Best of Italy

Join us for a fabulous Italian adventure featuring the magic of Venice, Florence and Rome. Journey to the wine-producing Romagna countryside for a 3-night stay in a wine resort, and visit the Republic of San Marino, an enclave state of Italy. Come along with us and embrace the history, culture, art and romance of this incredible country.

Welcome to enchanting Venice (UNESCO) with its 117 tiny islands surrounded by a latticework of 150 canals and 400 bridges. This evening, meet your fellow travelers over a welcome dinner.

This morning, explore the traditional Venetian craftsmanship behind one of the city’s symbols: the sleek, iconic gondola boats. Visit a local boatyard, one of only two still active in the city, and glide along the canals during a gondola ride.* Afterwards, enjoy an afternoon at leisure in the floating city. Perhaps you’ll follow the advice of the locals who say the best way to discover Venice is to "get lost.” Or, you could explore St. Mark’s Square adorned with marbled palaces and seek out the perfect view over the Bridge of Sighs. This evening, delve into Venice’s classical music heritage while you enjoy a live performance of the Four Seasons** composed by the great Venetian Antonio Vivaldi.

Say “Ciao” to Venice as you journey towards the Romagna region, famous for its epicurean lifestyle and its joie de vivre. Along the way, visit the Po Delta (UNESCO). Since ancient times, this delta has been the border between the Venice and the Ravenna regions, once two independent states. These wetlands will give you a glimpse into what Venice and Ravenna looked like to ancient Roman settlers making their way here from the south. You’ll explore these wetlands by pontoon boat,* learning about how the ecosystem here actually aided the Romans in escaping the barbarians that harried them. You’ll also learn about the lives of fisherman and farmers whose lives have changed very little over the last 1000 years. Take in the tranquil scenery before stopping for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, continue to your hotel nestled among vineyards in the Romagna countryside and settle in for your 3-night stay.

Today, it’s your choice! Bask in the bucolic landscape at your wine resort hotel and pamper yourself with an organic wine-infused mud treatment in the onsite spa -OR- spend the day exploring Ravenna (UNESCO). During the darkness that enveloped the last days of the Roman Empire, Ravenna emerged as a center of power thanks to its strategic position. The city’s rulers – the Byzantines, the Goths – adorned its churches with dazzling mosaics. During a guided walking tour, discover the city’s most illustrious monuments including the mosaics that inspired Cole Porter’s Night and Day. This evening, join the local chef for a hands-on cooking class centered on Romagna’s most typical pasta dishes with colorful names such as garganelli or strozzapreti (priest-stranglers), and enjoy the results of your work for dinner.

Grab your passport*** and journey to the landlocked Republic of San Marino, the fifth-smallest country in the world. Perched at the top of Mount Titano, the old town of San Marino (UNESCO) gives visitors sweeping views over the Adriatic Riviera and the gentle rolling hills of the Romagna countryside. Explore the Old Town’s intricate system of fortification towers, walls, gates and bastions during time at leisure. This evening, wrap up your stay in the Romagna Countryside with a wine-pairing dinner at your wine resort hotel.

Today, travel to the Emilia region, Italy’s foodie haven. Meet students and teachers at a vocational high school**** for an Impact Moment dedicated to the Culinary Arts and Agriculture. Here, Italy’s future chefs and farmers learn how to make Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese according to traditional codes, dating back to the 1300s. Students also try their hand aging Balsamic vinegar, a generational process taking anything from 12 to 25 years. Enjoy a farm-to-table light lunch prepared by the culinary students using ingredients from the School’s farm. Later, continue to Florence (UNESCO), the “Cradle of the Renaissance” and your home for the next 2 nights.

This morning, meet a local expert for a walking tour of a city that is a work of art all on its own. Your guide will highlight the Piazza del Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Baptistery. You’ll also visit the Piazza della Signoria with its impressive Palazzo Vecchio. The remainder of the day is yours to explore Florence’s cultural riches independently. Perhaps you’ll visit to one of the city’s many museums,***** such as the Uffizi or Academy Gallery, where Michelangelo’s David is kept.

This morning traverse southern Tuscany, the ancient land of the Etruscans. This mysterious civilization predated the Romans, who assimilated them, erasing most of their way of life, even though many early kings of Rome were Etruscans. By all accounts, they were an advanced society and culture. On a guided walking tour of Chiusi, once part of the Etruscan Dodecapolis, you explore the town’s underground water system – which has so many twists and turns that it was nicknamed Labyrinth of King Porsenna. You’ll also visit the small archeological museum housing some of the most interesting artifacts archeologists found in the surrounding hills. Arrive in Rome (UNESCO) in the afternoon and settle in for a 3-night stay.

This morning, it’s your choice! Explore Rome in 1 of 3 ways: delve into Rome’s second Golden Age on a walking tour exploring its Renaissance and Baroque heritage and featuring Caravaggio’s paintings, alongside the Pantheon and Navona Square -OR- explore Rome’s Christian heritage on a panoramic tour featuring the Catacombs and the medieval basilica of St. Sabina on the Aventine Hill -OR- uncover Rome’s most recent archeological discoveries on a tour of the Ara Pacis, the Mausoleum of Emperor Augustus and the Spanish Steps. The afternoon is yours to explore more of Italy’s capital city. Perhaps you’ll join an optional tour for an in depth visit of the Colosseum and the Capitol Hill with its monumental piazza designed by Michelangelo.

Make the most of a free day in the Eternal City. Perhaps you’ll stroll through the Borghese Gardens for views of the city’s skyline or join an early morning “Breakfast with Michelangelo” option to the Vatican Museums. Your visit begins with a buffet breakfast in the Pinecone Courtyard with views of Michelangelo’s cupola – the dome sheltering St. Peter’s Basilica. Then, 1 hour ahead of the Vatican Museums’ opening to the general public, enjoy the ability to roam freely through one of the world’s greatest Art collections. With the aid of an audio guide, you’ll be able to independently explore the Museums’ highlights, including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Gather tonight to toast the end of your Italian adventure during a food tour* in Rome’s bohemian Trastevere district.

Your tour comes to a close today, leaving you with many fond memories of incredible Italy.