Join our tour hosts Mick & Diane Smith on one of our most popular tours and discover the timeless beauty of Italy. This unforgettable journey takes you to many famous Italian cities with the highlights being Venice, Florence, and the magnificent ROME!
Begin your adventure in Venice, where you’ll glide along its famed canals on a gondola ride, explore narrow sidewalks, and admire hand-blown glass on the charming islands of Murano and Burano. Experience the magic of this floating city, steeped in history and romance. From Venice, we travel to the picturesque hills of Tuscany. While in Florence we will encounter many great works of art, including a favorite stop to see the statue of Michelangelo’s David. We will see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and visit the ancient marble quarry visited many times by Michelangelo and other Renaissance sculptures and used by Thorvaldsen to get the marble for the original Christus statue.
Journey through the medieval town of Sienna en route to Rome, Italy’s captivating capital. 2025 is a Jubilee year for the Catholic faith, offering a unique opportunity to be part of this historic celebration. For those interested, you will be able to visit the beautiful LDS Rome Temple. Discover the grandeur of the Coliseum, the splendor of the Trevi Fountain, and many other sites that echo Rome’s illustrious past. Italy promises to captivate every visitor. Whether it’s your first trip or your tenth, there’s always something new and special awaiting you. Come and fall in love with Italy on this incredible tour!
Tour ID #9225D04
To book this tour contact:
Carol Alegre, Tour Manager
Tel: (801) 483-6165
Email Carol: calegre@morrismurdock.com
Day 1: Friday, April 4, 2025
Depart USA - Venice
Today we depart the US and fly overnight to Venice, Italy. See you soon!
Meals : In-flight
Day 2: Saturday, April 5, 2025
Venice, Italy
Welcome to Italy! Our Italian experience begins upon arrival at the Venice airport when we are greeted by our local tour director. We have a short transfer to our hotel to freshen up and then continue to the mainland boat terminal for a private transfer to St. Mark’s Square. Here we experience a delightful walking tour of the ‘City of Islands.’ Along the way, we see St. Mark’s Square and Basilica. Next, we see the Bell Tower, the Clock Tower, the Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs to name some favorite sites. This evening we enjoy a wonderful welcome dinner and have a chance to get to know each other better before making our way back to the hotel for overnight.
Meals : Dinner
Day 3: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Murano Island and Gondola Ride
After breakfast, we board our coach, travel to the boat terminal, and board our private boat for a cruise past the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the Public Gardens, the tip of Sant'Elena, and the famous Lido Beach Resort on our way to Murano Island. Known worldwide for its colored glass, we can see mouth-blown glass-making in progress and enjoy a factory tour. We enjoy the area before cruising back to the main island. This afternoon we complete our Venice experience with a Gondola ride before making our way back to the hotel. Dinner at hotel and overnight.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: Monday, April 7, 2025
Venice to Florence with Ravenna
This morning we leave Venice and begin our scenic journey to Florence. We stop in Ravenna to find a treasure trove of art, history, and culture waiting for us. Here is one of the richest collections of mosaics in the world, preserved in the basilicas and baptisteries of the city; clear evidence of the extraordinary art that flourished in this area. Eight monuments of Ravenna have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List for their universal value and unique mosaics. After reveling in these amazing sites, we continue our journey to Florence, known as the Cradle of Renaissance. Dinner on own and overnight.
Meals : Breakfast
Day 5: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Florence Tour
After breakfast, we enjoy a walking tour of Florence, taking in all the amazing outdoor art and sculptures along the route. Our guided tour includes the Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiore, known as the Duomo, and the home for Giotto’s bell tower and Brunelleschi’s famous Dome. We also tour the Academia featuring Michelangelo’s statue of David. Balance of the day is at leisure. Dinner on own and overnight.
Meals : Breakfast
Day 6: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Carrara Quarry and Pisa
Today is unquestionably another tour highlight as we make our way out of Florence to the mountains, visiting the historic Carrara marble quarry. We enjoy a jeep ride up the hill to the quarry opening where Michelangelo, and other famous sculptors of his day, picked their marble that we still marvel at today. We get to try our hand at the chisel and see many works of art. After a wonderful local lunch (arranged by MMET), we continue to Pisa and its iconic “leaning tower” for a city tour before returning to Florence. Dinner on own and overnight.
Meals : Breakfast
Day 7: Thursday, April 10, 2025
Florence to Rome with Siena
This morning we bid farewell to Florence and head south to Rome. Before leaving the city, we drive up to the overview spot of Piazzale Michelangelo, to enjoy a breathtaking view over the city and its skyline made of famous monuments, churches and buildings. We then drive through the beautiful Tuscan countryside to Siena, notice the medieval ramparts greeting us with the Latin inscription 'Cor Magis Tibi Sena Pandit' (Siena opens its heart to you). We walk through the maze of narrow streets, see the Piazza Del Campo where the famous 'Palio Horse Race' is held, and view the 13th century Cathedral. We end our day in Rome. Dinner on own and overnight.
Meals : Breakfast
Day 8: Friday, April 11, 2025
Optional LDS Temple Visit and Ancient Rome
After breakfast for those who choose, we board our coach and transfer to the newly dedicated LDS Temple, and enjoy attending a session and touring the grounds. Later in the day we return to the hotel. This afternoon we will start exploring the Eternal city with an Ancient Rome guided tour. After we arrive at the Colosseum grounds, we walk underneath the Constantine Arch and then enter the huge arena dating from 79AD. Our next stop is the Roman Forum, where the ancient market place seems to jump to life as we stroll through the ruins. Dinner on own and overnight.
Meals : Breakfast
Day 9: Saturday, April 12, 2025
Rome Vatican and Old Town
This morning we tour the Vatican, the world's smallest independent state. Our guide provides an overview of the history of the Vatican Museums, with the highlight of the tour being the Sistine Chapel, where the ceiling is covered with Michelangelo's most famous paintings. As the tour continues, we explore St. Peter's Square, with Bernini's 284 columns, before entering St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in Christendom. In the afternoon we will see more famous places as the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, built over 2,000 years ago to honor Caesar Augustus and later converted to a Christian church, Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona. Dinner on own and overnight.
Meals : Breakfast
Day 10: Sunday, April 13, 2025
Rome, Italy
Today for those interested, we attend a local LDS Sacrament Meeting or other local church service. Balance of the day is at leisure to explore Rome on own or to make some souvenir shopping. Tonight, a farewell dinner is served at a local restaurant including live music entertainment
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11: Monday, April 14, 2025
Rome Airport - Home Cities
Bidding a fond farewell to Italy, we will boarding our private coach to the airport for our homebound flight.
Meals : Breakfast, In-flight
Highlights of the Tour:
- 1 tour-bus experience for the whole tour
- LDS Tour Director on for the whole trip along with local guides for in depth location detail and history
- Advance timed entry tickets to attractions included = less time waiting in lines
- We include all tipping for hotels and restaurants where meals provided
- Scheduled visit to the newly dedicated Rome Temple
Included:
- 2 nights in Venice Mestre
- 3 nights in Florence
- 4 nights in Rome
- Buffet Breakfast, city taxes, In/Out porterage
- Welcome dinner in Venice city center, local restaurant, 4 courses meal with soft drinks and water
- Dinner at hotel in Venice, 3 courses meal with water
- Farewell dinner in Rome, local restaurant, 4 courses meal with soft drinks and water
- Professional English speaking Tour Manager throughout
- Private motor coach for all transfers, tours and excursions as per itinerary
- Private boat services in Venice, transfers to/from Venice and Murano excursion
- Half day guided tours in Venice, Ravenna, Florence and Siena
- Half day guided tour of Ancient Rome, Half day Vatican guided tour
- Half day guided tour of Old town Rome
- Visit of Murano Island with Tour Manager, Glass blowing factory included
- Gondola Ride
- Visit of Pisa with Tour Manager only, no guided tour
- Visit of Marble Quarry and Workshop studio in Carrara with lunch, arranged by MMET
- Visit of Rome LDS Temple
- Admission fees: Ravenna Mosaics, Florence Academy, Siena Cathedral, Colosseum with Roman Forum, Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel
- Whispers set during the tour
Not Included:
- International Airfare to Venice home from Rome - Group space available for $ 1,580.00 per person (Delta Main Cabin)
- Any private sightseeing not included on the itinerary during free time
- Tour gratuities for bus drivers guides and special host
- Items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance
- Meals not included in tour outline
Pricing Options:
- $3,998 per person for double occupancy (two people sharing a room)
- $5,130 for single occupancy (private room)
- $3,998 per person for triple occupancy (three people sharing a room)
Payment Terms:
- $500 per person deposit due at time of booking
- Final payment due December 5, 2024
- Cash discount of $100 per person available! Please inquire for more details
