Italy at Leisure (11 Days) 

     Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

     Time to rest or start exploring the Eternal City. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (D)

     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. (BB)

     This morning follow your Local Guide and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. Then time to savor la dolce vita and enjoy independent activities. An optional excursion to Ostia Antica is available. (BB)

     First stop this morning is in Siena. Walk through ancient, narrow lanes to PIAZZA DEL CAMPO, site of the biannual Palio, Sienna’s spectacular medieval-style horse race. Then continue through unforgettable landscapes of gently rolling, vine-clad hills for a stop in hilltop San Gimignano, the most picturesque of Italy’s perfectly preserved medieval towns. Afterwards, on to Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany and birthplace of the Renaissance. (BB,D)

     Follow your Local Guide to the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David and the magnificent CATHEDRAL, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afternoon for independent sightseeing and browsing through the shops. Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry sold by the ounce are attractive buys. Tonight, why not try the culinary delights of a fine Florentine restaurant? (Wednesday departures will have the program of days 6 and 7 reversed, as the Academy is closed on Mondays.) (BB)

     A fast journey will bring you to Pisa. Here take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 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. (BB,L)

     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 in Venice 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. (BB)

     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-colored houses and for its lace-making. Take pictures of traditional fishing boats, still used by the island inhabitants, and enjoy an included lunch. Return to Venice in the early afternoon. (BB,L)

     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 amphitheater. Built in the 1st century A.D., 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 Scala Opera House, glass-domed GALLERIA, and magnificent GOTHIC DUOMO. An optional farewell dinner may be the perfect way to celebrate the success of your Italian vacation. (BB)

     Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)