Enchanting Northern Italy

Day 1 Saturday: Milan

Arrival at Milan airport. Group transfer (with other participants) to the hotel in Milan. Meeting with the rest of the participants. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 2 Sunday: Milan

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will enjoy a half-day sightseeing walking tour of the Economic capital of Italy: The visit will take us to the Piazza dei Mercanti where we will admire the medieval heart of the city. The Teatro de la Scala, built in 1776 and located in Piazza della Scala, is not only a monument, but a true temple of music. We will also enter the majestic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a 19th-century engineering treasure, rather than a building, it is a real symbol of Italian excellence. And last but not least, we will arrive at the Duomo, the third largest cathedral in Europe. Independent lunch Afternoon free to discover the city on your own or to go shopping (one of the main attractions of the city of Milan). Dinner and accommodation.

Day 3 Monday: Milan – Sirmione (Garda Lake) – Verona – Venice

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart to Garda Lake and in particular to Sirmione: an ancient city full of cobbled streets and historical monuments. Free time to visit the city or the beautiful Roman villa and / or the caves of Catullo (Grotte di Catullo). If time permits, you can also choose to enjoy the Scaligero Castle, a rare example of medieval fortification on a lake. We will continue to Verona where we will make a sightseeing walking tour of the city, known for its famous Arena and for being the hometown of Romeo and Juliet. Depart to Venice. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 4 Tuesday: Venice – Murano – Burano – Venice

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will first enjoy a walking tour of the Serenissima: one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The historic center of Venice is located in the middle of a lagoon, with a total of 118 small islands separated by canals and connected by pedestrian bridges. We will walk through beautiful monuments (exterior visits) such as Palazzo Ducale, the famous Bridge of Sighs or St. Mark’s Basilica (exterior visit), discovering the beauty of Venice. Independent lunch In the afternoon, we will take an excursion to the islands of the lagoon: Murano, Burano and Torcello. We can admire from the ferry, the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, a 16th-century Benedictine church designed by Andrea Palladio and built between 1566 and 1610, the public gardens, the tip of Santa Elena and the Lido (the famous beach). We will arrive in Murano known worldwide for its glass manufacturing industry. The second stop is on the picturesque island of Burano, famous for its brightly painted fishermen’s houses. Last but not the least, we will reach the sparsely populated island of Torcello, the first civilization center in the Laguna. The cathedral of “Santa María Assunta” with its magnificent mosaics and the church of “Santa Fosca” remain the testimony of its former glory. Back to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation

Day 5 Wednesday: Venice – Florence

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart to Florence. Lunch by your own. Once in the city, we will enjoy a half-day walking tour: the walking tour starts at Piazza San Firenze; home of the Bargello and the Fiorentino Tribune, a church back in the past and today the seat of the Florence Court. We will continue to the Church of Santa Croce, home of many masterpieces and burial place of some of the important characters of Italy. Next, we will access Piazza Signoria, the heart of the city of Florence since ancient times. It is famous for the Fountain of Neptune, the Palazzo Vecchio, and the beautiful Piazzale degli Uffizi, as well as the famous Ponte Vecchio. Dinner and accommodation in Florence.

Day 6 Thursday: Florence – Cinque Terre – Pisa – Florence

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will enjoy a wonderful excursion to one of the most famous areas of Italy: the Cinque Terre. (weather conditions permitting, depart to Portovenere. In case of bad weather conditions, we will stop at La Spezia and visit the Cinque Terre by train): in Portovenere we will embark on a regular ferry that will take us to Monterosso, the largest town in Cinque Terre. Your tour manager will guide you with great views over the terraced vineyards and the old olive groves. Then, depart to the charming city of Vernazza, which is characterized by its narrow streets and its small square with views over the sea. Return to Portovenere (or La Spezia if the route has been made by train) and then to Florence, but first we will make a stop in Pisa to admire (outside visits) the famous Leaning Tower. Arrival in Florence, Dinner and accommodation.

(Part of the trip is done by ferry but if weather and maritime conditions, do not allow the boarding, the tour will be made by train). Depending on the available time, the weather conditions or the tourist flow of the moment, we guarantees the visit of a single city of the Cinque Terre: Vernazza or Monterosso

Day 7 Friday: Florence – Siena – San Gimignano – Florence

Breakfast buffet at the hotel. Depart to the medieval city of Siena. City walk, including (exterior visits): the cathedral, admiring its unique marble, the Piazza del Campo, home to the famous Palio di Siena, an historic horse race held twice a year. Afterwards, we will enjoy some free time to continue exploring the city of Siena independently or for lunch. In the afternoon, depart to the walled city of San Gimignano. We will explore and admire impressive Romanesque and Gothic monuments. Return to Florence. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 8 Saturday: Florence – Chianti – Assisi – Rome

Breakfast buffet at the hotel. Departure for the famous Chianti Area, where in addition to admire the famous Tuscany countryside, we can have a wine tasting (not included). We will continue to Assisi: famous pilgrimage site. We will walk through the maze of its medieval streets and visit the Basilica of Santa Chiara and San Francesco to see one of the largest art collections in Italy. Depart to Rome. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 9 Sunday: Rome

Breakfast at the hotel. End of our services.

P.s.  tour itinerary’s, for technical reasons, can be changed or inverted without notice.” we will guarantee all previous visits, excursions and services. Dinners during the tour could be at hotel or at local restaurant