Day 1: Fly overnight to Italy
Day 2: Rome
Meet your Field Director at the airportEnjoy a pizza dinner in Rome
Day 3: Rome
Take a guided tour of Vatican City, the headquarter of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope
With your expert local guide you will visit:
- Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s breathtaking frescoes
- St. Peter’s Basilica, a site of religious and historical significance over which the Pope presides
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Rome on your own
Day 4: 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
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 5: Rome • 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 6: Florence
Visit the Accademia to admire Michelangelo’s statue of David and explore the winding halls of busts
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 7: Florence
Visit the Uffizi art museum to see Botticelli’s famous Birth of Venus painting up close and study the details of Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation
🔹 Cultural engagement: Attend a gelato-making demonstration and tasting
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Florence on your own
Day 8: Depart for home
Add 2 more days
Day 8: Florence • Siena • San Gimignano
Visit the Siena Duomo and admire its 800 year-old architecture
Take an excursion to the beloved Medieval cities of Siena and San Gimignano and learn about them alongside an expert local guide
Day 9: Florence
Visit the Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens, a 500 year-old park filled with sculptures from the 16th, 17th, and 18th century
Add this in-depth excursion:
Tuscan wine tasting
Take an excursion to a Tuscan winery and sample the distinctive wines of the region.
Enjoy dinner in Florence
Day 10: Depart for home
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