11 Days Italy At Leisure Tour Package

Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Priced From: $2,699 pp dbl. occ.
Dates: Sep - Dec, Mar, Apr

This is the perfect leisurely vacation to see Italy’s highlights in the most comfortable way. Three nights in Rome include a special welcome dinner and sightseeing tours including St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, and the Forum. You also have time to explore this fabulous city on your own. On the way to Florence, visit the Piazza del Campo in Siena and picturesque San Gimignano. The three nights in Florence feature a sightseeing tour including a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts to admire Michelangelo’s David, visits to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and splendid Verrazzano Castle, where you taste the Chianti wines and enjoy lunch. Two nights in Venice, again in the center, include not only visits to St. Mark’s and Doges’ Palace with the Bridge of Sighs, but also an unforgettable Venetian Lagoon Cruise to the islands of Murano and Burano. Stop in Verona to take pictures of Juliet’s balcony and enjoy a walking tour, before ending your trip in Milan with a guided walking tour and visit to the magnificent Gothic Duomo. Arrive home from your Italy vacation with lots of stories and photos to share with your friends and family.

Day 2 Arrival in Rome, Italy
Time to rest or start exploring the “Eternal City.” At 6 pm, 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. Afterwards, relax or explore the city on your own. Later, you may wish to join an optional walk to Trevi Fountain , Navona Square, the Roman Pantheon, and the Spanish Steps, and finish with a Roman dinner party. (B)

Day 4 Rome
This morning, follow your Local Guide and visit the COLOSSEUM and the Roman Forum, where Roman legions marched in triumph. Then, time to savor la dolce vita and enjoy independent activities. An optional excursion to Ostia Antica is available. (B)

Day 5 Rome–Siena–San Gimignano–Florence
First stop this morning is in Siena. Walk through ancient, narrow lanes to PIAZZA DEL CAMPO, site of the biannual Palio, Siena’s spectacular medieval-style horse race. Then, continue through unforgettable landscapes of gently rolling, vine-clad hills to hilltop San Gimignano, and walk through the most picturesque of Italy’s perfectly preserved medieval towns. Next is Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany and birthplace of the Renaissance. (B)

Day 6 Florence
During your walking tour with a Local Guide, visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David and the magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afternoon for independent sightseeing and browsing through the shops. Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry sold by the ounce are attractive buys. Tonight, why not try the culinary delights of a fine Florentine restaurant? (Wednesday departures will have the program of days 6 and 7 reversed, as the Academy is closed on Mondays.) (B)

Day 7 Florence. Excursion to Pisaand Verrazzano Castle
A fast journey will bring you to Pisa. Here, take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 12 feet out of the perpendicular. Today’s highlight: hear about the fine art of blending four types of grapes to obtain the famous Chianti at VERRAZZANO CASTLE; enjoy WINE TASTING and lunch before returning to Florence. (B,L,D)

Day 8 Florence–Venice
Morning drive through the wooded Apennine Mountains to Venice, a powerful magnet for romantics and art lovers from around the globe. Enter its glittering maze of islands, canals, and bridges 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 Then, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (B)

Day 9 Venice. Murano and Burano Islands Excursion
Start your day with an unforgettable Venetian LAGOON CRUISE to the islands of Murano and Burano. Glide past the islands of San Giorgio and Sant’Elena, and along the banks of the famous Lido. In Murano, watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then, continue on to the picturesque fishing village of Burano, renowned for its bright pastel-colored houses and for its lace-making. Take pictures of traditional fishing boats, still used by the island inhabitants, and enjoy an included lunch. Return to Venice in the early afternoon. (B,L)

Day 10 Venice–Verona–Milan
Stop in Verona, medieval setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. See Juliet’s Balcony and stroll around the lovely market square. Don’t miss the Arena, an incredibly well-preserved pink marble Roman amphitheater. Built in the 1st century AD, it is now the magical venue for world-famous opera performances. Then, on to the dynamic city of Milan, hub of Italy’s economic miracle with its famous La Scala Opera House, glass-domed GALLERIA, and magnificent gothic DUOMO. An optional farewell dinner may be the perfect way to celebrate the success of your Italian vacation. (B)

Day 11
Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B)