Treasures of Italy
11 Day Tour to Isle of Capri, Venice & Florence | Operated by InsightVacations
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11 Days
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2 Countries
Italy, Vatican City -
10 Cities
Rome, Vatican, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, Florence, Cinque Terre, Santa Margherita Ligure, Lake Maggiore, Venice -
15 Meals
5 Dinner with Wines, 10 Breakfasts -
Pace: Comfortable
Mainly 2–3-night stays in each location. Comfortable travel days with numerous stops. Requires 1-3 miles of walking per day that might involve some uneven surfaces, such as cobblestones and stairs.
Trip Itinerary
Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and baroque churches. Settle in before joining your Travel Director for a visit to Trastevere, Rome's bohemian quarter. Enjoy a private visit to Farmacia of Santa Maria della Scala, the oldest pharmacy in Europe. Gain historic insights from a Carmelite friar as you admire the Farmacia and explore the adjoining 16th-century church. Take in the vibrant atmosphere of this charming neighborhood as you indulge in a Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
The day is devoted to the Eternal City. Join a Local Expert for an in-depth visit to the Vatican Museums, full of priceless art treasures collected by the Popes.
Visit the Sistine Chapel, where Popes are elected, to admire Michelangelo’s famous ceiling. Continue to St. Peter’s Basilica, to wonder at another of his works, the emotive ‘Pietà,’ and stand beneath the dome completed after his death.
Cross the Tiber river to enjoy ancient Rome. See the incredible Circus Maximus. Come up close and personal with the beautifully preserved Arch of Constantine, walking on the ancient pavement. Discover the history, the construction and the legends of the iconic Colosseum as you stroll around the exterior of this amazing structure.
Later, perhaps continue your exploration of Rome to see the Pantheon, toss a coin in Trevi Fountain and enjoy free time around Piazza Navona?
Journey to the ill-fated town of Pompeii, frozen in time when it was engulfed by an eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Walk with a Local Expert through cobbled streets to learn about Roman life in the first century before enjoying a refreshing lemon granita. Then continue to your hotel in the charming town of Sorrento. The afternoon is yours to explore as you wish, or perhaps join an Optional Experience to the artist's paradise of Positano.
Enjoy a morning in the town of Sorrento before heading off to the port to board your jetfoil to the Isle of Capri. Enjoy a scenic drive by open-top taxi past orange and lemon groves to your hotel, then appreciate the glorious vistas over the rugged coastline and sparkling sea.
Visit Capri town, with its whitewashed houses, winding alleyways and small cafes. A Local Expert escorts you to the lush Gardens of Augustus for views of the Faraglioni rocks. As the glow of twilight descends and the day-trippers have returned to their mainland hotels, the island is yours to saunter along scenic paths, gather with the locals in the piazzetta or relax with a glass of wine at an al-fresco restaurant.
Descend to the port and take the jetfoil across the bay to Naples. Follow the Autostrada del Sole north passing Rome and continuing through the region of Umbria. Journey through idyllic Tuscan landscapes to Florence, center of art and culture, and the heart of the Italian Renaissance.
Explore Florence with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the Accademia Museum and see Michelangelo’s David. After, continue on foot to admire the multi-colored marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, where Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory. Continue into the Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces. Spend time gazing at statues such as Neptune and Hercules and Cacus along the front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Alternatively, take a stroll with your Travel Director to Piazza Santa Croce to enjoy a typical Italian treat in a local caffè, where you will be in the perfect spot to admire the basilica, indulge in people-watching the elegant Florentines and pamper yourself shopping for luxury goods like gold and leather.
See how the local leatherwork is created with a demonstration of the craft and learn about the artistry of the goldsmiths who are famous in the city of Florence. In your free time wander Florence on your own, shop or opt to explore the medieval hilltop town of San Gimignano on an Optional Experience. In the evening, why not sample fine Florentine cuisine of tasty starters and typical Tuscan dishes accompanied by Chianti.
Follow the southern fringes of the Alps to the Franciacorta wine region near Lake Iseo. Over 100 vineyards produce the famous sparkling wine of the region and winemaking traditions run deep. Taste the delicious vintages produced with a master vintner at a family-owned estate. Continue to the unique city of Venice and step back in time to the 16th century.
Visit St. Mark’s Square where the city’s former wealth and power is evidenced by the riches of St. Mark’s Basilica and admire the Doge's Palace with its adjoining Bridge of Sighs. Take your seat on a gondola and be serenaded through the myriad of beautiful canals, passing water-lapped doorways and Rococo palaces. The rest of the afternoon is yours to discover Venice at leisure. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during a visit to a traditional arts center, where you can see how beautiful handcrafted glass is made by expert glassblowers, safeguarding traditional skills. Cruise the Venetian lagoon to Burano and sit down to a sumptuous Celebration Dinner with wine, sampling the local specialties.
Your departure transfer arrives at Venice Marco Polo Airport.
Price Includes
Dining Summary- - 5 Dinner with Wines (DW)
- - 10 Breakfasts (B)
- Enjoy an exclusive visit to the oldest pharmacy in Europe, Rome’s Antica Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala, also known as the ‘Pharmacy of the Popes.’ Discover this hidden gem during a private audience with a friar of the Carmelite order, who reveals the historic curiosities of this 16th-century pharmacy.
- Discover ancient treasures of Rome with a passionate local. See Circus Maximus and the Ancient Forum, and stand beside the Colosseum, which bears witness to the limitless courage of the gladiators.
- Walk with a Local Expert through the cobbled streets of this ill-fated town, frozen in time since the 1st century.
- Explore Capri town with your Local Expert and see the whitewashed houses, winding alleyways, small cafes, fashionable boutiques and artisans studios.
- Discover the luxuriant Gardens of Augustus with a Local Expert and admire views of the Faraglioni rocks.
- Take a stroll with your Travel Director to Piazza Santa Croce and immerse yourself in the essence of la dolce vita of Florence while you enjoy a typical Italian treat in a local café.
- 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.
- See the area around Santa Croce Basilica, famous for the quality of its luxury goods and witness a gold and leatherwork demonstration.
- Enjoy a stroll through Renaissance Florence and admire the medieval buildings that gave birth to this new style of architecture.
- 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.
- Visit this elegant fishing village and admire the colored houses and yachts moored in the harbor.
- With your Travel Director cruise to St. Mark's Square and see the Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark's Basilica.
- Delight in the magic of this charming city as you are serenaded, traveling through the atmospheric canals by gondola.
- For your Dine-Around Evening, you are offered a selection of hand-picked local restaurants to choose from, each with its own distinctive ambience and cuisine.
- Learn about this historic winery, passed down through the generations, and taste its latest vintages.
- Cruise to the charming fisherman's island of Burano to enjoy a delicious Celebration Dinner with wine and new-found friends.
- 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.
Optional Experiences
Optional Experiences are subject to change. Your Travel Director will supply you with a final list of Optional Experiences available on your trip. Optional Experiences cannot be booked online; they can be purchased during your trip through your Travel Director.
Piazzas & Fountains (Available on Day 2)With our Local Expert, let's take a "passeggiata" (stroll) to enjoy the backstreets and secrets of pedestrian Rome. Be amazed at sights such as the fascinating Pantheon and the beauty of 17th-Century fountains and beautiful piazzas. Come and enjoy the Rome of the Romans.
Adult Price: €44 Roman Dinner Party (Available on Day 2)Enjoy an evening of delicious Roman cuisine with drinks and a great Italian ambiance.
Adult Price: €71 Amalfi Coast Drive & Positano Visit (Available on Day 3)Drive along the clear blue waters and picturesque resorts of the Amalfi Coast, arguably the most glamorous and scenic stretch of coast in Europe. Minibuses wind their way down serpentine roads to the exclusive artists' paradise, Positano. Explore elegant shops, watch artists at work, or enjoy an aperitivo in a beachside cafe.
Adult Price: €66 Sorrento Evening (Available on Day 3)A chance to enjoy a delicious dinner of local specialties. We arrive at one of the area's unique local restaurants for an incredible dining experience featuring some of the famous dishes of this region!
Adult Price: €74 Tour of Capri (Available on Day 4)Experience the spectacular cliffs and famous turquoise waters of Capri during a relaxing cruise to the most beautiful part of the island, the southern side. You descend to the port by funicular with your local expert and board your private boat to view the beautiful grottoes and unique coastline!
Adult Price: €52 San Gimignano Excursion (Available on Day 6)A wonderful excursion with our Local Expert to Tuscany's most famous hill-top town! Visit San Gimignano, considered a medieval Manhattan, due to its towers which dominate the skyline. Soak up the unique atmosphere of this ancient gem which has remained intact since the 14th century and today is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Adult Price: €40 Tuscan Dinner at Villa Machiavelli (Available on Day 6)Through the Chianti hills, we'll drive past vineyards to a delightful hamlet. Our destination is the ancient stone house of Machiavelli, where the great political theorist wrote his immortal work, ‘The Prince'. After a welcome drink and a visit of the villa and its wine-cellars, we'll enjoy the best of Tuscan cuisine accompanied by great music and drinks, including of course, Chianti from the Villa's own vines.
Adult Price: €74 Tuscan Dinner & Cooking Demonstration (Available on Day 6)Florence and Tuscany are renowned for their rich gastronomic heritage. Tonight we'll travel into the hills near Florence to the northernmost part of the Chianti, where a local chef will introduce you to the dishes that make Tuscan cuisine famous throughout the world. This wonderful cooking demonstration, with superb food and wine, will provide warm and genuine Tuscan hospitality.
Adult Price: €76 Isola Bella (Available on Day 8)The premier attraction of Lake Maggiore is the Borromean Islands. We'll take a private boat over to Isola Bella, the most famous island, renowned for its incredible palace and stunning Botanical Gardens. Our Local Expert will take us on a guided tour of this privately-owned palace, with free time to admire the gardens. A must!
Adult Price: €54 Magical Venice (Available on Day 9)Venice can be Europe's most romantic city in the evening, offering dramatic landscapes with buildings that dazzle as the sun sets and the lights go on. Sit back and take it all in as private water taxis take you to the center of it all, Piazza San Marco, where we have seats reserved outside a famous Venetian cafe, in front of a live orchestra and in view of those illuminated St Mark's sights. Our private water taxis will also take us the length of the Grand Canal, under the Rialto Bridge, seeing Venice at its most magical.
Adult Price: €61 Hidden Venice (Available on Day 10)To only experience Venice's big set pieces is to miss out on a hidden world full of surprises! Join a Local Expert for a fascinating walk through some of the lesser known quarters of Venice. The back lanes and ‘campi’, small squares, where tourists seldom tread are full of history and great places to sample local life.
Adult Price: €37