The Best of Italy

Welcome to Rome! At 5 pm, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. (D)

Spend your day your way in Rome Explore more of Rome with your choice of included Globus Choice excursions. Rome of the Caesars Time travel to ancient Rome! Stand in the Colosseum and let your imagination be captured by stories of gladiator games and emperor reigns. Delve deeper into the Rome of the Caesars with a guided walk through the Roman Forum, once the beating heart of the Roman Empire; see the Palatine Hill considered to be the birthplace of Rome. The Papal City Explore the Papal City for a guided visit of the extensive Vatican Museums. Lift your eyes to the heavens in the Sistine Chapel to marvel at Michelangelo¿s masterpiece ceiling fresco, then continue to St. Peter¿s Square to see the breathtaking St. Peter¿s Basilica. Stroll along the Via della Conciliazione to admire Castel Sant'Angelo, the former Papal Fortress. Enjoy free time later this afternoon and evening to explore more of this charismatic city. * (B) * For operational reasons, schedule changes for the Rome program cannot be excluded.

Views & Vistas Revel in your memories of Rome as you relax with a scenic drive past the olive groves and vineyards that cover the rolling green hills of Umbria and Tuscany. Later, arrive at your hotel in the Tuscan spa town of Montecatini. (B) 205 mi / 330 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT PICTURE PERFECT One of Italy’s most recognized regions, Tuscany has so much to offer. It has an artistic and cultural heritage that is difficult to surpass. Birthplace to pioneers such as Dante, Galileo, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo, to name just a few; and home to historic towns and cities that flourished under important families such as the Medici. Today enjoy views of the Tuscan countryside, as you drive by rolling green hills, lush vineyards, towering Cypress trees and olive groves.

Italian Beauties Florence is one of Italy’s most celebrated cities. Meet your Local Guide for a visit of the Academy of Fine Arts, to see Michelangelo’s David statue, followed by a walk through the historic center, stopping to admire and learn more about the cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the massive bronze doors of the Baptistry’s “Gates of Paradise,” and the sculptures of Signoria Square. This afternoon, enjoy free time to explore more of Florence “La bella”. (B,D) 99 mi / 160 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT ART & ARCHITECTURE Those lucky enough to visit the Tuscan capital are witness to some of the world’s most magnificent art. Home to a wealth of Rennaissance masterpieces, Florence is famous for Michelangelo’s Marble Masterpiece, David, standing ready for battle in the Academy of Fine Arts. Outside, the Piazza del Duomo and Signoria Square offer spectacular sights of Florentine Gothic and Renaissance art, architecture, and monuments.

The Tilted Tower This morning, stop in Pisa to visit the Square of Miracles, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and location of one of the most recognizable monuments in the world – the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Later, drive across the Apennine Mountains and River Po to reach Venice. (B) 236 mi / 380 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT ART & ARCHITECTURE See architecture gone askew from the viewpoint of the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa. Take the ultimate selfie in front of the Leaning Tower with a tilt of the head or other popular poses to commemorate your visit to this hub of European medieval art in Pisa’s beautiful piazza.

Benvenuti a Venezia Embark on a private boat ride before meeting your Local Guide for a fascinating sightseeing walk. See St. Mark’s Square, with its landmark columns and Basilica, and visit the ornate Doge’s Palace with the Bridge of Sighs. Visit a favorite vetreria (glass factory), meet a local glassblower and learn how the world-famous Murano glass is created. Enjoy free time this afternoon and evening to meander along the canals and through the traditional Venetian calli and campi (alleyways and squares). (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT HISTORIC SPOT Locals simply call Piazza San Marco “la piazza.” As paired with the smaller Piazzetta, it forms the social, religious, and political hub of Venice, which Napoleon called “the drawing room of Europe.” St. Mark’s Basilica dominates the square, offering visitors a spectacular view of the great arches, marble embellishments, and the Romanesque carvings of its façade. Also gracing the square is Doge’s Palace – a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture. The enclosed Bridge of Sighs, connecting the palace with the prison, gets its name from the prisoners sighing as they took in their last view of the Rio di Palazzo on their walk to the prison’s interrogation rooms.

Medieval Marvels Enjoy a scenic drive through the Apennine Mountains to the stunning hilltop town of Assisi, an important center for both religion and art, and birthplace of St. Francis. Meet your Local Guide for a walking tour in the medieval center which includes a visit to the Basilicas of St. Clare and St. Francis. (B,D) 267 mi / 430 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT ICONIC FOOTSTEPS Walk in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi with a visit to the Basilica named after the deacon, friar, and mystic, who became one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity. Revered for his love of the Eucharist and the Earth, Francis found communion with God through nature here in this Italian village where he lived and died. Marvel at the magnificent frescoes by Italian master Giotto that adorn the Basilica where the Saint is buried.

Time Standing Still in Pompeii Together with a Local Guide, visit the incredible excavations of Pompeii. As you walk along the ancient streets, hear about day-to-day life under the Roman Empire and discover what happened when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Later, travel by jetfoil across the Bay of Naples to the captivating island of Capri. Upon disembarkation take a funicular ride from the harbour to Capri village. (B,D) 292 mi / 470 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT LEGENDS & LORE The fascinating archaeological site of Pompeii is a treasured glimpse into Roman life near the Bay of Naples. This once thriving and sophisticated Roman city was consumed by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., with its residents and structures buried beneath inescapable ash and stone. See the preserved site of excavated ruins that reveal remarkable frescoes, artwork, and artifacts within its streets and the dwellings of the people who perished here.

Coves & Cliffs on the Clear Blue Sea Join your Local Guide this morning to explore the idyllic isle of Capri. Travel to the pretty village of Anacapri perched high on the island and visit the famous Villa San Michele. Later, take the funicular to Marina Grande and board a boat for [LOCAL FAVORITE] a spectacular, scenic cruise around the island (weather permitting). This afternoon and evening are at leisure to experience more of the island. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT PICTURE PERFECT Visit stunning Villa San Michele perched high above the breathtaking Bay of Naples. Swedish physician Axel Munthe dedicated much of his life to the construction of the villa and surrounding gardens. His masterpiece, the Story of San Michele, recounts of his wish for a “house open to the sun and wind and the voice of the sea, like a Greek temple, and light, light, light everywhere!”

Arrivederci, Roma This morning, board a jetfoil to reach the clifftop town of Sorrento. After a brief orientation, enjoy free time to browse the artisan stores, try local specialties, or just relax and watch the world go by. Return to Rome and join your travel companions for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D) 174 mi / 280 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT CULTURAL GEMS Just as the sirens of Greek mythology lured sailors to the rocky shores of Sorrento, so we are drawn to its sun-drenched cliffs, where legendary authors like Byron, Goethe, Dickens, and Tolstoy soaked in the sun and local inspiration in the gateway to the Amalfi Coast. Here, in the town of lemons, give in to the sweet temptations of lemon gelato and limoncello to toast the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)