Experience the food and fun of Italy on this 12-day guided tour. In Rome, see the Colosseum where gladiators fought to the death, then visit the Vatican Museums with a Local Expert for a behind-the-scenes look at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Travel from Florence to the heart of Tuscany, stopping in scenic San Gimignano for a taste of gelato with a world-champion gelato maker; later, arrive at your hotel for a sampling of the region’s most robust red wines. Prop up the Leaning Tower of Pisa for a photo and see the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cinque Terre with a Local Expert, who will join you for a sea-to-table feast in the medieval town of Monterosso. Allow yourself to be serenaded as you float along the canals of Venice in a traditional gondola, and watch a renowned craftsman blow Venetian glass into a masterful work of art.
Includes
12 Day Insight Vacations Guided Holiday
11 Nights in stylish, hand picked hotel accommodation
Authentic dining inclusive of 11 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch with Wine, 6 Dinners with Wine
Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxury, air-conditioned coach
An expert Insight Travel Director
From time to time, your Travel Director will enchant you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination
Baggage handling everywhere, we include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels
Hotel and restaurant tips are included
Personal radio headsets, gives you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights without missing any of your local expert's fascinating insights and commentaries
Additional experiences during your free time that can be purchased at an additional cost
Top Rated Highlights
Rome Orientation
Enjoy a Local Treat in Piazza Santa Croce
Visit San Gimignano
Florence Accademia Museum Visit
Florence Orientation
Lucca Orientation
Pisa Orientation
Cruise to Portofino
and much more!
Unique Insight Experiences
Vatican Visit with Fast-Track Entry: Gain fast-track access into the Vatican Museums, witness the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and view the splendid dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
Make Travel Matter Experiences
Venice Artisan Glassblowing Demonstration: Witness the ancient skill of glassblowing, now practised by precious few masters. Watch artisans create delicate works of art using rare traditional practices. The workshop's master craftsmen teach visitors about the traditional craft of glassblowing and its history which dates back to the 15th century. Every visit helps to support the workshop and the survival of this traditional craft. The workshop advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Excludes
Flights
Transfers not mentioned
Visas
Travel Insurance
Items of a personal nature
Extras
On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilised.
Additional experiences that have been curated by your Travel Director from their own in-depth local knowledge can be signed up for on tour at an additional cost.
Airport Transfers: If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
Please note that this may not be a definite departure. Ask us for alternative departures.
Highlights
11 Nights in stylish hotel accommodation
18 Meals
Unique Insight Experiences
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to the Eternal City of Rome
Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, renaissance palaces and baroque churches. Transfers depart from Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport for your hotel. Relax and settle in before joining your Travel Director, and getting to know your fellow travellers over a delicious Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
Arrival Transfer:Depart Leonardo da Vinci airport (FCO) at 09:30, 12:30, 15:30
Meet your Travel Director at 17:30
Accommodation: Room 007 Select
Included Meals: Dinner with Wine
Day 2: Rome with Vatican Dinner
In the morning enjoy the very best of the city’s highlights including visiting the magnificent St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican with your Local Expert and see the Colosseum and Circus Maximus. In the afternoon, enjoy fast-track entry into the Vatican Museums with a Local Expert. Admire the Papal art collection and observe the stunning Museo Gregoriano Profano which documents various moments and themes in classical art, from Ancient Greece through to the late Imperial Roman age. Enter the Sistine Chapel to marvel at Michelangelo’s masterpiece on its ceiling. Then you'll be privileged to an exclusive Highlight Dinner inside the Ethnological Museum.
Accommodation: Room 007 Select
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 3: Renaissance Florence
Explore Florence with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the Accademia Museum and see Michelangelo’s David. After continue on foot to admire the multi-coloured marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, where Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory. Continue into the Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces. Spend time gazing at statues such as Neptune and Hercules and Cacus along the front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Alternatively, take a stroll with your Travel Director to Piazza Santa Croce to enjoy a typical Italian treat in a local café, where you will be in the perfect spot to admire the basilica, indulge in people-watching the elegant Florentines and pamper yourself shopping for luxury goods like gold and leather.
Accommodation: Villasanpaolo
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 4: The flavours of San Gimignano
Spend time exploring the maze of alleyways and admire scenic views across the valley. Ascend serpentine alleyways to the artisan gelato parlour of world champion gelato maestro, Sergio Dondoli, for a taste of his finest frozen treats.
Accommodation: Villasanpaolo
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 5: The Chianti Hills to Pisa, Lucca and Santa Margherita
Drive through the patchwork of vines, olives and cypresses that typify the Chianti hills before continuing to the delightful town of Lucca. Taste the lavish loaves of buccellato, Lucca's sweet raisin anise bread. Head for Pisa and see the incredible Leaning Tower, from which Galileo is said to have conducted experiments on velocity and gravity. See the splendid cathedral and baptistery, decorated with mosaics and designs in solid marble. Next, cruise along the rugged Ligurian coast to the elegant seaside village of Portofino, the epitome of la dolce vita (should weather permit). Continue along the coast to the pretty seaside resort of Santa Margherita Ligure.
Accommodation: Best Western Regina Elena
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 6: The Cinque Terre and Portofino
Head for the port of La Spezia for a highlight of your travels and one of Italy's most beautiful landscapes, the Cinque Terre. With a Local Expert, appreciate the views as you approach one of the picturesque fishing villages by boat. For lunch, enjoy a delicious Sea-to-Table dining experience. Enjoy leisure time to admire the coloured houses, browse the boutiques or simply stay a while in the cafe bars on the piazzetta, watching the yachts moored in the harbour.
Accommodation: Best Western Regina Elena
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
Accommodation: The Hotel Alyeska
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Wine
Day 7: Lake Maggiore
Head north to the beautiful Italian Lake District, a favourite retreat of the rich and famous where Alpine scenery combines with lush vegetation. Relax and enjoy an afternoon at leisure at this popular resort and beautiful lake.
Accommodation: Hotel Simplon
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 8: Cortina d’Ampezzo
Travel through the stunning northern Italian countryside to one of the world’s most breath-taking wine regions. Protected by the Alps to the north, and caressed by the warm breezes from the Adriatic, the vineyards around Conegliano Veneto produce Italy’s most prized sparkling wine. Great care is taken to ensure these hand-picked grapes produce the world's finest prosecco and you see how production differs from its more famous French counterpart, champagne. Be tempted with a taste of the crisp and aromatic flavours and learn how to make the perfect bellini. Continue through the Dolomites, to the mountain resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Accommodation: Hotel de la Poste
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 9: Experience the Dolomites
The whole day is free for you to explore the colourful peaks and sheer valleys of the Dolomites, one of the most impressive mountain ranges in the Alps. During summer, once the snow and ice have melted away, a breathtaking landscape is revealed. There are a number of walking tracks through pristine Alpine wilderness for the adventurous to explore, or for a more relaxed pace, perhaps take a thrilling Optional Experience to the summit of one of the peaks for breathtaking panoramic views?
Accommodation: Hotel de la Poste
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 10: Venice, Queen of the Adriatic
Descend through the mountains to the romantic city of Venice. A private boat glides you past canals lined with ornate palaces to St Mark’s Square. See the basilica, the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs, before checking into your luxurious hotel. With the afternoon at leisure, why not cruise the Venetian Lagoon to the island of Burano for a meal of local specialities and wine?
Accommodation:Splendid Venice - Starhotels Collezione
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 11: Venice at Leisure
Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during a visit to a traditional arts centre, where you can see how beautiful handcrafted glass is made by expert glassblowers, safeguarding traditional skills.Then there is free time to enjoy the magical atmosphere of this incredible city at your own pace. Mingle with the locals at the open air markets near the Rialto Bridge and explore the back lanes and squares where Venetians go about their day. Later, on your romantic gondola serenade, glide along the atmospheric canals exploring the intimate and hidden parts of this unique city while musicians set the mood with traditional songs. This evening, stroll past the famous Opera House to La Fenice restaurant for a magical Celebration Dinner. Indulge in traditional Venetian dishes that are enriched with inspiration from seasonal produce.
Accommodation: Splendid Venice - Starhotels Collezione
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 12: Arrivederci Venice
Your departure transfer arrives at Venice Marco Polo Airport.
Departure Transfer: Arrive at the airport at 08:00, 09:30
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 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). Insight Vacations 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. Full payment due 120 days prior to departure or at time of booking if booked within 120 days of departure; whichever comes first. R3000 per person deposit required at time of booking for Level 1 tours to hold space; some trips require payment in full at time of booking. Savings are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. 2024 Travel Sale, book by 30 May 2024. These packages are based on CASH price. E&OE;.
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