Tour Overview
A visit to Italy is a lesson in living well. Open-air vegetable and fruit markets, neighborhood bakeries and fresh cheeses made daily are fixtures of Italian life. Tradition reigns: Neighbors still meet in the piazza to discuss the day, laundry is still line-dried, even in the largest of cities, and the passeggiata (leisurely stroll) is still made in the evening air – preferably with a gelato in hand. From the mountains to the coasts, the emphasis is on simple pleasures and high quality. On this essential highlights tour, visit Italy’s most magical cities: Venice, Florence and Rome. Built on over 100 islets, linked by 400 bridges, Venice is the only city in the world that is built entirely on water. The city has captivated poets, painters and writers for centuries and continues to charm visitors with its fragile beauty. Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Its palaces, churches and museums overflow with masterful paintings and sculpture. The Eternal City of Rome, sprawling among its seven hills, is fascinating for both its ancient and its modern wonders. All that surrounds a visitor in Rome – the stunning art and architecture, the grandeur of scale and the city’s lively citizens – guarantee an unforgettable visit.Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Venice, ItalyUpon arrival at the Venice airport, you will be met in the arrivals hall and will be privately transferred to your hotel and assisted with check-in. Your local customer service coordinator is part of a unique network of one of over 20 representatives throughout Italy to ensure your vacation operates smoothly and to your absolute satisfaction. Your CSC is there on the ground to ensure that your travel arrangements run perfectly. You will be confirmed for two nights at the Hotel Bonvecchiati Palace in a Superior Double Room inclusive of buffet breakfast. Centrally located in the heart of the city close to St. Mark’s Square, the Hotel Bonvecchiati Palace is a brand new unique 4-star boutique hotel. Modern, functional, cosmopolitan, with comforts and the latest modern services, it is a perfect base for leisure travelers. The hotel features richly appointed rooms furnished with luxurious contemporary décor, attentive service, an exclusive fitness center with outside views of Venice, enriched with Turkish bath, sauna, Jacuzzi and massages. The reading room, breakfast room (American buffet with Venetian specialties), and the restaurant are places of exquisite charm perfect for socializing and relaxing. Venice is one of the few cities in the world that can be described as truly unique. It survives against all the odds, built on a series of low mud banks amid the tidal waters of the Adriatic, and regularly subject to floods. Millions visit the city each year and succumb to the magic of this improbable place whose “streets are full of water” and where the glories of the past are evident at every turn. In the early evening before sunset you will head towards the closest gondola pier where you will begin a 45-minute ride through the enchanting city accompanied by the renowned sound of your gondolier serenading with traditional Venetian songs.
Hotel Bonvecchiati Palace- Superior Room Day 2: Venice
This morning you will be met at your hotel by your local English-speaking guide for a half-day walking tour (3-hours) of Venice. Your tour will include visits to St. Mark's Basilica, with its rich decoration of marbles and golden mosaics, and the Doge's Palace, once the seat of government and residence of the doges.
Breakfast
Hotel Bonvecchiati Palace- Superior Room Day 3: Venice- Florence
Today you will be met at your hotel and privately transferred to the Venice railway station to begin your assisted rail journey. Here you will be shown to your pre-reserved 1st class seating and your luggage will be handled onboard for you. Travel by modern express rail in Europe is an excellent way of traveling between destinations in comfort, style and at speed. The benefits of rail travel in Europe are numerous. In many instances rail travel can be quicker than air travel so no waiting in airport departure lounges or lost luggage! Upon arrival at the Florence railway station you will be met by your English-speaking driver and transferred to your hotel where you will be assisted with check-in. After check in meet your guide who will introduce you to the Renaissance city of Florence: your tour will include a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David and the ancient pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella. This historical Antica Farmacia dates back to the Dominican friars who in 1221 settled in Florence and was officially founded in 1612.
Florence is a vast and beautiful monument to the Renaissance, the artistic and cultural reawakening of the 15th century. Writers such as Dante, Petrarch and Machiavelli contributed to its proud literary heritage, though it was the paintings and sculptures of the artists such as Botticelli, Michelangelo and Donatello that turned the city into one of the world’s greatest artistic capitals. You will be confirmed for three nights at the Hotel Gallery Art in a Superior Double Room, inclusive of buffet breakfast.
Breakfast
Hotel Gallery Art- Superior Room Day 4: Florence
This morning you will enjoy a half-day walking tour of Florence (4-hours) with your local English-speaking guide. Your tour will include visits to the Ufuzzi Gallery, housing some of the world’s most important art treasures, and the Church of Santa Croce, where many famous Florentines are buried such as Michelangelo and Galileo. You will have the opportunity to view the remarkable exterior of the Palazzo Vecchio before walking through the Piazza Signoria
Breakfast
Hotel Gallery Art- Superior Room Day 5: Florence- Pisa- Florence
This morning meet your English-speaking driver for a half-day sightseeing tour by private vehicle to Pisa. When you arrive in Pisa you will meet your local English-speaking guide for a two-hour walking tour, which will include the Piazza dei Miracoli and the famous leaning tower*. *Note: children under 8 years old are not allowed to climb the tower; children up to the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. After lunch at leisure (not included, payable locally) you will be driven back to your hotel in Florence.
Breakfast
Hotel Gallery Art- Superior Room Day 6: Florence- Perugia- Rome
This morning let your private chauffeur transfer you to the historical city of Rome. Stop en-route in the medieval hilltop city of Perugia. Upon arrival there you will meet your English-speaking local tour guide who will welcome you and introduce you to the beauty of the city. Here you will visit the Collegio del Cambio (Exchange Guild) where elaborate frescoes decorate the meeting room and chapel of the guild of bankers and moneychangers. The imposing Palazzo dei Priori houses the National Gallery of Umbria with magnificent paintings, frescoes and sculptures. After enjoying a leisurely lunch in a local “tattoria” (not included, payable locally) you will continue your journey to Rome. Rome grew to rule a vast empire and as that empire began to divide, the region became the center of the Christian world. Artists and architects flocked to work for the popes and their families, notably in the Renaissance and Baroque periods when some magnificent architectural works were created. The legacy of this uninterrupted history can be seen all over the city and surrounding area. You will be confirmed for three nights at the Hotel Rose Garden in a Superior Room, including buffet breakfast daily. Located in via Buoncompagni in the most exclusive area of Via Veneto, this new and elegant hotel has opened its doors in a 19th century building. A stylish design combines the classic and modern characteristics of the 59 rooms and 6 suites, all with minibar, safety deposit box, satellite TV, air-conditioning and bathrooms with precious marbles. Set in a unique rose garden in the center of Rome, you can enjoy the hotels restaurant that offers seasonal menus, which capture all of the flavors of Italy and the creative interpretation of the hotel’s expert chef. The hotel also has a fitness center with plunge pool, cardiovascular machines and a sauna. From the Hotel Rose Garden it is an easy walk to reach the Villa Borghese, the Spanish Steps, the stylish shops of Via Condotti and the bars of Via Veneto.
Breakfast
Hotel Rose Garden Palace- Superior Room Day 7: Rome
This morning you will be met by your driver and private vehicle and escorted to the Vatican City where you will be met by your local English-speaking guide for a half-day sightseeing tour (4 hours). Created as a result of the Lateran Treaty of 1929 between Pope Pius XCI and the Italian government, the Vatican is the smallest independent state. Explore the treasures of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel with its famous frescoes by Michelangelo. Visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the dominant structure of the Vatican that was erected on order by Constantine, over the tomb of the crucified St. Peter. The present structure is mostly Renaissance and Baroque, formed under the hands of such masters as Michelangelo, and the inside is an elaborate and detailed display of marble, mosaic, gilt and bronze. The afternoon is at leisure.
Breakfast
Hotel Rose Garden Palace- Superior Room Day 8: Rome
Meet your private car and English-speaking guide for a half-day sightseeing of Imperial Rome. Your tour will include a visit to the famous Colosseum, scene of gladiator battles, the Roman Forum and Palatine, which was the center of Roman Life. The afternoon is at your leisure.
Breakfast
Hotel Rose Garden Palace- Superior Room Day 9: Depart Rome
Today you will be privately transferred to the Rome airport.
Breakfast
