| Call 888.908.8022 for more information or to book today! Mention code 7544512 | | CIE Tours | | Offer valid through 4/30/2009 | | | | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Depart U.S. for Venice, Italy | Depart U.S. for Venice, Italy: Depart your hometown and fly through the night across the Atlantic to start your Italian vacation in Venice. Relax with in flight meal and entertainment service as you travel. | | Day 2 | Venice | Arrival in Venice: Land at Venice's Marco Polo Airport, collect your luggage and pass through customs inspection. Your tour escort will be at the exit from Customs to meet you from 8:00 am until 12:00 noon and accompany you to a motor launch for a group transfer across the lagoon to your hotel. This is a wonderful introduction to a city built on water! If you emerge from Customs later than 12:00 noon, you must transfer to the hotel at your own expense. After checking in to your hotel, located on the Grand Canal, you will be free for the remainder of the day. In the evening get together with your tour director and fellow travelers with a welcome glass of wine to discuss your vacation and then enjoy local cuisine in the hotel restaurant. (D) | | Day 3 | Venice | Saint Mark's Square & Doges' Palace: This morning travel along the Grand Canal to the Piazza San Marco, the hub of the city, where your walking tour of Venice will begin. See the elaborate Doges' Palace, a rare example of civil Venetian Gothic architecture. Visit the impressive state rooms to view Renaissance paintings by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto. Cross the Bridge of Sighs, linking the Palace with the Piombi Prisons. Then visit the Basilica San Marco, consecrated in 1094 and decorated to reflect the Venetian Republic's maritime and commercial power. See its famous golden mosaics on the interior domes and archways. Admire the simple lines of the Campanile, or Bell Tower, and see the Clock Tower where the "Moors" strike the hours. End your tour with a visit to a nearby glassblowing factory to watch craftsmen create the popular Venetian glass. The balance of the day is free to explore Venice on your own. You may like to take a gondola or a vaporetto ride through enchanting canals. (BB) | | Day 4 | Florence | Verona's Roman Amphitheater & Tuscan Countryside: Travel by motor coach through the Veneto region to the charming town of Verona, which was the setting for Shakespeare's love story of Romeo and Juliet. See Juliet's Balcony at the house where her family, the Capuleti, lived in a house dating from the 13th century. Also see the Arena, a Roman amphitheater dating from the 1st century. This is one of the biggest and best preserved such buildings and today hosts a summer festival of opera. Drive south through the Emilia Romagna region, which is renowned for its delicious foodstuffs, and through the Tuscan countryside where rolling hills are covered in olive groves, vineyards and fields of sunflowers. This very popular region is the subject of many books and movies. Arrive in Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, an imposing city of old stone located on the River Arno. After checking into your hotel, you will have some free time before dining with your fellow travelers either in your hotel or a nearby restaurant. (BB, D) | | Day 5 | Florence | Florence Cathedral & "David": Take a half-day sightseeing walking tour of Florence, a city of artistic wealth and beauty where there are countless treasures to discover. Begin your visit in the town center at the majestic Piazza Del Duomo to see the delicately patterned green, white and pink cathedral crowned by Brunelleschi's dome. See the Campanile, Giotto's Bell Tower dating from 1359. The 11th century Baptistery is one of the oldest buildings in Florence and famous for its exquisite bronze doors by Ghiberti. Then visit the Academy of Fine Arts, which was founded in 1563 to teach fine arts. Here see Michelangelo's superb "David" and many of the master's unfinished works. The afternoon and evening are free for independent sightseeing, shopping and dining. (BB) | | Day 6 | Rome | Umbria & Torgiano Wine Tasting: Today drive through the beautiful countryside of Umbria to Torgiano, a charming hilltop town with vineyards all around. Visit the Wine Museum, located in a 17th century mansion, to learn all about wine from early Etruscan times and during the Middle Ages. Tour the Cantine del Vino at Lungarotti Vineyards, one of Italy's prestigious wineries to see modern production and bottling methods and enjoy a sample. Then enjoy some free time for a stroll around and find a place for lunch on your own. Stop to savor the atmosphere of Todi, a gracious medieval city clustered around a bustling piazza with open-air cafes and delightful stores. Continue your journey south into the metropolitan region of Rome. Take a short orientation drive around the major monuments in the city center and stop for photos at the Colosseum. Dine with your group in the hotel or in a local restaurant. (BB, D) | | Day 7 | Rome | Rome's Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's: This morning experience a guided tour around the Vatican, the world's smallest independent state, beginning at the Corte della Pigna with an overview of the history of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. See the Hall of Tapestries and the Maps Gallery but the highlight of the tour will be the Sistine Chapel, where the ceiling is covered with Michelangelo's famous paintings of the "Creation" and "Last Judgment." Walk across St. Peter's Square to enter St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in Christendom, to see the famed "Pieta" by Michelangelo and many other treasures including the golden mosaics of the apse. The afternoon and evening are at leisure for further sightseeing in this majestic city and independent dining. (BB) | | Day 8 | Rome | Depart Rome or Enjoy an Extra Day: For those on the 8-day tour, take a group transfer to Rome Airport where your tour concludes at 10:00 am. Check in for your flight in good time and you may like to shop at the duty-free stores. For the lucky people on the 9-day tour, enjoy a full day sightseeing on your own, using a hop-on, hop-off bus pass to get to 13 of the major sites throughout the city. You may choose to ride around on the open-topped bus with a commentary in English or get off to visit places that appeal to you. You may explore the ancient Pantheon, the popular Spanish steps, the romantic Trevi Fountains and the Piazza Navona - you'll find plenty of wonderful sights on this tour. (BB) | | Day 9 | Depart Rome | Depart Rome: Passengers on the 9-day tour will take a shuttle transfer from your hotel to Rome Airport. (BB) |
| | | Grand Hotel Carlton - Venice - 2 night(s) | | Hotel Raffaello - Florence - 2 night(s) | | Hotel Mantegna Rome - Rome - 3 night(s) | |
| | Coach Tour and River Cruise prices are based on two people sharing rooms.Taxes, security fees and fuel surcharges are not included. This list indicates brochure rates and dates. If your date of choice is marked "On Request" or appears in the brochure but not on this page please contact your travel agent .Air price is based on departures from New York. Additional add-on airfares from other cities will be available after clicking on Book Now! The air inclusive prices below are for general information only and not a reflection of current seat availability.Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage. Please contact your airline or refer to its website for detailed information regarding your airline's checked baggage policies.We highly recommend that you review our general conditions page for full details on terms, conditions, and penalties. |
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