ITALY AT LEISURE
11 days incl. air, or 10 days Rome/Milan (ZZW)
We fly in 4 days early, so we will spend 4 additional days in Rome, 14 days on the ground in Italy.

Vacation Overview

This is the perfect vacation to see Italy’s highlights in the most comfortable way. Three nights in Rome with a special Welcome Dinner and with sightseeing including St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Forum, and the Colosseum. The centrally located hotel gives you the opportunity to also explore this fabulous city on your own. On the way to Florence, visit the square in Siena and picturesque San Gimignano. The three nights in Florence, again with centrally located hotel, feature sightseeing including a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts to admire Michelangelo’s David, and also allow visits to the Leaning Tower in Pisa and splendid Verrazzano Castle to learn about Chianti wines and enjoy lunch. Two nights in the center of Venice include visits to St. Mark’s and Doges’ Palace, and an unforgettable Venetian cruise to the islands of Murano and Burano. Stop in Verona to take pictures of Juliet’s Balcony before this 11-day discovery ends in Milan with a visit to the magnificent gothic Duomo.

Map

Itinerary

Day 1Arrival in Rome, Italy
(Thu.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2Arrival in Rome, Italy
(Fri.) Time to rest or start exploring the Eternal City. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine in one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (D)

Day 3Rome
(Sat.) Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Afterwards relax or explore the city on your own. Later you may wish to join an optional walk to Trevi Fountain, Navona Square, the Roman Pantheon, and the Spanish Steps, and finish with a Roman dinner party. (BB)

Day 4Rome
(Sun.) This morning follow your Local Guide and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. Then time to savor la dolce vita and enjoy independent activities. An optional excursion to Ostia Antica is available. (BB)

Day 5Rome–Siena–San Gimignano–Florence
(Mon.) First stop this morning is in Siena. Walk through ancient, narrow lanes to Piaza del Campo, site of the Palio, Siena’s spectacular medievalstyle horse race. Then continue through unforgettable landscapes of gently rolling, vine-clad hills for a stop in hilltop San Gimignano, the most picturesque of Italy’s perfectly preserved medieval towns. Afterwards on to Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany and birthplace of the Renaissance. (BB,D)

Day 6Florence
(Tue.) Follow your Local Guide and visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David and the magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. The afternoon is free. Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry sold by the ounce are attractive buys. You may wish to join an optional dinner outing to a fine Tuscan restaurant. (BB)

Day 7Florence
Excursion to Pisa and Verrazzano Castle. (Wed.) A fast journey will bring you to Pisa. Here take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 12 feet out of the perpendicular. Today’s highlight: hear about the fine art of blending four types of grapes to obtain the famous Chianti at VERRAZZANO CASTLE; enjoy WINE TASTING and lunch before returning to Florence. (BB,L)

Day 8Florence–Venice
(Thu.) An easy morning drive through the wooded Apennine Hills to Venice, a powerful magnet for romantics and art lovers from around the globe. Enter its glittering maze of islands, canals, and bridges in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and BYZANTINE BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE, and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Then enjoy Venice at your own pace, or join an optional gondola ride. (BB)

Day 9Venice
Murano and Burano Islands Excursion. (Fri.) Enjoy an unforgettable Venetian LAGOON CRUISE to the islands of Murano and Burano. Glide past the islands of San Giorgio and Santa Elena, and along the banks of the famous Lido. In Murano watch GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then continue on to the picturesque fishing village of Burano, renowned for its bright pastel-colored houses and for its lacemaking. Take pictures of traditional fishing boats and enjoy an included lunch. Return to Venice in the early afternoon. (BB,L)

Day 10Venice–Verona–Milan
(Sat.) Stop in Verona, medieval setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and see Juliet’s Balcony and the Arena, an incredibly well-preserved pink marble Roman amphitheater. Built in the 1st century A.D., it is now the magical venue for world-famous opera performances. Then on to the dynamic city of Milan with its famous Scala Opera House, glass-domed GALLERIA, and magnificent GOTHIC DUOMO. An optional farewell dinner may be the perfect way to celebrate the success of your Italian vacation. (BB)

Day 11
(Sun.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)

Optional Excursions

Here's a list of optional excursions you can enjoy during your vacation. Whether it's a special dinner, a local show or a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into an historical site, optional excursions are wonderful way to enrich your vacation even further. Plus, they give you flexibility. We include the must-see sites and experiences, and we also understand that people take interest in different activities and may want to craft a more personal vacation by hand-picking optional excursions that appeal to them.

Availability is subject to sufficient participation, weather conditions, seasonal suitability, group interests, and general feasibility for your vacation. The approximate value listed gives you a good, general idea of what you can expect to pay but may vary once you are on your vacation. Optional excursions can only be purchased when you're on vacation and are not sold in advance. Some information provided might be in a foreign currency, you can use our online currency converter for exchange rate information.

CITY: Florence


Tuscan Dinner
Drive out to the Tuscan Hills to enjoy a traditional Florentine meal, including drinks, in a picturesque country setting.
Approximate value: EUR €49 per person

Renaissance Dinner
In the magnificent setting of Palazzo Borghese, enjoy a four-course dinner with wine served by waiters wearing costumes inspired by the great Florentine banquets of the 15th century. Original Renaissance music, ballets, and a jester will add to the cheerful evening.
Approximate value: EUR €50 per person

Highlights of Uffizi Gallery
Admire the world's greatest collection of Italian and Florentine art. The GALLERY showcases works by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and Michelangelo.
Approximate value: EUR €36 per person

CITY: Rome


Excursion to Tivoli with Dinner
Leave Rome for a guided visit of the famous VILLA ADRIANA or the VILLA D'ESTE GARDENS and FOUNTAINS in Tivoli, followed by a typical country-style dinner with wine, spumante, and music.
Approximate value: EUR €71 per person

Excursion to Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica at the mouth of the Tiber is the home port for ancient Rome's conquest of the Mediterranean. Your local guide relates the surprisingly sophisticated urban life of more than 2,000 years ago as your visit a Roman theatre, an ancient mill, and the luxurious Forum Baths. Note: Comfortable walking shoes are advised.
Approximate value: EUR €45 per person

Roman Highlights and Dinner
A guided walking tour takes you to some of the most famous monuments. Admire the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti, Piazza Navona, Parliament, and Pantheon. Later this evening enjoy a four-course dinner at a popular Roman restaurant. Drinks included.
Approximate value: EUR €63 per person

CITY: Venice


A Venetian Night Out
Travel by private water taxi along the splendid Grand Canal with its elegant palaces to a fine Venetian restaurant, and taste four mouth-watering courses of local specialties and wine. Later there's time to explore and absorb the romantic and unique atmosphere of Venice by night.
Approximate value: EUR €66 per person

Gondola Serenade
Enjoy a serenaded ride in a traditional gondola (for 6 people), gliding through centuries-old canals, under famous arched bridges, and past lavish palaces and quaint piazzas.
Approximate value: EUR €40 per person

Excellent! You only posted Rome though, I really enjoyed Firenze (Florence) and the Tuscan Countryside towns more though.

Don't you just HATE the "Rose" trick at the Trivi fountain and other touristy spots in Rome.

I think Italy is where the wife and I will vacation next, once we save up the money for another big trip.

Awesome stuff! I'm taking a trip to Italy in September. I already have the whole thing planned out. Rome, Orvieto (small Umbrian town), Florence, Venice. Bring on more pictures and any more tips you can give to someone who will be going.

Also, you can get beer (to go if you'd like) at McDonald's... crazy.

see...you see! AMERICA is NOT FREE!

Told ya.

Told ya.

That's funny. In actuallity serving beer in a McDonalds is a sign that they are not Free. The more a country encourages its populace to drink the more they keep the populace complacent and strengthen the Governments ability to work with less interference of the people. IMO

Wow MGJ, I didn't pick you as being someone who connects freedom of choice with governmental control.

/ya learn sumtin' new ev'ry day