Depart U.S.A. to Venice, Italy

Today we will depart the states and fly overnight to Venice, Italy.

Venice

Our Italian experience will begin as we arrive at the Venice airport and are greeted by our tour manager. We will take a short transfer to the hotel to freshen up and continue to the mainland boat terminal for a private transfer to St. Mark square. Here we experience a delightful walking tour of the ‘City of Islands.’ Along the way, we see and enter St. Mark’s Square and Basilica. Next, we see the Bell Tower, the Clock Tower, 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.

Murano & Burano Island Tour and Venice city tour

After breakfast we will board our coach again 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 Lido famous beach resort to Murano Island. Known worldwide for its colored glass, we will see mouth-blown glassmaking in progress and enjoy a factory tour. Next stop is Burano Island. This picturesque island is famous not only for its lace, but also for the fishermen's houses painted in bright colors. We will enjoy this place before cruising back to the main island for lunch break. This afternoon we complete our Venice experience with a visit to the Doge's Palace and with a gondola ride before making our way back to the hotel for dinner and overnight. 

Venice to Florence via Ravenna

This morning we will leave Venice and begin our scenic journey to Florence. We’ll stop in Ravenna to visit this treasure chest of art, history and culture. The richest heritage of mosaics in the world, preserved in the basilicas and baptisteries of the city, is clear evidence of that extraordinary period. For their universal value and the uniqueness of their mosaics, eight monuments of Ravenna have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Continuing south, we’ll arrive in Florence, known as the Cradle of Renaissance.

Florence

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. The afternoon we will explore the many treasured art works at the Uffizi Gallery. Dinner on own and overnight.

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, we continue to Pisa and its iconic “leaning tower” for a city tour before returning to Florence. Dinner on own and overnight.

Florence to Tuscany to Rome

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 San Gimignano, beautiful medieval town famous for its unmistakable skyline. The town is known as the city of “hundred towers”. Next we arrive in 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 is served at hotel tonight. Overnight.

Rome - Optional Visit to Rome Temple - Old Town

After breakfast for those who choose, we board our coach and transfer to the 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 Rome with a guided walking tour in the old town and see 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.

Morning optional Church Service - Afternoon tour of Ancient Rome

Today for those interested, we attend a local LDS Sacrament Meeting or other local church service before our visits to the famous sites of Ancient Rome. 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 marketplace seems to jump to life as we stroll through the ruins. Dinner on own and overnight.

Pompeii

Today we will take a day trip from Rome to Pompeii, the Roman town destroyed and buried under meters of volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The imposing volcano will be the backdrop to this visit. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy. Largely preserved under the ash, the excavated city offers a unique snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment it was buried and an extraordinarily detailed insight into the everyday life of its inhabitants. Return to Rome for dinner on own and overnight.

The Vatican with free afternoon

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. This afternoon we are free to enjoy the city of Rome on our own. Tonight a farewell dinner is served at a local restaurant including live music entertainment.

Return to the USA

Transfer to the airport for your flight home. Arrive in the USA on the same day.

TOUR # 9223J14