Globus Winter Tours: Italian Treasures
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Italian Treasures (Winter Tour) |
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| Rome, Lucca, Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Verranzzo Castle, Florence, Verona, Venice, Ravenna, Assisi, Orvieto |
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Italian Treasures (Winter Tour) |
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| Rome, Lucca, Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Verranzzo Castle, Florence, Verona, Venice, Ravenna, Assisi, Orvieto |
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10 Days Rome to Rome |
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INCLUDED FEATURES... ROME: Welcome dinner; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square and Basilica, the Colosseum and Roman Forum PISA: Picture stop at the Leaning Tower LUCCA: Orientation SAN GIMIGNANO: Orientation SIENA: Orientation including Piazza del Campo VERRAZZANO CASTLE: Wine tasting FLORENCE: Guided sightseeing including headsets, visit Michelangelo's David, the cathedral, and Signoria Square VERONA: Orientation including Juliet's Balcony and the Arena VENICE: Private boat ride, guided sightseeing including headsets, visit St. Mark's Square and Basilica, Doges' Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs; glassblowers' demonstration RAVENNA: Visit St. Apollinaris in Classe ASSISI: Guided sightseeing, visit St. Francis' Basilica ORVIETO: Ride a funicular through the ramparts and visit the cathedral SCENIC HIGHLIGHTS Aurelian Way, Tuscany, Lombardian Plains, Apennine Mountains, Chianti wine region MEALS 9 buffet breakfasts (BB); 4 three-course dinners (D), including a special welcome dinner with wine in Rome AIRPORT TRANSFERS Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements. Call us toll free for more information. INSIDE VISITS Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges when applicable. QUALITY HOTELS ROME: Cicerone (SF) LUCCA: Grand Hotel Guinigi (F) FLORENCE: Sheraton Firenze (SF) VENICE: All'Angelo (F) ASSISI: San Francesco or Windsor Savoia (F) or Giotto (F) ROME: Crowne Plaza St. Peter's (F) or Holiday Inn Rome West (F) or Villa Pamphili (F)
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Day 1: Board your overnight transatlantic flight. Day 3: ROME. Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo's ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER'S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. Time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities. (BB) Day 4: ROME - PISA - LUCCA. This morning head north along the Tyrrhenian coastline through an area where many a town was founded at the very beginning of recorded history by the mysterious, highly civilized Etruscans. Stop in Pisa for lunch and to take pictures of its Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 12 feet out of the perpendicular. Then continue to Lucca, and enjoy an orientation walk and time to explore this pretty town on your own. (BB,D) Day 6: FLORENCE. Follow your Local Guide and visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo's celebrated David and the magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise," and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afternoon free for independent sightseeing and browsing through the shops. Leather goods and gold jewelry sold by the ounce are attractive buys. Why not try the culinary delights of a fine Florentine restaurant tonight? (BB) Day 7: FLORENCE - VERONA - VENICE. Stop in Verona, setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to see Juliet's Balcony and the Arena, an incredible well-preserved pink marble Roman amphitheater. Built in the 1st century A.D., it is now the magical venue for world-famous opera performances. Tonight you are in Venice, a powerful magnet for romantics and art lovers from around the globe. Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT. (BB)
Day 9: VENICE - RAVENNA - ASSISI. Along the coastline of the Adriatic Sea to Ravenna. Here see the famous mosaics in the 6th-century basilica of ST. APOLLINARIS IN CLASSE. In the afternoon arrive in Assisi. From St. Clare's Church enjoy a pleasant walk with your Local Guide, via pretty Piazza del Comune, down to ST. FRANCIS' BASILICA, the hub of a religious order devoted to the ideals of humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and love for all God's creatures. (BB,D) Day 10: ASSISI - ORVIETO - ROME. Following the Tiber valley, reach Orvieto, perched high atop a volcanic rock and ride a modern FUNICULAR right through the forbidding ramparts. Time to browse through tempting shops in the lanes off Piazza del Duomo, and to take pictures of the fabulous Gothic facade of ORVIETO CATHEDRAL. In the late afternoon return to Rome. Why not join an optional festive dinner at one of Rome's fine restaurants to bid farewell to the companions of a memorable Italian vacation? (BB) Day 11: Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB) |
Day 2: ARRIVAL IN ROME, ITALY. Time to rest or to start exploring the Eternal City on your own. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine in one of Rome's lively restaurants. (D)
Day 5: LUCCA - SAN GIMIGNANO - SIENA - FLORENCE. A scenic day in Tuscany: Morning visit to hilltop San Gimignano, the most picturesque of Italy's perfectly preserved medieval towns. On to Siena for a leisurely lunchtime break and a 30-minute walk through ancient narrow lanes to beautiful PIAZZA DEL CAMPO, theater of the biannual Palio, Siena's spectacular medieval-style horse race. In the afternoon, drive along the Chianti Road leading from Siena due north to Florence. On the way, call at splendid VERRAzzANO CASTLE to hear about the fine art of blending four types of grapes to obtain the famous Chianti Classico. Taste the wine as the local connoisseurs do, accompanied by local specialties. (BB,D)
Day 8: VENICE. Morning sightseeing with your Local Guide features ST. MARK'S SQUARE and BYZANTINE BASILICA, lavish DOGES' PALACE, and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then enjoy Venice at your own pace, or join an optional gondola ride. Tonight is your chance to sample the city's fine restaurants. (BB)