Venice (2 nights), Florence (3 nights), Rome (3 nights), 

Day 1/Mon Venice: Morning arrival into Venice’s Marco Polo Airport. Here you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel in Venice. The balance of the day is at leisure. This evening enjoy a welcome dinner at a popular restaurant. 

Day 2/Tue Venice: Your morning tour of Venice is on foot and will highlight the Basilica of St. Mark and the Doge’s Palace, with its splendid rooms decorated by 16th century artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese. Also view the Bridge of Sighs and Piombi Prison. Afternoon is at leisure with enough time for more sightseeing, shopping or relaxation. In the evening, your tour director will assist you in locating restaurants where you will enjoy savoring the pleasures of Venetian cuisine.

Day 3/Wed Venice/Padua/Modena/Florence: SPECIAL BALSAMIC TASTING IN MODENA
This morning depart Venice and stop in Padua to visit the Basilica of St. Anthony and its art, including the large bronze works of Donatello. Continue your scenic drive to Modena, famous for balsamic vinegar and Ferrari sports cars which are manufactured in the nearby town of Maranello. In Modena, you’ll be treated to a special balsamic vinegar tasting session plus lunch, featuring local specialties and Lambrusco wine. After lunch continue to Florence, the home of Michelangelo. Tuscan cooking is a true gastronomic feast. Your tour director will suggest restaurants according to your preferences.

Day 4/Thu Florence: DINNER WITH MUSIC & MERRIMENT IN A TUSCAN VILLA
Morning tour takes you to Michelangelo Square for a panoramic view of the city, the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s original “David” statue, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry with its “Gates of Paradise” doors, Signoria Square and Santa Croce Church. Afternoon is free. Tonight enjoy a festive dinner with wine and music at a charming villa located on a beautiful Tuscan hillside outside Florence.

Day 5/Fri Florence (Pisa Excursion): This morning is free for some last minute shopping, or join us for an optional tour to Siena famous for “Il Palio” the bareback horse race. During this optional excursion you will travel through the heart and hills of Tuscany to explore breathtaking landscapes with Chianti vineyards, cypress trees, olive groves, and medieval villages. In the afternoon enjoy an included excursion to one of the world‘s best-known sights – the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Late afternoon return to Florence and dinner on your own. Your tour director will suggest Florentine restaurants you will certainly enjoy.

Day 6/Sat Florence/Magione/Assisi/Rome: SPECIAL WINE TASTING AT MAGIONE CASTLE
Morning departure for Rome. Drive through the serene Tuscan and Umbrian countryside, passing by the shores of Lake Trasimeno with a stop at the Magione Castle dating back to 1150-1170 A.D. The Castle is presently the private residence of the Prince and Grand Master of Sovereign Military Order of Knights of Malta. Today the castle is surrounded by the rolling terrain of a 3,724-acre farm. The farm is partly devoted to vineyards (74 acres) and an olive grove (59 acres). The highlight of the tour will be the castle cellar, with its XV century walls and vaults, housing thermo-conditioned stainless steel basins as well as barriques (oak barrels) to preserve a superior quality of red wines. Here a wine expert will lecture on the vinification process that takes place at the castle, followed by a delicious tasting of the varieties of wines produced at the castle. Subsequently proceed to Assisi where you will lunch at a local restaurant. The town of Assisi is a Unesco’s World Heritage Site, and a unique example of continuity of a city-sanctuary. There will be a guided tour of St. Francis Basilica, including the crypt with the remains of St. Francis as well as masterpieces by Cimabue and Giotto. Arrive in Rome in the late afternoon in time to experience a taste of the Roman dining scene on your own. After dinner, explore the exciting Roman Dolce Vita and nightlife.

Day 7/Sun Rome: Rome is filled with monuments, fountains, antiquities and other sites worth exploring. Use this free day to discover the ancient and modern aspects of cosmopolitan Rome for yourself. You might also choose to take an optional tour to Ostia Antica, the Castelli Romani, or attend a Papal Blessing. There’s only one Rome, so make sure you bring home enough memories to last a lifetime. In the evening again discover on your own why Roman trattorias are famous for their fine food and wine.

Day 8/Mon Rome: This morning experience a very special privately guided tour of the priceless collection of art and treasures in the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum. You will be amazed by the beautiful wall frescoes created by Michelangelo, Perugino and Botticelli. The unique ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is surely one of Michelangelo’s greatest achievements. Continue to St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the Christian world, built over the tomb of St. Peter. Then proceed to the Piazza Venezia and Roman Forum, with a stop at the Colosseum – a testament to the greatness of Rome’s past. Continue your full day tour by viewing the Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, the Great Synagogue, Isola Tiberina and Castel Sant’Angelo. Tonight bid arrivederci to Rome at a special dinner with wine in a lovely Roman restaurant.

Day 09/Tue Rome: to Home (or extend your stay) Morning transfer to airport for your return flight home.

 FEATURES
- First-class hotels for 8 nights
- 13 included meals consisting of: 8 buffet breakfasts - 3 dinners and 2 lunches at popular restaurants
- Wine, mineral water & coffee or cappuccino served with lunch and dinner at hotels and restaurants
- Touring by private air-conditioned motorcoach
- Professional English Speaking tour director
- Sightseeing as indicated, including local guide and all entrance fees
- All transfers and baggage handling
- HEAR CLEAR — Personalized audio system to hear every word your guide says, even from a distance
- Hotel taxes and service charges

DINING PLAN
3 dinners and 2 lunches at popular restaurants, featuring regional cuisine including wine, mineral water and coffee or cappuccino • Welcome dinner in Venice • 1 lunch in Modena • Festive dinner in Florence • 1 lunch in Assisi • Farewell dinner party in Rome

BONUS SIGHTSEEING & FEATURES
- Doge’s Palace in Venice
- St. Anthony’s Basilica in Padua
- Balsamic vinegar tasting in Modena
- Michelangelo’s “David” in Florence
- Pisa’s Leaning Tower
- Visit Assisi
- Special wine-tasting at Magione Castle
- St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
- The Colosseum
- Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel

Preferred Hotels