Italian Treasures: Rome, Florence & Venice

Arrive in Rome, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, join your Resident Tour Director for dinner.

This morning, begin with early access to the Vatican Museums, before visiting St. Peter’s Basilica. After lunch, discover the Eternal City, starting at the Palatine Hill, where your local guide brings to life the city’s origin. Pass the Arch of Constantine to visit the mighty Colosseum, opened in AD 80.

Today, explore the Montemartini Museum, set in a building that once housed Rome’s first electric power station, to view a grand collection of classical statues depicting early Roman life, all displayed in thought-provoking juxtaposition with the extraordinary industrial architecture surrounding them. Pause in Rome’s Eataly emporium to taste local specialties. This afternoon, enjoy time at leisure. Later, get a hands-on feel for an Italian culinary tradition, when you take part in a pizza-making class in a top Roman neighborhood pizzeria.

Drive to Florence, roaming through the sun-splashed Tuscan countryside. Along the way, stop at a distinctive winery for a guided tasting of Brunello di Montalcino and a light lunch. Continue to Florence and check in to your historic hotel in the city center.

Walk the lively streets of Florence with your local guide, an art specialist, who accompanies you to fascinating sites, including the Accademia, where you behold striking masterworks such as Michelangelo’s incomparable David. Next, visit the Cappella di San Luca of the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata to meet with a restorer working on the precious Renaissance art housed within. Then, indulge in a delectable, hands-on Tuscan cooking experience at the Florence University of the Arts. Start with a lecture on Tuscan culinary masterpieces followed by a cooking class on favorite Tuscan dishes that completes this mouthwatering Chef’s Table moment.

Today, cross the Apennines by express train to the valley of the Po and onward to Venice. Upon arrival, cruise in a water taxi along the Grand Canal, and then board a gondola for a quintessential Venetian experience. Break for lunch before visiting St. Mark’s Square; St. Mark’s Basilica, beholding its mosaics; and the Doge’s Palace. Later, check in to your hotel.

Today, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities. Visit One of the City’s Last Gondola Workshops to learn about this time-honored boat-building craft. Marvel at the Textile Weavers of Tessitura Bevilacqua and take a walking tour of Venice’s historic Jewish ghetto. Explore Sites Featured in Famous Films, visiting the shooting locations of scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Italian Job and others. Follow up your exciting experience with an afternoon at leisure, free to relax or further explore the city. Tonight, savor a Scenic Sundowner overlooking the Venetian Lagoon, setting the mood for your farewell dinner.

Transfer by boat to the airport and depart.