Friday 15th October – ROME, ITALY.
After arrival check into your hotel. At 6
pm, meet your Tour Director and travelling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (D)
Saturday 16th October – 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. Afterwards, relax or explore the city on your own. Later, you may wish to join an optional walk to Trevi Fountain, Navona Square, the
Roman Pantheon, and the Spanish Steps, and finish with a Roman dinner party. (B)
Sunday 17th October – ROME.
This morning, return to ST PETER’S
SQUARE to witness a once in a lifetime
event – the CANONISATION of Australia’s first Saint, Mary MacKillop. Official tickets to the event are included. Later follow your Local Guide and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman legions marched in triumph. (B)
Monday 18th October – ROME - SIENA -
SAN GIMIGNANO - FLORENCE.
First stop this morning is in Siena. Walk
through ancient, narrow lanes to PIAZZA
DEL CAMPO, site of the biannual Palio,
Siena’s spectacular medieval style horse
race. Then, continue through unforgettable
landscapes of gently rolling, vine-clad hills
to hilltop San Gimignano, and walk through
the most picturesque of Italy’s perfectly
preserved medieval towns. Next is Florence,
the splendid capital of Tuscany and birthplace of the Renaissance. (B)
| Tuesday 19th October – FLORENCE.
During your walking tour with a Local Guide, 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 sculpturestudded
SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afternoon
for independent sightseeing and browsing through the shops. Florentine leather goods and gold jewellery sold by the ounce are attractive buys. Tonight, why not try the culinary delights of a fine Florentine restaurant? (B)
Wednesday 20th October – FLORENCE.EXCURSION TO PISA AND VERRAZZANO CASTLE.
A fast journey will bring you to Pisa. Here, take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, 55 metres (180 feet) high and no less than 3.6 metres (12 feet) out of the perpendicular. Today’s highlight: hear about the fine art of blending four types of grapes to obtain the famous Chianti at VERRAZZANO CASTLE; enjoy WINE TASTING and lunch before returning to Florence. (B,L,D)
Thursday 21th October –
FLORENCE – VENICE.
Morning drive through the wooded Apennine Mountains to Venice, a powerful magnet for romantics and art lovers from around the globe. Enter its glittering maze of islands, canals, and bridges in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights
of your walking tour are ST. MARK’S
SQUARE and the byzantine BASILICA,
lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Then, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (B)
| Friday 22nd October – VENICE.
MURANO AND BURANO ISLANDS
EXCURSION. Start your day with an unforgettable Venetian LAGOON CRUISE to the islands of Murano and Burano. Glide past the islands of San Giorgio and Sant’Elena, and along the banks of the famous Lido. In Murano,
watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion
their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then, continue on to the picturesque fishing village of Burano, renowned for its bright pastel-coloured houses and for its lacemaking. Take pictures of traditional fishing boats, still used by the island inhabitants, and
enjoy an included lunch. Return to Venice in the early afternoon. (B,L)
Saturday 23rd October – VENICE -
VERONA - MILAN.
Stop in Verona, medieval setting of
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. See
Juliet’s Balcony and stroll around the lovely market square. Don’t miss the Arena, an incredibly well preserved pink marble Roman amphitheatre. Built in the 1st century AD, it is now the magical venue for world-famous opera performances. Then, on to the dynamic
city of Milan, hub of Italy’s economic miracle with its famous La Scala Opera House, glassdomed GALLERIA, and magnificent gothic DUOMO. An optional farewell dinner may be the perfect way to celebrate the success of your Italian vacation. (B)
Sunday 24th October – MILAN.
Your holiday ends with breakfast this
morning. (B)
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