12-Day Voyage to Italy's Iconic Cities & Enchanting Countryside

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

In the Heart of The Empire - Private Guided Tour of Ancient Rome

On this 3-hour private guided tour, you will explore the imposing remains of ancient Rome. Your guide will explain the extraordinary history of the birth of Rome, life in the city and everything about the fall of the Empire. Visit the Colosseum, the monumental ruins of the Roman Forum, and end the tour on the Capitoline Hill, the smallest and most important of the seven hills of Ancient Rome.

Early Morning to Late Afternoon

Explore the Vatican City's Many Wonders

Rome is unique in the world in that it contains an independent country within its city limits - the Vatican City, from where the Pope administers the Catholic Church. The symbolic center of Catholicism is St Peter's Basilica, the second-largest Catholic church in the world and among the most beautiful. The Vatican Museum contains one of the greatest collections of art in existence, including Michelangelo's jaw-dropping Sistine Chapel. The popes had a bigger influence on Rome than just the collection of art. The Pope's title is actually Bishop of Rome, and popes administed the city for centuries, shaping its architecture & public spaces. Rome was re-built to be an example of urban beauty, and the Vatican was meant to be the showcase within the showcase. Their success is evident from the throngs of visitors who flock here even today.

Morning/Mid-Day

Exploring the Villa Borghese Gardens

The Villa Borghese Park acts as the main respite and sanctuary for Romans and tourists alike away from the din of central Rome. Overlooking Piazza del Popolo and only a stone's throw from the Spanish Steps, the area was a district of market gardens, olive groves, and patrician villas until taken over as summer estates by the city's wealthy during the Renaissance. The most notable is Villa Borghese, which now houses one of the city's best non-Vatican art collections. The adjacent Pincio Gardens offer a grand vista over Rome.

Morning/Mid-Day

Traveling the Via Appia on Foot or Bicycle

One of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic, the Via Appia (or Appian Way) once spanned 350 miles (563km), all the way from the Roman Forum in Rome to modern-day Brindisi. On the south side of Rome lies one of the best preserved stretches of the road, the Via Apia Antica. Take an afternoon to explore the ruins, catacombs, and sights along this infamously cobbled way. Exploring on foot is a relaxed and easy way to do it, made easier by the fact that bus stops along the way mean you don't have to backtrack. Bike rentals are also available and are a good way to cover as much ground as possible. But as an ancient cobbled road, sections of this walk are very bumpy, and depending on which route you take, you may encounter traffic. So you may want to consider if biking with a guided tour makes more sense.

Morning to Afternoon

Explore Renaissance Villas in the Nearby Hills of Florence

The Medicis and other powerful families of Renaissance Florence constructed magnificent country villas in the foothills surrounding the city and surrounded them with elaborate gardens populated with rose bushes, manicured hedgerows, and citrus trees. You can explore these beautiful villas which are concentrated in an area just a short bus ride from the city center of Florence. The villas served several functions, first and foremost as country palaces demonstrating power and wealth. They were also recreational resorts for the leisure and pleasure of their owners; and, more prosaically, they were the center of agricultural activities on the surrounding estates.

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Half Day Excursion to San Gimignano and lunch stop at a local vineyard

Drive through the scenic Tuscan countryside to San Gimignano, one of the most charming and picturesque Tuscan hill towns with medieval towers built for the richest families of the time. You can choose to visit the Cathedral, climb the “Torre Grossa”, take pictures of the gorgeous landscape and enjoy a delicious gelato in the Cistern Square. After, you will be driven to a local Tuscan winery for lunch and some wine tasting.   IMPORTANT NOTE : This excursion does not include a guide.

Early Morning to Late Afternoon

Excursion to the Medieval Hilltop Town of Siena

For beauty and interest in Tuscany, only Siena comes close to Florence. Only an hour-and-a-half from Florence by train, it makes for a perfect day trip. The mesmerising brick-built medieval town with its narrow streets winding down into the valleys below was once a great regional power which rivaled Florence, and famously defeated the larger town in the legendary Battle of Montaperti. Its main square, the Campo, is one of the most satisfying urban spaces ever built, playing host to the annual Palio horse race in which each of the town's 17 contrade (i.e. city districts) participate. The traffic-free streets have been wonderfully preserved and its great Gothic buildings still exhibit the artistic masterpieces of the Sienese school of painting commissioned for them during the town's heyday in the 14th century.

Morning to Afternoon

St Mark's Square & Surroundings

St Mark's Square was the embodiment of The Most Serene Republic of Venice's power and prestige, and as such contains its most magnificent public buildings: the extraordinary golden mosaic-encrusted basilica of St Mark's, the exquisite Doge's Palace, the all-seeing bell tower, the Bibliotecca Marciana library, and what is nowadays the famous Correr Museum. If timed correctly, it is possible to see all these sights on your own within half a day, although a guide can make the process much more efficient (and more educational as well). Keep in mind that the square is one of the most heavily touristed places in the world, so crowds and lines can be an issue. St Mark the Evangelist was not the patrion saint of Venice until 829 AD, when two Venetian merchants stole St. Mark's remains from their original resting place in a chuch in Alexandria, Egypt, and then smuggled the relics home trussed up in a canvas sheet. The pretext for the theft was that the Muslim conquerors of Alexandria were expected to defile and plunder the church. While this may have been true, it is no coincidence that bringing such an important saint's relics to Venice was hugely important politically and signaled Venice's place as a rising independent power. A church was built to house the relics, and St. Mark's Square was established as the spiritual and political heart of the city.

Morning/Mid-Day

Rialto Bridge & San Polo District

The graceful arch of the Rialto Bridge is perhaps the single most iconic sight in Venice since nearly everyone passes beneath it on their journey along the Grand Canal. It connects Venice's two most visited districts, San Marco and San Polo. While San Marco is famous for St. Mark's Square, San Polo more than holds its own as a must-see destination, as it contains some of the city's oldest neighborhoods and most picturesque canals and bridges. It is also home to some of the best restaurants in Venice, and admittedly some of its worst tourist traps as well. Among many highlights is the bustling Rialto Market, which was once one of medieval Europe's busiest financial and trade markets, and still does a brisk trade in fresh seafood and produce.

Morning to Early Evening

Trip to Verona

Fair Verona, located just to the east of Lake Garda, is renowned for its beauty, its numerous buildings of immense artistic and historic value, and, of course, for its legendary story of Romeo and Juliet. There is more to Verona than just the Shakespearean tale, however. It is also home to one of the best preserved first-century amphitheaters in the world, as well as to a bustling historical center full of markets, boutique shops, and some fantastic eateries in which a stop for a taste of the regional wine is a must. Verona is an easy trip, as the fastest trains reach Verona in less than 75 minutes, and the historical heart of the city is only 1.2 miles (2 km) from the train station. There is a bus that connects the station to the central square, Piazza Brà. Verona's Old Town is surrounded by the River Adige on three sides, and many of its key attractions are located within a tightly-bound area of pedestrian-only streets. This makes exploring the city on foot very easy, which is a good thing since there is no public transport in the historical center.

To Be Determined

Transfer to Airport by Taxi or Water Bus

Most visitors will depart from the Venice Marco Polo Airport, which is located just across the water on the mainland. Because of the impossibility of driving inside Venice, you will need to take a water bus to Piazzale Roma on the edge of the city and then a land taxi to the airport (40 EUR), or take a water bus directly to the airport (15 EUR). It is also possible to take a private water taxi directly from your hotel to the airport, but it's very expensive. If you are departing from Venice Treviso Airport, you have much further to go. You can either take an expensive taxi ride (about 100 EUR) or take a shuttle bus for 12 EUR. The ATVO line departs from Piazzale Roma and takes 70 minutes, while the Barzi line picks up at the less convenient Tronchetto (the docks) but only takes 40 minutes.