Cultural Capitals with Amalfi

Day 1: Arrival in Venice
Welcome to Venice - one of the most charming cities of Italy. Upon arrival, you have a private water-taxi transfer to the hotel for the check-in. The rest of the day is at your own leisure to relax after the trip.

Day 2: Venice Sightseeing 
After breakfast at your hotel, meet your private guide in the lobby and enjoy a wonderful walking city tour of all the must-see places.

Your sightseeing program starts with a visit to St. Mark's Basilica, where you can see the astonishing Pala D'Oro altar. Next you go up to Loggia dei Cavalli to enjoy the best panoramic views of St. Mark's Square.

Next on your list is the tour of the Doges Palace that includes crossing the Bridge of Sighs, visiting the old prisons and lushly decorated chambers of the Palace.

After the tour return to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure or may go on an optional gondola ride.

Day 3: Day at Leisure & Departure
After breakfast and check-out you can explore and enjoy Venice on your own. We suggest visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Collection or joining our carefully planned optional day trip to the islands of Murano & Burano.

In the afternoon you are met at your hotel by an assistant for a transfer by a private water-taxi.

Day 3: Arrival in Florence
Welcome to Florence! Upon arrival, your private driver transfers you to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your own leisure to relax after the trip.

Day 4: Florence Sightseeing 
After breakfast in your hotel, meet with your private guide and go on a comprehensive walking tour of Florence's highlights.

Today's program includes exploration of the Piazza del Duomo with a visit to the Baptistery dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

Your ticket to the Grande Museo del Duomo allows you to visit the other magnificent monuments of Piazza del Duomo in your free time within 72 hours: the Cathedral itself, the Dome and its famous Bell Tower.

As you proceed to the main square of the city - Piazza della Repubblica - you pass by the touristic area of the Strozzi Palace a bustling shopping street, via Tornabuoni.

Then you enter in Oltrarno where you see numerous local craftsmen shops and beautiful Santo Spirito Church and Convent, built for the Agostinian monks. In this very part of the city you can find the first official work of Michelangelo dating back to the age when he was 17 years old.

We also visit the Galleria dell'Accademia to see the famous Michelangelo's statue David as well before ending the tour on the Ponte Vecchio.

After the tour you return to your hotel and enjoy evening at your own leisure.

Day 5: Day at Leisure in Florence 
Today is reserved for you to explore and enjoy Florence on your own. After breakfast you can do some independent sightseeing, shop for souvenirs or have a good rest. We suggest visiting the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace or joining one of our carefully planned optional tours.

Day 6: Departure
Following breakfast in your hotel, you check out and meet your private driver for a transfer to the railway station.

Day 6: Arrival in Naples and Pompeii Tour
Upon arrival your private guide and driver meet you at the station and take you on a scenic sightseeing trip.

Today you discover the archeological sites of Pompeii, set near the foot of a picturesque mountain. In 79 AD Pompeii, one of the greatest and richest cities of the Roman age, was tragically completely destroyed as a result of the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

During the 2-hour tour of this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site you see the artifacts, city walls and other excavated finds, buried alive under 4 to 6 m (13-20 ft) of volcanic ash almost 2000 years ago, that give you a detailed insight into the life of the city.

After the tour, you are transferred to your hotel in Sorrento. 

Day 6: Arrival
Upon arrival at your hotel in Sorrento you check in and have the rest of the day at leisure.

You can select one of our optional tours carefully prepared for your journey to Sorrento.

Available optional tours:
Amalfi Coast Tour
Pompeii Exploration
Tour of Pompeii & Amalfi Coast

Day 7: Day at Leisure
Today following breakfast at your hotel you have a free day to continue enjoying fascinating Sorrento at your leisure. You can join one of our carefully planned optional tours of Sorrento or Capri Island.

Day 8: Departure
Following breakfast in your hotel, you check out and meet your private driver for the transfer.

Day 8: Arrival & Highlights of Rome
An hour and a half later you arrive in Rome. Your driver meets you and takes you to your downtown hotel where you meet with your guide and embark on a tour to discover the famous ancient treasures of the Eternal City.

You see the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers, as well as witness the masterpieces by Bernini, Borromini and visit famous Pantheon.

After the tour, your guide takes you back to the hotel and you have the evening at leisure.

Day 9: Discovering Ancient Rome 
In the morning after breakfast, you meet your guide to discover the famous ancient treasures of the Eternal City on a walking tour. 

Your first stop today is the iconic Roman Forum, situated on low ground between the Palatine and Capitoline hills, it was the key political, ritual, and civic center of ancient Rome and can be traced 3 thousand years back. Today you can see columns and remains of ancient temples, archs and buildings, such as the Temple of Caesar and the Arch of Septimius Severus, as well as the adjacent Palatine Hill, which was the site of the city’s first settlements. 

The next place you discover today is Rome's hallmark site - the Colosseum. Originally known by the name of Flavius amphitheatre, it was the biggest and most imposing building of its kind in the Roman world, designed as an arena for the fights of Roman gladiators and could hold up to 70 thousand spectators. 

After the tour, your guide takes you back to the hotel and you have the evening at leisure.

Day 10: Vatican Sightseeing
In the morning after breakfast you meet your guide and have a transfer to the walled enclave and the world’s smallest independent state - Vatican*.

When inside the Vatican, you visit private apartments of Julius II, Pinecone Courtyard, Gallery of the Maps, Gallery of the Tapestries and Gallery of Candelabra.

Next, you proceed to the Sistine Chapel, where you have enough time to admire Michelangelo's famous frescoes and learn about the intense relationship between Pope Julius II and Michelangelo that drove the artist to create the greatest work of art the world has ever known.

After a coffee break, your tour continues in the vast open spaces of St. Peter’s Basilica where you see a stunning Pieta - a world-famous work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo, and Bernini's impressive Papal Canopy, a legacy left to the Basilica by the Barberini family.

The ending point of your tour is St. Peter’s Square, where you can admire Michelangelo's Dome and the gorgeous colonnades designed by Bernini.

After the tour of the Vatican, you enjoy a leisurely walk to the hotel with your guide and have a photo stop at the legendary Castel Sant'Angelo, built originally as a mausoleum, and then used by the popes as a fortress, refuge and a prison.

Upon your return to the hotel, you have the rest of the day at leisure to enjoy the beauty of Rome on your own.

*Please note: the Vatican is a sacred religious site thus the dress code for visiting it is applied just as when you visit any church in Italy: no shorts – no uncovered knees and shoulders, no backpacks. Due to religious services St. Peters Basilica may be spontaneously closed, thus entrance to St. Peters Basilica may not be guaranteed.

Day 11: Departure 
This is the last day of your amazing tour to Italy! After breakfast your driver meets you at the hotel lobby and takes you to the airport for your flight back home. We wish you a safe flight and hope to work on your future vacations!