Italy 10 days, 9 nights

Itinerary –  When you land, you will meet your English-speaking tour manager, board your motorcoach, and travel to your hotel.   After checking in and taking a little time to freshen up, you will depart for your welcome dinner at a local restaurant.   While at dinner, you will have a short welcome briefing before enjoying your first authentic Italian meal.  (Depending on your arrival time, you may enjoy a walking tour before dinner).

Overnight:  Rome

Meals – Dinner (additional meals and activities based on arrival time)

Itinerary –  Wake up this morning, refreshed and ready to absorb the sights and sounds of Rome.  After breakfast, travel to the Coliseum, the largest amphitheater in the Roman world and the Symbol of the City.  Hear the stories of gladiators and see the history of this storied landmark on a guided tour.

After your tour, you will make your way to the Roman Forum.  Your guide will describe the history and significance of the ruins, and you will have some time to explore before departing for lunch.

This afternoon, visit Circus Maximus, a place of entertainment for the Roman people and one of the city’s undisputed landmarks.  Circus Maximus will come back to life as you experience the Imperial period of Rome through augmented and virtual reality.  You will be able to see the age-old valley unfold before your eyes.  Stroll through the Roman shops and Imperial streets, listen to the crowd cheering as you watch a chariot race, but stay alert for overturned chariots!

Spend some time taking in the ambiance of Rome as you stroll through the streets and piazzas.  Visit the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and more.

Overnight:  Rome

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary –  Today, begin at the home of some of the world’s most famous art and architecture – the Vatican Museums.   You will have front-of-the-line passes, allowing you to skip the often-lengthy wait for entrance into the museum.   Your expert guide knows all the routes and stops through the museum to maximize your time there.  See works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, da Vinci, and more.  Make your way through the Museums to the Sistine Chapel.  Home to the most famous work of art in the world.  Stand in awe as you gaze at the ceiling.   Michelangelo’s fresco masterpiece, painted in the early 1500s, is a cornerstone of High Renaissance art.

Continue your journey into St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the holiest temples in Christendom and one of the largest churches in the world.  While there, enjoy Bernini’s Baldachin and Michelangelo’s Pietà.   Have free time to stroll through the shops to find that perfect souvenir.

This afternoon, assume the roles of gladiators who went into mortal combat in the Coliseum or courageous legionnaires who defended the Roman Empire at Gladiator School.  Test your skill and prowess as you learn to be a gladiator.

Overnight:  Rome

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – Continue this morning with a scavenger hunt around Rome!  Break into groups with a guide and explore the city as you search for a list of items.   Discover the secrets of Rome as you work as a team on this urban adventure.

The afternoon is free for you to explore Rome in your small groups.  Shop for souvenirs, people watch from the Spanish Steps, or sip a coffee at a local café – the choice is yours.

Overnight:  Rome

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – Say arrivederci to Rome, you depart after breakfast for the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence.

This afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of Florence.  Your guide will share stories of the two thousand years of Florence’s history while you visit monuments, sites, and squares throughout the city.   Enjoy dinner tonight at a local Florence Trattoria before visiting a gelateria.  After all, Florence is the birthplace of gelato.

Overnight:  Florence

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary –  First stop today – the 1784 Galleria dell ’Accademia, conceived and built as a sanctuary.  The Galleria is devoted to preserving the symbols of Florence. Your guide will reveal the secrets of the Galleria and the creation of Michelangelo’s world-renowned masterpiece – David.

Continue with a stop at the world-renowned Uffizi Galleries.  One of the best art museums in the world, the Uffizi Galleries is home to masterpieces from Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and many more.

Later this afternoon, visit the Boboli Gardens.   The Medici family established the layout of the gardens, creating the Italian garden style that would become a model for many European courts.  Your guide will lead you through the many fountains and grottoes and note the Renaissance sculptures that call the garden home.

Overnight:  Florence

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary –  After breakfast, visit the symbol of Florence and its most famous site, Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral – often referred to simply as the Duomo.  You will enjoy a guided visit to this 15th-century work of art.  View the city from the Duomo’s sky-high terrace before embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime experience as you climb to the top of the Dome.  From here, all of Florence stretches out at your feet. You will be awed by the splendor of the panorama around you.

This afternoon, learn about one of Italy’s most famous citizens, Leonardo da Vinci.  Your visit takes you to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, dedicated to his life and works.  This interactive museum brings to life the inventions, paintings, drawings, and writings of the universal genius, supreme engineer, and scientist of the Renaissance.

The remainder of the day is free to take in the city at your leisure in small groups.  Enjoy a gelato or wander the streets and piazzas looking for the perfect souvenir of your time in Florence.

Overnight:  Florence

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Itinerary – Depart for Rome.   Consider adding a stop on the way to Rome.  Popular stops include Pisa, Assisi, or a lesser-known area like Orvieto.

Overnight:  Rome

Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Say Arrivederci to Italy as you depart for the airport and your flight home.

Meals:  Breakfast (additional meals based on flight time)