Treasures of Italy
Duration: 8 Days
Program only valid for private groups of 20 or more people
DAY 1: ROME
Arrive at Rome International Airport, meet with our representative and transfer to the hotel. En route we enjoy a panoramic city tour along Piazza Della Repubblica, Via Nazionale, Piazza Venezia. Drive on the Via Dei Fori Imperiali Roman Forum and Capitol Hill, view the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, Aventine Hill and St. Paul’s Gate. Check-in at hotel.
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DAY 2: PAPAL AUDIENCE AND VATICAN (MUST BE ON WEDNESDAY)
Transfer to St. Peter’s Square for the Holy Father’s General Audience and Blessing.Proceed to visit the Vatican Museums including the Sistine Chapel. Continue our visit in St. Peter’s Basilica built on the site where Peter was martyred. The construction of the church began in 1506 and was completed in 1626. St. Peter is buried here along with many other popes. Return to the hotel.
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DAY 3: ROME – SIENA - FLORENCE
After check-out, start for a walking tour through the streets visiting the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona. Later, we enjoy some free time for lunch and depart by bus to Siena. Admire the famous Piazza del Campo with the Palazzo Pubblico and visit the monumental Cathedral dedicated to Virgin Mary and the Shrine and the House of St Catherine. Continue to Florence for check-in at hotel.
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DAY 4: FLORENCE
In the morning, walking tour including the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with Brunelleschi’s splendid Duomo and Baptistry with the famous bronze doors, Giotto’s Belfry, Piazza della Signoria, with the great Loggia and the Ponte Vecchio. After some free time for lunch, explore on your own the charming streets and markets of Florence or visit the Museum of the Academy with the statue of David by Michelangelo or the Uffizi, one of the world’s finest art galleries.
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DAY 5: FLORENCE – BOLOGNA - PADOVA
Travel through Tuscany to Bologna, home to one of the oldest universities in the western world (1088), historically notable for its teaching of canon and civil law. It is also Italy’s gastronomic capital. We stop at the medieval Piazza Maggiore, see Piazza Nettuno and the medieval tower of “Torre Degli Asinelli”. We visit one of the oldest libraries in the world with rare books and manuscripts and coat of arms. Travel through the Veneto Region to Padua. Galileo lectured in Padua’s 13th century university; Dante, Petrarch, and Tasso studied here. Visit the Basilica of St. Anthony and continue to our hotel for overnight.
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DAY 6: PADUA – FULL DAY EXCURSION TO VENICE
Depart by bus to Venice Tronchetto Terminal and embark on the boat to reach the city center of Venice. This lovely lagoon-city on the Adriatic coast is like a giant maze with tiny alleys and hidden piazzas linked by narrow foot bridges over 400 large and small canals. Enjoy a walking tour visiting St. Mark’s Basilica, a masterpiece of Venetian – Byzantine architecture. We view the Ducal Palace, and the famous “Bridge of Sighs”. Optional “Gondola ride” across the “Grand Canal”, or walk on the Rialto Bridge. To experience the real Venice, head towards the side streets to “Strada Nova”, you’ll see how Venice’s citizens live and shop. In the evening return to Padua.
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DAY 7: PADUA – VERONA - MILAN
Drive to Verona, the famous city where William Shakespeare set Romeo and Juliet, one of his most romantic works. Visit this beautiful city to see the home of Juliet and her grave. We will also see the Arena, a Roman amphitheater, internationally known for the large-scale opera performances held there. Continue to Piazza delle Erbe (the old Roman center and now Market Square), Piazza dei Signori (the political center in middle age Verona), and finally Piazza Bra. After lunch, we continue our drive to Milan.
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DAY 8: MILAN DEPARTURE
According to the departure flight time, we will have the opportunity to visit Milan, the second-most populous city in Italy. We shall see the Cathedral, masterpiece of the Gothic architecture, which stands in the homonym square and the Galleria “Vittorio Emanuele II”, one of the first examples of art nouveau architecture in Italy. Reach the “navigli”, which captured the curiosity of a genius like Leonardo da Vinci. Transfer to Milan International Airport.
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