ITINERARY
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Depart for Venice, Italy
This is a travel day, and your destination is the Venice International Airport (VCE). Try to schedule your flights to arrive in Venice tomorrow morning. If this is difficult to arrange from your home city, please consider arriving one day early. We are holding several rooms at our group hotel for the night of August 21 to accommodate those who want to arrive before the start of the tour.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Welcome to Venice
The tour begins today in Venice. We will schedule one group pick-up at the Venice airport this morning, timed to accommodate the greatest number of arriving passengers. We provide a list of public transportation options to Venice Island for those who are unable to utilize this service.
Our luxury hotel in Venice is a marvel of old-world charm and is just steps from St Mark’s Basilica. You are free upon arrival to get acquainted with the hotel and the surrounding area. We meet this evening to share a cocktail and get acquainted on the rooftop terrace of the hotel, followed by a welcome dinner at the excellent hotel restaurant. (Dinner included)
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Venice
After breakfast this morning, take a walking sightseeing tour of beautiful Venice. The city’s main monuments – St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace overlooking St Mark’s Square – have gained fame through innumerable paintings, but the whole city is a work of art in many ways. Away from the main thoroughfares, narrow canals and small squares characterize Venice. We make photo stops at the San Marco Basilica and the Bell Tower, tour the ornate Gothic structure of the Doges Palace containing magnificent works of art by Tintoretto and Bosch, and see the Bridge of Sighs. After a break for lunch we partake of one of the true joys of Venice—a gondola ride with musicians. Dinner is included tonight at a local restaurant. (Breakfast / Dinner)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Bologna / Florence
After breakfast, depart the hotel by boat to the mainland where we board a motorcoach for the drive to Florence, in the Tuscany region. En route we stop in the city of Bologna for a chance to see a side of Italy without all the crowds. Bologna’s center is much as it was during the Renaissance ,with dusky red buildings, arched porticoes, marble floors and wide piazzas. A city tour includes a visit to the Archaeological Museum, photo stop at the Palazzo dell’Archignnasio, and a visit to the Piazza Maggiore. We eat lunch in Bologna (it won’t be a sandwich of the same name) before continuing on to Florence. Enjoy some free time to relax upon arrival in Florence before going to a local restaurant for dinner. (All Meals)
Monday, August 25, 2008
San Gimignano
Our introduction to the glories of Tuscany takes the form of a full day excursion to the beautiful countryside. Our first stop is the town of San Gimignano, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its architectural significance. Once the seat of a small Etruscan village during the Hellenistic period (200-300 B.C.), it began life as a town in the 10th century, with its distinctive towers beginning to rise over the landscape a century later. Our walking tour of San Gimignano includes the Piazza della Cisterna and a visit to Sant ’Agostino Church.
Continuing our exploration of Tuscany, we proceed to the Chianti wine-growing region and the market town of Greve, known for its triangular piazza lined with porticos. Here we visit Castello di Verrazzano for a wine tasting with lunch. We can opt to spend more time exploring Greve after lunch or hasten back to Florence, depending on the wishes of the group. Upon our return to Florence, the remainder of the afternoon and evening are free. (Breakfast / Lunch)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Florence
After breakfast enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of Florence, one of Italy’s most evocative cities. Set on the banks of the Arno River below the wooded foothills of the Appennines, this beautiful city has long been the focus of Italian arts and letters. Brunelleschi’s revolutionary design for the dome of the Duomo (Cathedral) is generally accepted as the first expression of Renaissance ideas in architecture. This dome dominates the city’s roofscape, just as the great Piazza del Duomo at its feet dominates life at street level.
Our guided tour today is assisted with the technological advance of the “Whispers” sound system, whereby we do not have to strain to hear our guide over other tour groups. We each wear a set of headphones through which our guide speaks quietly by means of wireless broadcast directly into our ears. Our first visit is to the Academy of Fine Arts to see the magnificent statue of David created by Michaelangelo.
Next we visit the Piazza del Duomo and see inside the church. Those who want a great view of the city can climb to the dome (entrance included). After a break for lunch (on your own), we have the afternoon to devote to a guided tour of the incomparable Uffizi Gallery, which houses one of the world’s most celebrated art collections including masterpieces such as Botticelli’s Birth Of Venus, Caravaggio’s Young Bacchus, Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation, Michelangelo’s Holy Family and Titian’s Urbino Venus. At the conclusion of the tour, the remainder of the afternoon and evening are free. (Breakfast)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Free Day
Today is entirely free to explore Florence further at your own pace. You might consider a return to the Uffizi Gallery or check out one of the many other museums in the city. Another option might be to rent a bicycle to explore the city’s narrow winding streets or ride along the Arno River.
Toto Tours has organized an optional activity today—a half-day (six hours) tour to Lucca, famous for being perhaps the largest Italian city with its medieval city wall still entirely intact. The drive from Florence through the beautiful Tuscan countryside will be about 90 minutes each way. A guided walking tour of the old city includes entrance to the Guinigi Tower and the Villa Reale Park of Marlia. The cost of this optional tour is $125 per person, and does not include lunch. Please indicate your desire to go with us to Lucca by checking the appropriate box on your reservation form. (Breakfast)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Siena / Rome
After breakfast, we depart our hotel and board our motorcoach for the drive to Rome—Italy’s magnificent capital city. Along the way we stop to visit Siena, an ancient independent village that dates back nearly 2,000 years. Begun in the 11th Century, the cathedral and the municipal palace are two of Italy’s finest examples of Gothic architecture. We have a guided walking tour of the old city and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing on to Rome.
Arriving at our Rome hotel in late afternoon, the remainder of the day is unstructured. You can be sure, however, that many of us will be eager to begin exploring the notable sights within walking distance of our hotel, such as the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. An impromptu group will form after taking some time to settle in at our hotel, and the Roman portion of our Dolce Vita will commence! (Breakfast / Lunch)
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sightseeing in Rome
Our full day of touring today unfolds to our eyes many of the most magnificent treasures of Rome. We start early at the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica in hope of getting ahead of the ever-present tourist throngs. No shorts today if you want to go inside the Basilica! We again have benefit today and tomorrow of the helpful “Whispers” system earphones to better hear our guide’s explanations, especially in the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
We take a break for an independent lunch and then tour the Colosseum, now taking its place as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. After clambering around this magnificent structure we tour the archeological area of the Roman Forum along the Via Sacra. Returning to the hotel at the conclusion of a very exciting day, the evening is free. (Breakfast)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Touring Rome / Farewell Dinner
We enjoy one more exciting day of touring together in Rome. The main sights on our itinerary include the Pantheon, the Scala Santa Monument, Trevi Fountain, Caracalla Baths and San Callisto Catacombs.
This evening our group gathers in the hotel lobby for one final excursion—a trip to a local restaurant where Toto Tours hosts a Farewell Dinner. We thank our guide and celebrate the many memorable events we have shared during our delicious taste of “The Sweet Life” in Italy. (Breakfast / Farewell Dinner)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Departure
The tour officially ends after breakfast this morning. Plan your return flights at any convenient time today from Rome’s International Airport (FCO). We provide one group transfer to the airport, scheduled to accommodate the greatest number of departing tour participants. If this transfer does not meet your needs, we will assist you in arranging a private transfer by taxi to the airport. Let us know if you want to extend your stay at our hotel another day or two, and we will be happy to assist with your reservations. (Breakfast)
|
