Day 1 – ARRIVAL in ROME

Arrive at Rome airport (or train station), meet with your driver and transfer to your hotel by private transfer. Overnight in Rome.

Day 2 – ROME

Vatican Museums and Imperial Rome with Colosseum. In the morning depart for a SIC excursion to Vatican Museums. The tour begins with a coach, passing through Piazza della Repubblica with the Fountain of the Naiadi. We then follow the ancient Aurelian Walls, which once surrounded the ancient city. At Piazza del Popolo you will see an Egyptian obelisk dating back to the time of Ramses II. Finally, on arrival at the Vatican Walls, your guide will then lead you into the Vatican Museums. There you visit the Gallery of the Tapestries and the Gallery of the Geographical Maps.

Next, you arrive in the famous Sistine Chapel, with its magnificent fresco of the Last Judgement by Michelangelo. At the end of the tour, you will have time free to visit the St.Peter’s Basilica. Our Roman stay includes also another SIC excursion to the Colosseum and Imperial Rome departing in the afternoon just after lunchtime (approx. 3 hours). Departure from a very central meeting point at 13.15 and arrive by coach at Piazza Venezia, you then continue on foot to the
famous Piazza del Campidoglio designed by Michelangelo from where you will have a fantastic view of the Roman Forum. By coach, we
will then drive by the Circus Maximus and the Aventino Hill. Stop to admire the beautiful statue of Moses by Michelangelo located in the Church of St. Peter’s in Chains from where it will take us 5 minutes to
reach the symbol of the eternal city: The Colosseum (visit inside, the entrance fee is included). 

Day 3 – ROME TO FLORENCE

Transfer on your own to the train station and depart to Florence via
high-speed train. Arrive in Florence and check in at the hotel.

Day 4 – FLORENCE

Florence feels like an open-air museum in which you can touch the artefacts in the form of architecture and preserved statues, its charm and splendid past have remained unaltered. With its museums, palaces and churches is home to the most important artistic treasures in the world. The birthplace of the Renaissance pulls some 10 million visitors each year for its frozen-in-time palaces and legendary attractions, to say nothing of its tourist-friendly Tuscan cuisine and gelato stands. The beating heart of Florence is the Piazza del Duomo, with its monumental complex of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is surmounted by Brunelleschi's majestic dome; the San Giovanni or St. John’s Baptistry, a magnificent example of the Florentine Romanesque; and Giotto’s Campanile or Bell Tower, a Florentine Gothic architectural masterwork. Behind the Duomo stands the Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, with various works from the Cathedral on display; visitors can admire pieces intended for all the structures of the complex, from the Baptistry to the Bell Tower. Piazza della Signoria represents the historical hub of civil and political life and hosts the 13th-Century Loggia dei Lanzi, the Fountain of Neptune and the Palazzo della Signoria or Palazzo Vecchio, one of the city’s most symbolic monuments. In front of the Palazzo, statues, including
a copy of Michelangelo’s famous David, stand tall.

Next to the Piazza is the marvellous Uffizi Gallery, home to one of the most important museums in the entire world, hosting works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and numerous other master artists. A remarkable architectonic element of the Uffizi Gallery is the Vasari Corridor, realized by Giorgio Vasari himself around the mid-fifteenth Century; the Corridor connects the Gallery to the Palazzo
Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti. Discover Florence through the beautiful streets of the old town. Walk to the Arno, on the romantic Ponte
Vecchio and continue to Oltrarno, the newest part of Florence. Florence and its magnificent treasures await your visit!

After breakfast, depart for a city walking tour. Our visit will start inside the Academy Gallery, where you will admire some of the most important Michelangelo sculptures as ‘The Prisoners, ‘Saint
Matthew’ and obviously the well renowned ‘David’. Discover also important Gothic works and Renaissance paintings by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino and the original plaster of ‘Rape of Sabine
Women’ by Giambologna. At the end of the visit, you will have free time for lunch until 1.30 p.m. when we’ll meet for the second part of the tour in Repubblica Square in front of ‘Hard Rock Cafè’. We’ll
continue with a pleasant walk through the most fascinating and interesting places of Florence as the Cathedral (exterior) with Brunelleschi’s Dome, the Baptistery (exterior) with its famous Gates of
Paradise, Signoria Square with its Palazzo Vecchio (exterior) and Loggia dei Lanzi. We will conclude the tour by discovering the Uffizi Gallery with its famous collections of Italian Renaissance paintings. You will have the opportunity to see the works of the greatest artists from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, such as Giotto,
Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo. It is possible to remain in the museum until closing time.

Day 5 – FLORENCE 

Departure to a SIC excursion to Pisa (entrance fees at Leaning Tower included). Pisa is one of the most visited cities in Tuscany and it is famous for its Leaning Tower. The beautiful Piazza dei Miracoli is among the most beautiful monumental complexes in the world. The town’s most prosperous period was undoubtedly the 12th century and this is witnessed by the urban shape of the old town centre with many buildings, squares and alleyways that run along the river Arno, which was for centuries the major communication route. It has always been an estuary town and was already an important naval base in Roman times intensifying trade in the Mediterranean. Pisa is also famous for
one of the most prestigious higher learning institutions in Europe: the Scuola Normale Superiore. An authorised city guide will accompany you on the visit to the interior of the Cathedral and the exterior of
the Leaning Tower and Monumental Cemetery. At the end of the tour, you will also have free time to wander in the square and take plenty of pictures.

Day 6 – FLORENCE TO VENICE

Arrive in Venice and check in at the hotel. Free time at leisure.
Walking around Venice feels like a dream. The impossible blue of the canals, the fine mist that sometimes hangs over the city, the experience of turning a corner and seeing an all-white church on an
island of its own, or a spindly tree sprouting directly out of the lagoon, give the place a “wait, is this real?” quality that’s hard to shake. With its 150 canals, 400 bridges and magnificent 16th- and 17th-century palaces and piazzas, it is no surprise that Venice is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Gloriously romantic in spring, triumphant in summer, noble in autumn and seductive in winter, it is a popular city break destination all year round. It’s also a city of contrasts: You can see Renaissance masterpieces in dark, moody churches or cutting-edge contemporary art on the repurposed grounds of a Byzantine shipyard, drink prosecco on the terrace of a Grand Dame hotel or sip plastic cups of “Spritz” across the canal from a gondola repair shop. And although it’s notoriously easy to get lost, that’s part of the joy of discovery. You never know where
you might find the next romantically crumbling palazzo, secret garden, or plate of perfect “Cicchetti”.

Don't miss the chance to admire: Rialto Bridge; Piazza San Marco and its wonderful Basilica, renowned worldwide for its priceless treasures and fascinating secret places, Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, a beautiful sight, stretching high above the canal, generally known as one of the finest examples of bridge architecture in the world. If you want to have the most romantic views of the city, take the time to do a
gondola trip along the canals of Venice and you will live a dream.

Day 7 – VENICE

In the morning depart for a SIC walking excursion of Venice. An unforgettable tour to discover Venice through its narrow alleys called “calli”, countless bridges and wide traditional and picturesque squares,
still the heart of Venetian people's social life. Let our professional guide take you on an unforgettable journey among Venice's beauties
and history. Discover the famous sites as well as hidden gems mixed with interesting facts about the city of the Serenissima and its everlasting history. The first highlight of the walking tour is St. Mark’s Square, with the description of the majestic St. Mark’s Basilica, the elegant Doge’s Palace, the Clock Tower and the Procuratie. From St. Mark’s Square, we will move forward to Campo Santa Maria Formosa, where we will admire the SS. Giovanni e Paolo church with the famous Pantheon. Follow the Scuola Grande di San Marco also known as the “Great School of Charity” (the Captains of Fortune). Last but not least, head back to St. Mark’s and admire the Malibran Theatre, step through the famous Mercerie, once the pulsing heart of commercial life back in time, nowadays Venice’s main shopping district between Rialto Bridge
and St Mark’s Square. 

Day 8 – DEPARTURE DAY

Transfer to Venice International Airport via our combo transfer including boat, assistant and baggage handling.