Florence & San Gimignano – A Day On Shore from Livorno

If you have chosen a Mediterranean Cruise your Ship is bound to make a stop in the Port of Livorno, one of the major commercial ports in Italy. It serves not only cruise ships but also cargo ships and ferries, which make it a very busy port where different cruise ships can dock on the same day.

Cruise Ships have several docks they can use, depending on their size and the traffic on their arrival day, so make sure you use a professional company that can track your ship and knows which dock to pick you up at. It might sound trivial, but it will save you wasting time.

Rome in Limo knows how important your limited time onshore is and will ensure you find your driver waiting for you just off the gangway of your ship, whether you are opting for a private tour or a shared tour. Your driver will have a sign with your name or group name on so that you can easily spot him.

After you have met your driver you will be ready to get to your first destination for the day. A short trip through the Tuscan countryside will get you there!

Once you reach Florence you can explore the Church of Santa Croce, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery, Piazza della Signoria, the Ponte Vecchio and the Accademia Gallery. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes since most of the sites are located in the historical center, which is mostly a pedestrian area.

The Accademia Gallery houses the David by Michelangelo, together with many other masterpieces by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Orcagna, to name just a few, will take about 40 minutes to visit. To ensure you don’t waste any time in line you have to reserve your tickets in advance. To do this you need to call 011 39 055 294883 (from the US) and follow the instructions. Keep in mind the time difference when calling. Office hours are from 8.30 am to 6:30 pm Italian Local Time.

We suggest 11 am entrance to fit into the rest of the schedule and since tickets have closed numbers, you should reserve them as soon as possible. Also, please keep in mind that the Accademia Gallery is closed on Mondays, so should your ship dock on this day, perhaps you should consider another shore excursion from the port of Livorno.You can pick another Private Shore Excursions from Livorno or another Shared Shore Excursion from Livorno.

You can choose to have lunch in one of the family-owned restaurants or grab a bite of Pizza to eat while exploring the city. That’s entirely up to you, but given the short time you’re allowed off the ship and the multitude of sites to see we suggest a quick bite before heading to your next destination.

San Gimignano. The town is known as “The Medieval Manhattan” because of its skyline dotted with towers. Originally there were 72, some of them as tall as 230 feet, but today only about 14 are still standing.The towers were built by rich local families, each trying to better the others by raising their tower higher until the council put a stop to the rivalry by ordering that no tower be higher than the City Hall’s tower.

The main square of the town is Piazza della Cisterna, where you will find the well that has provided water for the town since 1346, surrounded by medieval buildings. Another site not to miss is the Collegiate Church of Mary, famous for its fresco cycles. The church is described as “works of outstanding beauty” by Unesco.

To visit Florence and San Gimignano with our Private Tour click here while if you want to experience our Shared Tour click here.