Inspirational Tour of Italy

Today we depart to Italy. Enjoy superb in-flight service and meals on our flight across the Atlantic.

Arrive at Fiumicino Airport. Board your private motor coach and transfer to the “Eternal City” and capital of Italy, Rome. The home of the powerful Roman Empire, Rome has influenced art, architecture, literature, and government throughout the western world for more than 2,000 years. Lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon, you will experience this rich history as a local guide takes you to important sights, including the Coliseum, Roman forum, Palatine Hill, Piazza Venezia, and Trevi Fountain. Return to your hotel.
Overnight – Rome (B,D)

Breakfast in hotel. No trip to Rome would be complete without a visit to the Vatican, a state and city all in one. Our guide will provide a full day tour including the Vatican Museum with its vast collection of treasures. Enter the Sistine Chapel to view Michelangelo’s famous ceiling and the Last Judgement. Continue for a visit to St. Peter’s Cathedral, St. Mary Major and St. John Cathedrals, Ancient Appian Way and the Catacombs. Enjoy lunch at your own leisure.
Overnight- Rome (B,D)

Breakfast in hotel. After breakfast, we depart for the hill-top town of Assisi, the home of beloved St. Francis, founder of the Franciscan order. Check in to your hotel. Lunch at your own leisure. In the afternoon, an escorted tour of the town featuring the famous St. Francis Cathedral and Santa Chiara Church. The rest of the day is free time.
Overnight – Assisi (B,D)

Breakfast in hotel. Travel to Florence, set in the pastoral Italian countryside. Called the “Birthplace of the Renaissance” for the art and architecture that flourished here between the 13th and 16th centuries, Florence is a delight for art lovers. Check in at your hotel. Lunch at your own leisure. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of Florence, including Brunelleschi’s Dome, Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Ponte Vecchio and Signoria Square with its sculptures and sidewalk cafes. Stroll past the magnificent bronze doors of the Baptistery. The artist Ghiberti took more than 20 years to create two sets of these bronze doors which Michelangelo declared to be the “Gates of Paradise.” If you wish to stop, Florentine arts and crafts are known for their high quality and the many shops are a delight to browse through.
Overnight – Florence (B,D)

Breakfast in hotel. This morning we will have a tour of the famous Uffizi Gallery, the finest collection of Renaissance paintings in the world. Lunch and afternoon at your own leisure. Explore on your own the masterpieces of the Pitti Palace, Michelangelo’s marble creations in the Medici Chapels, or stroll across the famous Ponte Vecchio, or enjoy the restful contemplation in the beautiful Boboli Gardens. The list of inspiring sights and activities is endless, and most of these sights are close by and easy to get to…Enjoy!
Overnight – Florence (B,D)

Breakfast in hotel. After breakfast, we drive across the Apennines and arrive in Ravenna, an ancient capital of the Roman Empire. Here you admire the most extensive Byzantine mosaics in the world, an art in evidence at the dawn of the Middle Ages. Enjoy lunch at a typical local restaurant. In the afternoon, we arrive to Venice Mestre, a fascinating city built on dozens of islands and among the most popular tourist attractions in the world. Check into your hotel. In the evening, free time at your leisure. You may want to enjoy the many sidewalk cafes or take a romantic Gondola ride through the canals of Venice.
Overnight – Venice (B,L,D)

Breakfast in hotel. Venice has attracted the finest painters, architects and craftsmen in the world for over 400 years. Depart to Venice’s Piazzale Roma. With the assistance of a private motor coach, we transfer to St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco), where we have a morning city tour featuring St Mark’s Cathedral, Bridge of Sighs and Rialto. Lunch and afternoon at your own leisure. You may explore the narrow alleys with shops famous for Venetian glass or lace and experience the unique atmosphere that makes Venice one of the most attractive cities in Europe. In the late afternoon, we transfer back to Piazzale Roma and then to our hotel.
Overnight – Venice (B,D)

Breakfast in hotel. This morning we transfer to the airport for our flight to Milan. Arrive in Milan at Malpensa Airport and transfer to your hotel. Lunch at your own leisure. In the afternoon, we will have a walking tour of the famous fashion section of Milan. Milan, located in the heart of northern Italy, is a dynamic city known for its industry, fashion, art and opera. We will meet our guide near the Plaza Hotel and walk through Duomo Square to the shopping area which is located behind the Dome. Explore the area, famous for Italian fashion, leather goods and footwear. In the evening, enjoy a special Farewell Dinner.
Overnight – Milan (B,D)