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Day 1
DEPART USA
Overnight flight to Rome.
Day 2
ARRIVE ROME (3 NIGHTS)
Welcome to Rome, the Eternal City! Relax after your journey or explore this fascinating city on your own. Later, meet your companions and Travel Director for a Welcome Reception. It's the ideal opportunity to get to know everyone! An orientation drive will take you to view St. Peter's Basilica - the perfect start to your Italian vacation!
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 3
ROME SIGHTSEEING
Your included sightseeing tour with an expert Local Guide starts at the Vatican Museums. Admire Michelangelo's magnificent frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Visit St. Peter's Basilica, a Renaissance masterpiece! Your guided tour continues across the Tiber River. See the Forum, center of daily life in ancient Rome. Visit the Colosseum, the largest in the Roman Empire. See the Circus Maximus where Ben Hur-style chariot racing took place. Spend free time discovering more of the city or relax at a pavement café and watch the world go by.
Day 4
ROME - AT LEISURE
Spend today sightseeing on your own or consider an excursion to the renowned excavations at Pompeii, close to the Bay of Naples. This evening, why not throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain and make a wish.
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Day 5
ROME - ASSISI - FLORENCE (3 NIGHTS)
Drive north to the mystical town of Assisi on the slopes of Mount Subasio. Your expert Local Guide shows you all the sights. Visit St. Francis' Basilica and see Giotto's enchanting frescoes. Visit the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, which stands on the site where St. Francis died. Arrive later in Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 6
FLORENCE SIGHTSEEING
Learn about Florence's rich cultural history during your sightseeing tour with an expert Local Guide. See Piazza Signoria, with its impressive sculptures and imposing palazzi, and the multi-coloured marble Duomo and Baptistery, famous for its bronze doors with relief sculptures. View the Ponte Vecchio, one of the city's most famous landmarks. Finish with an included visit to the Academy of Fine Arts, home of Michelangelo's statue of David.
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Day 7
FLORENCE - EXCURSION TO PISA
Cross the Arno Valley to Pisa, a former maritime city on the Ligurian Sea. In the Square of Miracles, home to some of the city's most famous sights, see the incredible Leaning Tower and the beautifully sculpted marble Cathedral. See the Baptistery and the cemetery, built on soil brought from Calvary in the Holy Land. Return to Florence and spend free time shopping for souvenirs such as high quality leather and 18-carat gold jewellery. Join your companions this evening for a delicious Be My Guest dinner at an Italian villa located on an ancient olive oil estate.
Day 8
FLORENCE - BOLOGNA - VENICE (3 NIGHTS)
Travel through the Apennines to Bologna, home to one of the oldest universities in Europe and famous for sausages and salamis. Your sightseeing tour with an expert Local Guide includes views of the Kissing Towers, which lean towards each other, seemingly poised to embrace. Later, cross the Veneto plains to Venice, a Byzantine city constructed in a lagoon with an incredibly rich cultural and artistic heritage. This evening, you might like to take a gondola ride along enchanting canals - it's the perfect introduction to this magical city!
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 9
VENICE - CANAL CRUISE AND ORIENTATION
Savour the unique sights of Venice as you cruise by private launch to St. Mark's Square. See the Bridge of Sighs, Palladian Churches, Customs House, Grand Canal, St Mark's Basilica and the ornate Doge's Palace. Stroll across St. Mark's Square to one of the oldest glass-blowing workshops on the islands to see a Local Speciality demonstration of this ancient craft. Free time is an opportunity to visit the Fine Arts Academy, simply relax at a café on St. Mark's Square or consider a boat trip to the Island of Burano for a delicious seafood lunch.
Day 10
SECRET VENICE WALKING TOUR AND VISIT TO THE MARKET
Your boat trip along the Grand Canal to the Rialto Bridge with your expert Local Guide is lively and engaging. Explore the colourful centuries-old fish market on your Small Group Sightseeing walking tour, which continues through the narrow streets. See the beautiful architecture, including Marco Polo's house. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Celebrate this evening with your fellow travellers at a Farewell Dinner in a local restaurant.
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Day 11
VENICE - USA
Say 'arrivederci' to Italy and your newfound friends at the end of your memorable Italian vacation! Airport transfers are available. Conditions apply.