9 Day Essential Italy 2018 Itinerary

Gondola Ride with Music One of the highlights of any Italian holiday! Enjoy a relaxing gondola ride with music along the famous Grand Canal, and experience a piece of Venetian history. Glide along the centuries old canals, past lavish palaces and under famous arched bridges (the Gondola holds a maximum of six passengers. Please note that this is not a private gondola ride. There will be one musician on board of one of the gondolas in your fleet). Pick-up details to be advised locally. OnDay : 3 Price : $62 Venice Walking Tour Start with a visit to a glass blowing factory in Murano, known for its artistic and colorful Murano glassware. Then travel to St. Mark's Square where you will learn about the Square's most prominent monuments, including the Golden Basilica of San Marco, the Doge's Palace as well as the Bell and Clock Towers. Proceed to Santa Maria Formosa Square and Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, the second largest square in Venice. Continue to the corner of Marco Polo's house and Malibran Theater. Then, return to St. Mark's Square through the Mercerie, a series of interconnecting streets that link the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square, and are the main streets in the city for shopping. Please note: This is a walking and orientation tour of Venice and does not include entry into any landmarks and ends in St. Mark’s Square. Pick-up details to be advised locally. Approximate tour duration is 4 hours. OnDay : 3 Price : $45 Florence Walking Tour with Accademia Museum Begin with a walking tour of the Accademia of Fine Arts, where Michelangelo's David is housed; stand in awe of this glorious work of art. Walk to the magnificent Duomo, celebrated for its magnificent dome designed by Brunelleschi, and view the Baptistery's renowned "Gates of Paradise" by Ghiberti. Continue on a walk through the open-air Art museum of Piazza della Signoria. Pick-up details to be advised locally. Approximate tour duration is 2.5 hours. OnDay : 5 Price : $55 Dinner at a Tuscan Restaurant Come join in a Tuscan Feast tonight! An enjoyable ride through the lovely Tuscan hills will take you to a restaurant where a sumptuous Tuscan dinner will be served. As you enjoy the appetizers, the home-made pastas, the meats and dessert, let the wine flow and the music accompany your experience! Includes round-trip transportation, 5-course dinner with entertainment, and unlimited wine. Pick-up details to be advised locally. OnDay : 5 Price : $74 Ancient Rome Tour Take a walking tour of Ancient Rome's major sights and skip the long lines for the Archaeological Area with a professional guide. Gain special access to the Colosseum, the giant amphitheater used for gladiator fights and public spectacles, and the largest building ever built in the Roman Empire. Admire the Arch of Constantine, walk along the pavement of the original Roman grid, which crosses the ruins of the Roman Forum. Important: Due to security restrictions no backpacks, large bags, electric devices, or knives are allowed inside of the sights. Pick-up details to be advised locally. Approximate tour duration is 3 hours. OnDay : 7 Price : $58 Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Tour Tour of the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo's incomparable Sistine Chapel. Your local guide will lead you into the museums, where you’ll visit one of the most important art collections of the world. Admire the Gallery of Tapestries and the Geographical Maps before arriving to the Sistine Chapel, with its great frescos by Michelangelo. Stroll through St. Peter's Square, passing Bernini's famous colonnade to view St. Peter's Basilica. Pick-up details to be advised locally. Approximate tour duration is 3 hours. OnDay : 8 Price : $66 Piazzas of Rome This half day walking tour takes you to explore the grand piazzas of the Eternal City. Stand in awe in front of the majestic Spanish Steps, the longest and widest decorative steps in Europe, and with your local guide stroll through the most characteristic "piazzas and vias " of Rome. Stop to admire the breathtaking grandeur of the Trevi Fountain and take the opportunity to toss in one, two, or three coins, each of which is supposed to bring a unique kind of good fortune. View the monumental Pantheon, the best preserved of any Roman building and admire the baroque Piazza Navona, which follows the shape of the ancient Roman Diocletian Stadium, with Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers and the Egyptian Obelisk. Pick-up details to be advised locally. OnDay : 8 Price : $49

Accommodation Details: Some departures are operated with more than one coach. Hotels of similar standard may be substituted.