Day 1: Fly overnight to Italy
Day 2: Venice region
Meet your Field Director at the airportEnjoy dinner in the Venice region
Day 3: Venice
Take a guided tour of Venice
With your local expert guide you will see:
- St. Mark's Square, Venice's primary square and center of cultural importance
- St. Mark's Campanile, a 323-foot bell tower
- Grand Canal, Venice's major waterway filled with gondolas
Visit the colorful Venetian island of Burano
Learn about glass-blowing in a local craftsman's shop and watch expert craftsmen spin molten-hot wares
Add this in-depth excursion:
🔹 Cultural engagement: Gondola ride
Enjoy the ultimate Venetian experience—a gondola ride through the city's famed canals, passing by enchanting waterfront homes and under historic pedestrian bridges.
Day 4: Venice • Florence
Travel to Florence, the birthplace of the Italian language, opera, and the Renaissance
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Florence
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Piazza della Signoria, which is lined with classic statues
- Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge where many of Florence’s famed leather and gold artisans still keep shop
- Basilica of Santa Croce, where Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and others are buried
- Gates of Paradise, bronzed doors that depict scenes from the Old Testament and are considered an icon of the Renaissance
Enjoy dinner in Florence
Day 5: Florence
Add this in-depth excursion:
Pisa
Journey to Pisa on this half-day excursion. Enjoy a guided tour of the city’s Field of Miracles, where you can snap a picture of the 12th-century Leaning Tower, aslant ever since the third floor was built. This is where Galileo was said to have developed his laws of gravity. Also, visit the adjacent cathedral and baptistery, which contain exquisite marble pulpits carved in the Gothic style by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano.
Day 6: Florence • Assisi
Travel to Assisi, nestled between Mount Subasio and fields of olive groves on a hill overlooking Umbria
🔹 Cultural engagement: Enjoy lunch at a local farm, where you can savor local specialties made right on site
Take a tour of Assisi
With an expert local guide you will see:
- Basilica of St. Francis, where the remains of St. Francis are entombed in a stone crypt
- Birthplace of St. Clare, who founded the Franciscan Order of Poor Ladies in the year 1212
Visit the Basilica of St. Francis, where the remains of St. Francis are entombed in a stone crypt
Day 7: Assisi • Pompeii • Sorrento Region
Travel via Pompeii to the Sorrento Region, where mild weather, fragrant lemon groves, and the stunning Bay of Naples welcome you
Tour the Roman ruins of Pompeii with an expert local guide and see artifacts from the wealthiest ancient Romans, preserved in time
Snap a photo of seaside Sorrento
Enjoy dinner in Sorrento
Day 8: Sorrento • Capri • Rome
Take a guided tour of Capri, an island known for its seaside beauty and ancient Roman ruins
Cruise across the Bay of Naples on a day cruise around Capri
Travel to RomeDay 9: Rome
Take a guided tour of Rome
With your expert local guide you will visit:
- Roman Forum, marking the former heart of the Roman Empire where Julius Caesar gave many of his political speeches
- The Colosseum, the world’s most famous arena used for gladiatorial combat
Take a self-guided walking tour of Rome
You will see:
- Trevi Fountain, Rome's iconic landmark
- Pantheon, built to honor all the gods of Rome
- Piazza Navona, a lively square lined with restaurants and shops
- Spanish Steps, Europe's widest staircase
Enjoy a pizza dinner in Rome
Day 10: Depart for home
Add 2 more days
Day 10: Rome
Tour the Roman Catacombs, or ancient underground burials, with an expert local guide
Visit Saint Paul's Outside the Walls, a basilica where St. Paul is buried under the altar
Add this in-depth excursion:
🔹 Cultural engagement: Food walking tour
Explore the culinary history of Italy on this food-focused walking tour of Rome. Pizza, pasta, and cold cuts give you a taste of traditional staples. Expand your knowledge (and taste buds) with suppli, a favorite fried snack made with rice & mozzarella before ending your day with Italian ice cream.
Day 11: Rome
Take a half-day excursion to Ostia Antica
Tour the ancient town of Ostia Antica with an expert local guide and see its well-preserved frescos, mosaics, and architecture
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Rome on your own
Enjoy dinner in Rome
Day 12: Depart for home
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