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Italian Elegance
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Italian Elegance
Operated by: Insight Vacations
12 Days from $4,226 per person
Locations Visited
Rome, Vatican, Florence, Tuscany, San Gimignano, Lucca, Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Cinque Terre, Lake Maggiore, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Venice ...more Rome, Vatican, Florence, Tuscany, San Gimignano, Lucca, Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Cinque Terre, Lake Maggiore, Cortina d'Ampezzo, VeniceBOOK WITH CONFIDENCE
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE
✓ Lock in this trip with $250 deposit
✓ Refund Guarantee within 30 days of booking
✓ Flexible changes up to 60 days before your tour departs
✓ Lock in this trip with $250 deposit
✓ Refund Guarantee within 30 days of booking
✓ Flexible changes up to 60 days before your tour departs
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Day 1
Welcome to the Eternal City of Rome
Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and baroque churches. Transfers depart from Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport for your hotel at 09:30, 12:30 and 15:30. Relax and settle in before joining your Travel Director at 17:30, and get to know your fellow travellers over a delicious Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
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Day 2
Rome with Vatican Dinner
In the morning enjoy the very best of the city’s highlights including visiting the magnificent St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican with your Local Expert and see the Colosseum and Circus Maximus. In the afternoon, enjoy fast-tracked priority entry into the Vatican Museums with a Local Expert. Admire the Papal art collection and observe the stunning Museo Gregoriano Profano which documents various moments and themes in classical art, from Ancient Greece through to the late Imperial Roman age. Enter the Sistine Chapel to marvel at Michelangelo’s masterpiece on its ceiling. Then you'll be privileged to an exclusive Highlight Dinner inside the Ethnological Museum.
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Day 3
Renaissance Florence
Take the autostrada north to Renaissance Florence. Explore Florence with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the Accademia Museum and see Michelangelo's David. Alternatively, wander through the market stalls on a shopping tour, enjoying all the Italian treats and finery on offer. From there, see the cathedral, campanile and the baptistery, adorned with the Gates of Paradise. Walk on to Piazza della Signoria with its open-air gallery of Renaissance sculpture. There is time to shop for Florentine leather or gold before continuing to your elegant hotel in Tuscany.
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Day 4
The flavours of San Gimignano Relaxed Start
Spend time exploring the maze of alleyways and admire scenic views across the valley. Ascend serpentine alleyways to the artisan gelato parlour of world champion gelato maestro, Sergio Dondoli, for a taste of his finest frozen treats. Next, stop at a local winery to sample robust Tuscan wines.
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Day 5
The Chianti Hills to Pisa, Lucca and Santa Margherita
Drive through the patchwork of vines, olives and cypresses that typify the Chianti hills before continuing to the delightful town of Lucca. Taste the lavish loaves of buccellato, Lucca's sweet raisin anise bread. Head for Pisa and see the incredible Leaning Tower, from which Galileo is said to have conducted experiments on velocity and gravity. See the splendid cathedral and baptistery, decorated with mosaics and designs in solid marble. Continue along the coast to the pretty seaside resort of Santa Margherita Ligure.
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Day 6
The Cinque Terre and Portofino
Head for the port of La Spezia for a highlight of your travels and one of Italy's most beautiful landscapes, the Cinque Terre. With a Local Expert, appreciate the views as you approach one of the picturesque fishing villages by boat. For lunch, enjoy a delicious Sea-to-Table dining experience. Next, cruise along the rugged Ligurian coast to the elegant seaside village of Portofino, the epitome of la dolce vita (should weather permit). Enjoy leisure time to admire the coloured houses, browse the boutiques or simply stay a while in the cafe bars on the piazzetta, watching the yachts moored in the harbour.
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Day 7
Lake Maggiore Relaxed Start
Head north to the beautiful Italian Lake District, a favourite retreat of the rich and famous where Alpine scenery combines with lush vegetation. Relax and enjoy an afternoon at leisure at this popular resort and beautiful lake.
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Day 8
Cortina d’Ampezzo
Travel through the stunning northern Italian countryside to one of the world’s most breathtaking wine regions. Protected by the Alps to the north, and caressed by the warm breezes from the Adriatic, the vineyards around Conegliano Veneto produce Italy’s most prized sparkling wine.Stop at Carmina where great care is taken to ensure these hand-picked grapes produce the world's finest prosecco. See how production differs from its more famous French counterpart, champagne. Be tempted with a taste of the crisp and aromatic flavours and learn how to make the perfect bellini.Continue through the Dolomites, to the mountain resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
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Day 9
Experience the Dolomites Relaxed Start
The whole day is free for you to explore the colourful peaks and sheer valleys of the Dolomites, one of the most impressive mountain ranges in the Alps. During summer, once the snow and ice have melted away, a breathtaking landscape is revealed. There are a number of walking tracks through pristine Alpine wilderness for the adventurous to explore, or for a more relaxed pace, perhaps take a thrilling Optional Experience to the summit of one of the peaks for breathtaking panoramic views?
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Day 10
Venice, Queen of the Adriatic Relaxed Start
Descend through the mountains to the romantic city of Venice. A private boat glides you past canals lined with ornate palaces to St Mark’s Square. See the basilica, the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs, before checking into your luxurious hotel. With the afternoon at leisure, why not cruise the Venetian Lagoon to the island of Burano for a meal of local specialities and wine?
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Day 11
Venice at Leisure Relaxed Start
Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during a visit to a traditional arts centre, where you can see how beautiful handcrafted glass is made by expert glassblowers, safeguarding traditional skills.Then there is free time to enjoy the magical atmosphere of this incredible city at your own pace. Mingle with the locals at the open air markets near the Rialto Bridge and explore the back lanes and squares where Venetians go about their day. Later, on your romantic gondola serenade, glide along the atmospheric canals exploring the intimate and hidden parts of this unique city while musicians set the mood with traditional songs. This evening, stroll past the famous Opera House to La Fenice restaurant for a magical Celebration Dinner. Indulge in traditional Venetian dishes that are enriched with inspiration from seasonal produce.
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Day 12
Arrivederci Venice
Your departure transfer arrives at Venice Marco Polo Airport at 08:00 and 09:30.
Price Includes
Dining Summary
- 6 Dinner with Wine (DW)
- 11 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch with Wine (LW)
Choice Highlights
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Florence: Stand beside Michelangelo's monumental statue, 'David', in the Accademia Gallery, and admire the exquisite technique and absorbing history behind the world's most famous sculpture.
- Florence: Wander through the market stalls and browse for local Italian souvenirs and leather goods on a guided shopping tour.
Additional Included Highlights
- : Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas.
- : Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- : We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- : Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- : Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- : From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- : If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
Authentic Dining
- Montelupo Fiorentino: Taste a nutritious meal at Rome's welcome dinner. The venue adopts a flexiterian philosophy; to them, sustainable consumption and healthy meals is what's important.
- Vatican: Experience an exclusive VIP Highlight Dinner at the Vatican in the Ethnological Museum.
- San Gimignano: Ascend serpentine alleyways to the artisan gelato parlour of world champion gelato maestro, Sergio Dondoli for a taste of his finest frozen treats.
- Tuscany: In the Tuscan countryside, where deep-green cypress trees pierce blue skies and olive groves hug the rolling hillsides, taste the wines of an eminent estate.
- Lucca: Visit a traditional steam bakery and sample Buccellato, the sweet raisin bread typical of the region.
- Veneto: Visit a local winery and delight in a tasting of their magnificent prosecco. Meet the vignerons and learn how to make the perfect Bellini.
- Venice: Enjoy a special Venetian Celebration Dinner with wine at La Fenice, situated in the heart of this historic city.
Insight Experiences
- Vatican: Gain priority access into the Vatican Museums, witness the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and view the splendid dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
Make Travel Matter
- Venice: Witness the ancient skill of glassblowing, now practised by precious few masters. Watch artisans create delicate works of art using rare traditional practices. The workshop's master craftsmen teach visitors about the traditional craft of glassblowing and its history which dates back to the 15th century. Every visit helps to support the workshop and the survival of this traditional craft. The workshop advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Top Rated Highlights
- Rome: During your orientation with you Travel Director see the medieval buildings, including Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches, scattered throughout the city.
- Florence: Stand beside Michelangelo's monumental statue, 'David', in the Accademia Gallery, and admire the exquisite technique and absorbing history behind the world's most famous sculpture.
- Florence: Wander through the market stalls and browse for local Italian souvenirs and leather goods on a guided shopping tour.
- Florence: Enjoy panoramic views over of the city and see the Florence Cathedral. During your guided walking orientation, see the bell tower, Gates of Paradise on the baptistery and visit Piazza della Signoria.
- San Gimignano: Visit the medieval Manhattan of Italy!
- Lucca: Your orientation with your Travel Director will show you the churches, squares and palaces within the medieval ramparts.
- Pisa: During your orientation, your Travel Director will show you the baptistery bristling with marble spines, and the colonnaded bell tower lurches behind the 11th century cathedral - the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
- Cinque Terre: Led by your Local Expert, visit this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site, tucked away on the mountainous Italian Riviera coastline. Explore one of the five charming fishing villages for some memorable pictures.
- Portofino: Cruise from Santa Margherita and get a taste of the sweet life in this elegant fishing village.
- Portofino: Visit this elegant fishing village and admire the coloured houses and yachts moored in the harbour.
- Cortina d'Ampezzo: Enjoy the stunning scenery of the Cortina, a small town framed by magnificent alps as your Travel Director conducts an orientation.
- Venice: Delight in the magic of this charming city as you are serenaded, travelling through the atmospheric canals by gondola.
Travel Director
- : "One food I really love introducing my guests to is tramezzini sandwiches because they are a real art form in Venice. For the locals it is a quick inexpensive bite to get them through the day...best eaten standing up at the bar!"
- : "Venice is so unique that anyone seeing it for the first time is never fully prepared for the magic, from seeing their first gondola to the facade of St. Mark’s Cathedral."
- : "Italians are very fashionable but their cooking is the opposite - simple, rustic and down to earth. A handful of quality vegetables, fresh herbs and beans are turned into a warm and comforting soup."
Well-being
- : Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- : Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19.All Travel Directors, Well-Being Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhanced well-being and hygiene protocols.
- : We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
- : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
Dates & Prices
Prices shown are per person based on two people sharing a twin room. To request a personalized travel quote, click "Request Quote" and a Travel Specialist will send your custom quote including airfare if requested.
Online Booking Process
Financing from $/month
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