italy Tours Easy Pace Italy

Itinerary:

Day 1  Rome    
Arrive into Rome and transfer to your hotel. This evening, join your travel director and fellow travellers for a welcome dinner.    

Day 2  Vatican City  
Take the fast-track VIP entrance into the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel to admire the collection of priceless art and Michael Angelo's famous ceiling mural. Later, enjoy an exclusive VIP dinner in the Vatican's elegant Cortile del Giardino Quadrato for incredible views of St Peter's.    

Day 3  Rome    
Explore Rome further at your own pace today. Perhaps visit the Catacombs, the Pantheon or spend some time in the boutiques of the Via del Corso, the Via Nazionale or the elegant designer stores near the Spanish Steps.    

Day 4  Rome to Florence  
Journey up the foothills of the Apennine Mountains to reach delightful Assisi, a stone-built town spilling over the steep hillside. Visit the tomb of St. Francis and see the beautiful frescoes by Giotto in the great basilica. Continue through the Tuscan hills to reach Renaissance Florence.    

Day 5  Florence    
Join a local historian to see Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia Museum. Walk through the cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, where Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory. Visit Piazza della Signoria, the political heart of Florence and an open air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces.    

Day 6  Pisa    
After a leisurely morning, explore the nearby town of Pisa and see the baptistery with its intricate marble facade, the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the cathedral and of course the famous Leaning Tower. On return to Florence, stop at the il Poggio organic farm for a guided walk through the vineyards and olive trees, learning about the production of olive oil and wine.    

Days 7-8  Florence to Venice  
Travel on to Venice, the ‘Queen of the Adriatic’ and gaze out over the Giudecca Canal. On day eight, admire the art of glassblowing on a visit to a traditional arts centre, then board a private cruise to enjoy this unique city of ornate palaces, bridges and gondolas. Visit the Bridge of Sighs before standing in awe at the marble arcades of Piazza San Marco.

Day 9  Venice    
During a free day to explore, lose yourself in the back lanes and small squares where Venetians go about their daily lives. Maybe visit some of the 90 churches which house masterpieces of Venetian art, explore the modern art works in the Guggenheim or perhaps cruise out to some of the other islands in the lagoon. Later, board a gondola for a serenade through the canals to the famous Opera House for your traditional Venetian farewell dinner.    

Day 10  Venice    
Bid farewell to this enchanting city today for your flight home.

Departs: