Easy Pace Italy

Rome is one of the world's most historic cities, filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches. Transfers to your hotel depart Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport. Then this historic city is yours to discover. Join your travel director for a uniquely Roman welcome dinner. Get to know your traveling companions over a relaxed evening of dinner and wine.

In the morning enjoy the very best of the city's highlights including visiting the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican with your local expert. Cross the Tiber river to enjoy ancient Rome. See the incredible Circus Maximus famous for its chariot races, and the iconic Colosseum. In the afternoon, enjoy special fast-tracked entry into the Vatican Museums with a Local Expert. Admire the Papal art collection, before entering the Sistine Chapel to marvel at Michelangelo's masterpiece on its ceiling. Then you'll be privileged to an exclusive highlight dinner inside the Ethnological Museum.

Spend another day enjoying Rome at your own pace. Perhaps take an optional experience to the ill-fated town of Pompeii, frozen in time when it was engulfed by an eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Alternatively, stroll to the boutiques of the Via del Corso and Via Nazionale or visit the elegant designer stores near the Spanish Steps. As night falls, sip a glass of prosecco at a sidewalk cafe in the Piazza Navona, the "Living Room of Rome," and enjoy life's pageantry pass by.

Drive to the Chianti Hills and the city of Florence.

Walk on to the multi-colored marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, where Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory. Visit Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces. Spend time gazing at statues such as Neptune as well as Hercules and Cacus, along the front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Famous for the quality of its luxury goods like gold and leather, Piazza Santa Croce is also the perfect spot to see the basilica. Later, use your free time to shop or continue exploring at your leisure.

After a leisurely morning in Florence, explore the nearby town of Pisa with a local expert and see the baptistery, the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the cathedral and the Leaning Tower. Visit the il Poggio organic farm for a guided walk and learn about the production of olive oil and wine. After taking in beautiful views of the rolling Tuscan hills, enjoy tasting the farm's freshly-produced wines and olive oil, in addition to an authentic Italian meal prepared with locally-sourced ingredients.

Today we travel through the Emilia-Romagna region, and stop to sample the flavors of the region and learn about Italian food culture over a delicious lunch with wine. Take the autostrada east to Venice, Queen of the Adriatic. Your luxurious hotel gazes out over the Giudecca Canal and an unforgettably romantic city skyline.

Wake up ready to embrace the most sensuous of cities. Admire the art of glassblowing on a visit to a traditional arts centre. Then board your private launch, sit back and enjoy your introduction to this unique city of ornate palaces, bridges and gondolas. Disembark and stroll to the Bridge of Sighs before turning the corner to stand in awe at the marble arcades of Piazza San Marco. St. Mark's Basilica, with its dazzling domes, occupies the corner next to the clock tower. Beside it stands the pink and white marbled Doge's Palace. In the afternoon, there will be plenty of time to explore the museums, galleries and churches or browse through the shops on the Rialto Bridge. Perhaps cruise out to some of the other islands in the lagoon to experience the age-old lifestyle of Venetian fishermen and lace-makers.

Who could refuse another day to take in the unique atmosphere of this wonderful city? Lose yourself in the back lanes and campi, where tourists seldom tread and the Venetians go about their daily lives. Maybe visit some of the 90 churches housing masterpieces of Venetian art or explore the modern artworks in the Guggenheim. Perhaps relax at a canal-side cafe sipping local wine or sampling delicious lagoon-fresh fish. Later, board a traditional gondola for a serenade through the romantic canals. This evening, stroll past the entrance doors of the famous Opera House to La Fenice restaurant for a magical celebration dinner. Indulge in traditional Venetian dishes that are enriched with inspiration from seasonal produce.

Alas, you must bid farewell to this enchanting city. You will depart from Venice Marco Polo Airport.