Wonders of Italy
ROME, FLORENCE & VENICE
Italy’s most enchanting cities - Rome, Florence & Venice - tailored just for you. On this stylish journey you’ll walk in the steps of the Colosseum’s ancient gladiators, cruise canals in a gondola and live La Dolce Vita. Fall in love with this country that seductively blends culture, history and art. Channel ancient Roman Emperors on a private guided walking tour in the Eternal City and discover iconic landmarks like the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and The Colosseum. Just a short train ride through picturesque olive groves and rustic vineyards is Florence, one of Italy’s most alluring cities. Get insider access to the city’s fantastic art galleries and experience Michelangelo’s awe-inspiring “David” before venturing out into the luscious Tuscan countryside. Tour magnificent medieval towns, sip fine Chianti wines in serene vineyards and stroll along cypress-lined country lanes. Wander the cobbled streets of Venice with your expert guide and take to the canals on an unforgettable private gondola ride. Throughout your Italy tour enjoy a mix of private and shared tours. Enjoy a personalized vacation that best suits your needs, developed by one of our experienced destination experts. Relax during your trip with our 24/7 support and expert local guidance.
DAY 1: ROME
Today you will have an English-speaking assistant waiting for you outside of customs with a sign with your name on it. For your added comfort, your representative will help you to co-ordinate meeting up with your private driver and accompany you to your accommodation.
A welcome package with a city map, train tickets (if relevant), and any other touristic information that we deem you may find useful will be waiting for you upon your arrival at your first hotel on your trip.
This morning, discover beautiful Rome by foot as you enjoy a private, 3-hour guided walking tour. Don't forget your camera, as there will be plenty of photo opportunities when you visit the Spanish Steps, Piazza Colonna, The Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon and Navona Square.
DAY 2: ROME
Experience the Rome of emperors, citizens, charioteers, and gladiators on a morning guided small group tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum, and continue after lunch to the Vatican Museums to see one of the most magnificent art collections in the world. Start at the Colosseum, once able to seat up to 50,000 spectators. Begun in 72 A.D., the arena was finished 8 years later, providing the scene for wild entertainments between man and beast. Continue to the Arch of Constantine and Arch of Titus, and walk the Via Sacra from the Colosseum past some of the most important sites of the Roman Forum to Capitoline Hill. Explore the center of political life in Ancient Rome, and then stop for lunch in the Baroque splendors of Piazza Navona. In the afternoon, skip the lines and visit the Vatican Museums in the Vatican City and see Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling. Your tour of Rome’s legendary art and architecture starts at the Vatican Museums, housing the most important ancient art collection in the world in some 1,400 rooms. With more than 65,000 works of art, it would take a lifetime to see everything, but your guide will lead you to the best galleries to see frescoes, statues, tapestries, and historical maps by masters such as Botticelli, Pinturicchio, and Perugino. Then continue to the Sistine Chapel to admire Michelangelo’s magnificent ceiling and Last Judgment. You’ll also learn about other Sistine Chapel painters, including Botticelli and Ghirlandaio. This tour includes guide, entrance fees and headsets, lunch in restaurant, pick-up and drop-off.
DAY 3: ROME - FLORENCE
A privately driven vehicle will provide a transfer to the train station today. Please note, drivers may or may not speak English, as their sole responsibility is to transfer clients from one location to another. If you would like to have the presence of an English speaking assistant or guide for your transfer, this can be pre-arranged upon request and would be subject to an additional supplement.
Sit back and relax as you take this scenic train trip traveling from the Italian capital Rome, to the Tuscan city of Florence. Admire the Cyprus-lined village streets and picturesque vineyards on the hills during this short ride lasting approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
A private vehicle and driver will escort you to the train station today in Florence. Please note drivers may or may not speak English, as their sole responsibility is to transfer clients from one location to another. If you would like to have the presence of an English speaking Assistant or Guide for your transfer, this can be pre-arranged upon request and would be subject to an additional supplement.
DAY 4: FLORENCE
Enjoy a half day walking tour with your private English-speaking guide. You will be met at your hotel, and proceed on foot to view the top sights in Florence. This personalized tour will give you a local insight into the real history and hidden gems the city has to offer. You'll visit the Ponte Vecchio, the famous Piazza della Signoria, the elegant palaces and fashionable shops, the charming narrow medieval streets and the impressive Cathedral Square with Brunelleschi's imposing dome will all be concentrated in a pleasant slowly paced tour. After exploring the city, you will proceed with your guide to the Accademia Gallery where you will have the chance to view Michelangelo's David. Completed in 1504 after four years' work, this stunning statue attracts millions of art lovers from around the globe each year. Your entrance tickets (included in the cost of the tour) are pre-booked so you can bypass the line.
From posh designer brands like Armani, Gucci, Versace and Ferragamo to locally created hand-crafts, souvenirs, quality leathers and traditional clothing, the city of Florence is a never-ending dream for shopping enthusiasts. For those searching for ancient relics and traditional crafted antiques, Via Maggio is the street for you. The shops and merchants on this street boast numerous "Objects d'Art" and furnishings that are sure to create an atmosphere straight out of the 16th century. Via del Tornabuoni is considered Florence's 5th Avenue, featuring shops lined with best quality leather products, elegantly expensive shoes, and modernly stylish clothing boutiques. It is here where you'll find all the “big brand names” products as well as the posh, and potentially upcoming Italian styles. Besides the traditional shops, Florence also boast some of Italy's best open-air markets including the centralized Market of San Lorenzo, the New Market located under the 16th century Loggia del Porcellino, and the Flea Market at the Piazza Santa Croce.
DAY 5: FLORENCE
On this small group tour (min. 4 people/max. 8 people), you'll enjoy the drive through the rolling Tuscan hills. The first stop is Siena, a splendid medieval city recognized by UNESCO as a "heritage of humanity." Once in Siena, you will visit the famous Piazza del Campo. You may use your free time to visit the splendid Cathedral and admire the buildings and churches lining the narrow streets. From Siena, you can admire the vineyards and olive groves in the heart of the Chianti territory en route to the ancient fortified village of Monteriggioni. Take a walk within the restricted perimeter of the surrounding walls and discover a beautiful corner of Tuscany suspended in the Middle Ages. A short distance away, in a pleasant country estate, you will be served a lunch of typical Chianti products and a guided tasting of fine Chianti and Vernaccia wines. After lunch, you leave the farm and just a short distance away you will find San Gimignano, another beautiful UNESCO world heritage town, known as "Manhattan of the Middle Ages." The final stop is the famous town of Pisa, where you can experience Piazza dei Miracoli, the Leaning Tower, Baptistery, Cathedral, and the Monumental Graveyard. This tour includes a pick up and drop off at the hotel (for those staying in the city centre), transport in luxury minivan, qualified English speaking driver, lunch and guided wine-tasting of Chianti, Vernaccia, and typical products.
DAY 6: FLORENCE - VENICE
A private vehicle and driver will escort you to the train station today in Florence. Please note drivers may or may not speak English, as their sole responsibility is to transfer clients from one location to another. If you would like to have the presence of an English speaking Assistant or Guide for your transfer, this can be pre-arranged upon request and would be subject to an additional supplement. Admire the Tuscan scenery as it passes you by during this train ride, traveling from Florence to the city on stilts: Venice. The approximate travel time for this journey is 2 hours. Take a private water taxi transfer from your hotel to the train station or vice versa. You will be accompanied by an assistant (with meet & greet for arrivals), who will help you locate your water taxi, and travel with you to your hotel or the closet pier. Enjoy a 2-hour private walking tour of Venice with an English speaking local guide. Visit St. Mark's Square, the heart of political and religious power of the Venetian Republic for centuries. You’ll learn the history that lies behind the walls of its most famous landmarks; the Basilica and its Byzantine heritage, the Doge's Palace and its adjoining prisons that retain the true secrets of how a city built on swamps became one of the most enlightened cities in the western world. Then, leave St. Mark's behind you to discover the enchanting Hidden Venice. Following a monumental route, your guide will narrate the in-depth history of Venice from its origins to the modern-day. You'll hear tales of illustrious Venetian characters like Marco Polo and Casanova. Other highlights include Marco Polo's House, a Merchants’ Warehouse, the lively Campo Santa Maria Formosa with its outstanding Venetian Palaces, the Church of San Giovanni e Paolo (the Pantheon of Venice), and at the Scuola di San Marco you'll learn about the famous Confraternities (Schools) of merchants and artisans that provided the foundations of the Venetian mercantile empire. This walking tour of Venice finishes at the evocative Rialto Bridge overlooking the Grand Canal and the Rialto Market. Entrances are not included. Sit back and relax on a marvellous and enchanting half an hour evening gondola ride through the Grand Canal and inner canals of Venice. You will breathe the atmosphere of this ancient city built on water. Start your journey at the 'Stazio Gondole Santa Maria del Giglio." Close to Saint Mark, right on the Grand Canal, in front of Guggenheim Collection palace and Santa Maria della Salute church, this gondola station is one of the oldest Gondola stops in Venice.
DAY 7: VENICE
Enjoy a half day tour of Venice’s Lagoon Islands; Murano, Burano, and Torcello. After sailing past the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the Public Gardens, the tip of Sant' Elena and the famous Lido beach resort, the boat arrives in Murano, known throughout the world for its glass manufacturing industry. Here you will stop for around 40 minutes to visit to one of the factories. The second stop, lasting about 30 minutes, is at the picturesque island of Burano, famous not only for its lace but also for the fishermen's houses painted in bright colors. Then after a short cruise, you will reach Torcello, the earliest center of civilization in the estuary. Only the Cathedral with its magnificent mosaics and the church of Santa Fosca remain as testimony of its former glory. Here you will stop for about 30 minutes before returning to St.Marco Square.
DAY 8: VENICE
Take a private water taxi transfer from the airport to your hotel or vice versa. You will be accompanied by an assistant (with meet & greet for arrivals), who will help you locate your reserved water taxi, and accompany you to your hotel or closest pier. Accommodation: Depart (Int`l Airport) (standard)
Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.
Hotel Rome
Hotel Rome: Capo d`Africa (4*)
The Hotel Capo d’Africa Roma is a contemporary designed hotel within a beautiful early 20th century building surrounded by local cafes and shops. The hotel is located under the shadow from the Colosseum, in the heart of Imperial Rome. Other major attractions like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are only 10 minutes away. Breakfast is served on the rooftop terrace overlooking lemon trees while enjoying beautiful panoramic views of Rome. Guests staying at the Hotel Capo d’Africa will also have access to a well-equipped fitness facility. With Italian contemporary art work and décor, the guestrooms are equipped with all modern amenities to make guests stay comfortable in the Eternal City.
Hotel Florence
Hotel Florence : Palazzo Sant`Angelo (4*)
With its unique vintage flare and Venetian fashion, Palazzo Sant'Angelo will capture the sense of time traveling in Venice. Its location sits right in front of the famous Grand Canal, making every morning a perfect stroll among the picturesque Venetian scene. This elegantly restored hotel welcomes guests with an entrance of Palladian pavement, warm hues, and an old stone fireplace. The suites at Palazzo Sant’Angelo feature stunning vistas over the waters of the lagoon, the lush garden or a quaint Venetian side street. Start your morning at the cozy breakfast room, and your evenings at the hotel bar that conveniently overlooks the Grand Canal.
Hotel Venice
Hotel Venice : Palazzo Sant`Angelo (4*)
With its unique vintage flare and Venetian fashion, Palazzo Sant'Angelo will capture the sense of time traveling in Venice. Its location sits right in front of the famous Grand Canal, making every morning a perfect stroll among the picturesque Venetian scene. This elegantly restored hotel welcomes guests with an entrance of Palladian pavement, warm hues, and an old stone fireplace. The suites at Palazzo Sant’Angelo feature stunning vistas over the waters of the lagoon, the lush garden or a quaint Venetian side street. Start your morning at the cozy breakfast room, and your evenings at the hotel bar that conveniently overlooks the Grand Canal.