Simply Italy Winter – 12 days land only

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- 11 nights twin or triple share hotel accommodation
- Breakfast daily & selected dinners
- Assistance of a Trip Manager & Driver team
- Touring by coach
- Sightseeing tours as per itinerary
- Hotel tips, local taxes & service charges

** Tour operates from 22 OCT 2017 - 11 MAR 2018. Please enquire with your Travel Agent for dates & prices.

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Arrive Rome

Check-in to your hotel, drop off your stuff, meet your Trip Manager & travel buddies at 4:00pm & head out into the streets of Italy to get a sneak peek at vibrant Rome.

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Rome to Sorrento

Travel south towards the home of pizza, Naples. This morning there’s a chance to take a guided tour of ancient Pompeii. Later, we’ll reach Sorrento, where you’ll enjoy a sunset drink overlooking the stunning bay.

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Capri Excursion

This morning, it’s a boat ride to the main marina of the island of Capri, famous for its stunning caves & surrounding rock formations. There's a chance to join a local guide for a tour of Capri & Anacapri before you have free time to explore a web of narrow streets or the Villa Communale Park, which has stunning views of Mt Vesuvius.

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Sorrento to Florence

Wind through the Apennine Mountains & Tuscan countryside to the Renaissance city of Florence. Before arriving in Florence, we’ll stop off for a wine tasting in the rustic hills of the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, known for its iconic cypress trees & olive oil. In an historic villa, the group will see a working winery, complete with its old cellar & vats. Here you can learn more about the region’s wines as you taste a glass or two of the local wine. Then, it’s on to breathtaking Florence. The scene-stealing Duomo Cathedral rises above the city’s centre, which serves up frescoes, markets & priceless art. After dinner, walk along the River Arno with your Trip Manager, take in the atmosphere & head into the heart of Florence, where you can sit back & relax Tuscan style with a glass of Chianti wine.

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Florence

Jump start the day uncovering this open-air museum. Our Local Guide gives you the inside track as the group learns about Florence’s cultural beginnings & explores streets crammed with artworks from masters like Michelangelo. Then learn from the masters how Florentine leather is made & understand this region’s traditional art. With bargains & bustle, the city’s markets are a great place to hang out. Grab a gelato & enjoy this gorgeous city. Tonight, there’s a choice of a group dinner - an authentic Tuscan feast. Try regional dishes in the pretty Tuscan country setting. Then keep it moving with a night out & get your groove on at Florence’s biggest club.

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Florence to Venice

Say “arriverderci” to Florence, before professing your love in Romeo & Juliet’s home of Verona. Next up: the canals & gondolas of Venice.

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Venice

Known as the “floating city”, Venice is packed with character, crammed with hidden lanes & linked by a network of canals. The group travels on our private boat through the waters of the lagoon to visit the city’s historical heart. The limestone Bridge of Sighs, the Gothic arches of the Doge’s Palace & the expanse of St. Mark’s Square (pigeons & all!) show off Venice’s unique beauty & way of life. Take some time to explore the floating city & lose yourself in the backstreets. There’s an optional walking tour where you can discover the labyrinth of interweaving lanes, waterways, palaces, piazzi & markets with our Local Guide. You’ll see historic monuments, hidden treasures & the Rialto market – a local favourite for food shopping. Maybe grab a table on St. Mark’s Square & eat some delicious Italian food al fresco. Cap off the day with an optional gondola ride & share this amazing experience with your friends – seeing Venice from on the water is unforgettable!

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Venice to Milan

Along the pretty shores of Lake Garda, we drop into the quintessential European lake town of Sirmione, complete with vine-covered villas, Roman ruins & a castle. For amazing views of the surrounding Dolomite Mountain range & an interesting lakeside look at the local lifestyle, we’ve organised a chance to go out on Italy’s largest lake in an optional cruise. Later, the energy levels turn up a notch as we head to Italy’s fashion capital & economic powerhouse, Milan. Your Trip Manager will show off Milan’s monuments & talk to you about the massive Duomo Cathedral, the elegant shopping arcade of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II & the world-famous La Scala Opera House, where many singing greats have graced the stage. With a free afternoon, hit the streets of this cool capital & you’ll be rewarded with designer stores & funky little boutiques. Your Trip Manager, who knows Milan’s ins & outs, will be happy to point you in the right direction for the best buys before you flash the plastic.

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Milan to The Riviera

Heading south, we hit the national park & UNESCO World Heritage site of the Cinque Terre, where colourful coastal villages dot 18 kilometres of ragged cliffs & old walled vineyards tumble down the hillside almost to the water’s edge. It's a great journey by train along the coast, giving you the chance to take in the unique atmosphere. Watch the locals fishing along the shore, rub shoulders with the rich in famous in Portovenere & check out picture-postcard town of Monterosso. Later chill out & get a slice of the good life, grab a table at a beachfront cafe & try some mouthwatering pesto with locally baked foccacia bread.

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The Riviera to Rome

This morning, there’s free time in Pisa & some fun photo-ops of its most famous monument, the Leaning Tower. Later, we head back to the 'Eternal City' of Rome. This city oozes energy & overflows with relics from another age which you'll encounter at almost every corner. Our special access coach tour gets you right into the thriving atmosphere of this living timeline as your Trip Manager shows you the Colosseum & Piazza Venezia. Continue on foot to check out the Pantheon & Piazza Navona. Honour tradition at the Trevi Fountain & throw a coin in the fountain’s waters (it’s meant to improve your chances of returning to Rome!) or maybe hang out with your new friends at the Spanish Steps, sit back with a few slices of pizza and people watch.

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Rome

This morning, check-out the smallest country in the world & home to the Pope, the Vatican City. There’s included entry & our Local Guide to show you St. Peter’s Basilica & Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel. Make the most of our Local Guide’s inside knowledge & uncover the remains of an ancient empire with a fantastic optional tour of the Roman Forum & Colosseum. Take off into the city & absorb the atmosphere, as Vespas flash past timeworn monuments that are surrounded by fountains, pizzerias, cafés & bars. In your free time, live the local lifestyle by indulging in a long lunch on a paved piazza or knock back a shot of espresso at the bar, like the Romans do. Before you hit the shops, let your Trip Manager point you in the right direction with some tips on the best buys. Make your last night on tour special by hooking up with your friends for an optional dinner. In a typical Roman restaurant, you’ll enjoy an authentic Italian experience, complete with an opera singer, live music & pasta. But don’t stop there – afterwards dive into Rome’s night action with your buddies & finish up your travels with a night to remember.

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Depart Rome

The trip ends after breakfast & it’s time to say “arrivederci” to your new friends.