If you’ve ever
been to Italy, then you can relate to
the above sentiment by Robert Browning...Italy
is a place that, once you’ve been,
it never quite leaves you. It becomes
a part of you, always there, whispering
to you like a long-lost friend, wanting
you to stop in for a visit and if you’ve
never been, then you only have to imagine
places like the Colosseum in Rome, the
Duomo of Florence or the water-filled
streets of Venice to awaken inside of
you the part that longs to see and experience
a place where history is so alive, it
speaks to you from every plaza, every
church and even the very stones beneath
your feet.
This is the "Great
Cities of Italy Tour,” and we’ll
be focusing on four of the most well-known
in all of Europe - Venice, Florence
(located in the heart of Tuscany), Sorrento
and of course Rome, along with visits
to charming seaside villages like Positano
and Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast, and
Tuscany's Cortona and San Gimignano
with their undiscovered secrets!
Let’s
start in Venice…Ah, Venezia!
VENICE - VENEZIA
Your introduction to Italy begins in
what may well be the most enchanting
city in all of Italy-Venice, and it
is here in Venice, where cars are not
allowed and fresh seafood beckons from
every neighborhood trattoria, where
we begin our tour. Who hasn’t
wanted to see this “most romantic”
of cities, with its water-filled canals
and that famous Venetian glass? Here,
you’ll have the opportunity to
do just that, including a private boat
for a tour along the Giudecca canal.
We’ll also visit Saint Mark’s
Square and Saint Mark’s Basilica,
the Doges’ Palace and the Bridge
of Sighs.
Take advantage
of Venice and enjoy an authentic gondola
ride or simply wander the streets of
Venice and get lost in this city's romance!
The romance of this city is apparent
at every step…take a few minutes
to just soak it all in. From Venice,
we head to the heart of the Tuscany
region, Florence.
FLORENCE - FIRENZE
Florence will then be our home for the
next few nights. Florence is known as
the birthplace of the Renaissance, and
for good reason. Florence is home to
some of the most famous artwork in the
world, by geniuses such as Botticelli,
Brunelleschi, Cellini, Donatello, Fra
Angelico, Ghiberti, Giotto, Leonardo,
Michelangelo and Raphael. Even if you’re
not well-schooled in art history, Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth
of Venus, Giotto’s campanile (bell tower) and Brunelleschi’s
dome on the Duomo are a few of the sights
with which you are probably familiar.
We’ll
join our guide for a walkabout tour
of Florence, where we’ll see many
of the sites described above as well
as get an in-depth commentary on the
history of Florence. And as before,
you’ll also have plenty of time
to enjoy shopping the various markets
or to do some sightseeing on your own.
UNDER
THE TUSCAN SUN - SAN GIMIGNANO
We venture deep into the Chianti
countryside (known as “Chianti”for
the fine wines produced in this region
- look for the Black Rooster to ensure
you have true Chianti produced wine)
to immerse ourselves in the romance
that is Tuscany.
San Gimignano’s
skyline is impressive, made up of the
13 remaining towers dating back from
the 11 th century (it once had as many
as 72 towers!). Also known as the Manhattan
of Tuscany (because of its skyscraper
skyline), San Gimignano rises on a hill
dominating the Elsa Valley and exudes
character from every stone. You’ll
feel like you’ve stepped back
in time to the Middle Ages as you walk
along the cobblestoned streets of this
charming town.
CORTONA TO ASSISI - UMBRIA
After
our full day of exploring under the
Tuscan sun we make our way to Cortona
for a short but sweet overnight stop and some itineraries have an overnight in the nearby villa.
Then next day, we're off to Assisi to explore Umbria. Then we're off to Rome, where
all roads lead. Just sit back, relax
and enjoy the view as we pass through
some of the most beautiful scenery in
Tuscany.
ROME
- THERE WAS ONCE A DREAM CALLED ROME
"All Roads Lead to Rome…”
In “City
of the Soul,” William Murray quotes
a friend of his who had this to say
about Rome: “It’s not only
the physical beauty of the place…It’s
the smell of it, the aura of great history
in the stones of every street and every
building. To be in Rome is to be in
touch with everything in life that really
matters.”
It is
in Rome, one of the world’s great
cities, where we’ll spend the
last three nights of our tour. We’ll
stay in the heart of the city, with
easy access to all the major historical
sites. We’ll take you on guided
tours of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum
and Palatine Hill where you'll see the
splendor that was once Rome...we also
do a brief tour of the Sistine Chapel
and Saint Peter’s Square in the
Vatican. You are also welcome to join
us on optional tours of the monuments
of Rome, where we’ll explore the
Pantheon and the Piazza Navona. Other
optional tours include an evening “illuminated”
tour of Rome, for a guided tour of Rome
at night. As in each of the cities we
will visit, you will have plenty of
time on your own to explore as you wish,
whether that includes joining us on
one of our optional tours, strolling
down hidden streets to see where the
day might lead you or sitting in Artists’
Square sipping a cappuccino, watching
the people go by.
WE
INVITE YOU TO EXTEND YOUR JOURNEY WITH
THE AMALFI COAST!
Your name's Marcello?! Of course
it is.
We're off to the Amalfi Coast - "to
recover by the sea" - from our
delicious tour together. It's the Amalfi
Coast and it is truly one of the most
scenic destinations in the world. Welcome
to Positano and Sorrento. We overnight
in the village by the sea, Sorrento,
and words don't do this leg of our journey
justice. Just wait and see!
At tour's
end you may opt to stay a little longer:
we have a lot of suggestions for some
places you might like to visit…it’s
entirely up to you. But whatever you
choose, whether to come home at tour’s
end or whether to stay so you can take
an excursion down to the Isle of Capri
or maybe the Cinque Terra, just know
that you’ll be leaving with the
kind of priceless memories that some
people only dream of, and quite possibly
an extra suitcase full of souvenirs!
Something
for everyone…
Whether you’re a “first-timer”
to Italy or have visited many times,
we invite you to join us for this exciting
Italy tour program. We have specially
designed a tour catered to those of
you who have never been to Italy. For
one set price, you’ll be staying
in first-class accommodations in each
city and have the experience of local,
English-speaking tour guides. You’ll
have a chance to visit all the major,
“must-see” sites, plus enough
free time on your own to visit the places
that really matter to you…or,
you can simply enjoy that time relishing
your first taste of Italian espresso
in the town plaza-it’s entirely
up to you. Also included are in-depth
tours in each city, group transportation
in an air-conditioned motorcoach, admission
and entrance fees for each stop on our
tours, breakfast each morning and five
all-inclusive dinners with wine!
And if
you have been to Italy before and maybe
want something a little different, you
have the opportunity of choosing to
go as a “first-timer” (there
are many sites you could see a hundred
times and still find something new!)
or adding on whichever tours and attractions
are to your liking and interest, essentially
building your own trip (simply call
us at 1 (877) 865-6711 for a custom
quote).
That all
sounds great! But…
By now,
you might be thinking, “Gee, I’d
really love to see Italy, but I just
can’t right now, maybe someday
I’d like to go…Well, that
someday is now. Just think about this-when
you look back on your life, what do
you see? If you’re like me, you
remember the times spent with friends
and family, maybe family vacations,
places you’ve visited, experiences
shared with loved ones. It becomes easy
to put things off, things that you’ve
dreamed of, or maybe something you’ve
always wanted to do, but someday will
always just be “someday”
unless you do something about it NOW.
You may
also be thinking, “But traveling
to a foreign country can be intimidating-where
to stay? What to see? Where to eat?”
This is where I come in! I take care
of all the details, so you can simply
focus on enjoying what little time you
have over there. QueensLander Tours
is dedicated to making each trip you
take with us the best you’ll ever
experience. Your time is precious-you
want to see as much as you can while
you’re there. Your money is precious-you
want to make every dollar count…Every
detail is taken care of so that the
only thing you have to worry about is
what to pack. Lynette of Brisbane, Australia
had this to say about us:
QueensLander's
dedication to making our touring experience
informative, entertaining and their
attentiveness to each detail was absolutely
delightful...having our QueensLander
Tour Captain along as well as a genuine
local (and knowledgeable) guide onboard
made for a fantastic touring experience
of Italy and Europe!"
By now,
you’re probably wondering, “But
how much does all of this cost?”
Good question.
But first, let’s consider just
the cost of a good hotel. Frommer’s
2006 guidebook on Italy suggests several
“moderately priced” hotels,
all of which average around $250 a night
(most a lot more) . Even an “inexpensive”
hotel averages over $150 per night.
Even then, the prices vary widely, depending
on where in the city you want to stay.
There are similar listings or both Venice
and Florence. And these are just for
“inexpensive” or “moderately”
priced hotels!
For our
“First-Timer’s,” all-inclusive
package, what we’re offering are
first-class accommodations in the heart
of each city, easily accessible to the
very places you want to see, plus several
meals, transportation, guided tours
and the peace of mind knowing that it’s
all taken care of for you. That’s
little more than you’d spend on
just “moderate” accommodations!
In addition,
if you have traveled in Italy before
and maybe want to be a little more independent,
we have an additional option we call
our “returning traveler”
option. You’ll still get the same
first-class customer service and first-class
accommodations from us, but you’ll
have the freedom of spending your days
as you wish, with the option of adding
on only those tours/meals/etc. that
you are interested in, as these are
not included but are all available as
“optional” tours.
Whether
you want to go as a “first-timer”
and let us worry about all the details
or you want to be a little more independent
and essentially “build your own
trip” (while knowing all the major
stuff is taken care of), we have the
perfect trip for you. Call us-we can’t
wait to talk to you! ( 1-877-865-6711
)
Frances
Mayes in “Under the Tuscan Sun”
once said that “…most trips
have an underlying quest. We’re
looking for something. What? Fun, escape,
adventure-but then what?” Everyone
travels for different reasons, but my
question for you would be what are you looking for? And, no matter what the
answer to that may be, I can guarantee
one thing-this trip can be life changing.
To experience another culture, to open
your eyes to another part of the world,
to step in another’s shoes, if
even for a few days, it changes you,
even if only a little.
Remember
Robert Browning, from the beginning
of the letter? “Open my heart
and you will see, engraved inside of
it, ‘ Italy.’” Come,
if you dare, and you may just leave
with a little bit of Italy etched on
your soul as well.
I do look
forward to traveling with you to Italy.
Please drop me a line with any question
you might have!
Sincerely,
Mark Story
-
You can ask me any question about
Italy, this tour or any vacation you're
planning to take to Italy by calling
or email:
Email:
Mark @ QLTours.com
View
Itinerary
- Venice
- St. Mark's Square
- Florence
- Duomo, Michelangelo's David
- San Gimignano
- Vatican City & St. Peter's
Basilica and Square
- Coloseum & the Roman Forum
- Rome
- Castel San Angelo
The Quintessential
Classic Italy Tour
This the classic Italy Tour you've been
waiting to take! From the canals of
Romantic Venice to the statue of David
in Florence, your journey to Italy is
both inspirational and awe-inspiring!
The Best of
the Italian Experience
We provide confirmed reservations for
viewings of all the original works at
the Doges Palace in Venice and the Galleria
dell'Accademia in Florence along with
the imperial Vatican collection! Visit
St. Mark’s Square, and take a
gondola ride and enjoy the serenade
of the gondoliers. Go inside the magnificent
Colosseum as well as the Italian village
of San Gimignano in the Tuscan countryside.
True Small-Group®
Touring - 16 Passengers or less!
Small group tours to Italy
is QueensLander's specialty and we invite
you to discover our service on your
Italy vacation! QueensLander Tours is
the first choice for inexpensive Italy
tour packages and italy tours throughout
Italy, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast and
Cinque Terre. We provide small group
Italy tours and Italy tour packages
in Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, the
Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre along
with Chianti and Tuscany regions Our
Italy tours provide you with low cost
private Airport transfers both inbound
and outbound. We offer Italy Tours as
our specialty at QueensLander Italy
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is Small-Group Italy Tours that have
engaging itineraries, flexible schedules,
personalized service, fabulous Italian
cuisine and regional wines. We use authentic
Italian hotels and accommodations that
are in the city center. We avoid the
Large Italy Tour groups.
Off-the-Beaten-Path
QueensLander features unique dining
venues throughout Italy, included gratuities,
service-driven staff - compare QueensLander
Tours with the other tour companies
and see our difference.
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! 