Italy | Venice to Sorrento

In flight.

Venice

Arrival day at the Venice airport. Bus transfer to the hotel in Mestre.

Dinner included.

After breakfast, guided tour of St. Mark’s Square and St. Mark’s Basilica (interior visit), participants will be able to discover the interior of the basilica, which is a high point of Western mosaic art. They will admire the magnificent golden mosaics that cover the ceiling of the basilica, mosaics on a gold background that have earned the church the nickname “Golden Basilica,” as well as its splendid marble pavement. Participants will also discover the Doge’s Palace (from the outside), a symbol of the grandeur and power of the Doges of the Serenissima. The group will also admire the Campanile (outside), the Clock Tower (outside), the Bridge of Sighs, the Procuratie, etc.

Dinner-tasting in a Bacaro, a typical wine bar, tasting of “cichetti” like tapas, based on vegetables, cheese, cured meats, etc., a pasta dish, and 2 glasses of wine.

In the afternoon, a walk with the guide to discover the typical and popular districts, up to the Rialto Bridge. Return to the hotel.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Full-day boat excursion for a cruise on the Venetian lagoon: stop at Murano for a visit to a glassworks with a demonstration by a master glassmaker; at Burano, the island of lace and colorful fishermen’s houses; at Torcello, with its 9th-century Byzantine basilica (exterior visit).

Lunch on your own ($): you can choose from one of the many typical restaurants offering fish-based dishes. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Breakfast and dinner included.

After breakfast, departure for Verona. Entirely built from the pink marble of the region, Verona is one of the most beautiful art cities in Northern Italy. It is a true museum city where monuments from the Roman, Gothic, and Renaissance eras stand side by side, testifying to the political and economic importance of the city over the centuries. Guided tour of the most important monuments of the city: the Roman Arena (exteriors), via Mazzini, Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza dei Signori, the Arche Scaligere, and, of course, the balcony of Juliet’s house (all visits from the exterior). Dinner on your own ($).

In the afternoon, we will explore the Lake Garda region. A guided walk through the historic center of the charming town of Sirmione, with a view of its elegant Scaligero Castle (exterior), on the shore of the lake, the largest of the Italian lakes. Before returning to the hotel, there will be a tasting at a red wine producer from the Garda region. Dinner and overnight in the Lake Garda region.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Departure to Emilia-Romagna, arrival in the Parma-Modena region. Visit to a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese producer. Tour of the production and tasting of some pieces of Parma’s white gold. Continuation and stop at a producer of the famous Parma ham, where we will be told the secrets of the ‘creation’ of this monument of Italian gastronomy. There will be no lack of tasting some pieces of his production. Tasting dinner at the Ham producer’s included.

Continuation to Tuscany, check-in at your hotel, for dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

After breakfast, depart towards the Cinque Terre. You will leave the hotel for the seaside resort of La Spezia. Throughout the day, you will discover the “Cinque Terre” region, known for its spectacular landscapes. Boat from La Spezia to the village of Riomaggiore. After the visit and some free time, we will take the boat that will take us to the small village of Vernazza, overlooking the sea and clinging to the mountainside, then on to Monterosso, a picturesque little medieval village. Free dinner ($). In the late afternoon, we will return to La Spezia by train and go back to our hotel in Montecatini, dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast and dinner included.

After breakfast, departure toward Florence. The morning will be dedicated to a guided tour of Florence and its main monuments: the flamboyant Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore adorned with pink, green, and white marble, its dome designed by Brunelleschi, its Campanile elaborated by Giotto. The construction of its famous dome originated from a great competition organized among the Florentine artists in the 15th century; the competition was won by Brunelleschi, who designed a dome so grandiose that for centuries no building in the city was allowed to be taller than this one. Even today, architects try to unlock the secret of the artist regarding the construction of this dome without finding the key. The visit will continue with the discovery of the Baptistery and its monumental doors created by great Florentine artists such as Michelangelo or Ghiberti, the Piazza della Signoria, the facade of the Palazzo Vecchio, the Church of the Holy Cross, etc. (all visits from the outside). Free dinner ($).

The afternoon is dedicated to discovering the Val di Pesa region up to Chianti, through the gentle and smiling hills of Tuscany. We will discover this land which was the favorite scene of the centuries-old struggle between Florence and Siena: a landscape dominated by cypress and vine, of course, a land dotted with many villages that still retain their medieval aspect and where life is good. Stop at a local farm for a tasting of the famous local red wine around San Gimignano. Free supper ($).

Breakfast included.

Departure for Tuscany to the sumptuous medieval city of Siena. Visit its historic center; the Piazza del Campo, the Torre del Mangia, the Palazzo Vecchio, the cathedral (all visits are from the outside). Free time.

In the afternoon, stop at a wine producer in the famous Chianti region. Visit their vineyard and wine cellar for a dinner-tasting. Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in Chianciano.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

After breakfast, departure for Rome. Free dinner ($) on the way. Upon your arrival, visit the Vatican City with the Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica in the square of the same name. This sanctuary, the most important in Catholicism, is also a masterpiece of 16th-century architecture. Check-in at your hotel in Rome for dinner.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Today, a guided tour of Ancient Rome: we will leap through the centuries and set off to discover one of the city’s most famous monuments, the Flavian Amphitheatre, better known as the Colosseum. We will visit this spectacular amphitheater, where the famous gladiator combats and other naval battles took place in the 1^st century. We will continue this journey through Ancient Rome with the discovery of the Roman Forums, the center of political and religious life during antiquity.

Afternoon free for clients or a walk through Baroque Rome with your guide (Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, etc.).

Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Rome.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Departure from Rome after breakfast, heading towards Pompeii. Visit the city of Pompeii. The state of preservation of this ancient Roman city, buried by a volcanic eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, provides a very good idea of the layout of a Roman city from that era. The wealth of numerous villas is admirable with their mosaics still vivid in color. Continue towards Sorrento, a famous town and seaside resort on the Amalfi Coast. Check-in at your hotel on the Sorrento Peninsula. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

Breakfast and dinner included.

A day entirely dedicated to visiting the island of Capri and Anacapri. Boat crossing between the port of Sorrento and the island of Capri. Once you arrive, you will meet your guide who will take you for a visit to Anacapri and Mount Axel Belvedere (entrance fees not included), the town center of Capri with the famous Piazzetta, the Augustus Gardens, and Faraglioni. Dinner break ($) and free time for a stroll and shopping. Return to the hotel in Sorrento for dinner and overnight stay.

Breakfast and dinner included.

One-day bus excursion on the Amalfi Coast departing from Sorrento. You will discover Positano, perched on the mountainside, and Amalfi. You will take the boat to Maiori to join your bus and return to the hotel in Sorrento, passing through Vietri sul Mare, popular for its Majolica ceramics. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Transfer to Rome airport and departure.

Breakfast included.