Day 1. Fri. En Route.

This evening make your way to the airport in your home city to Rome Italy.

Day 2. Sat. Rome.

After arrival meet our representative and board our coach. Drive from the airport to the center of Tivoli (Roman suburb) where we begin our introduction of our welcome to Italy. Before check-in enjoy a lovely dinner in a typical Italian restaurant.

Overnight: Hotel Center Rome. (D)

Day 3. Sun. Rome.

Enjoy a full day tour of ancient Rome, such as The Arch of Constantine, The Roman Forum and The Roman Coliseum. After lunch you will experience a simulated ride where you travel through the rich history of Rome. Continuing our walk we will visit Camidoglio Square, the Basilica San Clemente and finishing our tour we will visit the Terrace of the Quadrighe, from which everyone will have a breath taking view of the Eternal City and in particular of Old Rome.

Overnight: Hotel Center Rome. (BD)

Day 4. Mon. Rome.

A great day tour visiting Vatican Museums, St. Peter Basilica, St. Mark’s Square, Sant Angelo Castle, Piazza Navona, The Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps.

Overnight: Hotel Center Rome. (Quad bedded rooms – BLD)

Day 5. Tue. Rome / Sorrento.

This morning will be free at your leisure. Use this time to walk around the amazing Rome before our next destination. During afternoon you will be transferred to Sorrento. We will stop and catch some pictures of the magnificent coastline of Italy before sunset.

Overnight: Zi Teresa Hotel . (BD)

Day 6. Wed. Sorrento / Amalfi Coast.

Full day visiting Sorrento and Amalfi Coast towns (Amalfi, Ravello, and Positano), including during afternoon Pastry and Ice Cream Demostration.

Overnight: Zi Teresa Hotel . (BD)

Day 7. Thu. Sorrento  Pompeii / Siena / Florence Tuscany.

Enjoy aprivate full day tour. First stop will be Pompeii ruins where Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. spewing volcanic ash over the prosperous city of Pompeii burring around 20,000 of its inhabitants under tons of ash and pumice. Later proceed to Siena, a classic medieval hill town in Tuscany. We continue our drive to Florence and proceed to stop at the hill on the left bank of the Arno river, called Piazzale Michelangelo. It offers a magnificent view of the whole Florence. The square was designed by the Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi and built in 1869.

Overnight: Leonardo Da Vinci Hotel Florence. (BD)

Day 8. Fri. Florence.

This day we will visit Barghello (National ) Museum, one of the oldest buildings in Florence and one of the most beautiful in Italy, which was begun in 1255.  We will leave the Museum and walk to our next important reservation. The Italian Cooking Class, An authentic, half day cooking lesson on one of the Italian’s most famous regions. Here’s your chance to learn how to cook a classic Tuscan meal in Florence – and then eat it, matched with Tuscan wines! After lunch  the guide will lead you to the leather neighborhood. Once we reach the area, we will have free time to explore the leather shops in this neighborhood.  This market is close to Ponte Vecchio. Next up, we walk to the nearby River Arno and the famous bridge in Florence – The Pointe Vecchio. Here the guide will show us the most famous bridge in town. There are many bridges crossing the river that are used by cars, but only this one shows you what it was like in the old days for pedestrians to walk across enclosed bridges. There are plenty of souvenirs shops as well, so you will have an hour of free time here also.

Overnight: Leonardo Da Vinci Hotel Florence. (BD)

Day 9. Sat. Florence.

Full day tour at the city of the artist. You will be amazed as we walk Florence with our guide and visit the most important works of art, culture, monuments and scenic beauty within the city. Walk through the city center with a visit The Galleria dell’Accademia (Academia Museum),  dominated by one artwork in particular – Michelangelo’s staggeringly beautiful statue of David.  Just a couple of blocks away is another famous Basilica. We will explore the interior and exterior. Later, proceed to The Mercato Centrale, an extravaganza of food products that goes into making those Tuscan specialties.

Next, our guide will lead us walking to the Duomo and visiting the interior which marks the religious heart of the city. The Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo) . Continue with our guide to our next stop – The Villa Spinelli Art Restoration school. Our guide will lead us walking to our next appointment – The Villa Spinelli Art Restoration Institute. At the end of the afternoon you will enjoy two hours of free time for another famous Italian Gelato stop and if you wish, visit Santa Croce leather markets along the way in this neighbourhood.

Overnight: Leonardo Da Vinci Hotel Florence. (BD)

Day 10. Sun. Venice.

This day you will be transferred by train to Venice. Once there, your escort will lead you to a public water taxi to San Mark’s square. Watch from the comfort of the boat as we cruise along the Grand Canal to St. Mark’s square. There we have one hour free time. This is your first introduction to Venice to be able to see the views from the top. In small groups, you will take the elevator up to the top and back down during this one hour free time. From the top of the campanile, you have a great view over Venice and the lagoon. Weather permitting, you can see as far as the Alps.

Our next stop will be Doge’s palace, (Palazzo Ducale) built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice, opening as a museum in 1923.  We continue with our guide and head to St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco), constructed in the 9th century as a small square dotted with trees. The square was laid out in front of the original St. Mark’s Basilica, at the time a small chapel which was part of the Doge’s Palace. At the conclusion of our Doge’s Palace, the guide will lead us to an area close by and line up for a gondola ride . The guide will negotiate with the Gondola Oarsmen and you will pay directly for this ride. Have your camera ready.

Concluding our afternoon, we will be led by our guide to a private boat where we will ride first along the Grand Canal to take pictures and see the beautiful images of Venice before the sun sets.

Overnight: Villa Mabapa Venice. (BD)

Day 11. Mon. Lido / Venice.

During the morning  we will take our water taxi to continue with our tour of Venice. Walk to the “squareo of San Trovaso”. San Trovaso Square – Here we visit a place just off the square, where you will see how a Venetian gondola is made at the gondola workshop. The squero di San Trovaso, is one of the last remaining gondola boat yards in Venice. Next, walk to the Costume & Mask Factory of San Polo area in Venice. “L’Atelier di Tragicomica” opens in Venice at San Tomà 2874, close to the Vaporetto stop. Your guide will lead everyone to the famous Tragicomica Costume and Mask factory in Venice. Here we will get to see the work of the artisans who make these products for Venice Balls, Dances, Private parties and the Venice Carnival.

Later, Walking through San Polo. Lots of visitors find this to be the most interesting neighborhood in the whole of Venice. There are a dozen or so churches, and half a dozen or so museums and galleries. continue to The Pieta Orphanage Hospital, one of the main orphanages of Venice. From San Polo There are numerous orphaned children in Venice and this afternoon we will stop and learn about them.

Concluding the afternoon, you will have an hour free time at St. Mark’s Square where you can have a drink in any of the café’s.

Overnight: Villa Mabapa Venice. (BD)

Day 12. Tue.  Venice / Flight back home.

Check out of the hotel and walk with our guide to the public Vaparetto (water taxi) Once on board the water taxi, we will take about 20 minutes to reach Venice.  Once we arrive at the Rialto bridge area we will meet an expert that will explain the MOSE project and how it will protect Venice from the high tides. Is Venice sinking? Come and learn by yourself. We will have an in depth two and a half hours to learn about this project with a specialist guide.

From Mose project our guide will lead us to the Rialto Bridge and markets nearby. This bustling area of Venice is fascinating to walk around. Probably the most visited and most photographed bridge in Venice, the Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) opened in 1591. For nearly three hundred years, it was the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot. The bridge replaced various wooden bridges that had occupied the same location since the 12th century. Just minutes from the Rialto Bridge is the famous market of Rialto. We will take a short walk through and see what the locals can buy fresh every day.

During afternoon we set out and begin a tour of the hidden gems of Venice. The way to discover Venice is to leave the beaten track where most tourists are, and go off with an expert guide and wind down some deserted streets and just keep going, stopping all the while to savor and capture on film some spots that will remain with you forever. Take a Gelato Break – Just nearby St. Marks Square is Gelato Fantasy shop.  One of the best Gelato shops in Venice.

At the end of this afternoon you will have 90 minutes of free time for last minute souvenirs from Venice. Then you will be privately transferred by boat to the airport to catch your flight back home.

Overnight: En Route.