| Vacation Packages : Italy Florence, Tuscany, Umbria and Rome (11 Days, 10 hotel nights)    |  . | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Basic Package: Hotels with breakfast 10 nights; 4 private transfers between airports & hotels; rental car* for 5 days; trip pack including maps, guide books, detailed daily itinerary with driving directions, trip coordinators in the U.S.A and Italy. Categories 3, 4 and 5 refer to varying degrees of excellence in rooms.
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Full Land Package: Basic Package plus all tours, excursions, and cooking class with dinner as described in itinerary below.
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Seasons:
*Rental car is an Alfa 147 or similar with A/C and manual transmission. Extra charge for automatic transmission, larger car, GPS, convertible, etc. **The Base and Full Land prices assume $1.47 = 1 Euro and change with fluctuations in the exchange rate. Also, prices shown here do not include airline tickets, which vary by season and by U.S. airport. ***If you are in Florence during a fair, your price may be increased by the amount shown in the "Fairs" column above. Single occupancy, families or groups of 3 or more please inquire by calling us at 1-800-323-7600. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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ITINERARY | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 | U.S.A. /Florence Day 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | Arrive Florence Day 2 You are met at the Florence airport by our car service and are transferred by private sedan to your hotel. This afternoon, you have reservations at the Accademia (Academy of Fine Arts) to see Michelangelo’s David. Other options this afternoon include the famous Leather School and Casa Buonarroti, Michelangelo’s house, which contains some of his early, less monumental statues and sketches. Take a leisurely stroll to Piazza della Santa Croce, which features the 14th Century Franciscan church decorated with numerous precious works of art and containing the tombs of great Florentines, including Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini. B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | Florence This morning you take a 2 - 3 hour walking guided tour of the center of Florence. In addition to a general introduction to Florence, you will see: the Duomo (Santa Maria dei Fiori Cathedral), home to one of the largest Renaissance paintings – The Last Judgement by Vasari and Zucari – and distinguished by Brunelleschi’s unmistakable Dome (the model for all subsequent Renaissance domes); Baptistry Square, where you will be spoilt for significant details to view, from Ghiberti’s bronze doors, described by Michelangelo as “fit to be the gates of paradise” to Giotto’s bell tower; Piazza della Signori, with copies of masterpieces standing in the square (pictured left); Ponte Vecchio; Palzzo Vecchio and other Renaissance palaces. You have reservations this afternoon to visit the Galleria degli Uffizi, world famous for its unparalleled collection of Renaissance art and hosting masterpieces by Michelangelo, da Vinci, Botticelli, Uccello, Giotto, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and others. If it is open, also visit the Vasari Corridor. Running for almost a kilometre from the Pitti Palace, over the Ponte Vecchio to the Uffizi, this corridor was originally built for Francesco I de Medici to connect his palace with his offices at the Uffizi. Aside from the spectacular views afforded from its numerous windows, the corridor contains a collection of over 700 paintings. B
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| Florence/ Chianti Day 4 Our sedan service will take you to your rental car at the Florence airport. (You should not drive in the center of Florence or Rome). Depending upon your Chianti hotel selection, the drive via motorway will take an hour or so. However, you should consider driving to your hotel via the Chianti backroads, which are enchanting. We will of course help select your route. Just 30 minutes south of Florence, The Mall of Tuscany has factory outlets for Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Hogan, La Perla, Loro Piana, Salvatore Ferragamo, and 15 other famous designers. There are also factory outlets for Prada, Fendi, and Dolce Gabana in this area. The area of Tuscany within roughly 30 miles of Castellina in Chianti is home to Chianti Classico, so named because this is the area that produced the original Chianti wines. This afternoon, we will route you through the surrounding countryside, villages, and hamlets. Although Radda, Greve, and Castellina are the best known of the wine villages, you will find delightful wineries and beautiful scenery at most every turn. If you will be actively tasting wines, we will be pleased to provide a driver (extra cost.) On each day of the week except Sunday there is an outdoor open "Market Day" in at least one Chianti village. Saturday is Market day in Greve, the largest and arguably the most interesting. B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chianti (San Gimignano, Sienna) Still encircltied by its medieval walls and perched on a hilltop, the 14 medieval towers of San Gimignano appear on the horizon like a mirage. An important market center in the 10th century, most of the buildings are from the 13th-century and 14th-century. Visit the Collegiata – a fine Romanesque church – to view its Renaissance frescoes (including work by Domenico Ghirlandaio). Walk up to the Longobard Rocca to admire the view, before descending the hill to San Agostino with its splendid paintings and frescoes by Benozzo and Gozzoli You can't miss the Cisterna, a medieval well in the center of the main square (piazza). We will direct you over back country roads (with a stop in Volterra or Monteriggioni if time permits) to visit Siena, which offers a profusion of fine architecture, palaces, and churches. A walking tour through the narrow streets ends in the fan-shaped Piazza del Campo, the site of the famed Palio and acclaimed by Montaigne as the most beautiful square in the world. Return to your hotel in Chianti this evening. B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 
| Chianti (Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano) Montalcino is the center of the region that produces the world renowned Brunello red wines, which can be tasted in the Enoteca in the heart of the walled hilltop Medieval village. Walking timeless cobblestoned streets is like stepping back in time. The chanting monks at the monastery in nearby San Altimo are also worth a listen. Originally intended to become a great city, the rebuilding of the walled Medieval village of Pienza ceased abruptly after Pius’ early death, leaving the town with a spectacular main square (Piazza Pio II), complete with a papal palace and magnificent Duomo. Be sure to see the views of the Tuscan countryside from the walls of the village. The highest of the hill towns in Southern Tuscany, Montepulciano is largely renaissance in character, with much of its most notable architecture having been designed by architects from Florence, a result of the town’s acquisition by the Florentines, around 1511. Visit the Tempio di San Biagio, the exquisite 16th century church designed by Antonio Sangallo the elder. Afterwards tour the 16th century Redi cellars to sample some of the delicious Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Explore the city center on foot including the perfectly preserved Cantine del Redi, a temple of Bacchus, built in the early fifteenth century. Return to your hotel in Chianti this evening. B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | Chianti / Cortona (Tuscany / Umbria) Day 7 This itinerary assumes that you have selected a hotel in Tuscany or Umbria, the bordering province, near Cortona. Check out of your Chianti hotel this morning and take the short drive through the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside to the Cortona area. The most picturesque route to Cortona is the Nobile di Montepulciano wine road , with numerous award winning wineries as possible diversions. Depending upon your number of stops in wineries and villages, this drive to Cortona could take from 2 - 4 hours. Best known as the town featured in the film Under the Tuscan Sun, Cortona was also named Italy's most beautiful walled hilltop village in a recent contest. Have a meal or coffee on Piazza Signorelli and enjoy watching the village activity. Palazzo Communale and the Museo dell' Accademia Etrusca are among the main attractions. Your cooking class is at Relais Parco Fiorito at 4:00 p.m. Please arrive at 3:45 p.m. The day will end with dinner at 8:00 p.m. You will enjoy your time with Roberto. He is a great chef and an entertaining personality. Check into the Umbria hotel you selected from our list for a two night stay. B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | Tuscany - Umbria (Assisi, Spoleto, or Gubbio) Day 8 Assisi, a short drive from Perugia, is a walled hilltop village with beautiful views of the Umbrian countryside, is largely unchanged from the days of St. Francis, who is buried in the Basilica here. The streets are built on steep hills, so wear sturdy shoes for traversing the cobblestones. In a village full of ancient history, the Tempio di Minerva on Piazza del Comunel, has survived since the time of Augustus Caesar and should not be missed. Spoleto is less than 45 minutes,south of Assisi. Because it is surrounded by forest many people believe that Spoleto is the loveliest of the Umbrian Medieval hilltop villages. The 14th century aqueduct, Ponte delle Torri, 15th century art by Fra Lippo Lippi in the Duomo, and a 1st century Roman arch are all well worth seeing. Gubbio is a magnificently preserved medieval hilltop village, roughly 90 minutes north of Assisi in the Appennines. The terra-cotta tiled houses and twisting streets create a charming setting for magnificent medieval pallazi and cathedrals. The 600 year old faded frescoes in the church of San Francesco are especially interesting. Return to your hotel in Tuscany / Umbria tonight. B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuscany - Umbria /Rome (Orvieto) Day 9 Orvieto is another walled hilltop village about 45 minutes south of Montepulciano through the beautiful Umbrian countryside. A stunning Romanesque-Gothic cathedral with its astonishing facade, the recently cleaned Last Judgment by Signorelli, the charm of the medieval streets, and the quality of the local wines make Orvieto well worth a visit. Southbound on the A1 autostrada from Orvieto, unless there is a traffic snarl, it is less than 90 minutes to the airport (FCO) in Rome. Turn in your rental car at the airport and our driver will transfer you by private sedan to your hotel, where you stay for three nights. Assuming that you have selected a hotel near Via Veneto (made famous by Fellini’s movie, La Dolce Vita), walk past the American Embassy and the intriguing “church of the bones” to the Piazza Barberini, the location of two fountains by the baroque master, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. From here an easy stroll brings you to the top of the Spanish Steps (pictured at left) for a panoramic view of the city. At the base of the steps is Rome’s most fashionable shopping district. If you are staying near the Spanish Steps, simply reverse the walk. B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
   | Rome Day 10 After an early breakfast, you begin a "half-day" (2-3 hour) guided walking tour of Ancient Rome. Your English speaking guide will regale you with history, facts, legends, and myths as you visit the following world famous sites: The Colosseum - the symbol of Rome’s eternity and the location at which Gladiators did battle and where Christians were eaten by lions. Roman Forum (pictured left, upper) - popularly referred to as the “ruins”, but the stones still give testimony to the roots of Western Civilization Capitoline Hill - the spiritual center of ancient Rome and today the seat of Rome’s civil government. But it is the mind of Michelangelo that continues to dominate the experience of this space. Trevi Fountain (pictured left, middle) – with water flowing since 19 B.C. and immortalized in literature, film, and song. Pantheon - a temple built in 27 A.D., the best preserved of the ancient buildings and the one which speaks most clearly of the Roman spirit. Piazza Navona – built above the stadium that hosted chariot races and the home to modern day cafes that are the social heart of Rome. After lunch and again this evening you can return to any or all of these attractions, take a leisurely stroll through the fashionable shopping district, explore Rome on your own, or simply relax. If you visit the Ancient City at night, you will be struck by the magnificent effect of the lights. Return to your hotel in Rome this evening. B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
   | Rome Day 11 This morning, you take a "half-day" (2-3 hour) tour of the Vatican City, visiting the following: St. Peter’s Square and Basilica - Here the work of Bramante, Michelangelo, and Bernini continues to shape the experience of this majestic space. From the welcoming arms of Bernini’s colonnade, to the hush imposed by Bramante’s towering piers over the main altar, finishing with the awe inspired by Michelangelo’s dome, the walk through the square and the basilica is one of the most dramatic journeys in Rome. You should be aware that on most Wednesdays there is a papal audience in an auditorium that adjoins St. Peter’s. If you are interested in attending, we will rearrange your schedule and arrange tickets for you to attend the audience. Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel – This is one of the most important artistic repositories in the world and features the work of Raphael and Michelangelo, both of whom worked at the same time for the strong-willed Pope Julius II. With the cleaning of the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s magnificent vision is more clearly displayed than ever. This afternoon, a driver with private sedan will collect you at the hotel this morning and will take you for a 4 hour tour of the Appian Way (Via Appia Antica), the catacombs, and the acqueduct. Or you can choose to use your 4 hours to see attractions that may be of more interest to you. If your selections involve excessive mileage or time, there will be an extra charge. This evening at your hotel in Rome is the last night of your Italy vacation and we will be pleased to make arrangments for dinner, shows, or other events. B | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | Rome/ U.S.A. Day 12 Our driver picks you up in private sedan and takes you to the airport (FCO) and you depart for home. B/Meals aloft | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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