ITALY ITINERARY: A Small Group Tour of 16 Guests or Less.
Please inquire with reservations about our Budget Supreme Tour package - same itinerary, budget hotels.
Day
1 | Depart the United States on your Trans-Atlantic flight to Europe. Yes, we can arrange your air travel from the
QueensLander air department. We’ll work with you to get the absolutely
lowest-fare available based on your travel preferences. We utilize both our own
air department and online agencies to find the best rate.
Day 2 | Welcome to Venice, Italy
Our tour representative will meet you upon arrival at the Venice airport or Train Station. Opt to take our Arrival Transfer for $95 per person (minimum two passengers). Arrive in style and enjoy the Bay of Venice! We make our way to our hotel in the heart of Venice located
very near St. Mark's Square. Enjoy a
great location in Venice with our hotel and then join the Tour Captain in the
lobby tonight for an included Welcome Dinner to Venice! Ah
Venice!!
·
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
·
INCLUDED WELCOME DINNER TONIGHT: Join your Tour
Captain for a Welcome Feast in Venice, Italy. Experience what can only be
described as a tour of the best cuisine in Italy!
Day 3 | Venice | Giudecca Canal, St.
Mark's Square, Doges' Palace, Bridge of Sighs
Start your morning sightseeing in
style as your Tour Captain and our local Guide escorts you throughout Venice! We
tour by walking today, with in-depth visits to St. Mark's Square and St. Mark's
Basilica, the DOGES' PALACE and the Bridge of Sighs. The romance of this city
is apparent every step of the way, from Venetian glass blowers fashioning their
craft in their traditional style to the classic gondola ride. Enjoy a boat ride on Luigi’s new authentic
Venetian boat over to the Isle of Murano to experience the original glass
blowers – quite fascinating to observe! The afternoon is at your leisure as you
explore the city of Venice. You may opt to join your Tour Captain tonight for
dinner (departs from lobby) or opt to explore on your own throughout Venice!
·
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
Day 4 |
Venice
to
Florence
| Birthplace of the Renaissance
We embark on the EuroStar via 1st
Class service with reserved seats to Florence. Florence is the city of Arts and
birthplace to the Renaissance. After transferring from the Florence Train
Station (smaller groups of less than 10 passengers may utilize taxi service
arranged and included by Tour Captain), we check-in to our hotel to freshen up
and meet in the lobby for a short walk through the cobblestones streets to
dinner. Enjoy 2 nights at the Helvetia & Bristal Hotel or similar. The Helvetia & Bristol is authentic Italiano and perfectly located in the heart of Firenze
(Florence!). Tonight included dining at
a delightful restaurant, fully authentic! Florence welcomes us with a variety
of regional cuisine, beverages and a sampling of fine local wines.
·
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
·
INCLUDED REGIONAL WINES WITH DINNER TONIGHT
Day
5 | Discovering
Florence
Today join your Tour Captain and our
local guide on a guided tour of Florence. Florence boasts a variety of
fine sights to see, including Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistry's Bronze
"Gate of Paradise," Giotto's Bell Tower, Signoria Square and the
Accademia Galleria where Michelangelo's David is housed. A great tour and perfectly balanced day allows you to enjoy the
afternoon for shopping and sightseeing on your own. We highly recommend the
Uffizi Gallery if you want to dig deeper into the vast riches of Florence’s art
and heritage. This afternoon you may also choose from our Authentic Italian Cooking Experience. Inquire with reservations if you're interested in this phenom class.
Tonight’s dinner is optional – join your Tour Captain in the
lobby or explore Florence on your own tonight for a great feast!
·
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
·
ADMISSION TO ACCADEMIA AND SANTA CROCE INCLUDED
Day
6 | Under the Tuscan Sun – Discovering San Gimignano and Villa Dievole Estate in the heart of beautiful
Tuscany
and Chianti regions
This morning we enter deep into the
heart of Tuscany with a stop in the hilltop village of San Gimignano - One of
San Gimignano’s most impressive sights is the medieval skyline made up of 13
remaining towers dating back from the 11th century. San Gimignano rises on a
hill dominating the Elsa Valley. The town increased in wealth and developed
greatly during the Middle-Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena" the
trading and pilgrim's route that crossed it. Once in San Gimignano, we enjoy a
walking sightseeing experience with our local guide. San Gimignano also has
several distractions for shopping – so dig in and enjoy! – from San Gimi we're
off to Villa Dievole Estate for a tour of the cellars and a delightful wine
tasting with appetizers. Experience the castle grounds with a tour of the
cellars along with wine-tasting featuring palate-pleasing appetizers including
pecorino cheese and bruschetta! You’ll
get your fill of classic Chianti and Tuscan vino along with delicate cuisine. We overnight tonight in the heart of Tuscany - absolutely beautiful!
·
BREAKFAST
INCLUDED
·
INCLUDED DINING
TONIGHT: Join your Tour Captain for a welcome dinner in Toscana!
• 1 Night at Villa Marsili (click for hotel reviews), Villa Dievole or Relais alla Corte del Sole or similar
Reviews by 
Day 7 |
Cortona in Arezzo, Toscana | Assisi in Umbria | To Rome
After breakfast, enjoy morning in
Cortona – is a small but fascinating city in the
province
of
Arezzo
,
Tuscany
,
central
Italy
, situated on a
commanding hill, and overlooking
Lake Trasimeno
.
Its cyclopean walls, still in great part preserved, are said to be 3000 years
old. It was one of the twelve cities of Etruria and is our host this morning as
we observe Italian life in Tuscany! Depart 12:00 for departure for
Assisi. Assisi including the Basilica: the mystic city of St.Francis surrounded by ancient walls lays on top of the green slopes of Mount Subasio. Its rose-stone buildings complemented by winding narrow streets, palaces, balconies with blooming flowers will hold you spellbound. You will have a visit of the Basilica of St. Francis, with the masterpieces of Giotto and Cimabue. Then we're off to
Rome
– where all roads
lead. We check into our hotel, the Hotel d'Inghilterra or similar - about 2 minutes from the Spanish Steps.
· BREAKFAST
INCLUDED
· INCLUDED DINING
TONIGHT: Join your Tour Captain for a welcome dinner in Roma.
Day
8 | Welcome to
Rome
! Today we have in-depth touring of
Rome
with the Sistine
Chapel, St. Peter's Square, Roman Forum & the Colosseum.
There was a dream that was
Rome
. You could only
whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish, it was so
fragile.
After a great breakfast we begin our
walking tour of Rome! We begin along the banks of the Tiber River in the heart
of Rome. Your Tour Captain provides commentary at important points along the
route including Castello San Angelo, the Justice Palace and finally arriving at
St. Peter’s square. We navigate along the outer perimeter of the square before
meeting our local guide for admission and tour of Vatican City. Our 2 hour tour
includes the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica –
however, make note the Pope may close any of the Vatican at any time without
notice for a variety of reasons. After exiting the
Vatican
via St. Peter’s square –
smaller groups will take taxis to relocate to the Pantheon where you will enjoy
a delightful lunch at one of the many restaurants in the Piazza (not included).
After lunch, we continue our tour and go back in time as we visit the Roman
Forum with admission to the Colosseum – one of the most impressive sights in
the entire city of
Rome
– and did you know, all
of
Rome
is a
live archaeological dig? Literally, new discoveries are happening all of the
time! Ask your Tour Captain about optional tours later today or tomorrow but
join him tonight for dinner (optional)
·
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
·
OPTIONAL DINING TONIGHT: Join your Tour Captain
for dining out tonight in!
Day
9 | Roman Holiday
Enjoy a free day in
Rome
to sightsee and explore on your own. Go back to the Colosseum and explore the Forum deeper.
Your Tour Captain will have a variety of activities you can opt for or you can
explore on your own. Tonight, enjoy our farewell Gala dinner at an authentic
Roman restaurant at the Spanish Steps with your Tour Captain. Our days have
been filled with new sights, tastes and discoveries - tonight enjoy reflecting
on the incredible journey we've had together!
• BREAKFAST INCLUDED
• INCLUDED FAREWELL GALA & DINNER
Day
10 | Check Out or Extend Further. Arrividerci Day
Catch flights for the
USA
from
Rome
. Until
we meet again, may your days be full of discovery and your nights full of good
friends.
·
BREAKFAST
INCLUDED
·
DEPARTURE TRANSFER $59 PER PERSON, minimum two passengers, Rome hotel to Rome airport.
***Tour Ends***
Extend your Italian Vacation!
Amalfi Coast 3 Day Extension
~Discover the beauty that is the Amalfi Coast with Positano, Amalfi and Sorrento. Breathtaking!
Sicily 3 Day Extension
~Palermo, Messina and so much more await you in Sicily!
Cinque Terre 4 Day Extension
~The truly undiscovered Italian Cinque Terre (five lands) boasts territory that few make it to!
Italian Lakes 6 Day Extension
~Lake Como, Bellagio, Maggiore and more await you in the north of Italy!
|
While enjoying your time 'under the Tuscan sun' discover the romance of this quaint Tuscan town. 
Okay, so you won't want to leave these hotels. Perched perfectly on the cliffs at Sorrento and each guest room has an incredible view!