Best Of Italy: From Rome To Venice

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival, Private Transfer & Ape Calessino Tour

Stop At: Piazza di Spagna, Rome Italy
In the late afternoon, enjoy a welcome tour to Rome aboard a snappy Ape Calessino, “cousin” of the Vespa but more like a buggy, that was very popular among the youth and even became a protagonist of roman Dolce Vita in the 1960’s, still preserves its timeless charm. This vehicle, originally designed for the transport of goods and animals, turned into a comfortable mode of transport for passengers, will accompany you to discover the wonders of the Eternal City.

You will see the most iconic sites of the city with its baroque squares. From Piazza di Spagna to Trevi Fountain, you will walk through the Eternal City and visit its most picturesque spots.

Dinner at leisure. Return to the hotel and overnight.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 4* centrally located, Hotel Palladium Palace or similar

Day 2: Imperial Rome Tour (morning) + Trastevere Food Tour (afternoon)

Stop At: Colosseum, Piazza del Colosseo, 00184 Rome Italy
After breakfast, you will discover the greatness of the ancient Rome thanks to our Imperial Rome tour visiting the Coliseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine hill with views over the Forum and Circus Maximum.

Lunch at leisure.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Roman Forum, Largo della Salara Vecchia 5/6, 00186 Rome Italy
Visit of Roman forum
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Trastevere, 00153 Rome Italy
In the late afternoon enjoy a stroll through the charming neighborhood of Trastevere, one of Rome's most authentic and vibrant areas. Thanks to our buddy guide you will really eat local, with locals!

In our tour we will show you that Italian cuisine is more than just pizza and pasta, there is so much variation and regional differences! We will try to give you an overview of the Roman cuisine and you will learn the 'do' and 'don'ts' of Eating in Italy. Our local buddy guide will tell you interesting stories about the food, regional recipes, and will introduce you to local vendors. Everything you will taste is very simple but made with high quality and locally sourced ingredients. Some of the tasting locations include a century old cheese shop, a cookies' factory that dates back to 1920, a traditional wine cellar. As a backdrop to our walk, Trastevere will surprise you, especially because our tour does not exclusively visit the famous squares and streets known and visited by most, but we travel the intricate alleyways and hidden corners and go off the beaten paths.

The tour includes food and wine tastings in 5 different locations.

Evening at leisure. Overnight.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner: Food and wine tastings in 5 different locations.

Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 4* centrally located, Hotel Palladium Palace or similar

Day 3: Vatican Museums

Stop At: Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City Italy
Breakfast. The morning will be dedicated to the visit of the Vatican Museum, including the St Peter’s basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Free time for lunch and free afternoon to discover the city by your own or to book and additional excursion. (Frascati Wine tour , Bracciano Lake, Tivoli)
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Sistine Chapel, Viale Vaticano, 00165 Vatican City Italy
Admire the masterpiece of Michelangelo
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City Italy
Visit this imposing work of art
Duration: 20 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 4* centrally located, Hotel Palladium Palace or similar


Day 4: Rome-Florence by train & Florence walk with Gelato/Cappuccino Tasting

Stop At: Piazza della Signoria, 50122, Florence Italy
Breakfast, check out and departure by train to Florence. Arrival, accommodation in hotel 4*. Free time for lunch.

Meet your guide for a pleasant walk in the heart of the historical centre. Discover Florence’s unique secular heritage and breathtaking beauty with an expert tour guide. Learn about the Medici family – masters of Florence and learn about historic and architectural evolution from Roman foundation through Medieval centuries to Renaissance glorious period.
Duration: 2 hours

Pass By: Duomo - Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, Via della Canonica, 1 Piazza del Duomo, 50122, Florence Italy
Admire the Duomo, the Baptistery with its ‘Gates of Paradise’, Giotto’s independent bell tower, Brunelleschi’s Dome

Stop At: Ponte Vecchio, 50125, Florence Italy
During this walk admire Santa Trinita and Orsanmichele Church, Pontevecchio Bridge and the secret Vasari Corridor, as well as famous shopping streets and the Oltrarno – the fourth and last district, the manual crafts neighbourhood.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 4* centrally located, Hotel Cellai or similar

Day 5: Siena, San Gimignano & Dinner in boutique winery on Chianti hills

Stop At: Chianti Road, Italy
Breakfast. Time at disposal to explore the town by your own or by an extra activity (Vasari Corridor & Uffizi Gallery tour, cooking class).

After lunch, enjoy a small-group tour to Siena, San Gimignano and the Chianti countryside*. The tour will end admiring the sunset on the Tuscan hills and tasting a typical dinner in a fascinating location before going back to Florence.

Starting from Florence, you will be taken to Siena by a comfortable air-conditioned minivan by an English speaking driver and tour leader. Here you will enjoy a guided walking tour of this compact city that will let you discover also Piazza del Campo, the main central square where the famous Palio horse race takes place every year, as well as exploring quieter backstreets and learning everything about the Contrade, the 17 medieval city districts that compete against each other in the Palio. During the visit in Siena you will also have the opportunity to have a surprise tasting of a typical product.

The journey continues to San Gimignano, famed for its medieval skyscrapers, high walls and narrow streets that typify most peoples image of a Tuscan hill town. San Gimignano is unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls, form an unforgettable skyline.

After some free time in San Gimignano, gaze in awe at a marvellous sunset on the Tuscan hills and then enjoy a typical Tuscan dinner in the cellar of a fascinating noble Villa in the Chianti countryside. During your dinner you will also enjoy a wine tasting, pairing different wines with the various courses of your Tuscan meal.

(*The tour is available from April till October, in low season it will be replaced with the Chianti tour with lunch)
Duration: 5 hours

Stop At: Historic Centre of San Gimignano, Piazza del Duomo 2, 53037, San Gimignano Italy
Visit of the city centre of this medieval gem
Duration: 1 hour

Pass By: Duomo di Siena, Piazza del Duomo 8, 53100, Siena Italy
Admire this imposing Church

Stop At: Piazza del Campo, 53100, Siena Italy
See the original square where the famous Palio horse race takes place twice a year
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Chianti Road, Italy
Wine tasting and dinner in boutique winery
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Dinner: Wine tasting and dinner in boutique winery on Chianti hills
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 4* centrally located, Hotel Cellai or similar


Day 6: Florence-Venice by train, Venice walking tour including St Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace

Stop At: Piazza San Marco, 31024 Venice Italy
Breakfast. Check out and departure by train to Venice. Arrival and accommodation in hotel 3* centrally located.

In the afternoon enjoy a walking tour of the city discovering the iconic site of St Mark’s square, the Basilica, and the Doge palace. Evening at leisure.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Doge's Palace, Piazza San Marco, 1, 30124 Venice Italy
Admire one of the most beautiful palaces in Italy
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* centrally located on Venice island, Hotel Il Mercante di Venezia or similar


Day 7: Venice Food Tour: Rialto Market, Bacari Food Tour & Jewish Ghetto

Pass By: Ponte di Rialto, Ruga degli Orefici (Rialto) San Polo, 30125 Venice Italy
See the amazing Rialto bridge

Stop At: Mercati di Rialto, Campo della Pescaria Vicino il Ponte di Rialto, 30125 Venice Italy
After breakfast, join us on a gastronomic adventure in Venice most genuine neighborhood.

The best way to understand the history of Venice is through its food. With your guide you’ll visit the famous Rialto Fish Market, learning about the culture of the city. Then taste cicchetti, wine, fritti, pasta and hop aboard a Gondola to cross the Grand Canal.

This tour will be led by a local Venetian foodie, who will reveal the secrets spots where locals congregate. You’ll meet near the Rialto Bridge and start your culinary adventure right at the Rialto Fish Market. This is where the seafood restaurants in Venice buy their fish daily, deciding their menus based on the day’s catch. It’s also where you’ll first come to grips with the strange quirks of island living. Your first food stop is a bacaro that is a popular gathering spot for locals thanks to its nbeatable cicchetti and a mean spritz. You’ll try two items of your choice here along with a glass of wine, prosecco or spritz. We would highly recommend the baccalà, a salted cod dish served here whipped, slathered on bread and so fresh it will knock your socks off. Next up is another great cicchetti bar. Like the Spanish tapas, cicchetti is a food form synonymous with Venice. Although menus change daily, they are usually dominated by crostini; slices of bread with various creative toppings; panini, which we know as sandwiches; and fritti, or fried food – mostly fish and vegetables. Cicchetti are a big part of Venetian food culture, as the perfect snack for fisherman, who arrive home from sea around 9am and settle down in their favorite dark bars for a bite to eat and a glass of wine. Hop aboard a gondola to cross the Grand Canal with your guide, disembarking in the historic neighborhood of Cannaregio.Historically the Jewish Ghetto, it’s the most historic and storied part of the city, as you’ll learn from your guide. Settle down for another glass of wine and a plate of the city’s best fresh fish pasta.

In the afternoon you will have some time at leisure, you can visit the Lagoon islands by boat or just get lost in the narrow streets of the city centre
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Cannaregio, Venice Italy
See the Jewish Ghetto, one of the most authentic quarter in Venice
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Lunch: Cicchetti food & Wine tasting during the Bacari tour
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel 3* centrally located on Venice island, Hotel Il Mercante di Venezia or similar


Day 8: Transfer to Venice airport and departure

Stop At: Venice Transfer Airport, 30173 Venice Italy
Breakfast, check out. Transfer to Venice airport and departure
Duration: 40 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.