Day 1, Saturday, October 22, 2005

USA – Venice

Departure from the United States to Venice.
 

Day 2, Sunday, October 23, 2005

Venice/Abano Terme

Arrive in Venice and meet with your local tour escort who will be with you during the entire trip. Transfer to Abano Terme, the quaint spa town close to Venice. You have plenty of time to relax and recover from the transatlantic flight. Take a stroll around this lovely town and enjoy the first signs of spring in the parks and gardens. Dinner will be served at the restaurant of the hotel.
D
 

Day 3, Monday, October 24, 2005

Venice

After breakfast we take you to nearby Venice, also called “The Queen of the Adriatic”. See the most important sights such as St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and Rialto Bridge on a walking tour with the local guide. After lunch on your own, you may chose to join the escort in an optional tour to the island of Murano and Burano (stop in Murano, the world capital of the glass-blowing industry. Watch the masters blow the glass before proceeding to Burano, a colorful fisherman’s island, where lace craft is still alive and women and girls work at it sitting out in the streets), or spend some time on your own discovering Venice. Your escort will point out some glass-blowing manufacturers in Venice as well. We meet again in the late afternoon for a Gondola Ride along Canal Grande and its side canals before dinner will be served at a local restaurant. Return to Abano in the late evening.
B, D
 

Day 4, Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Abano – Montecatini Terme

In the morning we depart Montecatini and head to our next destination: the spa town of Montecatini Terme in Tuscany. Stops will be made en route The Old Town of Ferrara is on the list of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. This splendid town was the capital of the Dukes of Este. Stroll around Ferrara, see the Castello Estanse, the Palazzo Communale, and many of the other magnificent palaces. Lunch is on your own before we continue past Bologna to Florence. Check-in is followed by some free time to explore and relax. Dinner will be served at the restaurant of the hotel.
B, D
 

Day 5, Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Florence

Breakfast is followed by a sightseeing tour of Florence, conducted by a local expert. See Piazza della Signoria with a replica of the statue of David, Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggie dei Lanci. The tour also features the church of Santa Croce with the tombs of important Italian artists and scientists, the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore and the Baptistery with the unique bronze doors designed by Giotto. A visit to the Accademia dell’Arte with Michelangelo’s statue of David is also included. Lunch is on your own and the rest of the day is at your leisure to enjoy the city at your own pace. Browse through the gold and jewelry stores on the Ponte Vecchio, shop for fine leather goods or visit the Palazzo Pitti or the Uffizi Galleries. Return to Montecatini for dinner and overnight.
B, D
 

Day 6, Thursday, October 27, 20055

Tuscany

This morning enjoy some of the loveliest Italian countryside as you travel through the heart of Tuscany. Visit Siena with its profusion of spectacular medieval architecture, numerous churches, palaces, and the University found in the 13th century. Visit the great Cathedral, begun in 1229, then expanded but never finished, and see also the Libreria Piccolomini with its outstanding frescoes and original music scores. Enjoy lunch in Siena on your own before we take you to San Gimignano, the medieval town, set high up on a hill. Taste the products this area of Italy is known for: the olive oil and the Chianti wine in a farmhouse/fattoria. The tasting is accompanied by some Tuscan delicacies. Dinner will be served in a country restaurant before we return to Montecatini for overnight.
B, DL
 

Day 7, Friday, October 28, 2005

Montecatini - Rome

Bid farewell to the lovely area of Tuscany as we head south to the next destination, Rome. Our first stop will be in Perugia, situated on a hill between the Trasimenian Sea and the Tiber Valley. The town is worth visiting not only for the beauty of its setting, but also for its fine old buildings. From Perugia we continue to Deruta, 12 miles south, known for its ceramic manufacture. Have lunch on your own and stroll through the small town. This is the place to buy hand-made majolica objects, painted in traditional patterns of Umbria. Don’t miss to visit the Majolica Museum in the Palazzo Communale. The drive then continues on to Rome. If time permits we will include a short stop in Assisi. Check in at the hotel is followed by dinner at a Roman Trattoria.
B, D
 

Day 8, Saturday, October 29, 2005

Rome

Today you have an early start to beat the crowds at the Vatican Museums. The tour starts with the Gallery of the Tapestries and the Gallery of Geographical Maps before you arrive at the famous Sistine Chapel with its magnificent fresco of the Last Judgement by Michelangelo. This is followed by a visit to the Basilica of St. Peter with the statue “Pieta” by Michelangelo. After lunch in a local restaurant, the tour continues with Rome’s landmarks such as the Colosseums, the Forums, the Circus Maximus, as well as the Pantheon, the Arch of Constantine, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona. The tour ends in the late afternoon and the rest of the evening and dinner is on your own.
B, L
 

Day 9, Sunday, October 30, 2005

Rome

This morning is at your leisure in Rome. After lunch we take you to the lovely countryside surrounding Rome – the Lake District with Castelgandolfo (the summer residence of the Pope) – Albano – Ariccia – Nemi – Rocca di Papa – Frascati. These are small towns, huddled on top of the Alban Hills, surrounded by lakes of volcanic origin. Tonight dinner will be served in a restaurant in the Trastevere area. Enjoy Roman specialties and local wines during this 5-course dinner while being entertained by local musicians.
B, D
 

Day 10, Monday, October 31, 2005

Rome - Sorrento

This morning bid farewell to Rome and travel south to the beautiful Amalfi Coast. Your hotel will be in the lovely town of Sorrento, situated amid lemon and orange groves on the south side of the Bay of Naples. Today will be a leisurely travel day with stops en-route. Depending on how many people will partake in the extension to Amalfi, we may also make arrangements for train travel. Check-in to the centrally located hotel and time to relax, freshen up and enjoy the beauty. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
B, D
 

Day 11, Tuesday, November 1, 2005

Capri

Today we planned an excursion to the famed Island of Capri. We depart by steamer to this beautiful island that has been well known since Roman times. We’ll arrive at Capri’s Marina Grande from where a private, smaller excursion boat will take us to the Grotta Azzura (Blue Grotto). Afterwards a panoramic tour will show you the sights of the island. Visit the San Michele Villas and the picturesque church of San Michele in Anacapri, the Augustus Garden in Capri and the Piazzetta. Time at leisure in Capri before returning to Sorrento by boat. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Sorrento.
B, D
 

Day 12, Wednesday, November 2, 2005

Amalfi Coast

Today discover more of the beauty of the Amalfi Coast. After a leisurely breakfast and some free time in Sorrento to do some shopping, stroll around town. Shortly before lunchtime, we depart for Positano. Lunch will be on your own in Positano before continuing on to Amalfi. See the Cathedral, shop for famous Limoncello Liquor or ceramics. The next stop will be in Ravello, an old Norman town in a superb location above the coast. Return to Sorrento for dinner and overnight at the hotel.
B, D
 

Day 13, Thursday, November 3, 2005

Naples - USA

After breakfast transfer to the airport in Naples. Fly back home and arrive in the United States the same day.

Or you may wish to extend your stay in Italy and continue onto Sicily! (See below)
Extension Tour to Sicily
November 2 - 6, 2005
Included Features:

• Transportation by private, air-conditioned motorcoach as per itinerary, including all transfers, city tours and excursions
• Ferry between Naples and Palermo
• 3 nights accommodation in selected moderate first class and first class hotels
• 1 night accommodation on the overnight ferry to Palermo - cabin with private shower
• Buffet breakfast daily (other than the ferry)
• 3 full-course Dinners
• All Entrance Fees
• Professional, English-speaking tour escort
• Porterage of one piece of luggage at the hotels
• Comprehensive information kit, luggage tags

Prices for the extension tour to Sicily:
$ 790.00 per person double occupancy

Detailed Itinerary