Fantastic Italy

Itinerary :

Day 1/ Rome: Benvenuti a Rome! After your arrival at the airport, make your own way to your hotel and then enjoy your first day in the city at your own leisure. Overnight in Rome.
Day 2/ Rome-Florence: Departing at 7:15 am from your hotel by a deluxe coach, you will arrive in Assisi, ready to explore, at your own leisure, this tiny town surrounded by walls, built in the middle Ages. Take your time to visit the basilica of St. Francis, where you will see masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue and then you have free time for lunch (on your own). Board on the bus to reach Siena, a Unesco World Heritage Site, world-known for the Palio, the historical horse race around the shell-shaped town square: Piazza del Campo. Next, you will continue on to Florence, where you will check in at your hotel before enjoying dinner and a well-earned night of rest. Overnight in Florence. (D)
Day 3/ Florence: After breakfast, you will spend the day venturing around beautiful Florence, the “Cradle of Renaissance, where, with the help of Michelangelo, Italian art reached its pinnacle. Based on Etruscan-roman origins, the city flourished in the Middle Ages as a free “Comune” and was further refined during the Renaissance. You will be fascinated by the uncountable monuments, churches and buildings as Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly referred to as the Duomo. On your visit, you will be amazed by its magnificent dome built by Filippo Brunelleschi. Cross a small piazza to see the“Campanile” tower (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery, with its bronze doors where Michelangelo imagined the “Gates of Paradise.” In the heart of the city, you will see Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo della Signoria (also known as Palazzo Vecchio), and the Basilica of Santa Croce.Lunch in a typical Tuscan restaurant in Piazza Santa Croce. Spend the afternoon strolling the cobblestone streets of Florence on your own or take a short trip to Pisa (optional), one of the four main historical Marine Republics of Italy. There, you will tour the Piazza dei Miracoli with the Duomo, Pisa’s symbol “the Leaning Tower” and the Baptistery. Dinner at leisure, Overnight in Florence. (B, L)
Day 4/ Florence -Venice: After breakfast, departure to Bologna. There, you will discover the elegant city centre with its “porticos”, its shopping streets and so on. From Piazza Malpighi you will walk to Piazza del Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore (Neptune square and Major square) in the heart of the city, then King Renzo’s Palace; Palazzo Podestà and the basilica of San Petronio, one of the biggest in the world. Bologna it’s a real gourmet’s heaven…don’t miss a tasty meal at your own leisure! In the afternoon, continue toward Padua, with Sant’Antonio Basilica: one of the most visited churches by pilgrims of the catholic world. Later in the afternoon, arrival in Venice: the City of Love, one of the most romantic cities of the whole world and, undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man! Check in at your hotel for dinner and Overnight in Venice. (B, D)
Day 5/ Venice: After breakfast, enjoy your private water-taxi transfer to Piazza San Marco, with “Skip the Line” tickets to visit the splendid St. Mark’s Basilica and, after this, check out the most iconic places of the “Floating City”: the Palazzo dei Dogi, symbol of Venice’s glorious past, the legendary “Bridge of Sighs”. Spend the afternoon roaming along Venice’s canals at your leisure and then return to the hotel and Overnight in Venice. (B)
Day 6/ Venice-Rome: After breakfast, departure from Piazzale Rome heading to Tuscany, world-known for its landscapes, its churches and castles and its delicious wines. You will proceed to Val di Chiana with a stop in Montepulciano, a medieval town rich in history and art. Known for its “Nobile” wine, on purchase in local wine houses, Montepulciano also hosts an annual jazz and wine festival every July. Lunch in a typical restaurant included. Spend the afternoon discovering Montepulciano at your own pace, enjoying free wine tastings in many wine shops and free time for shopping. In the evening, you will arrive in Rome to check in into your hotel. Overnight in Rome. (B, L)
Day 7/ Rome: Between 7:45 – 8:00 am, after breakfast, departure from the hotel for the included tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peters’s Basilica with our exclusive “Skip the Line” access! No stress to reach the area: upon arrival, your guide will lead you into the museums where you’ll visit one of the most important art collections of the world. Walk along the beautiful Galleries of Tapestries and Geographical Maps before admiring Raphael’s Rooms and, then, the amazing Sistine Chapel. After this incredible masterpiece, you will be taken by a privileged door to St. Peters’s Basilica: the biggest church in the world! The tour ends on St.Peter’s Square. Enjoy the rest of the day to explore the city at your own leisure in the afternoon or at night! Overnight in Rome. (B)
Day 8/ Rome-Sorrento: After breakfast, pick up at your hotel at 7:00 am approximately. Departure by coach heading south crossing the regions of Lazio and Campania. Arrival in Naples and short panoramic tour climbing up to Vomero hill to enjoy beautiful views over the Gulf of Naples with the Vesuvius, Capri, Ischia and Procida and the city below; time to take some nice pictures. Descending towards the port of Mergellina you will leave the city and travel south toward Mount Vesuvius, and, once you reach the town of Pompeii, you will have lunch with the real Neapolitan Pizza! After lunch, you will enter into one of the most important archaeological sites in the world: a UNESCO World Heritage, the ruins of Pompeii, with Skip the Line entrance and a guided tour. Visit the haunting ruins of Pompeii, traveling back in time to the tragic days in 79 AD when the silent Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupted, covering the prosperous Roman city in deadly volcanic ashes and poisonous gases, leaving this prosperous city crystallized until our days. You’ll learn how people lived at that time, visiting houses and “bars” of the time, admiring frescoes and mosaics to imagine how rich and prosperous the city was before the dreadful day. After the visit, you will drive along the Sorrentine Coast, arriving in Sorrento for dinner (dress code: jacket for men) and overnight in Sorrento. (B, L, D)
Day 9/ Sorrento-Capri-Sorrento: After breakfast, get ready for an exciting excursion to the island of Capri: one of the most exclusive summer destinations of the Mediterranean! Depending on weather and sea conditions, you will admire the dreamy Blue Grotto on a small rowboat. Afterward, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and then roam around the island at your own pace. Once back on the mainland, return for dinner and overnight in Sorrento. (B, D)
Day 10/ Sorrento-Rome: Breakfast at the hotel. Time at your leisure going for shopping or tasting some nice Limoncello. As an option, you may go for a short excursion to the Amalfi coast (not included). In the afternoon, at around 4:00 pm, depart back to Rome for overnight in Rome. (B)
Day 11/ Rome: Breakfast at the hotel. Free time for leisure until departure. (B)