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Heart and Soul of Italy
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Heart and Soul of Italy
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Day 1 - Depart USA
Overnight flight to Milan. Airfare from New York starts at $480 per person, excellent pricing from most North American gateways.
Your trip will take you 1 hour north of Milan for your first night. Then, back south throught some of the most beautiful parts of Itlay. |
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Day 2 - Arrive Lugano (Switzerland)
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After your morning arrival, you'll be transferred by private motorcoach to your hotel in Lugano. Surrounded by majestic Alpine peaks, Luganois famous for its mild climate and scenic beauty. After your hotel check-in there is time for shopping and exploration. This evening, enjoy Swiss cuisine in a popular restaurant at a Welcome dinner with wine and music. (D) |
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Day 3 - Lugano/Milan/Verona/Venice
| Morning departure for Venice. Your first stop on the guided tour is Milan, featuring the Gothic Cathedral, La Scala Opera House and Museum. Drive past Sforza Castle, then continue to Verona, home of Romeo and Juliet. Sightseeing includes a view of Juliet's balcony, the Roman Amphitheater and Piazza delle Erbe. Continue on to Venice, the Queen of the Cities. Tonight enjoy dinner at your hotel. (B,D) |
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Day 4 - Venice
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Your morning tour of Venice is on foot and will highlight the Basilica of St. Mark, and the Doge's Palace with its splendid rooms decorated by 16th century artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese. Also view the Bridge of Sighs and Piombi Prison. Afternoon is at leisure with enough time for more sightseeing, shopping or relaxation. Enjoy a delectable Venetian dinner with wine in a popular restaurant. (B,D) |
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Day 5 - Venice/Padua/Bologna/Florence
| Morning departure for Florence, with stops in Padua and Bologna. A guided tour of Padua highlights the Basilica of St. Anthony and its art, including the largest bronze works of Donatello. Continue your scenic drive through the beautiful countryside and stop in Bologna, the gastronomic capital of Italy. Here you will be treated to a special lunch at a well-known restaurant featuring typical Bolognese specialties and Lambrusco wine. After a delicious lunch continue on to Florence, home of Michelangelo. (B,L) |
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Day 6 - Florence
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A morning tour takes you to Michelangelo Square for a panoramic view of the city, the Accademia to see Michelangelo's original 'David statue, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry with its 'Gates of Paradise' doors, Signoria Square and Santa Croce Church. Afternoon is free. Tonight, enjoy a festive dinner with wine and music at a charming restaurant located in the beautiful Tuscan hillside, outside of Florence. (B,D) |
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Day 7 - Florence/Pisa
| This morning is free for some last minute shopping or just relaxing. This afternoon you’ll enjoy an excursion to one of the world’s best known sights - the Learning Tower of Pisa. Then transfer to your hotel, followed by dinner. (B,D) |
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Day 8 - Pisa/Lake Trasimeno/Perugia/Assisi/ Torgiano/Rome
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Morning departure for Rome. Drive through the serene Tuscan and Umbrian countryside passing by the shores of Lake Trasimeno, past the medieval city of Perugia and on to Assisi, stopping at the Basilica of St. Francis. After a delicious lunch in historic Assisi, continue south to Torgiano, and enjoy a wine-tasting tour at the Lungarotti wine cellars before you resume your journey to Rome. Tonight, explore the exciting Roman nightlife. (B,L) |
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Day 9 - Rome
| This morning experience a very special, privately guided tour of the priceless collection of art and treasures found in the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum. You will be amazed by the beautiful wall frescoes created by Michelangelo, Perugino and Botticelli. The unique ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is surely one of Michelangelo’s greatest achievements. Continue to St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the Christian world, built over the tomb of St. Peter. Then proceed to the Piazza Venezia, Roman Forum, with a stop at the Colosseum – a testament to the greatness of Rome’s past. Continue your full day tour viewing the Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, the Synagogue, Isola Tiberina and Castel Sant’ Angelo. Then back to your hotel to get ready to dine out at a popular Roman restaurant tonight. (B,D) |
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Day - 10 Rome
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Rome is filled with monuments, museums, antiquities, fountains and other sites worth exploring. Use this free day to discover the ancient and modern aspects of cosmopolitan Rome for yourself. Or you might choose an optional guided tour to Ostia Antica, the Castelli Romani, or Tivoli Gardens. Tonight enjoy dinner in a lovely Roman restaurant. (B,D) |
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Day 11 - Rome/Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento
| This morning drive south along the Highway of the Sun to Naples. Here there will be an orientation drive highlighting Via Caracciolo (the seafront promenade), the San Carlo Opera House, Santa Lucia, and the Angevin Castle. Before heading for Sorrento, enjoy a stop in Pompeii (the ancient city covered by volcanic lava 2,000 years ago), with a guided tour of the remarkably preserved ruins of temples, houses, gardens and public buildings. Then drive along the coastal road of the Bay of Naples to Sorrento, the famous resort town of orange and lemon groves. Dinner is at your hotel. (B,D) |
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Day 12 - Sorrento (Excursion to Capri)
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A morning jetfoil whisks you across the blue Bay of Naples to the fabled Isle of Capri. After a scenic funicular ride to the center of town, visit the Floral Gardens of Augustus, and still have time for shopping! Take a minibus to Anacapri, where you can gaze at the spectacular views from awe-inspiring heights before catching the jetfoil back to Sorrento. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D) |
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Day 13 - Sorrento (Amalfi Drive Excursion)
| Today experience breathtaking beauty as you travel the fascinating Amalfi Drive. First stop is the panoramic 'Bellevue of Positano' where you can view the unique village of Positano, set like a jewel in the mountains. Continue to Amalfi, passing the fishing villages of Praiano and Conca Dei Marini. In Amalfi, you will enjoy leisure time to admire St. Andrew's Cathedral. Then explore the narrow city alleyways displaying Maiolica Tile art. Balance of the day is at your leisure. Tonight the specialty is Neapolitan cuisine at a dinner with wine in a spectacularly situated restaurant overlooking the Bay of Naples. (B,D) |
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Day 14 - Sorrento/Monte Cassino/Rome
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This morning you depart Sorrento and drive toward Rome. En route stop at the Abbey of Mt. Cassino, renowned for the battle during World War ll. Upon arrival in Rome, check into your hotel. Rome is filled with monuments, museums, fountains and antiquities. Use this free afternoon to discover them for yourself. But don't forget that Rome is Italy's shopping mecca, with excellent prices on everything from silk neckwear to Gucci leathers. Tonight, experience exquisite cuisine at a fabulous Farewell dinner with wine, in a memorable Roman restaurant. (B,D) |
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Day 15 - Rome/USA
Morning transfer to Rome airport for your return flight. (B)
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* Notice: All information provided on this site was correct at time of publishing, but subject to change at the hotel. Photos and pictures do not necessarily correspond to the text descriptions next to them.
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