TRIP OVERVIEW

Spend a week in Italy with your family! Start in Rome with a welcome dinner, then enjoy a guided visit to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, where you can get a family picture taken with a gladiator (if available). The afternoon and evening are free for independent activities. The next morning is dedicated to religious Rome: follow your Local Guide to visit the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, followed by St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. Then drive to Florence to enjoy a festive pizza party and learn how pizzas are made! Sightseeing with a Local Guide features a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts with Michelangelo’s celebrated David. Also admire the cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded Signoria Square. In the late afternoon, enjoy a gelato tasting. Continue to Venice, ride a private boat, and visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, and lavish Doges’ Palace with its Bridge of Sighs. The next day, a unique experience: create your own Venetian mask! Then enjoy an included gondola ride plus a farewell dinner on Burano Island. A wonderful vacation!

SIGHTSEEING HIGHLIGHTS

ROME: Welcome dinner at a local restaurant; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, the Colosseum, and Roman Forum; family picture with a gladiator (if available)
PISA: Picture stop at the Leaning Tower
FLORENCE: Guided sightseeing including headsets, visit the Academy of Fine Arts to see Michelangelo’s David, admire the cathedral and Signoria Square; pizza party at a local restaurant; gelato tasting
VENICE: Private boat ride; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; Venetian Carnival mask making; gondola ride; farewell dinner on Burano Island

WHAT'S INCLUDED

-MEALS: 6 buffet breakfasts (BB); 3 dinners (D), including a welcome dinner in Rome, a pizza party in Florence, and a farewell dinner on Burano Island.
-AIRPORT TRANSFERS Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements with the tour company
-INSIDE VISITS are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges when applicable
-Hotel Accommodations Twin-bedded rooms with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, service charges, and tips for baggage handling
ROME Villa Pamphili (F), FLORENCE Sheraton Firenze (SF), VENICE Novotel Castellana (F) at Mestre
-Professional Tour Director while touring, cruise director on River cruises, host services on Independent Vacations, and 50 hosts in London alone to assist you at airports and hotels
-Private deluxe motorcoach with air-conditioning, extra leg room, and emergency washroom while touring
-Travel bag and travel documents

TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1  Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2  Arrival in Rome, Italy. Time to rest or start exploring the “Eternal City.” At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a special welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 3  Unearth Ancient Rome
(Mon.) Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide focuses on the ancient part of the city. Visit the imposing COLOSSEUM, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World®. Here you will learn about life as a gladiator and get a FAMILY PICTURE WITH A GLADIATOR (if available). Continue to the ruins of the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman legions marched in triumph. The afternoon is at leisure—your Tour Director will have suggestions for exciting optional excursions. (BB)

Day 4  From the Vatican to Pisa Leaning Tower & Florence
(Tue.) This morning your Local Guide introduces you to Vatican City, the heart of the Roman Catholic Church. Visit the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement, before continuing to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Depart for Pisa to admire the cathedral, the baptistry on Campo dei Miracoli, and take pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 12 feet out of the perpendicular. Then on to Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany and the cradle of the Renaissance. Tonight, have a festive PIZZA PARTY at a local restaurant where an Italian chef demonstrates just how Italian pizzas are made! (BB,D)

Day 5  Explore Renaissance Florence & See the Famous David
(Wed.) This morning, follow your Local Guide to visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David and admire the magnificent cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. In the afternoon, time to check out the enticing shops with Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry. Later, sample flavors of cioccolato, nocciola, or maybe stracciatella at an exclusive GELATO TASTING. (BB)

Day 6 Cruise Venice’s Canals & Discover the Bridge of Sighs
(Thu.) Drive across the Apennine Hills and through the plains of the mighty River Po to Venice. Enter the city in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and its BASILICA, the Clock Tower, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS, where doomed prisoners caught their final glimpse of the world. (BB)

Day 7  Create Your Own Venetian Mask & Enjoy a Gondola Ride
(Fri.) This morning, enjoy a unique experience: create your own VENETIAN CARNIVAL MASK. Then walk through narrow streets along the canals and across scenic bridges to St. Mark’s Square and enjoy an included GONDOLA RIDE. Time to rest or to enjoy the Lido beaches before joining your Tour Director and fellow travel companions for a festive farewell dinner on Burano Island. (BB,D)

Day 8  Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)

DATES & RATES

* To Be Determined: Air price based on departure city.

Single room supplement: $263.
Triple room reduction: $20

Extra nights per person in Rome:
Mar.-Apr.: in single room $212, in twin room $155, in triple room $123
Jun.-Aug.: in single room $225, in twin room $165, in triple room $132

Extra nights per person in Venice:
in single room $155, in twin room $100, in triple room $90

Child discounts apply when they are the third traveler sharing a triple accommodation. For children aged 8-11: $875, aged 12-17; $437. Young travelers who do not meet the above accommodation requirements are eligible for a discount of $175.

Not included in the tour price: Federal Inspection Fees for the U.S. Customs and immigration; International Air Transportation Tax; agricultural tax; any other taxes; security fee; airport taxes and fees; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips to your tour director; tour host; tour driver; local city guides; gratuities on ferries, trains and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; mini bar; alcohol; beverages and food not on the regular table d'hôte menu (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel or restaurant); optional excursions; porterage at airports; travel protection; excess baggage fees; all other items of a personal nature