The Diva Tour
The Diva Tour with Lauren Frances
Get ready for a divine romantic tour through Paris, that will delight your senses and inspire your “inner femme” (aka. Diva) to come out and play!
And if you are wanting to look like an irresistible Italian Movie Star, The Diva Tour offers a truly unique and special opportunity, as Lauren will be helping you not only shop, but styling you for a once-in-a-lifetime romantic photo shoot in Venice Italy! Her Magnet Makeovers have been featured on numerous TV Shows, and have launched hundreds of love lives, and having her expertise about what to wear, and how to express your beauty to it’s fullest, will ensure that this trip is more than a mere vacation, but a true transformation!
It’s going to be a totally whirlwind, romantic romp.
So if you want to look and FEEL like an Italian movie star, and love to gaze at works of art, (who will also delight in gazing right back at YOU!), then you’ll love what we’ve got in store!
THE DIVA TOUR OVERVIEW:
We’re beginning our whirlwind tour in Milan, and continuing on to Venice, Florence and wrapping up our tour in a gorgeous spa in Tuscany. Here’s a sneak preview …
Milan
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Day 3 – MILAN – Shopping and Dining
Today, our private shopping guide will take us to the elegant, fashion-focused neighborhood of Via della Spigaand Via Montenapoleone, world-famous for their designer boutiques. You will have time to try the best dresses in the country in Italy’s fashion quarters.
The Quadrilatero. This area contains the most prestigious boutiques and showrooms. Dazzling jewels from Cartier, clothes and accessories by Gucci, Versace, and Louis Vuitton are just a few of the shops that line the streets of this famed area.
The Corso Buenos Aires. This area is Europe’s longest shopping street and is comparable to London’s Oxford Street or Paris’s avenue des Champs-Élysées. With over 350 international ready-to- wear brands, the 1km-long street offers one of the highest concentrations of clothing stores in Europe and is a great place to pick up some bargains.
You’ll also have the opportunity to book tours of your choice, as there are concerts of Verdi in 16th century costumes, art museums galore, and that evening, we’ll have a fabulous dinner and another fun girls night out on the town!
Venice
Day 4 – Venice!
VENICE!! This ancient floating city is charming beyond words, and full of history, unique secrets, edible delights, music and beauty.
Veronica Franco, the famed Venetian Courtesan, Casanova, and musicians, painters, and more lived and loved here, and we’ll learn its romantic and cultural secrets and history. We’ll also be dressing in carnival costumes, mask making, and doing an epic photo shoot (in gondolas!)
In Venice, our private water taxi will take us to our Hotel, where we’ll unwind with prosecco, and enjoy the Venetian sunset in Laguna, before heading out to dinner…
Day 5 – A Casanova and Courtesan Tour of Venice!
The seductive itinerary of Casanova, to discover the places of the seducer that has been spoken and written in literature and in countless interpretations and representations. A journey through the places of Venice through the paths described by him in his memories, the memories of his gallant adventures.
Veronica Franco, savior of Venice, a woman of letters, and courtesan to Kings! And Casanova, Conversationalist, libertine, globetrotter, seducer, a man of letters, alchemist, military, historian, spy. This tour will reveal these characters who were the stars of their eras and inspired romance, dominated society, and it’s erotica.
In the afternoon we’ll create our own traditional Venetian Carnival mask, (you’ll need this for the following day), choosing among a variety of techniques and materials that have been used for centuries for the yearly Carnival of Venice, and that will lead us into a special evening of revelry!
That evening, we’ll dine in Laguna, and enjoy a divine three course dinner with pared wine and a master of ceremony that will give us a truly unique experience in and beautiful affresco’s Palace in the heart of Venice.
Day 6 – VENICE The Courtesan Tour! Photo’s and Costumes, oh my!
We are going to take epic photo’s in Venice … both in modern dress, and in carnival ballgowns, before we transform into glamorous modern-day Cortigiana’s for an evening of sheer fun!
To talk to us about this program, click here.
Florence
Day 7 – Florence, Gucci and Ferragamo!
In the morning, we’ll be taking a high speed train to Florence from Milan. Florence is chock full of beauty, and historical treasures, and if you love artwork, shopping & stilettos along with gorgeous palaces, our time in Florence is going to be a dream come true!
After lunch, we’ll be meeting our guide for a walking tour of Florence and visiting the famous Sant Maria Novella, one of the oldest pharmacies and perfumeries in Italy.Love is always in the air in Florence, from the stairs of Piazzale Michelangelo we’ll see Florence spread out below, embraced by the light and surrounding hills. It has to be one of the most romantic views in Florence!
A very special (if platonic) love affair, was the one between the Italian poet Dante Alighieri and Beatrice, the woman he fell in love with when he was a child. His passion for her inspired him to write the “Divine Comedy” and even if they never exchanged a kiss, (terrible!) his heart was hers forever. We’ll go to the tiny church of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi there’s a plaque dedicated to the memory of Beatrice, and we, like many lovers will bring a flower and make a wish! The Garden at Villa Bardini for a bit of old-world charm and amazing views, and the Boboli Garden, this beautiful green area is set on the side of the hill in the Oltrarno. As you walk up, through ancient stairs and stone statues, flowery pergolas and green walkways, we’ll see the city opening up in front of our eyes. Quiet, atmospheric and enticing, a must for every romantic soul. Many of you will want to do different art tours depending on what you wish to see! |
Day 8 – The Aphrodisiacs of Florence – Art, Perfume, and Stiletto’s!
In the afternoon, we’ll meet our guide, who’ll be taking us to the Gucci Museum for lunch, and give us some insider tips about shopping in Florence.
Visiting the Ferragamo, Pucci and Gucci Museums, (shoes!) along with amazing art tours will truly delight you. And if you haven’t gazed at David’s gorgeous buttocks before, you’ve gotta see what all of the fuss is about. They’re worth it! Not to mention seeing the Palaces, or stopping by the Da Vinci Museum to see Leonardo’s inventions real life!
And in the evening, we’ll be dining at Il Latini. If you’ve been to Dan Tana’s in LA or Brasserie Lipp in Paris, you’ll understand why it’s one of my favorite restaurants in the world!
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Tuscany
Day 10 – Under the Tuscan Sun (& the Spa!)
And after all of our epic frolicking, we’ll be ready to totally relax and unwind in the stunningly beautiful Tuscan countryside! We’ll be staying in a nineteenth-century villa, Grotta Giusti Spa which has been restored to its original splendor, – with meticulous care. It is elegantly furnished, decorated with frescoes, surrounded by an age-old park, and has a divine thermal spa: a unique and wonderful grotto, and it’s thermal springs come from a deep, warm underground lake and spectacular chambers, where the temperature is set as if it were a living and breathing organism. The villa above the grotto is now a place where you can experience a kind of new harmony and totally relax and reconnect with nature.
We’ll enjoy beauty services, massages, and pampering galore along with a delicious DIVA dinner!
And many of us are staying for an extra day and evening on the 15th, too!
Day 11 – (Oct 15th) Diva’s Forever!
After breakfast, your driver will take you to the Florence Airport or train, depending on your travel plans! You also have the option to add one extra day and night to the tour for an upcharge.
Tour Investment:
This is a white-glove tour, and you will be treated like the Diva that you are!
Registration includes your preferred room category, all travel during the tour and luggage transport, airport pick up and drop off, most meals, the experiences listed in our final itinerary, (your preferences will be factored into our groups program) and our special event costs, along with photo’s and styling tips.
It excludes your airfare, and of course …shopping!
Single Room: $12,250 USD
Double Room Rate: $11,250 USD
ADDITIONS / CURATING TOUR TRAVEL
*Can’t join us all 10 days? If you’d like to meet us in for 7 days in Italy, that is available upon special request. Click here to discuss that with our team.
*Early arrivals: You may want to arrive as early as October 3rd or 4th to get over jet lag before we begin on the 5th. Many guests are also adding an extra day at the end of our tour, which are available to you for an upcharge.
To request any additions or abbreviations to our full tour itinerary, please click here.