Carrara Marble Quarries & Cinque Terre Private Tour from Florence

The quarries where Michelangelo chose his marble

A private 9-hour tour from Florence takes you to the Carrara marble quarries where Michelangelo hand-selected stone, then to the five UNESCO-listed villages of Cinque Terre for self-guided exploration. The tour includes round-trip private transfer, an air-conditioned minivan, a driver-guide, bottled water and Wi-Fi. You choose whether to add stops at the quarries and Colonnata, home of the region's famous lardo aged in marble vats.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each2 stops

1. Carrara Marble Quarry2h
2. Vernazza2h

Carrara quarries and Cinque Terre tour

• Visit Carrara marble quarries
• Optional stop in Colonnata village
• Self guided tour of Cinque Terre villages

The experience

The day starts with pickup from Florence and a drive north toward the Apuan Alps, where the Carrara marble quarries cut into the mountainside. The quarries are optional (you can skip them and head straight to Cinque Terre), but if you go, you'll see the same white stone faces Michelangelo traveled 250 miles to inspect in person, choosing blocks for the Pieta and the David. The quarries appeared in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace, and the scale of the excavation makes clear why Renaissance sculptors considered the journey worth the time. Your driver-guide handles the route. You walk the quarry site at your own pace.

From Carrara, the route descends to the coast and the five villages of Cinque Terre, Vernazzo among them, stacked on cliffs above the Ligurian Sea. These are self-guided stops, so you set the rhythm: linger in the narrow streets, sit in a piazza, photograph the pastel facades and the water below. The entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the villages have no cars. You move on foot. If you want a detour, Colonnata sits inland and is known for lardo di Colonnata, pork fat aged in marble vats and sliced paper-thin: an optional stop if the local specialty interests you.

The full day runs nine hours door-to-door. Your guide speaks English, Portuguese, Italian or French, and the minivan has air conditioning, Wi-Fi and bottled water. The return to Florence is included. Lunch is not, so plan to eat in one of the villages or bring something with you.

What’s included

• Round-trip private transfer from Florence.
• driver-guide for the full day.
• air-conditioned minivan transport.
• bottled water and Wi-Fi on board.
• self-guided access to Cinque Terre villages and optional stops at Carrara marble quarries and Colonnata.

Information

Lasts 9h, runs every day at 08:30, from € 620 per person, with a live guide in English, French, Italian and Portuguese and as a private tour.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30Last departure this season: 30 Nov

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French, Italian and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (21 and older) · Youth (13 to 20 years) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (under 6)

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by We Drive You Tuscany

Is this one for you?The nine-hour commitment means you leave Florence early and return in the evening, which works for a full-day excursion but rules out combining this with other activities the same day. The self-guided village sections let you set your own pace through Cinque Terre, so you're not locked to a group schedule once you arrive.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French, Italian and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 20 years); Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (under 6).

What exactly is at the Carrara marble quarries?

The Carrara quarries are open-pit mines carved into the Apuan Alps where white marble has been extracted for centuries. The stone faces are massive and still active. You walk among the excavations and see the scale of the work that supplied Renaissance sculptors, including Michelangelo.

Can I skip the marble quarries and just go to Cinque Terre?

Yes, the quarries are optional. You can ask your driver-guide to take you straight to Cinque Terre if you prefer to spend more time in the villages instead.

How much time do I spend walking in Cinque Terre?

The villages are self-guided, so you control the pace. The tour is nine hours total from Florence, including drive time, so you'll have several hours to explore the five towns, but the exact breakdown depends on which stops you choose and how long you linger in each one.

Is lunch included in this tour?

Lunch is not included. You'll eat in one of the Cinque Terre villages or bring your own food. The villages have restaurants and cafes, though they can be busy during peak hours.

What is Colonnata and why would I stop there?

Colonnata is a small village inland from the coast, famous for lardo di Colonnata: pork fat aged in marble vats and served as a local delicacy. It's an optional stop if you want to taste this regional specialty or see how it's made.