DAY 1: SORRENTO, ITALY
Arrive in Sorrento (the nearest airport is Naples). Benvenuto – welcome! Your Local Host is ready to help you maximize your time in the city of olive and lemon groves.
DAY 2: SORRENTO
Morning guided sightseeing includes a walk along the OLD TOWN’S characteristic lava stone streets and time to take pictures of amazing Mount Vesuvius. See the 14th-century Sedil Dominova building; the ancient Bell Tower; and St. Antonino Church, dedicated to Sorrento’s patron saint. Visit the CLOISTER of St. Francis Church to enjoy its unique atmosphere and tranquility. TASTE LIMONCELLO and find out how this world-famous liqueur is made.
DAY 3: SORRENTO
Your Local Host will have options for your day at leisure, such as an excursion to Pompeii or the best places to shop for locally made intarsio (inlaid woodwork).
DAY 4: SORRENTO – ROME
Transfer to Naples, then travel by HIGH-SPEED TRAIN (First class) to Rome.
DAY 5: ROME
Your morning guided sightseeing with headset is rich in religious and ancient history. Visit the VATICAN MUSEUMS to see its amazing treasures. In the SISTINE CHAPEL, where the Conclave is held to elect new Popes, view Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment and his famous ceiling paintings. Also on the agenda today, see monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA, built in 313 AD above St. Peter the Apostle’s tomb and home to Michelangelo’s masterpiece Renaissance sculpture, the Pietà. Cross the Tiber River and continue your immersion in history at the iconic COLOSSEUM, built for 50,000 spectators, and the ROMAN FORUM, where the oldest structures of the ancient city are located.
DAY 6: ROME
Today you might choose to catch the hop-on/hop-off bus; visit Tivoli; or relax and try some local specialties, like gnocchi alla Romana (semolina dumplings with butter, cheese, and nutmeg) and Frascati wine. Your Local Host will have many recommendations for you.
DAY 7: ROME – FLORENCE
Travel to Florence by HIGH-SPEED TRAIN (First class).
DAY 8: FLORENCE
Morning guided sightseeing with headset: visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS featuring Michelangelo’s original David. Walk through Cathedral Square; sculpture-studded Piazza della Signoria, the center of the city’s political life since the 14th century; and Santa Croce Square. Also admire medieval Ponte Vecchio, the arched, stone merchant bridge spanning the Arno River.
DAY 9: FLORENCE
Ask your Local Host for suggestions to get the most out of your day—maybe an excursion to Pisa and Lucca, a guided “Florence by Night” walking tour, or the best places to try bistecca fiorentina (Florentine steak) and a glass of Chianti Classico.
DAY 10: FLORENCE – VENICE
Travel by HIGH-SPEED TRAIN (First class) to Venice.
DAY 11: VENICE
Morning guided sightseeing with headset; see ST. MARK’S SQUARE and BASILICA with its exceptional gold mosaics. Visit DOGES’ PALACE and the evocative BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in the age-old manner and learn why glassmaking was so important in Venetian history. ENTRANCES to Marciana Library, and the Correr and Archaeological Museums are included; ask your Local Host for details.
DAY 12: VENICE
Full day to explore at your own pace. Your Local Host will have many recommendations, such as a Cicchetti Aperitif Tour with wine and appetizers, a serenaded gondola ride, or a lagoon cruise and lunch on Burano Island.
DAY 13: VENICE – LAKE MAGGIORE
Travel by HIGH-SPEED TRAIN (First class) to Milan, then transfer to beautiful Stresa on Lake Maggiore.
DAY 14: LAKE MAGGIORE
On your morning guided sightseeing, take a short boat ride to the opulent PALACE and monumental GARDENS of ISOLA BELLA. Once a rocky island, and home to a community of fishermen, it was purchased by Carlo III Borromeo in 1630 and eventually transformed to the beautiful location it is today. Carlo III named the island after his wife Isabella, and it is still owned by the Borromeo dynasty to the present day.
DAY 15: LAKE MAGGIORE
Spend a memorable day at Lake Maggiore Adventure Park or catch the cable car to Mount Mottarone for amazing views of the lakes and Alps. Your Local Host will have many suggestions for you.
DAY 16: LAKE MAGGIORE
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning (nearest airport is Milan Malpensa).
