The Best of Italy and Greece
16 days incl. air, or 15 days Rome/Athens
                                                                                               Return to First Class Italy Vacations

See both historical Italy and classical Greece on this all-encompassing 16-day vacation. Sightseeing highlights are St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum in Rome, the Leaning Tower in Pisa, Michelangelo’s David in Florence, St. Anthony in Padua, St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doges’ Palace with the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Perugia, and St. Francis’ Basilica in Assisi. From Ancona, sail to Patras in Greece. Learn the history of the Olympic Games in Olympia, explore the excavations of Delphi, and visit the Acropolis in Athens. The three nights in Athens allow time to explore on your own, or to take an exciting optional cruise to some of the charming islands.

ROME  Welcome dinner; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum and Roman Forum
PISA Picture stop at the Leaning Tower
FLORENCE  Guided sightseeing including headsets, visit Michelangelo’s David, the cathedral, and Signoria Square
PADUA Visit St. Anthony’s Basilica
VENICE  Private boat ride; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; glassblowers’ demonstration
ASSISI Guided sightseeing, visit St. Francis’ Basilica
ANCONA-PATRAS Overnight crossing in two-berth cabins with private facilities
OLYMPIA Guided visit of the archaeological site including the Gymnasium and the Museum
DELPHI Guided visit of the excavations and the Archaeological Museum
ATHENS Guided sightseeing, visit the Acropolis

-MEALS:  14 buffet breakfasts (BB); 7 three-course dinners (D), including a welcome dinner with wine in Rome
-AIRPORT TRANSFERS Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements with us
-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 Claridge (F) or President (F), FLORENCE Athenaeum (F), VENICE Antony Palace (F) at Marcon or Plaza (F) at Mestre, PERUGIA Sangallo Palace (F), OLYMPIA Amalia (F), DELPHI Amalia (F), ATHENS Titania (F)
-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

Day 1 Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2 Arrival in Rome
Time to rest or start exploring the Eternal City. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (D)

Day 3 Rome
Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. Then time for independent activities and exciting optional excursions. (BB)

Day 4 At Leisure in Rome
Another day to savor la dolce vita. If you feel like traveling, you may want to join an optional excursion to Pompeii, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by a volcanic eruption in 79 A.D. Tonight, why not join an optional dinner with local specialties and wine? (BB)

Day 5 Rome–Pisa
Follow the Aurelian Way along the Tyrrhenian coast to Pisa. Here take your 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 birthplace of the Renaissance. (BB,D)

Day 6 Florence
Follow your Local Guide to the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s David and the magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afternoon free to relax or to find out more about Florence’s artistic wealth. An optional dinner at a typical Tuscan restaurant can be arranged. (BB)

Day 7 Florence–Padua–Venice
A beautiful drive across the wooded Etruscan Apennine Mountains into the lush plains of the Po River will bring you to Padua, city of St. Anthony, for a visit to the majestic six-domed BASILICA. Time for lunch and independent exploration before continuing to Venice. (BB)

Day 8 Venice
Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and the byzantine BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (BB,D)

Day 9 Venice–Assisi–Perugia
A comfortable drive to peaceful Assisi. Your Local Guide will show you the main sights. From St. Clare’s Church enjoy a pleasant walk via pretty Piazza del Comune down to ST. FRANCIS’ BASILICA, the hub of a religious order devoted to ideals of humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and love for God’s creatures. Hear about monastic life and view the priceless frescoes adorning the walls of the church. Then drive on to the capital of Umbria, Perugia, for an orientation and overnight stay. (BB,D)

Day 10 Perugia–Ancona–Overnight Cruise to Patras, Greece
Depart for Ancona where you will board your high-speed FERRY for your overnight cruise to Greece. (BB,D)

Day 11 Patras–Olympia
Dock at Patras and continue by coach to Olympia. (BB,D)

Day 12 Olympia–Delphi
Focus on Olympia, where the athletes of antiquity performed in honor of the King of Deities. Learn about the history of those original Olympic Games as you walk with your Local Guide among the impressive remains of the GYMNASIUM and the Temples of Hera and Zeus. Visit the MUSEUM, which displays a magnificent statue of Hermes. In the afternoon return to Patras and proceed through the picturesque fishing villages along the southern coast to mythical Delphi. (BB,D)

Day 13 Delphi–Athens
Morning visit with a Local Guide to the ancient sanctuary of the god Apollo in its dramatic setting on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Hear about the Oracle and tour the EXCAVATIONS. Also visit the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM to admire the Charioteer, an extraordinary 5th-century B.C. bronze statue. On your way to Athens your Tour Director will tell you about the history of Thebes, the setting of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, and Marathon, where in 490 B.C. 10,000 Athenians defeated more than twice that number of Persian invaders. Exciting possibilities for your first night in Athens include Plaka’s outdoor tavernas with their succulent local food and cool Retsina wines, and folk dancing reminiscent of Zorba the Greek! (BB)

Day 14 Athens
Tour the capital’s classical sights with a Local Guide: the Parthenon’s crowning beauty atop the ACROPOLIS, the Erechtheum with its Porch of Maidens, the beautifully preserved Theseum, Roman Temple of Zeus, Theater of Dionysus, and the Agora where Socrates taught. Vistas of the Royal Palace, government buildings, and elegant homes in the modern city provide a striking contrast to the remains of a glorious past. Afternoon free for shopping and other independent activities. Later, you may wish to join an optional orientation drive and dinner at a fine restaurant overlooking the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus. (BB)

Day 15At Leisure in Athens
A full day at leisure. How about an optional day cruise to the islands of Aegina, Hydra, and Poros? (BB)

Day 16
Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)