Discover three of Italy's most appealing & profoundly cultural cities. Savour every part of Rome's rich heritage. Soak up the Renaissance atmosphere of Florence & look beyond the canals & gondolas to gain a deeper understanding of Venice.
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- Return airport/hotel transfers
- 3 nights accommodation at the Veneto Palace Hotel in Rome
- 3 nights accommodation at the Atheneaum Personal Hotel in Florence
- 3 nights accommodation at the Molino Stucky Hilton in Venice
- Breakfast daily & selected dinners
- Touring by luxury coach
- Services of a Tour Director
- Highlights: Rome, Florence, Pisa & Venice
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Welcome to the Eternal City of Rome
Rome is one of the world's most historic cities, filled with classical antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches. Transfers to your hotel depart Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 09:30, 12:30 & 15:30. Then this historic city is yours to discover. Later, join your Tour Director for a Welcome Reception and the opportunity to mingle and get to know each other over a relaxed evening of dinner and wine.
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Exploring The Vatican City
A Local Expert introduces the grandeur of the city. Start off in the Vatican State, the richest community in the world. While others wait in line, you will be fast-tracked through the VIP entrance into the Vatican Museums. Admire the collection of priceless art gathered by Popes over the ages. Your visit also includes behind-the-scenes access to parts of the Vatican denied to the general public - the famous Bramante Staircase. Then enter the sublime Sistine Chapel, to gaze up and admire Michelangelo's famous painted ceiling. Next door, in St. Peter's Basilica, see one of Michelangelo's early works, the Pietà, and the splendid dome completed after his death. For the rest of the day, enjoy free time.
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Rome at Leisure
(Relaxed Start) Another day for you to enjoy Rome at your own pace. Activity suggestions include the Catacombs, Pantheon or even an optional experience to Pompeii and Naples. Perhaps spend some time in the boutiques of the Via del Corso, the Via Nazionale or the elegant designer stores near the Spanish Steps? As night falls, why not sip a glass of prosecco at a sidewalk café in the Piazza Navona (the ‘Living Room of Rome') and enjoy life's pageantry passing by?
Tuscany, Pisa and on to Florence
Drive northwards, to Pisa and with a Local Expert see the baptistery, bristling with marble spines and the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the cathedral. Continue through the picture perfect scenery of the Tuscan hills, where deep-green cypress trees pierce blue skies and olive groves hug the rolling hillsides. Then, head to your hotel in Renaissance Florence. In the evening, enjoy an authentic pizza dinner with a delicious wine tasting.
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Florence, Birthplace of the Renaissance
(Relaxed Start) Join a local art historian to meet Michelangelo's original ‘David' in the Academy Museum. Next, walk on to the multi-coloured marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti's ‘Gates of Paradise'. You will also visit the open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces in Signoria Square, the political heart of the city. The afternoon is free to explore at your own pace.
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Free Time in Florence
(Relaxed Start) Another whole day to explore this glorious city. Traverse the medieval streets to the Ponte Vecchio, haggle for leather goods at the market around San Croce or relax amid the terraces of the Boboli Gardens. Or perhaps enjoy an optional experience through the Tuscan landscapes to the delightful towns of Siena and San Gimignano. At night, why not make the most of your time in the Tuscan capital and savour some of Italy's finest cuisine?
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Verona and Venice, Queen of the Adriatic
Passing the city of Bologna, a highlight stop is the elegant city of Verona, legendary home of Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers. Walk with your Tour Director past the Roman Arena to the reputed famous balcony in the courtyard of the Capulet home. After free time to explore, take the autostrada east to Venice, ‘Queen of the Adriatic'. Your luxurious hotel gazes out over the Giudecca Canal and a romantically unforgettable city skyline.
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Venice and the Magic of ‘La Serenissima’
(Relaxed Start) Wake up ready to embrace the most sensuous of cities. Admire the art of glassblowing on a visit to a traditional arts centre. Then board your private launch, sit back and enjoy your introduction to this unique city of ornate palaces, bridges and gondolas. Disembark near the Bridge of Sighs before turning the corner to stand in awe at the marble arcades of Piazza San Marco. St. Mark's Basilica, with its dazzling domes, occupies the corner next to the clock tower. Next door stands the pink and white marbled Doge's Palace. In the afternoon, there will be plenty of time to explore the museums, galleries and churches or browse through the shops on the Rialto Bridge.
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Venice at Leisure
(Relaxed Start) Who could refuse another day to take in the unique atmosphere of this wonderful city? Lose yourself in the back lanes and ‘campi', small squares, where tourists seldom tread and the Venetians go about their daily lives. Maybe visit some of the 90 churches which house masterpieces of Venetian art or explore the tmodern art works in the Guggenheim? Relax a while at a canal side cafe and sip the local wine or sample delicious lagoon fresh fish. Perhaps cruise out to some of the other islands in the lagoon to experience the age-old lifestyle of Venetian fishermen and lace-makers? Later, board a traditional gondola for a serenade through the romantic canals. In the evening, celebrate your tour finalé with fantastic food, great wine and wonderful company in this magical setting.
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Arrivederci Venice
Bid farewell to this enchanting city today. Your departure transfer arrives at Venice Airport at 08:00 and 09:30.