11 DAYS CLASSIC ITALY – MONUMENTAL CITIES
ROME, FLORENCE, VENICE, MILAN
Gourmet & Wine, History & Culture, Nature & Wildlife
One of Europe’s most fascinating countries, Italy not only boasts the most UNESCO Heritage Sites in the world, but also charming cities, historic landscapes, scrumptious cuisines, multi-faceted art and trendsetting fashion.
With so much to offer, Italy is definitely a destination to return to but for first timers visiting this stunning nation, we have curated an itinerary taking in its monumental cities, starting with the ancient Roman capital, Rome, and its striking monuments. Next, we visit Florence, home to Renaissance art and the Medici family, surrounded by the rolling hills of Tuscany, before a jaunt to the sinking city of Venice, where an astounding maze of canals and alleys hide layers of history waiting to be discovered. Finish in the fashion capital of Milan, where you will uncover history and culture beneath its contemporary outlook.
Transfer: Airport to hotel
Upon arrival, be met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Optional Activities
Vatican Museums & St Peter’s Basilica Tour (3h)
Meet your driver at your hotel for the transfer to St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the holiest shrines of Christianity. Arriving early is the ideal time to speed through the security check and enter the Basilica. Next, enjoy an interactive experience inside the Vatican Museums with your passionate tour guide, who will animate the history of the magnificent artwork and cater to your personal interests. During your visit, you will have a chance to see one of the world’s finest collections of sculptures, frescoes, and paintings. Your guide will focus your attention on the most important masterpieces, making this experience easy and unforgettable. Take the opportunity to learn about Roman and Greek mythology by admiring ancient statues of Pagan gods like Diana Efesina in the Gallery of the Candelabra. As you continue through the Gallery of Tapestries you will enjoy the elegance and precision of Flemish artists. Explore all of Italy in a single room in the fascinating Gallery of the Maps. As the Grand Finale, be stunned by Michelangelo’s fresco masterpieces inside the Sistine Chapel. As speaking is forbidden inside the Sistine Chapel and inside St.Peter’s Basilica during the Mass, you will learn beforehand how to see the sites in all their cryptic resplendence, unlocking Michelangelo’s private jokes and personal vendettas engulfed within The Last Judgement.
Old Rome Walking Tour (3h)
Enjoy a walking tour and admire the highlights in the historical center of Rome. An expert tour guide will be your story-teller during this extraordinary walk through the beautiful piazzas of the city. Marvel at the beauty of the Spanish Steps with the famous Fountain of the Ugly Boat by Bernini. Be stunned by the Pantheon, the ancient temple dedicated to all Gods. Presently this incredibly well-preserved monument is a church that hosts several tombs of many remarkable characters from Italian history like Raphael and Baldassare Peruzzi. From Piazza della Rotonda you’ll walk directly to Navona Square, where you’ll see the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini. Continue your tour as you walk through the picturesque, cobblestone streets and reach the charming Trevi Fountain. Toss a coin in the fountain to ensure your return to Rome.
Optional Activities
Private Walking Tour of Ancient Rome (3h)
Admire the Colosseum, one of the most amazing attractions from the ancient world. Leave the crowd behind and enter the Ancient Rome with your skip-the-line tickets. Accompanied by an entertaining and knowledgeable tour guide, wander the amphitheatre following the path of the ancient Romans, learning the history of this place and hearing tales about the gladiators, the main characters of the games. Walk the short distance to the entrance of the Roman Forum and discover the ruins of the political center of the Ancient Rome. Your tour guide will help you understand how this place looked like in its heyday. Among the most important sites you’ll see walking down the Via Sacra are the Temple of Julius Caesar and the House of the Vestal Virgins. End your tour on the Capitoline Hill, the smallest and most important of the seven hills of Ancient Rome and enjoy a wonderful view of the city and of the Imperial Forum.
Train
Transfer to the train station for your high speed train to Florence.
Transfer: Train Station to Hotel
In Florence, a private transfer will be arranged to your hotel.
Optional Activities
Florence History Walking Tour with Accademia Gallery Visit (Full Day)
Your history walking tour starts from Repubblica square – the heart of the city. Stroll through streets, alleys of the medieval quarter to Palazzo del Bargello (exterior visit only) and Piazza della Signoria, where sculptures beckon. Continue to Santa Croce Church (Basilica of the Holy Cross), famed as the “Westminster Abbey of Florence”. It is a gorgeous Florence church with frescoes by Giotto, architecture by Brunelleschi and houses the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and other Tuscan cultural giants.
Next, visit the Accademia Gallery, with the famous Michelangelo’s masterpiece: The David. You are able to view the museum’s other unique pieces, including a room dedicated to Michelangelo. Continue walking along the Medici Chapels and Basilica di San Lorenzo, church of the once influential Medici Family (exterior view only). Finally arrive at Piazza del Duomo and marvel at the vast Cathedral before stepping inside to admire the interior’s intricate Gothic details.
Optional Activities
Guided Tour of Siena’s Main Attractions
Today, spend the day out in Tuscany with your private driver. Your first stop will be in Siena, where you will have a local guide to take you to see the main attractions in the historic center, including the very famous and beautiful Piazza del Campo, Palazzo Vecchio and the Duomo. Enjoy lunch at a typical restaurant (own expense) in the city centre and some free time to browse the shops selling typical products.
Visit a Stunning Boutique Winery
Next, head out to Chianti where you will visit a stunning boutique winery nestled among the hills and vineyards. Tour the property which produces high quality, organic wine, wander among the vineyards and discover the wine cellars, finishing with a private wine tasting session.
Transfer: Road Transfer
You would be met and transferred to your accommodation for the night.
Transfer: Hotel to Train Station
You would be met and transferred to the train station for your high speed train to Venice.
Transfer: Pier to Hotel
You will be taken to the pier for your private water taxi to your hotel.
Venetian Inside Walking Tour (3h)
Meet your guide and together head towards both the highlights and the hidden spots of Venice. Start with the Rialto Market, where you’ll smell some fresh fish and see some exotic veggies. Continue on a gondola traghetto to cross the Grand Canal, sneak into one of the Palaces on the Grand Canal and learn how Venice is really built. Enjoy a stroll on the beaten track into the backyard of Venice where you’ll visit an ancient church and, just like Venetians do, enjoy a bite to eat with the famous Spritz, the famous Venetian drink
Highlights of Venice (3h)
In this fascinating tour, learn about what Venice used to be. Meet your guide at the lobby of your hotel and head towards New York 500 years ago. The city that ruled over almost 2 continents. Learn who the Doge was and his role in the history of the world, and pay a visit to the Doge’s Palace, a house made to show off. Later, skip the lines for a visit at the Basilica of Venice and enter a Byzantine world. The best of the best of gold and of design, covered with stories and history your guide will share with you.
Optional Activities
Burano & Murano Boat Tour, with a special wine tasting experience (5hrs)
The best way to explore Murano Glass and to learn about its history is to have a private visit to a glass factory in Murano Island. These factories existed for 700 years now and in order to become a Murano Glass Master you have to study and work for about 17 years. You will also visit some special Showrooms where Glass Masters sell their creations. After this visit, stroll through the brightly coloured houses in Burano seeing the meticulousness of the Burano Lace.
Full of precious memories, you will be ready for a special experience in the little island of Mazzorbo: visiting a local vineyard with a specialised sommelier! During the visit you will taste two special kinds of wine from venetian terroir, before return to Venice.
Transfer: Pier to Train Station
Transfer to the train station on your private water taxi and take the high speed train to Milan.
Transfer: Train Station to Hotel
A private transfer will be arranged to your hotel for check-in.
Milan Walking Tour (3h)
Milan offers a unique blend of old-world charm in the midst of the modern era. With your expert guide, discover the masterpieces and secret sites of this wonderful city. Visit Piazza della Scala, named after the renowned opera house Teatro alla Scala, pass through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a shopper’s paradise and marvel at the Duomo, the iconic Gothic cathedral that took six centuries to build. Other sites may include Merchant Square, Sforza Castle, Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, and San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore.
Navigli Aperitivo Tour (2h)
This twilight tour of the Navigli district in Milan takes you on an early evening stroll, discovering a charming area popular among locals where a buzzing nightlife lines the landmark canal. With your local insider, delve into the history of the aperitivo, finishing our time together sipping on a delicious cocktail and tasting local Italian snacks.
Optional Activities
Bergamo Excursion (6hrs)
Make a day trip to Bergamo (approx. 50km, 1hr), a medieval city which is divided into the Lower Town known for its commercial centre and the Upper Town which is surrounded by impressive Venetian walls that are now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and contains architectural treasures from the medieval and renaissance eras. Take the funicular up and commence on your walking tour through narrow cobblestone streets and explore its landmarks like Via Gombito, Piazza Vecchia, Piazza Duomo with Chapel Colleoni, the church Santa Maria Maggiore and the Duomo. Climb up to the “Rocca” to enjoy a wonderful view to the Lower Town. Be sure to get some Stracciatella ice cream, as this is where it was founded.
Alternatively, we will be happy to arrange an excursion to Lake Como (best done from March to October).
Lake Como Excursion (9hrs)
Enjoy an exclusive visit of Villa del Monastero, an elegant and romantic estate in Varenna on Lake Como. Live the dream on a peaceful walk in the magnificent botanical garden, which offers a colourful and varied botanical gardens. Enter the Villa and visit the museum with its valuable private collections. Afterward board a private Riva Boat for a picturesque ride across lake Como at sunset. Behold a panorama of colourful waterside villages and elegant estates, fringed by palms and pines and backed by soaring mountains.
Transfer: Hotel to Airport
You would be met and transferred to the airport for your onward journey.
Baglioni Hotel Regina • Hotel Brunelleschi • Sina Palazoo Sant Angelo • Rosa Grand Milano
Rome
Occupying the historic address of Via Veneto, Baglioni Hotel Regina Rome offers contemporary comfort with a hint of classic Italian Art Deco. Delicious Italian and Mediterranean dining is available in house courtesy of Chef Luciano Sarzi Sartori, whom has received the International Certificate of Excellence from Gotha del Gusto.
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Florence
An elegant boutique hotel located in the city centre , offering a perfect location for visiting the shopping streets and main monuments of the historic center on foot. Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi are the frame of the privileged and hidden corner covered by this luxury hotel in Florence near the Duomo.
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Venice
A stunning gem of a hotel set on the world’s most prestigious waterway, superbly situated between the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Square. Providing a convenient private wharf on the Grand Canal, a cosy bar and lounge, an intimate breakfast room and suitably ornate guest rooms, this is the perfect bolthole from which to enjoy this magnificent city. Rooms and suites have silk wall coverings, ornate Venetian furniture and flowing fabrics in rich colours.
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Milan
The style and sophistication of this upscale hotel reflects its prime location in Milan's historic fashion district, with views across to the Gothic spires of the Duomo. After a day in the city, enjoy the tranquility of the hotel's wellness center, relax with an aperitif in the opulent wine bar and lounge, dine in its chic restaurant, and retire to your luxurious guestroom or suite adorned with elegant Italian style, comfort, and decor.
View MoreJK Place Roma • Hotel Savoy • Ca’ Di Dio • Grand Hotel et de Milan
Rome
Iconic Boutique Hotel with 27 rooms and suites in the heart of Rome near the Spanish Steps and main attractions. Sophistication, elegance, stylish look and feel create the unique atmosphere in this private townhouse.
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Florence
Strategically located amongst the city's leading landmarks on the Piazza della Repubblica, Hotel Savoy is beautifully furnished in signature Laudomia Pucci and Olga Polizzi prints, as well as Renaissance antiques in definitive Tuscan style.
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Milan
Step through our historic doors and you are enveloped in the grandeur of our hotel. Look up the wrought iron staircase spiralling through five floors and imagine a bejewelled Maria Callas making her sweeping entrance. Walk through to our marbled lounge and picture Giuseppe Verdi pausing before a sell-out performance at La Scala. Enjoy a frisson in the ‘recording suite’ where the Great Caruso became the world’s first superstar.
View MoreRocco Forte Hotel de la Ville • Four Seasons Firenze • Aman Venice • Mandarin Oriental Milan
Rome
A lively 18th-century palazzo in a peerless position, this historic hotel both embodies and overlooks life in the Eternal City. The confluence of classical Roman romance and contemporary cool, sweeping city views, buzzing drinking and dining spots and fresh, zestful design make for Rome’s most exciting new arrival. Fall for its enchanting courtyard, effervescent rooftop bar, street-side bistro and Sicilian-inspired spa.
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Florence
Just steps from the cultural heart of Florence, this urban retreat steeped in historic beauty features the city’s largest private garden – a tranquil haven of statues, fountains and centuries-old trees. Rooms feature lavish period furnishings, while some suites have frescoes amid original architectural features. There is a Michelin-starred Italian restaurant and a locally inspired spa for indulgent treatments.
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Venice
Set in Palazzo Papadopoli, one of the city’s eight monumental palazzos on the Grand Canal, Aman Venice embodies all that is sumptuous and sensuous about La Serenissima. Rococo works of art are offset by the contemporary restraint of Jean-Michel Gathy interiors, while private gardens – rare in this floating city – are overlooked by opulent dining venues and spacious suites.
Milan
Mandarin Oriental, Milan is housed in four elegant 18th Century buildings and offers a charming mix of Milanese style and design in the fashionable heart of the city, just a few steps from the Duomo. Guests can discover exquisite dining in the beautiful setting of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Seta, run by acclaimed chef Antonio Guida, and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Mandarin Garden, the hotel's green oasis. Both venues have access to two beautiful outdoor courtyards, offering al fresco dining options.
View MoreKindly call us at (852) 2885 2181 if you require any immediate assistance.
Personal Particulars
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