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Italy Experience (IN ZMKF)

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Venice, Italy
Rome, Italy
Min Age : 15
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Tour Details

Travel to Italy and savour the many flavours of this gastronomic haven on a journey from the canals of Venice to the cobblestone streets of Rome. Explore historic sites and picturesque villages on this special food-lovers’ adventure through some of the most incredible places in Italy. There is plenty of time to indulge in everything from fresh seafood and hearty wines to the finest balsamic vinegars and pesto in the world. This 10-day trip is sure to tantalise all the senses.

Departure & Return Location

Venice, Italy – Rome, Italy

Price Includes

  • Meals9 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners
  • TransportTrain, Public bus, Ferry, Metro, Taxi
  • AccommodationHotel (9 nights)

Included activities

  • Venice - Welcome Dinner
  • Venice - San Giorgio Bell Tower
  • Venice - Traghetto Boat Ride
  • Cinque Terre - Day Trip, including Cinque Terre Pass
  • Cinque Terre - 'Il Laboratorio del Pesto' Making & Demonstration
  • Pisa - Half Day Trip to Pisa
  • Florence - Piazzale Michelangelo
  • Florence - Dinner in Local Restaurant
  • Spello - Enoteca Wine Tasting & Lunch
  • Spello - Half Day Trip to Spello
  • Rome - Farewell Dinner at Local Restaurant
What to Expect

  • See the real Venice on an optional gondola ride down the Grand Canal and through the city’s complex network of waterways. Feel the romance as you pass beneath the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto Bridge

  • A series of walking paths connect the pastel villages of Monterosso, Corniglia and Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre. Explore this amazing region on foot, or you can jump on a train if you need a break

  • The Leaning Tower of Pisa may be Pisa’s most iconic image, but the city offers so much more. The Piazza dei Miracoli and Pisa Baptistry are masterpieces in Medieval-Italian architecture

  • There’s a lot more to Florence than Renaissance art (although the art is pretty great). The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is brimming with nearly 600 years of history and stories

  • If Italian cuisine is known for its simplicity and big flavours, no place does this better than rural Spello. Let Umbrian delicacies such as lamb meat balls with rosemary and porcini risotto whet your appetite

  • No Italian adventure would be complete without a visit to Rome. Enjoy plenty of free time to discover the ancient Colosseum, stroll through Vatican City and gaze up towards the gods inside St Peter’s Basilica

  • The primary means of transportation on this trip is by train. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre. Italian trains are comfortable and all have toilets. Due to the destinations visited on this trip many train journeys are done by local trains, rather than high speed trains.

  • Upon arrival into each new destination, your luggage will be transferred to the hotel by car (except in Florence and Rome, where the distance from the train station to the hotel is very short and is best covered on foot carrying your own luggage). Please note that you will have to carry your own luggage on and off the train, so make sure it doesn’t exceed our weight and size recommendations. You can find this information in the ‘Packing’ section of the Essential Trip Information.

  • Summer temperatures can be extreme in many regions of Italy (over 40°C), which can be uncomfortable. It’s important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Please consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.

Itinerary

Day 1Venice

Ciao! Welcome to Venice. This watery wonderland of bridges, towers, piazzas, canals, churches and gondolas – practically unchanged for 600 years – is literally sinking under the weight of its iconic sights. There are no activities planned before tonight’s group meeting, so if you arrive early there are plenty of things to keep you busy. Take a walk around the maze of streets behind San Marco square and begin to understand the complex canal system of Venice. The Grand Canal is a great place to start, as you can stroll over the Rialto Bridge and browse the endless amounts of boutique shops that sell Venetian masks and handmade Murano glassware. After the meeting, enjoy dinner with your fellow travel companions at a local restaurant.
 
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Venice – Welcome Dinner
Optional Activities
  • Venice – Doge’s Palace & Bridge of Sighs – EUR26
  • Venice – St Mark’s Basilica Treasury – EUR5
  • Venice – Accademia Gallery – EUR16
  • Venice – Venezia Ca’ d’Oro – EUR14
  • Venice – Gondola Ride – EUR80
  • Venice – St Mark’s Campanile – EUR12
  • Venice – Guggenheim Museum – EUR16
  • Venice – Museum of St Mark’s Basilica – EUR5
  • Venice – Glass Museum Murano – EUR11
  • Venice – Ca’ Rezzonico Museum of Eighteenth Century Art – EUR11
  • Venice – Scuola Grande di San Rocco – EUR14
Meals Included
  • Dinner
Special Information

Your Italian adventure will begin with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight – check with reception to confirm the time and place. We’ll be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please have these on hand. If you’re going to be late, please inform hotel reception. If you can’t arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you’re able to attend. We’ll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).

Day 2Venice

After breakfast, venture out and explore Venice. There are only two ways to get around this city – on foot or by boat. Some of the more popular sights include Doge’s Palace, the Piazza and Basilica di San Marco and the Bridge of Sighs. Take the vaporetto (water bus) over to the island of San Giorgio to climb the bell tower for the best view of Venice. No trip here would be complete without a journey down the Grand Canal in a Venetian gondola. It’s a common way for visitors to see the major canal routes from an immersive perspective. While away your day in the busy San Marco square and be sure to try the local tiramisu and Italian coffee that’s on offer. There’s creativity everywhere, overflowing into the canals; see it in the venetian glass in Dorsoduro or down the streets spreading out from Campo Santo Stefano, lined with unique galleries and small boutiques. Visit the Palazzo Ducale, overflowing with paintings by Italian masters, and contrast it with the modern Guggenheim. Simply enjoy getting lost crossing the hundreds of bridges and uncovering your own slice of Venice. In the evening, perhaps join your fellow travellers for a group dinner at a local restaurant. Venice is famous for its specialities of fresh lobster and squid ink spaghetti dishes, so make sure you give one a try.
 
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Venice – San Giorgio Bell Tower
  • Venice – Traghetto Boat Ride
Optional Activities
  • Venice – The Sweet Taste of Venice Urban Adventure – EUR94
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Day 3La Spezia

This morning after breakfast, spend the day travelling by train to the once important naval base of La Spezia (approx 5 hours), now the gateway to the gorgeous Cinque Terre, or ‘Five lands’ in English. The name comes from the five tiny villages – Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore – whose position, wedged into a series of coves between sheer cliffs, makes it one of the highlights of the whole of Italy. The journey usually takes between five and seven hours either via Milan or via Florence (depending on the best available connection), and is a very scenic trip through the north of Italy. On arrival in La Spezia there won’t be too much time to explore yet, but after checking into your hotel perhaps get your bearings of the area with a short walk around the pedestrian zone on Via del Prione to the gardens along the harbour, or head out for dinner with the group.
 
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Day 4Cinque Terre / La Spezia

This morning venture out on the footpaths of Cinque Terre (Five Lands), a region of Italy famed for its coastline and pastel villages. The footpaths that run between the villages were once the only way to travel in the region, and take you through olive groves, vineyards and on to idyllic vistas. You can choose to walk just a few sections, which will still unveil a great amount of majestic scenery. Some sections of path can be difficult, as there are challenging uphill stretches, narrow paths, steep cliffs and foot bridges. Please remember to bring comfortable footwear such as trainers or light hiking shoes. It’s also possible to take the train between any of the villages or back to the group’s base whenever you want. After working up an appetite, take advantage of the foods of the Liguria region with a pesto making demonstration, and the chance for you to create your own pesto. Of course you will get to try your creation with a glass of wine afterwards. The rest of the day is free. In the evening, there’s no better way to recover from your day of walking with more indulgence in delicious Mediterranean food.
 
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Cinque Terre – Day Trip, including Cinque Terre Pass
  • Cinque Terre – ‘Il Laboratorio del Pesto’ Making & Demonstration
Optional Activities
  • Cinque Terre – Church of St Andrea in Levante – Free
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information

Today’s walking distance is about 9 km; approximately 4 hours. Due to recent landslides in the area it is currently not possible to walk the Via dell’Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola and the coastal section between Manarola and Corniglia. You will take the train instead for these sections. Please also note that due to safety reasons some sections of any path can be closed at short notice.

Day 5Pisa / Florence

Depart Cinque Terre today and catch a train to Pisa (approximately 1-2 hours). Divided in two by the River Arno, the heart of Pisa is the Santa Maria quarter on the north bank. Here there’ll be some time for you to visit the world-famous Leaning Tower, as well as the Duomo (Piazza dei Miracoli, once the largest in Europe) and Pisa Baptistry. Please note that it’s not always possible to climb the tower, although you’ll have plenty of time to take pictures and explore the city. The tower was built in the 12th century, but its foundation was on shifting sand and clay, meaning that it now leans at an angle of 4 degrees (after restoration and stabilising work). Wander the shopping streets, from high-end boutiques to speciality book and antiques stores, and perhaps enjoy lunch and an aperitif in a backstreet restaurant. Return to the station in the afternoon and take the train to Florence (approximately 2 hours). After checking in to your hotel in Florence, the rest of your evening is free to explore the city of the Renaissance.
 
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Pisa – Half Day Trip to Pisa
Optional Activities
  • Pisa – Leaning Tower of Pisa – EUR18
  • Pisa – 5 Monuments Combo Ticket – EUR10
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Day 6Florence

After breakfast head out into Florence, one of the most culturally rich and beautiful cities in Italy, known to many as the beating heart of Tuscany. The Medicis, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Brunelleschi, Machiavelli, Donatello and Michelangelo all lived in Florence at the height of their creative reign. It’s impossible to see everything in this Renaissance wonderland, however, so take your time and enjoy it. Perhaps visit the Uffizi, one of the world’s oldest art galleries, or walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo, which is set on a hill on the south bank of the Arno River, to take in beautiful views of the city – a lovely way to while away the day. There are plenty of sights to see during your time in Florence. Food is also a major part of the city’s identity, so perhaps explore some of the culinary delicacies on offer from across Tuscany. Regional specialities are noted for their simplicity and fine flavour, and the use of high-quality olive oil, cannellini beans and fresh herbs. Meat lovers should try the bistecca alla fiorentina, a huge T-bone steak that’s usually shared between two people, or ribollita, a thick delicious vegetable soup with bread, beans and greens. Panforte is the signature sweet treat.
 
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Florence – Piazzale Michelangelo
  • Florence – Dinner in Local Restaurant
Optional Activities
  • Florence – Palazzo Vecchio – EUR12
  • Florence – Bargello Museum – EUR13
  • Florence – Baptistry, Museo Opera del Duomo, Giotto Bell Tower and Brunelleschi Dome – EUR30
  • Florence – Pitti Palace (Boboli Gardens, Museo Argenti, Costume Gallery, Porcellain Museum) – EUR12
  • Florence – Medici Chapels – EUR15
  • Florence – Uffizi Gallery – EUR24
  • Florence – Accademia – EUR16
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
Special Information

The individual Florentine State Museums have slightly different opening times and closing days between them but the website firenzemusei.it has everything you need to know about all of them, including the option to purchase tickets. We suggest that you pre-book your visit to the Uffizi, as this museum experiences enormous queues (up to 5 hours) all year round. Your leader can be of assistance. Make your reservations for these museums for any time on Day 6 of this itinerary.

Day 7Perugia

After a free morning in Florence (perhaps visiting the Galleria dell’Accademia where you can see Michelangelo’s famous statue of David), travel by train to Perugia (approximately 2-3 hours). The once Roman settlement of Perugia sits atop a rocky hill with views over the rolling green hills of the Umbria region, and is now a university town with one of Italy’s largest schools. On arrival, head out on an orientation tour of the city’s rambling maze of medieval streets. In your spare time, and for an insight into local history, perhaps visit the National Gallery of Umbria (Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria), an impressive collection of Umbrian art housed in the Palazzo dei Priori, a grand stone building dating from the 13th century. Your evening is then free, with the city’s population of students filling the nights with life. Pause for a glass of prosecco along Corso Vannucci, the city’s main street, as you take a very Italian passeggiata.
 
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Perugia – National Archaeological Museum of Umbria – EUR7
  • Perugia – National Gallery of Umbria – EUR8
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Day 8Spello / Perugia

Today visit the nearby medieval town of Spello by train (approximately 20 minutes), a Roman town that straddles a thin ridge at the base of Mount Subasio – the mountain where St Francis was said to have talked to the animals. It’s a place known for its wine and rural charm. Two of the local churches feature frescoes by famed Renaissance painter Pinturicchio, who later lent his hand to works in the Vatican and Siena’s cathedral. Sample the local wine and regional delicacies here when you lunch at a local enoteca. Tartufo (truffles) and porcini (mushrooms) make up the base of many pasta and risotto dishes, while whole stuffed pig with rosemary is a signature dish of the region. Back in Perugia the rest of your evening is free. It’ll be very hard not to spend the whole time indulging on the region’s fabulous food.
 
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Spello – Enoteca Wine Tasting & Lunch
  • Spello – Half Day Trip to Spello
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Day 9Rome

In the morning, take the train to Rome (approximately 2 hours), and remember that while here, the best attitude is ‘when in Rome’! Join your leader on an orientation walk around the city, where you see some of the iconic sights such as the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine, the Forum (centre of ancient Rome), the Victor Emmanuel Monument, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Via Dei Condotti and Piazza Venezia. No visit would be complete without a trip to Vatican City and St Peter’s Basilica. Entry to the Basilica is free and there’s a small charge to climb the dome for a panorama over the city. Use your free time to also visit the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Rome is packed full of restaurants and trattorias that cater to every taste and budget. Local specialities tend to be quite heavy, and include pastas such as carbonara (egg, cheese and bacon) and amatriciana (tomato, bacon and chilli). Eating in trattorias will give you a chance to sample some Italian wines, with house choices usually very good and affordable. Head out in the evening with the group for a final farewell gastronomic fling.
 
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Rome – Farewell Dinner at Local Restaurant
Optional Activities
  • Rome – Pantheon – EUR2
  • Vatican City – St Peter’s Dome Climb & Elevator – EUR10
  • Rome – Castel Sant’Angelo – EUR14
  • Rome – Keats-Shelley Memorial House – EUR6
  • Rome – Christian Catacombs – EUR8
  • Rome – Galleria Borghese – EUR15
  • Rome – Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill – EUR16
  • Vatican City – Vatican Museum – EUR17
  • Rome – Venezia Palace – EUR12
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
Special Information

Check the Vatican website (vatican.va) for up-to-date information on when you can visit. Tickets for the Vatican Museum can be booked online at biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do. Alternatively, tickets for Galleria Borghese can be booked online at galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/einfo.htm. In order to allow enough time in the museum and to avoid the crowds it is recommended to start the museum visit as doors open. Please note that pre-booked tickets are not required if you just want to visit St Peter’s Basilica.

Day 10Rome

Your Italy Experience comes to an end this morning. There are no activities planned for today and you’re free to depart the accommodation at any time after you check-out. As there is so much to see in Rome we recommend you to stay a little longer. We are happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). Please speak to your agent at the time of booking.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information

If you have some extra time in Rome why not take one of the day trips offered by Urban Adventures. Check out urbanadventures.com for more information.

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