its core in the 14th century. The maritime mountains press the city against the Mediterranean Sea as the Harbor stretches upwards of 14 miles along the coastline holding rows of swaying masts that gently sway in the ocean breeze.

In the morning, the kids will delight in the taste of sweet brioche as you will indulge in the semi-sweet taste of frothy cappuccino. At the harbor, the fishing boats are already returning from an early excursion on the sea and hauling nets filled with fresh marlin and mussels. After breakfast, your guide will meet you in the lobby once more, ready to lead you on a genuinely exciting treasure hunt through the historical city in search of remnants of the noble families of the past and their daily life. The aroma of saltwater will rush through the narrow lanes that wind along the city center. On Via Garibaldi, the kids will point out the opulent facades of 16th and 17th-century palaces.

Family crests adorn the doorways alongside the elaborate arcades and elegant balconies. The kids will embrace the stories of the former families and their legendary wealth, easily imaging the Dukes and the knights that once lived in the grand structures that line the street. Palazzo Rosso was built in the 1670s and shines with a bright red façade as portraits painted by celebrated artists decorate the galleries, including works by Veronese and Van Dyck. Your guide will keep the entire family engaged with tales of the former Duchess as the detailed and radiant frescoes that cover the ceilings will captivate the kids more than the portraits on the wall, including the work crafted to make the loggia look as though it contains vaulted ceilings and moving angels.

Genoa represents a rich history of maritime power and wealth embodied in the activity of both the old and the new ports. After breakfast, you will make your way to the harbor and watch the ships as they glide across the water. Sailboats cast their sails and cruise out to sea as fishers call out to one another on the wharf, passing their overflowing nets to shore ready for market. The scent of fresh pastries emanates from the sporadic bakeries that line the edge of the wharf. You will step aboard your vessel that will offer your family a new view of the pastel-painted homes along the shoreline that once belonged to fishing families.

The wind will rush against your cheeks as the kids will point out the dolphins’ dorsal fins that will bob out of the water alongside the boat. The city and mountains fade behind the horizon as the dolphin pods will move to the back of the boat and play in the movement of the wake. An onboard biologist will entertain the kids’ questions about life in the Mediterranean Sea, and it’s likely that soon a whale will surface and spout water. The dark gray complexion of the whale will contrast with the cobalt blue water, and the kids will cry out with excitement as a second whale will soon breach, their tale waving to the boat before disappearing. When you return to shore, you will visit the Galata Museum for a rewarding and interactive history of Genoa’s maritime history, including an exploration of Columbus’s ships.

Genoa will return to life in the morning with cafes setting out their tables and chairs along the edges of the vibrant piazzas. The boutique and antique shops of the city open their doors and bakeries provide an enticing aroma to the morning bustle. Spend time in the morning visiting the Aquarium, the largest in all of Europe, encompassing 33,000 square feet. You will revisit the Ligurian Sea from old and new perspectives, introducing your family to the biological understandings of 1492 before you return to the 1990s for a better understanding of the knowledge of the past.

Seals sleep on the rocks and bask in the warm sun, and the kids will stare into the fish tanks to track the different colorful fish as they swirl through the water. Your private transfer will then meet your family at the hotel when you are ready to escort you south to the town of Monterosso, the most northern town of the famous Cinque Terre. Your hotel is located in the hills that overlook a secluded sandy beach as olive groves and vineyards grow along the terraced hillside and you can easily explore the cobblestone streets of the old city along the shore.

The kids will enjoy walking along the narrow medieval lanes where white oleanders blossom along the promenade and bougainvillea fall over the historical buildings set beneath the soaring palm trees. Pastel houses and artisan shops line the walkways and open to Piazza Garibaldi where locals play bocce ball in a small, but long, dirt-paved arena. Grab a delicious focaccia bread and venture up to San Cristoforo Hill for a spectacular view of the Ligurian coastline, where the protruding cliffs and lush trees converge and contrast with the indigo-shaded Mediterranean Sea.

The statue of the Giant embodies the luster and the beauty of Monterosso in a figure that clings to the cliffs near the edge of the quiet beach. The sea splashes against the rocks as the 46-foot tall giant looks out into the horizon holding the platform of the former villa that once rested on his shoulders. After breakfast, your family will set out on the fabulous trails that connect the five towns of Cinque Terre. The villages remained removed from the outside world until the train was erected in the 1870s to connect Genoa to Rome, making the trails and boats the only modes of reaching each village until relatively recently.

Follow your kids as they chase your guide along the Blue Path, which reaches a height of more than 650 feet above sea level to travel the five miles to Riomaggiore. You can then follow the trail to Vernazza, the town immediately south of Monterosso. Sporadic lemon trees provide a zesty aroma that combines with the semi-briny scent of the Mediterranean. Basil plants grow as tall as trees in small farms that drape over the terraces. At times, the forest will overtake the seaside view, but your perspective eventually opens to a striking panorama of Vernazza below.

The bell tower soars above the undulating homes at the height of 131 feet tall as colorful fishing boats are moored to buoys that sway in the calm, translucent sea. The kids will take off their shoes and dip their toes into the refreshing water at the harbor. The aroma of pesto lasagna emanates from the cellar restaurants off the main road, and you may find yourselves in search of an Italian snack.  The remains of a Genoese bastion stand atop a rugged outcropping, offering your family the chance to enter history and stroll along the ancient ramparts. In the evening, you will return to Monterosso by train and meet a gregarious chef excited to teach the family the delectable secrets of Ligurian cuisine.

In the morning, the beach fills with umbrellas shading the sand as bakeries open their doors to the enticing scent of fresh cakes and flaky brioche. You will sip your coffee in view of the Mediterranean and listen to the kids as they share their stories about the castle you visited the previous day at Vernazza. After breakfast, your family will venture to the small marina and step aboard a private boat ready to visit the remaining towns of Cinque Terre and the hidden villages of the Italian Riviera. The 16th-century Aurora Tower disappears behind the rugged promontories, and the kids will lean into the sea breeze that will wash over the boat. You will disembark at a small dock that connects to the beach at San Fruttuoso.

A fresco of the saint adorns the rock beside the mooring, and the tower set above the Abbey was erected to protect a village and the religious center from pirates. The small-pebbled beach fills with locals eager to enjoy the serene setting of the medieval structure while watching over the water. The open-arched cellar once allowed boats to dock directly beneath the Abbey, but the water receded to offer a refreshing beach for people to relax amidst the bordering cliffs. The Romanesque features and vaulted interior feature lattice windows that offer views to the sea. Set out to the town of Portofino next to pass the statue of Christ of the Abyss, a work of art submerged in the nearly 60-foot deep water and visible from the surface.

The promise of castles and noblemen along ancient cobblestone streets will excite your entire family. At breakfast, you will indulge once more in the view from of your hotel, accompanied by the aroma of freshly baked brioche and rich espresso. Travel next via a scenic train ride through the tunnel that connects Monterosso to the northern town of Levanto where you will meet your private transfer. Travel along the winding mountain roads that will take you inland to Tuscany. Rolling emerald hills replace the turquoise coastline as vineyards and olive groves extend from the foothills and into the horizon.

The small medieval town is contained by its old medieval walls that circle the city center.  The walls were built between the 11th and 17th centuries to protect the inhabitants of the city from rival states, so the walls stretch more than two miles in circumference. A walkway runs along the wall’s exterior, crisscrossing what is now a park. Locals walk and jog beneath the lush green trees and alongside the historical stone, and your family will set out on a collection of bikes to ride through the park and into the heart of the city.

A gelato cart will sail past you on the pathway as you meander through the ancient alleyways to find street signs etched into the marble plaques that are situated on the sides of buildings. The Torre Guinigi, at the heart of the town, hosts a garden on the rooftop crowned with tall Holm Oaks. The Romanesque-Gothic structure stands at a height of 125 feet tall and offers a remarkable view of the red-tiled roof and blossoming countryside. Your private transfer will meet you at the city walls and escort you to Pisa to discover the enchanting angles of the Leaning Tower.

Florence is a city proud of its heritage and puts its past right out in the open as part of daily life. Palaces line the cobblestone streets in the historical city center, and the remarkable statues in the Loggia dei Lanzi exhibit the 16th-century works of marble and bronze sculptures, including Hercules Fighting with Nessus the Centaur. Your guide will meet you at your hotel in the morning and lead you down the streets shaped by the Roman grid. Palazzo Vecchio stands at the southeastern edge of Piazza della Signoria, decorated with a nearly 300-foot tall clock tower.

The grand structure once housed the Medici family before they moved across the Arno River to the Pitti Palace. The structure was constructed at the end of the 13th century as the residence of the governing body. Upon entering the palace, the kids will receive noble hats complete with feathers dangling from the rims, as aristocratic families once wore these during their outings around the city. The first courtyard has an arcade of columns decorated with intricate reliefs. At the heart of the courtyard stands the 15th century Verrocchio Fountain, which features an image of a dolphin that will delight your children.

The grand staircase leads you to the Salone dei Cinquecento, a gallery with a 69-foot tall ceiling decorated with 38 panels that tell stories of the history of Florence. Your guide will take you through a secret passage that leads your family into a room filled with period costumes, allowing the kids to feel like Florentine royalty. After enjoying a scavenger hunt in the Uffizi Gallery, you will traverse the narrow lanes and open avenues of Florence with several stops for gelato to sample the diverse flavors of the celebrated Italian treat, which started in Florence in the 16th century.

At breakfast, the kids will share the memories of their preferred gelato flavors at each of the shops you visited. You will sip a bittersweet cappuccino and ask about their favorite art pieces in the Uffizi. The vendors in the San Lorenzo Market will open their stalls to showcase their leather coats, boots, belts, and bags and your kids will likely convince you to buy one last souvenir.  After breakfast, your private transfer will collect your family at your hotel and escort you to Florence International Airport for your flight home. You will have traversed Italian cuisine and the Ligurian coastline, Tuscan hills and treasured castles turning the history of your surroundings into pure family fun.