Fascinating Cities of Italy

Arrive to Venice Airport & enjoy a private transfer with English speaking Assistant from the airport to hotel. At Venice Airport your Assistant will await you in the arrivals area. Check into Hotel Saturnia where I have reserved for you Superior rooms for 2 nights. The hotel is in a great location, just a step stone away from St Mark’s Square & is partially located in an ancient building dated back to the 14th century. The hotel has a warm, friendly & comfortable atmosphere. All the rooms are quite comfortable & well equipped with private bathrooms, direct dial telephone, mini bar, safe, television & radio. The breakfast room is located on the ground floor restaurant which is the perfect place for people watching & during Summer you can enjoy breakfast in the secluded courtyard full of beautiful fresh flowers. The hotel also has a great terrace located on 4th floor which is a great place to get some sun, relax & take wonderful breathtaking pictures of Venice.

This morning enjoy the highlights of one of Europe’s most exceptional cities, Venice with a private local expert guide. Departing from your hotel, begin with a visit to St. Marks Square. During your stroll through this amazing square your guide will begin by giving insight of this unique city, what it has to offer, the Venetians daily life & how they relate with over 30,000 visitors per day! Also enjoy a visit to the Basilica & Doges Palace, a magnificent combination of Byzantine, Gothic & Renaissance architecture, the centre of the Venetian Empire & the seat of the Venetian Government. After, you will have the opportunity to explore the other parts of Venice before biding farewell & enjoying the rest of the day at leisure. Enjoy exploring this magical city & its Venetian Canals by gondola. Sit back, relax & enjoy the views during this charming ride through the canals with your gondoliere, a perfect way to admire the beauty, charm and elegance of this city and it’s palazzi.

Enjoy a private water taxi transfer with English Speaking Assistant from your hotel to Venice train station. Take a 1st class train to Florence, upon arrival meet your private transfer. Go to Hotel Orto de Medici where I have reserved for you a Deluxe room for 3 nights. The Hotel is located in the city centre a few steps away from the Ponte Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery & the Cathedral in Piazza del Duomo. From the windows of many of the rooms it is possible to admire the magnificent view of the medieval roofs of Florence. The hotel’s 1st floor has two spacious reading rooms with frescoed ceilings & wood floors. The beautiful dining room, decorated with floral landscapes, borders a large flowered terrace where you can dine in the open & during the summer, enjoy a drink & a relaxing evening at the “La Terrazza dell’Orto” bar. Then head out & experience a very special walking tour of Florence taking in the city highlights with your local expert guide.

Explore the Chianti vineyard & discover secrets of the Tuscan wines. Ride through the amazing Tuscan countryside & the Chianti region. During the Middle Ages, farmers started a wine & oil production, clearing the dense forest & planting the vineyards & olive orchards. In 1716 the first definition of a wine-area called Chianti, was formed. Artisans, wine producers & locals will give you an idea of how life is in this enchanting land. You will taste the most famous Italian red wine, the Chianti, made with the Italian grape Sangiovese. Most of the Chianti wineries produce "Super Tuscan" wines, enjoy with the cheeses & cold cuts that are so popular. You’ll visit small wineries where you can pair their wines with a nice homemade lunch. The wineries where we sample the wines are usually small & family run. You can discuss wines & wine making with the owner or wine maker. In any case, our drivers are experts & great communicators about the Tuscan wines so you will have all you can imagine!

This morning enjoy cooking the “Florentine way” with your Personal Chef in the heart of Florence. Your Chef will open their doors & welcome you into their home not only to teach you how to prepare some of the best Florentine specialties but also to share some of their secrets. Upon arrival, you will make your way to the local market where together you will choose the ingredients you will need to prepare today’s dishes. You will also enjoy a stop at a local café where you will enjoy a cappuccino or espresso before returning home to begin the lesson. You will learn step by step how to prepare each dish & some tips on how to make them special. You will prepare a full course meal with 4 to 5 different recipes. After, you will sit down & enjoy the dishes, you prepared & of course they will be accompanied by some of the best Tuscan wines as well! Enjoy an afternoon & dinner at leisure.  

Private transfer from hotel to train station, then check into Hotel Capo d’Africa with a Superior room for 3 nights. The luxurious Hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Colosseum. Breakfast, drinks & snacks are served on its rooftop terrace. Cocktails & wines are available from the Centrum Bar. The L'Attico restaurant serves a dining menu of traditional Roman & national cuisine. Colosseo Metro Station is 5 minutes' away by foot & there are great bus services as well. There is a great variety of ice cream parlors, pizzerias & restaurants nearby.  Explore Rome through Art & Food with your guide. From your hotel, make your way to Piazza di Spagna & enjoy a stroll around the square, learning from your guide. Then make your way to taste one of Italy’s most famous desserts, Tiramisu at a place that is well known for the best Pompi! Continue to admire the Trevi Fountain & Pantheon, then head to Piazza Navona, where we will stop at several places to enjoy tastings of some typical specialities.

Today we will experience a unique introduction to the amazing highlights of the Roman Empire with our local expert guide. The tour will take you to explore the area of the Roman Forum, considered the biggest archaeological site in the world. Here you can admire the Political, Economic & Religious center of ancient Rome with its amazing buildings such as Temples, Basilicas & Government buildings & the House of Senate. Our expert guide will share with you stories about  the way of life on Ancient Rome, habits & rituals. This tour will also take you to visit the most famous symbol of Ancient Rome: “The Flavian Amphitheatre”, known as “The Colosseum” it is the most important & famous Amphitheatre in the world.  Discover this amazing place where you can feel still today the same energy & passion of ancient romans during a day of show! You will then stroll around the archaeological area to admire some more highlights of ancient time. Tour will end in the proximity of the Roman Forum area.

Enjoy the Vatican City, its history, highlights & hidden treasures with our local expert guide. The Vatican experience will take you on an amazing journey through the Museums & into the most beautiful & famous chapel of the world, the Sistine Chapel. During, your private guide will share about the life of the locals & the amazing power that this tiny state holds. Walk through the residence of the Popes, where you will admire the palace where the Popes use to live, completely transformed into one of the most important museums of the world. After the visit to the galleries you will experience the unique and incredible Sistine Chapel, the Renaissance masterpiece. Feel the energy & emotion of this fantastic place. Then the Basilica of St. Peter, the biggest church in the world, constructed in over 100 years & contains many masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s “La Pietà”. The tour will end in the famous St Peter’s square where you will be able to see the balcony of the papal blessing.