Experience Italy 12 Day Tour Program 2011

Trip to Italy with Italy 4 Real! Travel packages, Italy Sightseeing, Escorted & Group Tours to Italy

A journey through Northern Italy, Southern Italy and Sicily. This tour features of all of the major sites and areas of Northern Italy, Southern Italy and Amalfi in 12 days. This tour features the major cites of Venice, Florence, Rome as well as the highlights of the Amalfi Coast such as Sorrento & Capri. A fantastic value! Itinerary

Customer Experience: (5 out of 5) Customer Review: "What a great trip! it was the perfect balance between pace and locations" - Charles R. This tour begins and ends in Rome Day 1 Highlights: Arrival to Rome, Welcome to Italy, Relax & Unpack! DAY 1: Arrival to Rome – Welcome to Italy! Welcome to Italy! Arrive to your hotel or add the optional airport transfer. Check into your hotel and relax. The first day in Europe is what we call the “Jetlag Day” where all you are to do is unpack and relax. Today is your day to arrive, get over the long flight and just enjoy the fact that you have just begun your well needed vacation to Italy. Stroll the streets around your hotel for a cocktail, find a local artist studio to look over the latest Roman art or just find a piazza and people watch; the choice is yours! Day 2 Highlights: Assisi, Basilica of St. Francis, Siena, Piazza del Campo, Florence DAY 2 – Umbria to Tuscany + Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner Fuel your full day of sightseeing with pastries, juice, authentic italian espresso andmore at your hotel’s included continental breakfast. Then board your deluxe motor coach for the scenic drive to Assisi, with time at leisure to explore this medieval city. It is the birthplace of St. Francis and is still surrounded by its ancient walls. We suggest you visit the Basilica of Saint Francis with its early Renaissance masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue. Lunch is at your leisure. You will then proceed to Siena to take in views of the town square, Piazza del Campo, where the world-famous horse race, the Palio, takes place every year. Also see the elegant Palace and the Cathedral. Reach your hotel in glorious Florence, the capital of Tuscany, in time for an included, multi-course dinner featuring Italian specialties—an ideal time to get to know your fellow travelers. Day 3 Highlights: Florence, The Duomo, Campanile Tower, Santa Croce Day 3 – The City of Art – Florence! + Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner Today’s sightseeing tour is dedicated to exploring Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance. Visit the beautiful Piazza del Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of St. John, Campanile Tower, and Santa Croce, the 13th-century Franciscan church with Cimabue’s famous crucifix just to name a few. Lunch is on your own; perhaps sit at an outdoor café for a typical Italian mid-day meal. Be sure to save room for some exquisite gelato! With your afternoon at leisure, you may want to check out the many shops and stalls at the Ponte Vecchio, where you can browse for Italian leather goods and other souvenirs. Your afternoon is free or you may join an optional tour to see Pisa. Meet back at your conveniently located hotel for an included dinner tonight. Day 4 Highlights: Bologna, Padova, Venice Day 4 – Tuscany, Heartland and Venice + Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner Enjoy your breakfast and prepare for a full day of exploring. It’s on to Bologna for avisit to the city. Visit the city’s historical center, Neptune Square and Major Square, King Renzo’s Palace , Podesta Palace and The Basilica of San Petronio to name a few. Lunch is at your leisure and the afternoon is yours to explore. Later we will continue Padova for a visit to the Basilica of Saint Antonio and then on to the city of bridges; Venice, with its romantic canals, in time for dinner at your hotel. Day 5 Highlights: Venice, St Marks Square, Doges Palace, Glass Factory Day 5 – The City of Bridges – Venice! + Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner Good morning! As you rise and shine in Venice, the smell of fresh espresso and pastries fill the air. Today you get to learn about glorious Venice, with its 177 islands, 150 canals and 400 bridges. Venice is your playground this morning; sightseeing includes the famous St. Mark’s Square (watch out for pigeons!) and the ornate Doge’s Palace (outside), once home to the aristocrats of Venice, Bridge of Sighs and more! Also stop at a glass factory where authentic, hand-blown Murano glass is made. Centuries ago, the glassmakers who lived on the small island of Murano were known the world over for their art, even rising to Venice’s upper-class because of their extraordinary talents. With the afternoon at leisure, you may want to linger over lunch at a sidewalk café—be sure to try some gelato! Or perhaps take a ride in a traditional, hand-built gondola—after all; an authentic gondola ride on Venice’s canals just may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Don’t forget dinner is included tonight as well. Day 6 Highlights: Tuscany, Chianti, Montepulciano, Rome Day 6 – Tuscan Wine Country + Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing Enjoy your breakfast and prepare for your departure to the heart of Tuscany’s winecountry. First stop of the day is the Chianti region. Chianti is world known for its landscape and wine. Located between Siena and Florence, Chianti is synonymous to fine Tuscan wines. The town we choose to visit in Chianti is Montepulciano which is widely known for its famous Brunello red. You will have plenty of time to visit the local wine shops for tastings, photos of the wine barrels and rolling Tuscan countryside. Later in the afternoon we continue to the capitol of Italy; Rome! This tour includes our free TRIP PAK which has over $50 in free maps, sightseeing, dining and regional guides. Your TripPak will show you plenty of things to do during your free time when you arrive to Rome! Day 7 Highlights: Rome, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain Day 7 – All Roads Lead to Rome! + Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing Sip your espresso, take another bit of the fresh fruit and enjoy your breakfast because today you will walk the capital city and learn firsthand the history of Rome. A walking tour of the city will introduce you to Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi, Pantheon , Piazza Navona and end in San Pietro Basilica. Now that you have a basic understanding of the layout of the historical center, the remainder of the day and evening are yours to explore, relax and soak it all in. Ask your Travel Expert about some of the great optional tours you can experience while in Rome such as renting a Vespa scooter or wine tasting at the International Academy of Wine. Italy4Real has dozens of great things to do! Day 8 Highlights: Naples, Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, Sorrento Day 8 – Bay of Naples, Pompeii & The Amalfi Coast! + Included: Breakfast, Sightseeing and Dinner Board your coach this morning as it whisks you south along the “sun route” motorway, driving through the regions of Lazio and Campania—you’ll have a great view of the Abbey of Montecassino along the way. Upon arrival in Naples, take a short panoramic coach tour of this city rich in history. You’ll see the fishing port of Mergellina; Castel dell’Ovo (“Egg Castle”), built in the 1st century; Piazza del Plebiscito, the main square in Naples; the 18th-century Royal Palace; and the Maschio Angioino, also known as the Castel Nuovo (“New Castle”), a 13th-century home for royalty. Stop for lunch on your way to Pompeii to visit the excavations of the Roman city that was destroyed by the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in 79 A.D. It was covered in ash for hundreds of years until the ancient city was uncovered in 1748. Because the city was so well preserved, it gives archeologists—and visitors—an unusual peek into the daily life of Romans in the 1st century. Leave Pompeii and drive along the coast to arrive in Sorrento in time for dinner. Once you arrive to Sorrento you have made it to the crown jewel of the Amalfi Coast. Take a stroll to Piazza Tasso and have a cocktail! Day 9 Highlights: Sorrento Day 9 – The Famous Town of Sorrento + Included: Breakfast and Dinner Sorrento is famous for the production of limoncello, an alcoholic digestif made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar. Other agricultural production includes citrus fruit, wine, nuts and olives. Wood craftsmanship is also developed. There are so many grand things to do from strolling down Via del Corso to the main square to exploring the many local shops for a gift for someone back home. No matter your choice you will have a great time in Sorrento! Day 10 Highlights: Capri, Blue Grotto, Rome Day 10 – The Amalfi Island - Capri + Included: Breakfast and Sightseeing After you enjoy a wonderful breakfast, board a ferryboat to the lovely resort island of Capri, where, weather and sea conditions permitting, you’ll visit the Blue Grotto in small rowing boats. This sea cave appears to be lit from the bottom of the ocean, and gives off a mystical fluorescent-blue hue. Eat lunch with the group, and then it’s time to explore Capri on your own. You may want to visit San Michele’s gardens, for a bird’s-eye-view of the island. In the late afternoon, return to your lovely hotel in Sorrento. The evening is yours in Sorrento. Day 11 – All Roads Lead to Rome! + Included: Breakfast, Transfer & Hotel After you enjoy a wonderful breakfast it’s time to explore Capri at your leisure. You may want to visit San Michele’s gardens, for a bird’s-eye-view of the island. In the late afternoon, return to your lovely hotel in Rome. The evening is yours in Rome so make sure you visit Piazza Navona where Rome’s artists come out at night to display their works. Day 12 – From Rome to Home! + Included: Breakfast After breakfast, bid arrivederci to your fellow travelers. No matter what your travel plans, the experts at Italy 4 Real can help you with the arrangements. We recommend adding optional airport transfers to make arriving and departing a breeze. End of tour. Departure Dates 2011: STATUS : ALL DATES AVAILABLE -BOOKING NOW 2011 April 03, 10, 17, 24 May 01, 06, 08, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29 June 03, 05, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26 July 01, 03, 08, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31 August 05, 07, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28 September 02, 04, 09, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30 October 02, 07, 09, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30 Recommended Extra: Airport Transfer from the airport to your hotel and back. Go to our AIRPORT TRANSFERS PAGE after booking and add your transfer today! This tour includes the following extras at no charge! Our Exclusive TRIP PAK™ that contains over $50 in maps, local and regional travel guides, travel tips, city information, dining suggestions, sightseeing suggestions and more all developed by our staff of Travel Experts and guides to make your trip more enjoyable. No other company give you so much! Access to our 24 hour CRS System™ (Client Response System) where you will have access to your personal Travel Expert for questions or assistance during your trip. Peace of mind while traveling makes your trip better! This program includes our Local-Assist™ local assistance service. You will have access to our local representative in Italy by phone or in person for any assistance needed. Only Italy 4 Real offers a real person at your destination for help or questions! How to Book: Visit: http://www.italy4real.com/index.php?mainpage=products_info&pID=113 Have a Questions Now? Click LIVE CHAT Icon to speak to one of our Travel Experts! You may also like these tours: