This tour takes you through the picturesque Tuscan countryside to the magical and mysterious cities of Volterra and San Gimignano. Departing from your ship in Livorno Port, you'll reach one of the finest and lesser known hilltop towns tucked away in the heart of Tuscany, Volterra, a beautiful city of Etruscan origin. The "magic and mysterious" city of Volterra has its roots in three thousand years of history. It is possible to find evidence and traces from every historical period which gives the artistic city a unique aspect. The ancient city walls, the imposing Porta all'Arco, the Necropolis of Marmini and the numerous archaeological finds conserved in the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci like the Ombra della Sera with its unique profile, the funeral urns and the finely crafted jewellery, bear testimony of the Etruscan period. The Theatre of Vallebona survives from the period of Augustus and suggests the importance of Volterra under Roman domination. Today the city conserves, above all, a medieval aspect not only for the 12th century city walls but also because of the urban layout with narrow streets, palaces, tower houses and churches.

The Renaissance had an important influence on Volterra but without changing the city's medieval character. From this period are the superb palaces of Minucci Solaini, Incontri-Viti and Inghirami, which are built into the medieval city, the imposing Fortezza Medicea and the Convent of San Girolamo. Volterra is also a city of museums. Other than the Etruscan Museum there is the Civic Art Gallery with a fine collection of works from the Sienese and Florentine Schools, among which is the Deposition from the Cross by Rosso Fiorentino. The Museum of Sacred Art has an important collection of reliquary, 14th century Sienese sculpture and miniatures. You cannot talk about Volterra without mentioning Alabaster, an artistic handicraft that boasts a centuries-old history and a nobility of traditions that can be felt in every nook and corner of the town.