Sample School Tour 3
Italian Cultural Experience

Tour Duration 19 Days
from AUD $5,100

Day 1 Meet at International Airport at the check-in area for departure for Rome.
Flight details will be supplied at a later date.

Day 2 Rome (D) Your tour leaders will meet you at the Rome International Airport. You will be then transferred to your hotel in the centre of Rome where you will check-in and have time to freshen up or have a rest. Before dinner, your tour leader will guide you on an educational stroll through some of the famous piazze of Rome. The guided walking tour will include Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza Barbarini, Piazza di Spagna, Fountain of Trevi, Piazza della Rotonda, Piazza Navona and finally Campo de’ Fiori. The walk will end with an early dinner in a family restaurant.

Day 3 Rome (BD) After breakfast we continue to enjoy and experience more of the fascinating sites of Rome. We start with the important church of Santa Maria Maggiore, proceeding to the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele, Campidoglio and the Mayoral Offices. In the afternoon, your guide will take the group through Ancient Rome, visiting the Roman Forum, followed by a special visit to the Colosseum. Dinner will be in a traditional Roman restaurant.

Day 4 Rome (BD) Today we spend the whole day at the Vatican. A tour of St Peters Basilica is followed by a special conducted tour of the Vatican Museums including the Sistine Chapel. Dinner will be at a traditional local Roman restaurant.

Day 5 Rome/Pompeii/Sorrento (BD) Today will be an early morning start. Our tour bus will take us south along the Autostrada del Sol to Pompeii which was destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. A local guide will lead us through the ruins of this truly magnificent city. We then travel to Sorrento and check in at our hotel. Before dinner at the hotel there will be a guided tour through the historical centre of Sorrento.

Day 6 Sorrento/Amalfi Coast (BD) The group will be taking in the sights of the Amalfi Coast which has breathtaking views. We travel by coach to beautiful Positano and then proceed to Amalfi. The afternoon is free to wander through Amalfi exploring the sights of this once powerful maritime republic. Dinner in Sorrento.

Day 7 Sorrento/Siena/Florence (BD) Today after breakfast we travel to Florence the city of the Medici. On the way we visit Siena to admire the Cathedral and the Piazza del Campo, one of the most beautiful squares in Europe and learn about the famous race the Palio. After our arrival in Florence, the group will check in at the hotel and the rest of the day will include a walking tour, which features Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral with the Giotto Campanile and the magnificent East Door of the Baptistery known as the ‘Gates of Paradise’. Dinner in a restaurant in the centre of Florence.

Day 8 Florence (BD) Our second day in Florence starts with a visit to the Accademia Gallery to admire the original David by Michelangelo and other masterpieces by this great artist. The tour continues to the Piazza della Signoria with the famous Uffizi Gallery and Ducal Palace. From there we explore other historical sights such as Ponte Vecchio and the church of Santa Croce renowned for its frescoes and the tombs of some of Italy’s famous artists. There is a visit to a leather Bottega to learn leather making Florentine style. Dinner is at a local Florentine restaurant.

Day 9 Florence (BD) Today is devoted to the jewel in the Renaissance art crown - the Uffizi Gallery, which contains the greatest Renaissance masterpieces. You will experience the benevolent patronage of the Medici at the height of their power and influence and the legacy they have left the world. In the afternoon you are free to wander through the famous markets shopping for leather and gold goods or leisurely explore this beautiful city. Dinner is at a local restaurant.

Day 10 Florence/Pisa (BD) Today we make a special trip to one of Italy’s most famous landmarks, the Leaning Tour of Pisa which is one of several architecturally important structures in the Piazza dei Miracoli. The Leaning Tower is the campanile, or bell tower, of the Cathedral. The tower was built in 1173 and is famous for its noticeable lean which has recently had a lot of work done to stop it from crashing to the ground. In the afternoon we make our way back to Florence by train. Dinner is in a traditional restaurant in Florence.

Day 11 Florence/Assisi/Pesaro (BD) Today we travel to Assisi, the home of one of Italy’s greatest, beloved saints, St. Francis. Assisi has always been an attraction for the great artists of Italy. In the Basilica of St Francis we will view many of these masterpieces culminating with Giotto’s Fresco Cycle. The afternoon is devoted to exploring the streets of this mystical town. We then travel to Pesaro through some of the most beautiful countryside of Italy often referred to as the ‘green heart’ of the peninsula. Dinner will be at the hotel.

Day 12 Pesaro/San Marino/Urbino (BD) Today after breakfast at the hotel, we travel just over the Le Marche border for a day visit to the tiny Republic of San Marino. It is a day for shopping as San Marino is jammed with duty free shops. Apart from souvenirs, you will be able to pick up perfume, watches and leather bags at very reasonable prices. San Marino is also worth a visit for its history and pageantry and its magnificent hilltop setting which offers excellent views of the countryside. We then continue on to Urbino one of Italy’s fascinating towns of the Renaissance. It is also the birth place of Raphael. There will be a conducted tour of the magnificent Ducal Palace. Dinner is at the hotel.

Day 13 Pesaro/Ravenna/Venice (BD) Today we say goodbye to Pesaro as our journey takes us to beautiful Venice. On the way we make a stop to the historical City of Ravenna where a local guide will show us the marvellous legacy left to us by the three Empires: Late Roman, Gothic and Byzantine. Upon arrival in Venice we take a vaporetto ride along the Grand Canal to check into our hotel. We have the afternoon to experience the sights of Venice including Piazza San Marco and the Basilica, the Bridge of Sigh, Ducal Palace and the Rialto Bridge. We then walk back through the small streets of Venice to our hotel for dinner.

Day 14 Venice/Murano (BD) Today after breakfast we take in the sights again along the Grand Canal to the island of Murano where Venice’s world famous glass is made and visit several glassblowers creating their masterpieces. In the afternoon the group will enjoy a tour of the Ca` Macana, a workshop specialised in the production and decoration of Venetian masks, where they will try their hand at traditional Venetian mask making. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 15 Venice/Milano (BD) After breakfast we again take a vaparetto ride and say goodby to the Grand Canal and Venice as we take a Eurostar train to the city of Milano. Milano is Italy's economic centre and design capital of the world. Highlights will include: the impressive Duomo, Castello Sforzesco, Royal palace and the shoppers' paradise Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. It will follow a special dinner at the Hotel.

Day 16 Milano (BD) Today the group will visit Santa Maria Delle Grazie to view Leonardo’s famous painting ‘Last Supper’. We then move on to visit the imposing Castello Sforzesco and the Museums. Learn about Leonardo’s inventions during his long stay in Milano and the group will get the opportunity to visit one of the greatest masterpieces in the castle collection: the 'Rondanini Pietà di Michelangelo'. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 17 Milano (B) Today after breakfast we depart for Milano Airport for our flight back to Australia. Flight details will be supplied at a later date.

Day 19 Arrive back in Australia

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