Day : 1
ARRIVE ON VENICE ISLAND, ITALY
Number of Days : 1
Welcome to Venice! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. (D)
Day : 2
VENICE ISLAND
Number of Days : 1
After a PRIVATE BOAT RIDE, follow your Local Guide on a walking tour and visit ST. MARK’S SQUARE with its byzantine Basilica, lavish DOGES’ PALACE, and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also, watch a skilled GLASSBLOWER fashion delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. You may wish to enjoy an optional gondola serenade. (B)
Day : 3
VENICE ISLAND–PISA–FLORENCE
Number of Days : 1
A scenic drive across the Apennines brings you to Pisa. In the spectacular Square of Miracles, take the traditional picture pushing back the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 12 feet out of the perpendicular. Arrive in Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Tonight is your chance to try out Tuscan specialties. (B)
Day : 4
FLORENCE–ASSISI
Number of Days : 1
This morning, follow your Local Guide to the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS to see Michelangelo’s celebrated statue of David. Also admire the magnificent marble cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gates of Paradise,” and the sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Continue to peaceful Assisi. (B,D)
Day : 5
ASSISI–ROME
Number of Days : 1
This morning, a friar will accompany you on a [LF] visit to the BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS, the hub of a religious order devoted to the ideals of humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and love for all God’s creatures. Tonight, in the “Eternal City,” an optional dinner is available at one of Rome’s famous restaurants. (B)
Day : 6
ROME
Number of Days : 1
Guided sightseeing includes inside visits to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL with Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment, monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE, and BASILICA to admire Michelangelo’s Pietà. Drive to the area of the Imperial Roman Forum and visit the COLOSSEUM, where gladiators once fought. An optional walking tour with a Local Guide is available to further explore famous sites. This evening, a farewell dinner will be prepared at a local restaurant to celebrate your Bella Italia Escape. (B,D)
Day : 7
ROME
Number of Days : 1
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)