Carrara Marble Quarries Tour by Land Rover
Description
Follow the winding roads of the Colonnata Valley and get detailed explanations about the old and modern excavation process of marble. Look inside the vast white wounds that open up on the wild slopes of Carrara, and learn how the quarries have provided marble to towns and cities across Italy for more than 2,000 years. Hear about the sweat of the men who mined the marble used to build the Pantheon and Trajan's Column in Ancient Rome, along with many sculptures of the Renaissance. On your way back home, you are invited to go by your own means to taste a sample of the famous Lardo di Colonnata IGP, guide will give you the indication of the place to go.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meeting point in the Stadio dei Marmi area in Carrara, meeting with the guide, and start of the tour. From here we begin the ascent among the vineyards of the green Candia Hills (famous for giving birth to a fine and original tasting Wine) along a route between the sea and the imposing Apuan Alps that is truly spectacular. We continue along an up-and-down dirt section until we find the asphalt road again, which leads directly into the heart of the Carrara Marble Quarries.
Explore the most precious of Carrara's treasures: the white marble quarries. Aboard comfortable and powerful 4×4 jeeps, our guide will take you over the peaks of the Apuan Alps. Up to the marble basins at an altitude of 1,000 meters, to discover the magical place where Michelangelo found the block that gave birth to his world-famous Pieta.
Taste a sample of the famous Lardo di colonnata
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not recommended for travelers with acrophobia
Reviews(91)
I am absolutely appalled by the way this situation was handled. My 82-year-old mother, my 80-year-old aunt, and my brother had booked what was explicitly sold as a private Land Rover tour for three people, at a cost of approximately $300 USD. Due to traffic, they advised your team that they would be approximately 10 minutes late. Despite knowing this, the tour departed without two of the three guests. How can a tour be described as “private” when there is apparently no flexibility whatsoever for the very guests who exclusively booked and paid for it? There were no other passengers waiting, no group being inconvenienced, and no reason that a brief courtesy wait could not have been extended—particularly given the ages of the guests involved. The result was that my 82-year-old mother and 80-year-old aunt were left disappointed, embarrassed, and excluded from an experience they had been looking forward to. This is not the level of service one expects from a professional tourism operator. What is equally disappointing is the lack of response since the incident. Not only has there been no meaningful attempt to rectify the situation, but there has also been no effort to honor the tickets or provide an acceptable resolution. Shame on your organization for treating elderly guests in this manner. A company is ultimately judged not by how it handles perfect situations, but by how it responds when things do not go exactly according to plan. In this case, your handling of the matter has been deeply disappointing. I expect a prompt response and a fair resolution regarding the unused tickets.
We are sincerely sorry for your family's disappointment, especially regarding your mother and aunt. We understand that missing out on an experience, even one booked just the day before, is frustrating. However, for the sake of transparency for those reading this review, it is necessary to clarify the exact sequence of events, which differs from your description. The entire misunderstanding unfortunately stems from a misreading during the booking process: we do not sell private tours. The offer on the booking platform is clearly set up as a shared experience. There is absolutely nothing in the title or the description that would lead anyone to believe it is a private tour. The experience actually involves the group departure of 3 vehicles, each carrying 9 passengers and their own guide. This premise is crucial to explaining the rest of the situation: Logistics and Safety: We operate inside active quarries. Our schedule is extremely strict because we utilize specific time windows where work trucks deliberately stop to allow us to pass, as the roads are not wide enough to accommodate two vehicles simultaneously. Prior Communications: Precisely due to these safety and logistical reasons, when you contacted us a few hours before the experience asking to change the departure time, we informed you that it was not possible. The Delay: You notified us of a 10-minute delay right before departure. We did wait, but your delay extended beyond that timeframe. With other punctual guests already in the vehicles and our operational time windows in the quarry expiring, we simply could not make the other passengers wait any longer. A 10-minute grace period is manageable; anything beyond that is unfair to those who arrived on time. Our Assistance: It is incorrect to state that there was a lack of response; our team did reply to your messages even after the tour had departed to explain the situation. A company is also judged by how it respects and protects the guests who follow the rules and arrive on schedule. Making dozens of people wait in the vehicles due to another party's booking error and significant delay would not have been professional. We regret that the experience did not go as you had hoped, but we always highly recommend reading the offer details carefully before booking to avoid such unpleasant misunderstandings.
Great experience, good drivers and guides. Magnificent views of the different quarries and some of the culture. Highly recommend!!
Thank you for your great review! We're so glad you enjoyed this Land Rover tour of the Carrara marble quarries. Great drivers and guides, magnificent views, and a taste of local culture – that's what makes this experience unforgettable. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Tuscany or Liguria. Hope to welcome you back!
Everything was perfect, on time, friendly, and not too much was promised. The tour was amazing. Especially the size of the quarries is very impressive and highly recommended.
Seeing the impressive size of the quarries firsthand is truly a jaw-dropping adventure! We are thrilled you loved your scenic Carrara Marble Quarries Tour by Land Rover. It is wonderful to hear that our friendly expert guide provided a punctual and incredible experience that delivered on every promise. Sharing these magnificent hidden gems is our true passion. Vielen Dank!
This was an amazing experience! The quary was so interesting and beautiful to see. Our tour guide, Luca made it very informative and fun! So glad we did it!
Exploring the interesting and beautiful quarries is a truly amazing adventure! We're thrilled you loved your scenic Carrara Marble Quarries Tour by Land Rover. It is fantastic to hear that Luca was such a fun and informative expert guide. Sharing these spectacular hidden gems with our guests is our true passion. We are so glad you did it! Grazie for joining us!
A fascinating and fun tour. We recommend it.
Hearing that you found our tour both fascinating and fun is exactly what we hope for! We are thrilled you loved your scenic Carrara Marble Quarries Tour by Land Rover. Sharing the spectacular hidden gems of the mountains and adding a bit of adventure to your day is our true passion. We are so glad you highly recommend the experience. Grazie for exploring with us!
The visit to the Carrara Marble Quarries was simply extraordinary. The 4x4 Jeep tour took us to discover a unique world, among dirt roads, tunnels and active quarries that leave you breathless. The guide was exceptional: prepared, passionate and able to clearly explain the millennial history of this place, from the tradition of quarrymen to the great sculptors such as Michelangelo and Canova. Thanks to his explanations, every corner has acquired a deep meaning. The thrill of entering the mountain is something that you hardly forget: the huge proportions of the galleries, the dazzling white of the marble, the silence interrupted only by the noise of the machinery... a truly unique atmosphere. Absolutely recommended to anyone who wants to live an authentic experience, between nature, history and culture.
Thank you for such an amazing review! We are thrilled you enjoyed the 4x4 Jeep tour through the Carrara marble quarries. Our team is proud to share the history of Michelangelo and the tradition of the quarrymen in this unique landscape. It’s wonderful that entering the "heart of the mountain" left you breathless. We hope to see you again in Tuscany for more authentic adventures!
Our guide, Luca, was fantastic! He was very knowledgeable and spent a lot of time teaching us about the marble and its extraction. It was fascinating and really changed our perspective of everything else we saw while touring Italy. From churches to altars to statues - we saw everything with a different lens and more knowledge than had we not taken this tour. We highly recommend this little side trip to Carrara.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your Carrara marble tour and that Luca’s knowledge and passion made such a strong impact. It’s fantastic that the experience gave you a new perspective on art and architecture throughout Italy—that’s exactly what we hope to share. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again!
Very nice super easy trip with very nice and competent guides. Time about three hours. Super recommended!
Siamo felici che il nostro tour delle cave di marmo di Carrara sia stato all'altezza delle aspettative! Il nostro obiettivo è offrire un'esperienza in Land Rover che sia divertente, professionale e perfetta per scoprire la storia del territorio
Very interesting experience that the children also loved Congratulations to Luca who accompanied us
thanks for your nice review it was great to host you !
Our guide Luca prepared, punctual, friendly. Very suggestive and educational tour, advice!
thanks for your nice review it was a pleasure to have you !
