Click for larger view.
Guided sightseeing, inside visits, and special features as shown in the daily itinerary.Personal headset for included city sightseeing; entrances to the Marciana Library, and the Correr and Archaeological Museums in Venice.
Transportation:
Travel by high-speed train (first class) Rome-Florence; transfers to/from train stations
Buffet breakfast daily
Day 1
Benvenuto—welcome! Your Local Host is available to help you maximize your time in this famous car-free city, built entirely upon the water
Day 2
Morning guided sightseeing, with headset, features St. Mark's Square and Basilica with its exceptional gold mosaics. Visit Doge's Palace and the poignant Bridge of Sighs. Watch skilled glassblowers fashion their delicate objects in the age-old manner, and learn why glass-making was so important in Venetian history. Entrances to Marciana Library, and the Correr and Archaeological Museums are included; ask your Local Host for details
Day 3
Your Local Host is available to help you with information about what to see and do during your two full days at leisure
Day 4
Travel by high-speed train (first class) to Florence
Day 5
Morning guided sightseeing, with headset, includes a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts with Michelangelo’s original David (the Academy is replaced with the Duomo Museum on Mondays and on the first Sunday of each month). Walk through Piazza del Duomo; sculpture-studded Piazza della Signoria, the center of the city’s political life since the 14th century; and Santa Croce Square. Also admire medieval Ponte Vecchio, the arched, stone merchant bridge spanning the Arno River
Day 6
Your Local Host can help you organize your two days at leisure in this splendid Renaissance city
Day 7
Travel by high-speed train (first class) to Rome
Day 8
Your morning guided sightseeing, with headset, includes inside visits of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment and his famous ceiling paintings. Enter monumental St. Peter's Square and Basilica, built in 313 AD above St. Peter the Apostle’s tomb, and cross the Tiber River to visit the iconic Colosseum and Roman Forum. (Please note the Vatican Museums are closed on Wednesdays and Sundays, therefore if your included sightseeing falls on those days, your alternate sightseeing will include Trevi Fountain, a true masterpiece and icon of Rome, Palazzo Chigi, the heart of Italian political life, an inside visit of the Pantheon, and world-renowned Piazza Navona. Your tour concludes with a visit of the Colosseum and Roman Forum.)
Day 9
Your Local Host will have suggestions so you can make the most of your two days at leisure
Day 10
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning
Day 11
VENICE, ITALY
Day 12
VENICE
Day 13
VENICE
Day 14
VENICE–FLORENCE
Day 15
FLORENCE
Day 16
FLORENCE
Day 17
FLORENCE–ROME
Day 18
ROME
Day 19
ROME
Day 20
ROME
Day 21 VENICE, ITALY.
Benvenuto—welcome! Your Local Host is available to help you maximize your time in this famous car-free city, built entirely upon the water
Day 22 VENICE.
Morning guided sightseeing, with headset, features St. Mark's Square and Basilica with its exceptional gold mosaics. Visit Doge's Palace and the poignant Bridge of Sighs. Watch skilled glassblowers fashion their delicate objects in the age-old manner, and learn why glass-making was so important in Venetian history. Entrances to Marciana Library, and the Correr and Archaeological Museums are included; ask your Local Host for details
Days 23-24 VENICE.
Your Local Host is available to help you with information about what to see and do during your two full days at leisure
Day 25 VENICE–FLORENCE.
Travel by high-speed train (first class) to Florence
Day 26 FLORENCE.
Morning guided sightseeing, with headset, includes a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts with Michelangelo’s original David (the Academy is replaced with the Duomo Museum on Mondays and on the first Sunday of each month). Walk through Piazza del Duomo; sculpture-studded Piazza della Signoria, the center of the city’s political life since the 14th century; and Santa Croce Square. Also admire medieval Ponte Vecchio, the arched, stone merchant bridge spanning the Arno River
Days 27-28 FLORENCE.
Your Local Host can help you organize your two days at leisure in this splendid Renaissance city
Day 29 FLORENCE–ROME.
Travel by high-speed train (first class) to Rome
Day 30 ROME.
Your morning guided sightseeing, with headset, includes inside visits of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment and his famous ceiling paintings. Enter monumental St. Peter's Square and Basilica, built in 313 AD above St. Peter the Apostle’s tomb, and cross the Tiber River to visit the iconic Colosseum and Roman Forum. (Please note the Vatican Museums are closed on Wednesdays and Sundays, therefore if your included sightseeing falls on those days, your alternate sightseeing will include Trevi Fountain, a true masterpiece and icon of Rome, Palazzo Chigi, the heart of Italian political life, an inside visit of the Pantheon, and world-renowned Piazza Navona. Your tour concludes with a visit of the Colosseum and Roman Forum.)
Days 31-32 ROME.
Your Local Host will have suggestions so you can make the most of your two days at leisure
Day 33 ROME.
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Palazzo San Lorenzo
Superior First-Class
Fondamenta de l'Osmarin, 4981/B Venice Italy
This delightful boutique hotel is located directly along one of Venice's most characteristic canals in the heart of the historical city center. Murano-glass chandeliers, velvety finished wall surfaces with an antique look, and parquet flooring and luxurious fabric-covered walls all combine to create a special environment. Complimentary high-speed wireless internet access is available throughout the property and there is also a small breakfast room.
Hotel Abbazia
First-Class
Cannaregio, Calle Prilui Dei Cavaletti 68 Venice Italy
This charming 50-room hotel offers a real Venetian experience in the heart of the city and is housed in a former monastery dating back to 1879 with Free Wi-Fi access available in all guestrooms and public areas of the hotel. A breakfast buffet is served in the bright, airy breakfast room and can also be enjoyed in the serene courtyard garden during the summer months; the original chapel has been restored as a stately wood-paneled lounge/bar complete with the original oak pulpit.
NOTE: This 3-storey property does not have an elevator and may not be suitable for guests who are mobility impaired).
Carlton on the Grand Canal
First-Class
Santa Croce, 578 Venezia Italy
A plush traditional Venetian style hotel set in a majestic four story building with refined interiors such as Murano glass wall lamps and gilt-edged furniture. Perfectly placed on the Grand Canal, with a vaporetto stop right outside and close to the main train station, this property offers great transportation access with the Rialto Bridge close by. Free Wi-Fi access is available throughout the property which has an elegant fine-dining restaurant, a lobby bar, and a lovely rooftop terrace where drinks are served with views of the spired city skyline as a backdrop. 145 air-conditioned classically styled guestrooms offer coffee/tea-making facilities.
Mercure Firenze Centro
First-Class
Via Nazionale 21/23 R Firenze Italy
Elegant and stylish hotel equipped with all modern comforts located in the heart of Florence. The hotel sits only a short walk from the cathedral and the Santa Maria Novella train station, amidst culture, art and streets full of stores. The property offers 85 spacious and sound-proof guest rooms (carved out from one of Florence's former main Cinema Theathers) contemporary Lounge Bar, Internet zone and complimentary WIFI.
Hotel Cellai
First-Class
Via 27 Aprile, 14, 52r Florence Italy
Located in the historic heart of Florence, this upscale 55-room boutique property is housed in a restored 19th-century townhouse with elegant parlors, vaulted wooden ceilings and original Tuscan artwork. There is a bar in the antique library that works on an honor-system, a charming rooftop garden with city views and Free Wi-Fi internet access is available throughout. Breakfast is served in a lavish mirrored room on a long table decked out with silver candelabras and complimentary tea, coffee and cake are served between 5 and 7 pm daily.
Glance Hotel
Superior First-Class
Via Nazionale, 23 Florence Italy
A centrally located 68-room contemporary hotel with Free Wi-Fi access available throughout the property. Amenities include a breakfast room, lounge bar and roof-top terrace with an outdoor (seasonal) swimming pool offering fantastic panoramic views of the city.
Best Western Hotel Universo
First-Class
Via Principe Amedeo 5 Roma Italy
Set in a 19th-century building with 198 modern rooms, two restaurants serving traditional Roman and international cuisine, an elegant bar and Free WI-FI internet access throughout the property. The fitness zone of the Hotel is equipped with a gym, Turkish bath, Finnish sauna and hydromassage shower.
Starhotels Metropole
Superior First-Class
Via Principe Amedeo 3 Roma Italy
This elegant 236 room modern boutique style hotel is perfectly placed. Free Wi-Fi access is available throughout the property and there is also a fitness room. Tempting international dishes and Roman specialties can be savored in the intimate restaurant and for a refreshing break there is a stylish bar offering all day drinks, cakes, and light bites.