8 Days Italy Fantasia


Rome, Assisi, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Padua, Venice, Tuscany Wine Region (Montepulciano)


Day 1

Day 1

Rome

Benvenuti a Roma! After your arrival at the airport, make your own way to your hotel. Hop on hop off daily ticket at disposal. Visit Rome by riding one of the Open-top Hop on Hop off Gray Line buses (I Love Rome City Tour) and spot your favourite city landmarks from a different point of view! Our open-top panoramic buses allow you to enjoy a spectacular view of the most iconic monuments of the Eternal City. All you have to do is jump on board and relax, listen to the audio commentary and get on and off at any of the eight stops available along the route. The bus ticket included in the deal will be valid for a day. The bus will make eight stops and will provide you with an on-board audio commentary. Enjoy on your own the rest of the night. Return to the hotel on your own and overnight stay.


Day 2

Day 2

Rome - Assisi - Siena - Florence

Departing at 7:15 am from your hotel by a deluxe coach, you will arrive in Assisi, ready to explore, at your own leisure, this tiny town surrounded by walls, built in the Middle Ages. Take your time to visit the Basilica of St. Francis, where you will see masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue and, then, have free time for lunch (not included). Board on the bus to reach Siena, a Unesco World Heritage Site, world-known for the Palio, the historical horse race around the shell-shaped town square: Piazza del Campo. Next, you will continue on to Florence, where you will check in at your hotel before enjoying dinner and a well-earned night of rest. (B, D)


Day 3

Day 3

Florence

After breakfast, you will spend the day venturing around beautiful Florence, the “Cradle of Renaissance, where, with the help of Michelangelo, Italian art reached its pinnacle. Based on etruscan-roman origins, the city flourished in the Middle Ages as a free “Comune” and was further refined during the Renaissance. You will be fascinated by the uncountable monuments, churches and buildings as Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly referred to as the Duomo. On your visit, you will be amazed by its magnificent dome built by Filippo Brunelleschi. Cross a small piazza to see the “Campanile” tower (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery, with its bronze doors where Michelangelo imagined the “Gates of Paradise.” In the heart of the city, you will see Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo della Signoria (also known as Palazzo Vecchio), and the Basilica of Santa Croce. Lunch in a typical Tuscan restaurant in Piazza Santa Croce. Spend the afternoon strolling the cobblestone streets of Florence on your own or take a short trip to Pisa (optional), one of the four main historical Marine Republics of Italy. There, you will tour the Piazza dei Miracoli with the Duomo, Pisa’s symbol “the Leaning Tower” and the Baptistery. Dinner at leisure, overnight stay in Florence. (B, L)


Day 4

Florence - Bologna - Padova - Venice

After breakfast in Florence, departure to Bologna. There, you will discover the elegant city centre with its “porticos”, it’s shopping streets and so on. From Piazza Malpighi you will walk to Piazza del Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore (Neptune square and Major square) in the heart of the city, then King Renzo’s Palace; Palazzo Podestà and the basilica of San Petronio, one of the biggest in the world. Bologna it’s a real gourmet’s heaven…don’t miss    a tasty meal at your own leisure! In the afternoon, continue toward Padua, with Sant’Antonio Basilica: one of the most visited churches by pilgrims of the catholic world. Later in the afternoon, arrival in Venice: the City of Love, one of the most romantic cities of the whole world and, undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man! Check in at your hotel for dinner and overnight stay. (B)


Day 5

Day 5

Venice

After breakfast, enjoy your private water-taxi transfer to Piazza San Marco, with “Skip the Line” tickets to visit the splendid St. Mark’s Basilica and, after this, check out the most iconic places of the “Floating City”: the Palazzo dei Dogi, symbol of Venice’s glorious past, the legendary “Bridge of Sighs”. Spend the afternoon roaming along Venice’s canals at your leisure and then return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, L)


Day 6

Day 6

Venice - Montepulciano (Tuscany Wine Region)

After breakfast, departure from Piazzale Rome heading to Tuscany, world-known for its landscapes, its churches and castles and its delicious wines. You will proceed to Val di Chiana with a stop in Montepulciano, a medieval town rich in history and art. Known for its “Nobile” wine, on purchase in local wine houses, Montepulciano also hosts an annual jazz and wine festival every July. Lunch in a typical restaurant included!!! After lunch, quick stop to spend some free time. In the evening, you will arrive in Rome to check in into your hotel. (B, L)


Day 7

Day 7

Rome

Between 7:45 - 8:00 am, after breakfast, departure from the hotel for the included tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peters’s Basilica with our exclusive “Skip the Line” access! No stress to reach the area: upon arrival, your guide will lead you into the museums where you’ll visit one of the most important art collections of the world. Walk along the beautiful Galleries of Tapestries and Geographical Maps before admiring Raphael’s Rooms and, then, the amazing Sistine Chapel. After this incredible masterpiece, you will be taken by a privileged door to St. Peters’s  Basilica: the biggest church in the world! The tour ends on St. Peter’s Square: enjoy the rest of the day to explore the city at your own leisure or get any one of our selected tours for the afternoon or at night! Overnight stay. (B)


Day 8

Rome

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home. Arrivederci! (B)


Services Included:

  • Transfers on arrival & departure
  • 7 nights first class hotel accommodation
  • Daily breakfast, 3 lunches and 1 dinner
  • Transportation by deluxe motor coach
  • English speaking Tour guide throughout the journey
  • Entrance ticket to Vatican Museums & St. Peter’s Basilica with “skip the line”
  • Visit also Assisi, Bologna, Siena, Padua, Tuscany wine Region
  • Panoramic Visits as per itinerary

 

Services Not Included:

  • Airfare & Departure taxes
  • Porterage service
  • Drinks
  • Entrance fees to monuments or museums when not mentioned
  • City tax for overnight stays (according to each city council rules) It shall be paid directly at the hotel

 

*Please note, hotels might be replaced with similar ones.

*Child rate for up to 6 years old sharing the room with their parents.

Optional tours to be purchased locally:

SUNDAY - Florentine museum € 30 – Academy Gallery – guided tour - Lasting time 1h 45m.
A chance to see the art of Michelangelo : The Four Slaves or Prisoners, St. Matthew, The Pietà from Palestrina example of unfinished work and the famous David . Basically a statuary museum displaying some precious pieces of Renaissance Art.
SUNDAY - Pisa €40- Lasting time 5 hours Guided tour to the magnificent Miracle Square with its remarkable Leaning Tower(exterior), the Baptistry (interior), the Cathedral (interior) built in memory of S. John Ranieri patron saint of the city, and an impressive example of pisan-romanic art decorated all over with white marble from Massa Carrara.
MONDAY - Venice by night €20- lasting time 2h 30min – with your tour guide Focused on St. Mark Sq. with its stunning monuments and elegant bars with orquestra podium
TUESDAY - Venice – Gondola ride € 35– Lasting time 35min. – A typical way of tasting the city by riding along its canals with friends and two Venetian musicians singing and playing the accordion.. Each gondola is for six people. The tour ends at the departure point.