ITALY IN 1 WEEK - PRIVATE TOUR
Venice, Florence, Rome and Amalfi Coast
HIGHLIGHTS
- Venice, when wealthy merchants ruled the Mediterranean
- Florence, an open-air museum
- Chianti, winemakers for 1,000 years
- Siena, power in the Middle Ages
- Rome, walking in the shade of history
- Vatican City, Popes and power
- The Amalfi Coast, where divas are at home
- Pompei, the Roman city fixed in lava
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
Accommodations in Double Room with Continental Breakfast (*):
- Day 1: 3* to 5* Hotel in Venice city centre
- Days 2 & 3: 3* to 5* Hotel in Florence city centre
- Days 4 & 7: 3* to 5* Hotel in Rome city centre
- Days 5 & 6: 3* to 5* Hotel on the Amalfi Coast
(*) The Hotel list is available upon request
Transfers (**):
- Day 2: Transfer by private water cab to Venice Pier + Transfer to your accommodation in Florence
- Day 4: Transfer to your accommodation in Rome
- Day 5: Transfer to your accommodation on the Amalfi Coast
- Day 7: Transfer to your accommodation in Rome - Stopover in Pompei
(**)All transfers by private car (2 pax)/ minivan (3 to 6 pax)/ minibus (7 to 10 pax)
Private Guided Visits / Tours (***) / Activities:
- Day 1: 3-hour private walking tour of Venice city centre with an Authorised Tourist Guide – Half-hour gondola ride
- Day 2: 3-hour private walking tour of Florence city centre with an Authorised Tourist Guide
- Day 3: Full-day excursion to Chianti area and Siena – Visit of a wine cellar with tasting
- Day 4: 3-hour private walking tour of the Colosseum and Imperial Rome Archeological Area with an Authorised Tourist Guide
- Day 5: 3-hour private walking tour of the Vatican City with an Authorised Tourist Guide
- Day 6: Full-day excursion in the Amalfi Coast: Amalfi, Ravello and Positano
- Day 7: 2-hour private walking tour of Pompei Archeological Area with an Authorised Tourist Guide
(***)All tours by private car (2 pax)/ minivan (3 to 6 pax)/ minibus (7 to 10 pax)
Admission Tickets to:
- Palazzo Ducale and Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice
- Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence
- Duomo Cathedral in Siena
- Colosseum and Imperial Fora Archeological Area in Rome
- Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel in Rome
- Pompei Archeological Area
Full emergency assistance 24 hours/day by our Back Office
List of recommended restaurants and deli shops along the itinerary
All taxes
Options:
- Pick up at Venice Airport /Railway Station at the start of the tour
- Accommodation in Venice the night before the start of the tour
- Drop off at Rome Airport /Railway Station at the end of the tour
- Other options upon request
Day 1 - VENICE
Benvenuti in Italia, welcome to Italy.
Here you are in the “unique” Venice, the “city on the lagoon”, you will be astonished by its beauty and charm! You may start your visit with Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) and the interior of the Basilica, a 900 years old marvel of architecture! The church is unique in Italy for its golden Byzantine and Medieval mosaics, its intricate stone and marble traceries and exuberant Middle Eastern domes. Near St. Mark’s Basilica is Palazzo Ducale, the most impressive secular building in Venice and once the official residence of the supreme authority of Venice, the “Doge”. A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the Doge’s Palace is an impressive structure composed of layers of building elements and ornamentation, from its 14th and 15th-century original foundations to the significant Renaissance and opulent Mannerist adjunctions.
At lunch, you may relax by tasting wine and savouring delicious "cicheti" (finger food). There is tremendous variety, and options include anything from simple cheese or salami to almost any kind of seafood, fried and grilled vegetables, sweet and sour sardines, creamy codfish and much, much more!
Then you may visit Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (Saint Mary’s of Friars), striking for its huge size and for the quality of its works of art, including masterpieces by Titian, Giovanni Bellini and Donatello, and several grandiose tombs. Also, explore the streets and savour everyday life in an intricate maze of ancient narrow alleyways, lively squares with magnificent buildings and meandering canals, and finally walk on the Rialto Bridge, the busy "heart" of Venice. And last but not least, enjoy a Gondola ride on the city’s canals: a jump back in time, when Venetians moved only on the water.
Knowing what should be bought in Venice is not easy, as it is one of the most beautiful Italian cities. Rich in traditions, Venice presents a wide selection of souvenirs to take home as a souvenir of your trip. What you cannot miss among your purchases are the typical Venetian masks. The cost of the original ones is quite high, but it is really worth it! Another thing that should be bought in Venice is craftsmanship, appreciated worldwide. In the city of Italian carnival, it is a must to buy a Murano glass object. Each product is worked and painted by hand, but be sure you buy an original product from Murano, guaranteed by a label or a signature (and also by the seller), and not a Chinese copy!
Finally, at dinner you will be delighted by the flavours of the regional cuisine of Veneto, boasting delicious recipes such as "Sarde in saor”, Risotto with seafood, the typical “Baccala' mantecato”, to finish with a fantastic “Bussolà” (for an overview of the regional cuisine of Veneto see our BLOG).
