Pearls of Italy

Welcome to Venice Int. Airport (VCE). Upon your arrival, our Tour Director will be waiting for you. Your private airport transfer will leave for your hotel at 1:00 pm. In the late afternoon meet your tour guide for an orientation meeting, stroll in Venice, time for shopping and a gondola ride, followed by a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.  

Hotel: Voco, Belstay  or similar (1 night)  

This morning, meet your local guide for a walking tour through Venice city center.  See the Bridge of Sighs, created at the beginning of the 17th century to serve as a link between the prisons and the inquisition rooms of Doge’s Palace. Continue to St. Mark’s Square and visit a glass factory to learn why venetian glass is famous for its superior quality, exquisite range of colors, and unmatched craftsmanship. In the afternoon depart from Venice and travel through the golden landscape of Tuscany to reach a countryside farm to enjoy a wine tasting and dinner at a family run vineyard. 

Hotel Fattoria degli Usignoli, Vespucci or similar (2 nights)  

Enjoy a walking tour of Florence with a local guide. See the Duomo, celebrated for its magnificent dome designed by Brunelleschi, and the Baptistery’s renowned “Gates of Paradise” by Ghiberti. Walk through the open-air museum at Signoria Square, and end at the splendid Ponte Vecchio. Enjoy the afternoon in this spectacular Renaissance city at your leisure before a stop at Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic photo. Tonight, ride through the Tuscan hills  a dinner of typical local cuisine.   

After a comfortable departure, drive southwards on the Highway of the Sun passing by the hilltop monastery of Cassino. Reach Pompeii, the city buried in 79AD by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Visit the ruins of this best-preservedf Roman city as our local guide illustrates the everyday life of the Romans who once lived here. Enjoy a short drive through the Amalfi Coast followed by an authentic Amalfitana dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.  

Hotel: Hotel Club 2 Torri, La Lucertola or similar (2 nights) 

Enjoy the morning at your own pace in Sorrento. Lunch in a local restaurant with a breathtaking panoramic view.  After lunch, take in views of the colorful towns built on steep inclines along the Amalfi Coast, including the distinctive Moorish homes of Positano (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). 

Leave the Amalfi Coast to reach the eternal city of Rome and meet our local guide who will take us to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. In the evening enjoy a sightseeing tour of Rome’s city center to see the highlights of Rome including the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Wrap the day up with dinner at a local restaurant.  

Hotel: Belstay Roma or similar (2 nights)  

Today, discover the independent Vatican State (Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica with its monumental St. Peter’s Square) with our local guide. At the end of the tour, there will be time to stroll around, shop, or treat yourself to an espresso at a quaint cafe amongst the locals. Tonight enjoy a dinner to celebrate success of your trip. 

Arrivederci Italy! Your departure transfer will arrive at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci Airport (FCO) at 7:00 am and 9 a.m.