DAY 1 FRIDAY: Fly overnight to Rome
DAY 2: (SATURDAY) Rome: bus to Hotel
VATICAN (5)
- Begin with the Vatican Museums
- Sistine Chapel
- St. Peter’s Square/Piazza San Pietro
- St. Peter’s Basilica
- Vatican walls
Proceed to restaurant (paid). Return to hotel.
DAY 3: (SUNDAY) ROME (35)
Bus to, then begin walking tour:
- Walk up Palatine Hill: Imperial palaces
- Look down on the Circus Maximus
- Visit the Farnese gardens
- Gaze over several Imperial Forums
- Walk down to visit the Coliseum
- Walk through the Roman Forum
- Walk up stairs to the Capitoline Hill
- Aracoeli 6th + 16th century church
- Michelangelo piazza: pavement,
- Façades, stairs to Piazza Venezia
- Monument to Victor Emmanuel
- Piazza Venezia
- Palazzo Venezia (Mussolini balcony)
- Area Sacra archeological site
- Piazza dei Fiori – cafes, flowers, history
- Piazza Navona: three fountains, cafes
- St Louis des Français: masterpieces
- Palazzo Madama: Italian Senate, etc.
- Piazza Rotonda: fountain, obelisk
- Enter Pantheon, by Emperor Hadrian
- Temple of Hadrian in Piazza di Pietra
- Italian Parliament: Piazza Montecitorio
- Marcus Aurelius Column: campaigns
- Piazza Colonna: Prime Minister offices
- Trevi Fountains, piazza
- Via Condotti high-fashion shops
- Barcaccia boat fountain
- Piazza di Spagna
- Climb the Spanish Steps: panorama
- Visit the Pincio Gardens
- Pincio Hill panoramic overlook
- Stairs to Piazza del Popolo, fountains
- Santa Maria del Popolo Church
- Walls of Imperial Rome (11 miles)
- Walk to the Mausoleum of Augustus
- Ara Pacis, altar of the Caesars
- Walk back to Piazza del Popolo
Return to hotel.
DAY 4: (MONDAY) NAPLES (14)
- Eurostar high-speed train to Naples
- Bus to hotel in Historic District
- Walk to Piazza Municipio (City Hall)
- Castel Nuovo (museum, chapel, etc.)
- Walk through the Galleria, cafés/snack
- Royal Palace
- Piazza Plebiscito, Pantheon-like church
- Funicular/cable car up Vomero Hill
- San Martino Abbey and Chapel
- Art Museum, 800+ statue nativities
- Naval Museum: ancient royal barges
- Castel Sant’Elmo: 815-foot panorama
- Cable car down Vomero Hill
- Walk to Gesù Nuovo Jesuit Church
- Piazza del Gesù, ornate spire
- Santa Chiara church, Royal tombs
- Santa Chiara cloister garden
- Piazza Bellini: Greek walls, cafes
- Archeological Museum: Pompeii etc.
Return to hotel
DAY 5: (TUESDAY)
POMPEII (bus) (1)
- Archaeological site of the ancient city
SORRENTO (bus) (2)
- Walk through Lemon grove
- Bus to Sorrento Harbor
- Cruise Bay of Naples to Capri
ISLE OF CAPRI (14)
- Arrive at Marina Grande harbor
- Convertible car ride up cliffs to Anacapri
- San Michele villa, garden, panorama
- San Michele church, Garden of Eden
- Drive on down to Capri Town
- Capri Town: piazzetta, cafes, shopping
- Walk to Faraglioni terrace: villas, views
- Gardens of Augustus on the cliffs
- Walk back to Piazzetta cafes
- Santo Stefano church, Roman remains
- Walk to palace of Tiberius: seascapes
- Parco Astarita, forest on 1000-foot cliffs
- Roman signal tower
- Palace of Emperor Tiberius, 360° view
- Walk back to piazzetta
- Funicular cable car 450 feet to harbor
- Sunset cruise to Port of Naples
DAY 6 WEDNESDAY: FLORENCE (8)
- Bus to Naples train station
- Eurostar high-speed train to Florence
- Bus to hotel in Renaissance Florence
- Piazza Santissima Annunziata
- St. Mary of the Flowers Cathedral
- Bell Tower
- Baptistery – Gates of Paradise
- Piazza della Signoria: statues, history
- Ponte Vecchio bridge: 3-level, shopping
- Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens
- Dinner in typical restaurant (prepaid)
Return to hotel.
DAY 7: (THURSDAY) VENICE (8)
- Eurostar high-speed train to Venice
-
- Saint Mark’s Square/Piazza
- Saint Mark’s Cathedral
- Palace of the Doges
- Bridge of Sighs
- Elevator up 300-ft Bell Tower
- Correr Museum: art + history of Venice
- Glass statuettes workshop
- Walk to Rialto Bridge
- Cruise the Grand Canal
- Eurostar to Florence
Return to hotel in Florence
DAY 8: (FRIDAY)
PISA (bus) (3)
- Field of Miracles park, including
- Cathedral of Pisa, Baptistery
- (Leaning) Bell Tower
TUSCANY TOUR: (Bus to Rome)
SIENA (3)
- Piazza del Campo, City Hall complex, fountain, medieval streets
- St. Catherine of Siena Cathedral
Return to bus.
ROME: bus to hotel, arrive evening
DAY 9 SATURDAY:
- Bus to airport, fly back to U.S.