GREAT ITALIAN CITIES

• You’re in for a bellissimo journey through the spectacular cities of Italy, which kicks off in the ‘Eternal City’ of Rome.
• Join your travel companions and Travel Director for a delightful Welcome Dinner.
• Your introduction to la dolce vita begins with an orientation drive past Rome’s most magnificent sights.

Arrival Transfer: Depart Leonardo da Vinci airport (FCO) at 09:30, 12:30, 15:30

Included Experience: Rome Orientation

• This morning we join our Local Specialist for a very special experience as we Dive Into Culture in the smallest nation on earth – Vatican City.
• Explore the extraordinary collections of the Vatican Museums and stand beneath Michelangelo’s sublime ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, admiring the artistry of great masters and walking in the footsteps of popes who have found peace within the walls of this enclave for centuries.
• Visit the expansive St Peter’s Basilica before continuing to the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo, where you’ll enjoy a tour of the lush gardens and lunch in its beautiful surrounds before returning to Rome.

Included Experience: Study the Masterpiece of the Vatican Museum

Optional Experience: Piazzas and Fountains

• Enjoy a full free day to explore Rome your way, or consider an Optional Experience delving into the tragic history of Pompeii – the Roman city frozen in time by the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
• Your Local Specialist will bring the ancient story of this city to life before you return to Rome, passing by the Abbey of Monte Cassino, the site of fierce fighting during the Second World War.

Optional Experience: Discover Pompeii / Roman Delights with Dinner

• Journey north through the rolling hills of Umbria to the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi.
• Here your Local Specialist will reveal the story of this most venerated figure on a visit to the Basilica of St. Francis, the final resting place of this famous saint and home to a wonderful series of frescoes by Giotto.
• Later we continue our journey through the scenic Tuscan countryside to Florence.
• Tonight, we Connect With Locals over dinner at a Be My Guest experience enjoying delicious specialities against the backdrop of picture-perfect olive groves and vineyards.

Included Experience: Visit the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Dine with Count Fulcis near Florence

• Enjoy a leisurely encounter with the artistic and architectural marvels of Florence during your walking tour with a Local Specialist.
• Visit the striking Piazza della Signoria with its impressive sculptures and palazzi.
• Amble through the charming cobblestone lanes to the multi-coloured marble Duomo and Baptistery, before admiring the scenic view of the Ponte Vecchio straddling the Arno River.
• Learn about the quality and workmanship of two of this city’s historic industries at demonstrations of Florentine leathercraft and 18-carat gold.
• Spend the rest of the afternoon sauntering through the historic centre of Florence, shopping for high-quality leather for which the city is famous, or admiring the artistic contribution of the Medici at every turn.

Included Experience: Florence City Tour and Florence Leather Demonstration

Optional Experience: Michelangelo’s ‘David’ & Accademia / Discover Palazzo Vecchio / Visit To San Gimignano

• After a morning at leisure in Florence, cross the fertile Arno Valley to Pisa and join a Local Specialist to visit the Square of Miracles, home to the incredible Leaning Tower and the iconic marble Cathedral.
• See the ornate Baptistery and the Camposanto, a monumental cemetery built on sacred soil brought back from the Holy Land during the Crusades.

Included Experience: Visit Pisa with a Local Specialist

Optional Experience: Dinner in the Tuscan Hills / Tuscan Dinner at Villa Machiavelli

• Travel north, through the Apennines, to the medieval city of Bologna, perhaps best known for the delicious pasta sauce that bears its name.
• Your sightseeing tour with a Local Specialist includes views of the Kissing Towers which lean towards each other, seemingly poised to embrace.
• Then it’s off to the romantic island city of Venice with its rich cultural and artistic heritage.
• Spend time at leisure gliding along its enchanting canals in a gondola or wander through the city’s labyrinthine lanes, over bridges and into quiet campi.

Included Experience: Bologna City Tour

Optional Experience: Gondolas & the Grand Canal

• Savour the iconic and unexpected highlights of Venice as you cruise by private launch to St. Mark’s Square to admire the Bridge of Sighs, Palladian churches, Customs House, St. Mark’s Basilica and the ornate Doge’s Palace.
• This afternoon, your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience will see you enjoy one of the city’s last remaining studios where you’ll gain insights into the delicate Venetian art of glassblowing.
• Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure admiring this city on water or consider an Optional Experience to the island of Burano where colourful fishermen’s homes line the canals.

Included Experience: Learn about the History and Ancient Skills on Venetian Glassblowing

Optional Experience: Lagoon Cruise to Burano with Food and Drinks

• Sites made famous in poetry, song and prose are explored today when we join a Local Specialist for a walking tour from our hotel along the canals to the famous Rialto Bridge, where all the flavours of Italy come to life at a centuries-old food market.
• Amble through the narrow calli of Venice and admire the beautiful architecture, walking over the Rialto Bridge before spending the rest of the day visiting the sights of your choice.
• Our love affair with Italy’s great Italian cities comes to an end this evening as we enjoy a Farewell Dinner.

Included Experience: Discover a Traditional food market by the famous Rialto Bridge

Optional Experience: Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica

• For now, it’s time to say a fond arrivederci to Italy and newfound friends who have shared in the memorable sights, sounds and flavours.

Departure Transfer: Arrive at the airport at 08:00, 09:30