 Day 1 BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT
TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.
Day 2 ARRIVAL IN ROME,
ITALY. Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for
you to explore this ancient capital. Tonight meet your tour director
and fellow travelers.
Day 3 ROME. Included
sightseeing with local guide starts in St. Peter’s Square, followed
by a visit to the Roman Forum and the mighty Colosseum.
(B)
Day 4 ROME-SIENA. Journey
northwest to the charmingly located city of Viterbo, at one time
known for its beautiful women and elegant fountains. Next make a
stop in Orvieto in the province of Umbria to visit its black basalt
and yellow limestone cathedral, an excellent example of Italian
Gothic architecture. By early evening you’ll be in Siena with time
to visit this jewel of Tuscany. Sit in one of the cafés surrounding
the “Campo” and admire one of Italy’s most unique squares, famed the
world over for its horse-racing Palio. (B)
Day 5 SIENA-FLORENCE
AREA. Drive this morning to San Gimignano, one of Tuscany’s
greatest attractions. Its medieval squares, town walls, streets,
alleyways, and 14 towers make it unique. Next into the very heart of
the Chianti vineyards; watch out for names such as Castellina in
Chianti, Badia, Gaiole, and Brolio where classical Chianti wines are
produced. Stop in Greve for some wine tasting at a local wine
producer. Arrive in the Florence area in time to join the outing for
an optional Tuscan dinner. (B)
Day 6 FLORENCE. This
Renaissance gem and city of the Medicis will keep you enthralled for
a whole day. Traffic is banned in part of the historic center so
visitors can wander at leisure and admire the city’s timeless beauty
in relative peace and quiet. Don’t miss out on the included walking
tour with a local guide which features most of the city highlights.
You will see the Piazza Santa Croce; the beautiful Piazza Signoria;
the Palazzo Vecchio and its courtyard; the Loggia dei Lanzi; and, to
top it all, the Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral with the Giotto
Campanile, and the magnificent East Door of the Baptistry known as
the “Gate to Paradise.” (B,D)
Day 7 FLORENCE AREA-EXCURSION
TO PISA-VENICE AREA. This morning drive to Pisa for a visit to
its Square of Miracles and the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high
and no less than 16 feet out of the perpendicular. Later head across
the wooded Apennine Hills into the farmlands of the Po Valley for
overnight in the Venice Area. (B)
Day 8 VENICE. It’s really
more like a marvelous film set than a real live city, with its
criss-crossing canals, gondolas and water buses, arched bridges,
palaces, and little quiet piazzas. The included tour starts with a
boat ride and is followed by a visit to St. Mark’s Basilica and a
chance to watch Venetian glass blowers fashion their delicate
objects as they did centuries ago. Don’t miss out on the optional
gondola trip, gliding along the picturesque canals with a local
troubadour to serenade you. (B,D)
Day 9 VENICE
AREA-ASSISI-ROME. A long but interesting drive southward,
cutting across the Po Delta, then joining the expressway which
skirts the Adriatic coast. After crossing the Appennines, stop in
Assisi, where St. Francis was born in 1182. Visit the Basilica, then
head for Rome. (B)
Day 10 YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT
ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B) | 
