Compare Opera & Food by Vita Italian Tours vs Venice, Florence and Rome by Viandando Luxury Travel
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 11 days | 9 days |
| Price From | $ 3,726 | $ 4,250 |
| Price Per Day | $ 339 | $ 472 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
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| Countries Visited | ||
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
10 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches and 10 Dinners |
N/A |
| Description |
The tour concentrates on the celebrated Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro and the open-air opera season in Macerata in the beautiful Le Marche Region. Between musical performances, there are guided visits to fascinating medieval and Renaissance towns. The tour begins in Rome highlighted by an afternoon guided walking tour to many of the Capital’s landmarks. The next day we travel to Le Marche Region in Central Italy. We will have four days in Macerata to experience its world renowned Opera Festival held at the imposing open air arena: the Sferisterio. After Macerata, we head north to the City of Pesaro situated on the Adriatic Coast, a city proud of its talented and famous son Rossini, born in 1792. Naturally, the city is a centre of musical appreciation with performances at the annual Rossini Opera Festival in August. The City of Pesaro is rich in culture and historical landmarks. From Pesaro we will visit the famous Renaissance town of Urbino with its Ducal Palace which houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche. There are also guided visits to Loreto, Recanati, Gradara, San Marino and Novilara. The tour includes 4 opera performances. There are 2 performances at the Sferisterio in Macerata and 2 performances at the Rossini Opera Festival of Pesaro. |
On a privately guided trip that shows you Italy’s beauty, enjoy a tour of the most romantic Italian city with its splendid canals; sample wine and cicheti (local finger food) at bacari (Venetian wine bars), visit the islands of Murano and Burano; admire the artistic treasures of Florence; enjoy a cooking class in the famous Chianti wine region; take our Underground Tour of the Colosseum and see the Vatican before the crowds arrive on a special early-morning visit. |
Day 1: Rome
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Your tour leaders Mario, Viny and Gianni will meet you at the hotel in the centre of Rome at 4.00pm. Introductions and a small talk on the tour will precede an afternoon stroll through some of the famous ‘piazze’ of Rome. The guided walking tour will include Piazza della Repubblica, Fountain of Trevi, Piazza della Rotonda, Piazza Navona and finally Campo de` Fiori. Then we travel to Trastevere with an early dinner in a family restaurant in this beautiful part of Rome.
Day 2: Rome/Ascoli Piceno/Macerata
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we leave Rome for Macerata. We will travel in air-conditioned comfort through some of the most beautiful countryside of the Central Apennines. We make a brief stop at Ascoli Piceno for a tour of the historical part of the City. We will walk around the Piazza del Popolo and the other main square Piazza Arringo. After a quick lunch we then proceed to Macerata for check in at our hotel. Dinner at a local restaurant before an evening at the opera at the magnificent Sferisterio.
Day 3: Macerata
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we will spend the morning with a local guide who will take us through the city’s famous landmarks and museums. Lunch will be at a traditional restaurant. The afternoon is free for you to stroll through some of the beautiful streets of Macerata. A special dinner is organised at a local restaurant specialising in local cuisine and wines.
Day 4: Macerata/Recanati
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we will visit the town of Recanati. This was the birthplace of Giacomo Leopardi, Italy’s greatest romantic poet. It is also the home of the world renowned tenor Benianimio Gigli. We then visit the museum in Villa Colloredo-Melson on the outskirts of the town which holds Recanati greatest art treasures, a room with four of Lorenzo Lotto’s finest pictures. The afternoon is free. An early dinner before a performance again at the Sferisterio.
Day 5: Macerata/Loreto/Pesaro
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we leave Macerata and travel to the northern most part of Le Marche Region and our stay for the next 6 nights is in the City of Pesaro. Pesaro is situated on the Adriatic Coast. On the way we will make a stop at Loreto for lunch, a beautiful hill town second only to Assisi and Rome as a place of religious pilgrimage. The town is a showcase of some of Italy’s greatest artists and architects. Dinner at the hotel will be preceded by an optional passeggiata through the historical centre of Pesaro.
Day 6: Pesaro/San Marino
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Today after breakfast at the hotel, we travel just over the border of Le Marche for a day visit to the tiny Republic of San Marino. It is a day for shopping as San Marino is jammed with duty free shops. Apart from souvenirs, you will be able to pick up perfume, watches and leather bags at very reasonable prices. San Marino is also worth a visit for its history and pageantry and its magnificent hilltop setting which offers excellent views of the countryside. We travel back to Pesaro for a free afternoon. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 7: Pesaro
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast a local guide will accompany you as we stroll through the streets of Pesaro. We will visit the house of the Gioachino Rossini and the Rossini Conservatoire which hosts many items of Rossini memorabilia. We will explore the ancient centre of Pesaro with its Ducal Palace and Piazza del Popolo. Lunch will be at one of the local trattorias just off the Piazza del Popolo. The afternoon is at leisure. Dinner at the hotel before attending a performance at Teatro Rossini, one of the 3 venues used during the festival.
Day 8 Pesaro/Gradara
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today’s visit is to Gradara, a medieval village dominated by its magnificent castle which overlooks the Adriatic Sea. We will tour the castle and the impressive old walled town. Gradara was made famous by the legendary love affair between Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini as immortalised in the 5th Canto of Dante’s Inferno. Lunch at Gradara with piadina and local wine. In the afternoon you will have time to relax before an optional tour of the Villa Imperiale. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 9: Pesaro/Urbino
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we explore the land once ruled by the medieval lords of Montefeltro. We visit Urbino one of Italy’s fascinating towns of the Renaissance. It is also the birth place of Raphael. A conducted tour of the magnificent Ducal Palace which houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche with its precious paintings by Piero della Francesca, Tiziano, Paolo Uccello and Raphael. A lunch is organised in a traditional osteria in Urbino. An early dinner at the hotel before our second opera performance.
Day 10: Pesaro
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we will visit the Civic Museums and several important churches and their art treasures. Lunch is organised at Novilara, a nearby hill town, in a traditional trattoria which is famous for its local produce and pasta e fagioli on the menu. After a pleasant stroll of Novilara, we travel back to Pesaro. There will be a special farewell dinner in a famous restaurant in Pesaro.
Day 11: Pesaro
Meals: Breakfast
The tour officially ends after breakfast. Mario, Viny and Gianni will farewell the group at the hotel.
Day 1: Arrival At Venice Airport And Private Transfer To Your Accommodation
Arrival at Venice International airport and transfer to your accommodation. Rest of the day at your leisure for resting and relaxing.
Day 2: Venice Wine Tour
Enjoy our Venice Wine tour. During this fascinating 2-hour walking tour of Venice, you’ll receive an insider’s glimpse into the lives and habits of authentic Venetians while visiting a favorite local Venetian hangout: winebars called baccari (or bacari). After meeting your guide in the center of Venice, you will wind through streets and over secondary canals as you learn more about lesser-known legends and hidden places off the beaten track. See unforgettable landmarks, and experience Venice as few visitors do! Your private walking and wine-tasting tour includes stops in two baccari (winebars) that are filled to the brim with Venetians at the classic aperitivo time of 7pm. At the winebar, crowded with locals, you can sip a bubbly Prosecco or a smooth Soave and devour a cicchetto, a local Venetian snack, while your expert local guide tells you more about the traditional cuisine, native wines, history, and assorted lore. Some typical cicchettos are small pieces of toast with baccala, tiny meatballs, hardboiled eggs filled with anchovies, or pieces of fried, seasonal vegetables. This tour is perfect before lunch or dinner. After the tour, you guide will be happy to suggest a great local restaurant for lunch or dinner where you can continue discovering this authentic side Venice!
Day 3: Murano And Burano Tour
Morning dedicated to the visit of the amazing islands of Murano and Burano. First stop is Murano. This island, where all of Venice’s glass factories have been located since the 13th-century, is the most famous place for glassmaking in the entire world – and for good reason, as you’ll see soon. You’ll stop at an authentic glassmaking factory, which we’ve handpicked both for its history and quality. Then you will continue to Burano, a working fisherman’s island, famous for its brightly painted buildings. Return to Venice around lunch time and afternoon at your leisure.
Day 4: Private Transfer To Venice Station, High – Speed Train To Florence And Transfer To Your Accommodation
Following breakfast and check out your private boat driver will meet you at your hotel and take you to Venice station. Catch your high – speed train to Florence. Upon arrival transfer to your accommodation
PRIVATE GUIDED TOUR OF FLORENCE WITH ACCADEMIA GALLERY
Start your Florentine sojourn with a guided orientation walk to admire the most important Florentine sites: the Cathedral with its Giotto Bell Tower, Piazza della Signoria with the Palazzo Vecchio and the Ponte Vecchio knowing for its gleaming gold shops. The tour also includes the visit of the Accademia Gallery that houses the David by Michelangelo.
Day 5: Cooking Class Followed By Lunch And Leisure Time In San Gimignano
Following breakfast your private driver will meet at your accommodation and take you to a lovely agriturismo immersed in a magnificent Tuuscan landscape. Enjoy a fun cooking class and learn all the secrets to prepare a full delicious Tuscan Menu. At the end of your class enjoy the fruits of your labour accompanied by the great wines produced at the Estate. In the afternoon take the chance to visit San Gimignano an enchanting hilly town known as the “medieval Manhattan” for its striking skyline, which outlines thirteen medieval watchtowers. Return to Florence late afternoon and overnight stay.
Day 6: Guided Visit Of The Uffizi Gallery And Palazzo Vecchio
Today enjoy a guided visit of the incredible Uffizi Gallery – one of the world’s oldest museums and one of the most important art collections anywhere. With works by Raphael, da Vinci, Botticelli and Caravaggio.This tour also visits the Palazzo Vecchio; one-time home to the Medici family. Here you’ll visit the Council of 500, made famous by Dan Brown and Michelangelo. Afternoon at your leisure.
Day 7: High – Speed Train To Rome And Trastevere Food Tour
Following breakfast and check out take your high – speed train to Rome. Upon arrival transfer to your accommodation. Late afternoon enjoy our Twilight Trastevere Food Tour. On this guided 4-hour walking food tour we explore this photogenic neighborhood by night. You’ll sample a sumptuous blend of Italian classics like pizza and pasta, real Roman street food, less-known meats and cheeses, and amazing wine in a secret cellar – its history will blow you away. Few activities in Rome deliver as many hidden surprises and enchanting moments as this, so be sure to join us for an unforgettable night in one of our favorite neighbourhoods in Rome. Take advantage of Rome’s vibrant nightlife by walking through the streets of Trastevere with a local.
Day 8: Underground Imperial Rome Tour
Enjoy a VIP tour of the Colosseum Underground & Arena Floor! Feel the fear and hear the roars of the crowd above you as you enjoy this full Colosseum Underground tour. Stepping beneath the arena floor, you’ll walk in the footsteps of gladiators who waited here before battle. As you tour the tunnels, your guide will tell you about the real life of gladiators before taking you back up to the arena floor. Walk out onto a recreation of the stage where the fighting took place and be blown away by the most impressive view of the Colosseum (seen by so few!). After your Colosseum and Colosseum Underground tour, you’ll experience the very heart of Ancient Rome: the Roman Forum. Here was where Rome ruled its empire of untold political and cultural influence—and of more than 2.5 million square miles and 65 million people. At the Palatine Hill you’ll discover the origins of Ancient Rome. Legend has it that this is the spot where Remus and Romulus were found by the she-wolf and where they battled to decide which would have the privilege of building their own town. Hear how this legendary battle impacted the world you know today (your very own life even!) We owe the Ancient Romans more than you’d believe!
Day 9: Small Group Early Bird Vatican Museums Tour
This morning enjoy our Pristine Sistine Early entrance Small group Vatican Tour (the tour starts at 07.15 am). Enter the museums before the general public to see the Sistine Chapel at a quieter time. See the best of the Vatican City in under four hours. With a guided tour of the Sistine Chapel, a Vatican Museums tour (including the Raphael Rooms) and a St. Peter’s Basilica tour, you’ll cover all the bases. Engage with the art and architecture of the Vatican. Our guides are passionate art experts, full of stories and familiar with even the smallest details of these massive museums. The tour will end around 11.00 am. Rest of the day at your leisure.
10: Fly Back Home
Following breakfast and check out your private driver will take you to Naples International airport to catch your flight back home.
