Immerse yourself in the vibrancy of Italy's major cities, relax by the enchanting Italian lakes, and relish the lingering aroma of lemons in Sorrento. Get lost in a romantic tale in Verona, pay homage to St. Francis of Assisi in his birthplace, and capture an iconic selfie with the world's most renowned leaning tower.
Includes
10 Day Costsaver Guided Holiday
9 Nights in cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
9 Breakfasts & 3 Dinners
Transport by luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries
An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
Audio Headsets provided throughout your holiday to enhance your included sightseeing experiences
City orientation tours
All hotel service charges and tips, baggage handling fees and local taxes
Variety of Optional Experiences
Included sightseeing
In Rome visit St. Peter's Basilica, view the Colosseum and see the ancient sites with your Local Specialist
Visit Lake Como
In Venice cruise by private boat to St. Mark's Square and visit a traditional glassblowing workshop and much more!
Excludes
Flights
Arrival/ departure transfers
Visas
Travel Insurance
Spending money and items of a personal nature
Extras
On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilised
Choice of Optional Experiences available at an additional cost
Highlights
9 Nights in cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
12 Meals
Variety of Optional Experiences
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Rome
The 'Eternal City' has captivated travelers for centuries and you’ll not be disappointed as it prepares you for an exhilarating journey across Italy. On arrival in Rome, check in to your hotel, then get ready for your very own introduction to Rome or relax at your hotel. Later this evening, you’ll meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a glimpse into what lies ahead. Soak up the city’s effervescent atmosphere during an Optional Experience dinner in a characteristic trattoria.
Accommodation: Ergife Palace Hotel Rome
Day 2: Rome sightseeing and free time
With so much to see and do, you could explore Rome for an eternity without getting bored. Join an Optional Experience to Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums or start your day the Italian way. Get to grips with the city’s main attractions, joining a Local Specialist at Vatican City, the world’s smallest country. Stand in St. Peter’s Square, sharing your space with devoted pilgrims. Visit St. Peter's Basilica and view Michelangelo's greatest work, the sorrowful Pietà. Cross the Tiber next, to view the mighty Colosseum and the countless other ancient sites which featured prominently in the days of the powerful Roman Empire.
Accommodation: Ergife Palace Hotel Rome
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Rome-Sorrento-Bay of Naples
The Bay of Naples beckons and our first stop is in the picture-perfect resort town of Sorrento. Pastel-hued residences cling impossibly to craggy cliffs that plunge into the deep blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Enjoy your time soaking up the sun-drenched views. You won’t need to venture far to catch the scent of the 'world’s best lemons', which you’ll see in abundance at the local markets. Taste some of the mouth-watering fresh produce grown locally or consider an Optional Experience to the artists’ paradise of Positano, followed by a scenic drive along the Amalfi coast. The Sirens of Sorrento may be nowhere in sight, but that doesn’t mean their alluring call will be possible to resist.
Accommodation: La Panoramica Hotel Naples
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 4: Bay of Naples – Assisi
Enjoy the atmosphere as you explore the beautiful Bay of Naples during your free time this morning. Alternatively, choose to join an Optional Experience guided walking tour of Pompeii, buried under the volcanic ash for centuries after Mount Vesuvius erupted. Leaving the Bay of Naples behind, journey past Cassino and view the monastery which featured as a backdrop for some of the fiercest battles of World War II. This poignant reminder of war gives way to a place of pilgrimage, as you head north to Assisi where an orientation reveals a medieval town that has changed very little since the time of St. Francis.
Accommodation: Hotel Frate Sole Assisi
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: Assisi - Venice (Mestre)
Your journey continues across the Apennines and through the Emilia-Romagna region, credited with being the origin of tortellini, mortadella and parmesan cheese. Before you know it, you’ll have arrived in Venice, the Queen of the Adriatic, where an Optional Experience will see you gliding through the city canals in a gondola.
Accommodation: Hotel Il Burchiello Venice
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6: Venice orientation and free time
Embark on a cruise by private launch to bustling St. Mark's Square in the heart of Venice. Admire the most famous of Venice's 417 bridges, the Bridge of Sighs, and enjoy views of the Doge's Palace and the Byzantine Basilica of St. Mark. Later, enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, when the extraordinary talents of glassblowers take center stage during a visit to their workshop then consider an Optional Experience to the island of Burano for a relaxing meal with your travel companions.
Accommodation: Hotel Il Burchiello Venice
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 7: Venice-Verona-Lake Como-Italian Lakes (Saronno)
The plains of Veneto are all that stand between you and Verona, the tragic stage for Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers. View the ancient Roman Arena, where concerts are still held to this day, and Juliet's Balcony, from which a fictional Juliet once called for her Romeo. Indulge in a romantic moment of your own before leaving Verona, bound for Italy’s irresistible Lake District. Arriving on the shores of Lake Como, you’ll see first-hand why this scenic setting has been a favorite summer retreat of the rich and famous for centuries. You could choose to board an optional cruise this afternoon to make the most of this idyllic setting. Enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening.
Accommodation: Hotel Leonardo da Vinci Erba
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: Italian Lakes - Pisa - Florence (Prato)
Pisa's white marble façades gleam in the sunshine, but it is the famous Leaning Tower that gets most of the glory when you visit this 'Field of Miracles', so named by 20th-century Italian writer and poet Gabriele d’Annunzio. Since Medieval times, the exquisite structures in the piazza have symbolised man’s journey through religious life – the Baptistery representing birth, life represented by the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, and the Camposanto, death. After a short drive from Pisa, you’ll arrive at your hotel near Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. A full day of sightseeing lies ahead, so kick back and enjoy the company of your travel companions this evening at an optional dinner in the Tuscan hills.
Accommodation: Hotel President Prato
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 9: Florence sightseeing to Rome
There are few cities in the world with an artistic legacy equal to that of Florence. Your Local Specialist shares a superb commentary of the city's artistic and architectural heritage during a walking tour, which includes views of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery, the impressive Giotto's Bell Tower and the Ponte Vecchio. Visit Piazza della Signoria and squeeze in some time for shopping – Florence is particularly renowned for its high-quality leather and 18-carat gold jewelery. Later, return to Rome, where your journey began. You’ll have an evening alone to forge final memories with new friends or consider an Optional Experience whisking you away on one last sightseeing trip with a mouth-watering farewell dinner followed by live entertainment.
Accommodation: Ergife Palace Hotel Rome
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 10: Depart Rome
If Italy has become engraved in your heart as it did for celebrated poet Robert Browning, you’ll have a hard time saying arrivederci. As the legend says, if you tossed a coin in the Trevi fountain, you will return. Until then bid your Travel Director and travel companions a fond farewell.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Terms & conditions
Prices are per person twin share, include discounts, and are subject to availability and rate of exchange changes. Offers above are a guide only and will vary depending on departure date, our guide price is based on the cheapest departure within the stipulated season and availability is correct at time of loading. Visas may be necessary and insurance is essential. Pentravel and Tour Operator terms and conditions apply, and can be requested. Excludes flights, transfers, visas, travel insurance and anything not mentioned. Savings are not valid on all itineraries and/or departure dates, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn/changed at any time without notice. High season supplements and block out dates may apply, pricing varies pending departure date. Package excludes flights. You can do optional free-time add-on experiences in your free time and pay for them as you travel (additional costs apply). Costsaver reserves the right to withdraw promotional offers and adjust savings anytime. All savings / discounts mentioned have already been included in the advertised price. Pentravel and Tour Operator reserves the right to withdraw or amend promotional offers at any time. Other conditions may apply. Advertised price is based on 1 November 2024 departure. At time of loading this may not be a definite departure. These packages are based on CASH price. E&OE;.
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