THE SMALL-GROUP ITALY Art & Masterpiece | GRAND ITALY TOURvery

Art & Masterpiece: The Grand Italy Tour

Tour Itinerary: Art & Masterpiece

Day to Day Itinerary

• BREAKFAST INCLUDED
• OPTIONAL 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
Start your morning sightseeing in style as Mark and our local guide escorts you to a private boat which allows a lovely tour along the Giudecca canal. 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. 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).

• BREAKFAST INCLUDED
• OPTIONAL DINING TONIGHT
  
  Day 4 | Venice to Florence - Firenze
  We embark on our train ride onboard the EuroStar 1st Class service to Florence. Florence is the city of Arts and birthplace to the reneiaseance. After transferring from the Florence Train Station, we check-in to our hotel, theHotel Montebello Splendidor similar, there is time to freshen up and meet in the lobby for a short walk through the cobblestones streets to dinner. DINNER tonight to welcome us to Florence served with a variety of regional cuisine, beverages and a sampling of fine local wines.
  
  
• BREAKFAST INCLUDED
• REGIONAL WINES WITH DINNER TONIGHT
• INCLUDED DINING TONIGHT: Join your Tour Captain for a Tuscan Welcome Dinner.

• BREAKFAST INCLUDED
• ADMISSION TO ACCADEMIA AND SANTA CROCE INCLUDED
• OPTIONAL DINING TONIGHT

Day 6 | A Day in the Tuscan Sun: San Gimignano, Castello de Monsanto & Cortona
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 Castello de Monsanto 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 arrive Cortona for our last night in Tuscany.

• BREAKFAST INCLUDED
• OPTIONAL DINING TONIGHT: Join your Tour Captain for a dinner in the heart of Tuscany

Day 7 | Cortona to Rome
After a great breakfast we depart for Rome mid-morning. Our travel sets us for arrival by mid-day. Check in to our hotel,Hotel Dei Mellinior similar (about 10 minute walk from Spanish Steps!) and enjoy your day exploring the Eternal City! Tonight, join your Tour Captain for an optional dinner together.

• BREAKFAST INCLUDED
• OPTIONAL DINING TONIGHT: Welcome to Rome! Join your Tour Captain for dining out tonight in Roma.

Day 8 | Rome | Colosseum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square
Today, we're off for SIGHTSEEING (lots of walking through Rome - the only way to see everything!) throughout Rome - we'll enjoy a short visit to the Vatican and expedite our way through to the Sistine Chapel. We will visit St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square (unless the Pope closes them for some papal business - which often happens!). After our tour we'll cross the Tiber and head to lunch in the Pantheon square.. Then we're off for a stroll along the Via Sacra at the Roman Forum, where Roman Legions marched in triumph, and finally visit the infamous COLOSSEUM (Admission for Entrance included) and hear about its rich and tragic history of gladiatorial combats. We conclude our tour mid-afternoon and enjoy a leisurely walk back to our hotel via the Trevi Fountain up to the Spanish Steps and then down Via Condotti. Your Tour Captain will arrange a quick transfer for those who choose not to walk back at no additional charge. Tonight, Mark has great recommendations for dinner on your own. Balance of the evening is at your leisure.

• BREAKFAST INCLUDED
• OPTIONAL DINING TONIGHT: Welcome to Rome! Join your Tour Captain for dining out tonight in Roma.

Day 9 | Amalfi, Positano & Sorrento
After a hearty breakfast we're off to the Amalfi Coast to celebrate our last days together. The Amalfi Coast is one of the most splendidly beautiful--and historically significant--areas in Italy. The area is comprised of the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula, south of Naples and part of the province of Salerno. In the northern coast we find the town of Sorrento, from which the Peninsula derives its name, and along the southern coast one will find the region's main towns of Positano, Ravello, Atrani, and Amalfi. The island of Capri, located nearby in the Bay of Naples, is also considered part of the Amalfi Coast. The rugged coastline, sunny brilliance, and high mountain towns of the Amalfi Coast--as well as its proximity to Naples and the major archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum--have made the area a favorite with tourists, artists, and writers. Sorrento, Capri, and Positano have flourished as a home base for wealthy expatriates, particularly since the end of World War II. The town of Amalfi itself was at one time an important port in the region during the Middle Ages, and much more populated than it is today. Enjoy a relaxing day exploring the four principal destinations of the Amalfi Coast. Fall under the spell of the enchanting Amalfi coast where the most beautiful coastline in world offers incredible views throughout its course. Visit the town of Sorrento which has been a popular resort since Roman Times, perched above the sea with its picturesque bays enjoy distant views of the Isle of Capri. While admiring the surrounding hills covered in vines. Stroll around the narrow alleys of Positano which enjoys an unsurpassed position along the Amalfi coast where delightful white and pastel-coloured houses litter the hillside. Along with the beautiful beaches, its ancient fishing port, the splendid majolica dome of the church of Santa Maria Assunta and artisan shops you'll enjoy a taste of the “Dolce Vita”. In the town of Amalfi, enjoyed a prestigious past when it once a major naval power. Made of a labyrinth of narrow lanes and alleyways that climbs the surrounding hills, the town features typical mediterranean style architecture with houses piled one on top of the other. Here you can sample the local Lemoncella drink or perhaps visit the celebrated “Paradise Cloister” built in Arabian style that dates back to the thirteenth century. We overnight in Sorrento at the Hotel Bellevue Syrene or similar.

Tonight, enjoy our Farewell Feast with your Tour Captain as we dine in a characteristic restaurant with all the Italian fixings. Arrivederci!

• BREAKFAST INCLUDED
• INCLUDED DINING TONIGHT: Join your Tour Captain for a fabulous feast tonight on the Amalfi Coast!

Day 10 | Arrividerci Day: Catch flights for the USA from Naples.

• BREAKFAST INCLUDED

After your last breakfast in Italy, transfer to airport (transfer available for $79 per person) for flights back to the USA.  Until we meet again, may your days be full of discovery and your nights full of good friends.

***Tour Ends***