Florence & Rome

Day 1:

Overnight Flight to Rome

Day 2:

Welcome to Italy!

• Meet your Tour Director at the airport
  
• Travel to Florence, with a possible stop in Orvieto if time allows
  
• Take the Orvieto funicular to the historical center, gliding up the hillside to reach this clifftop town’s winding lanes, medieval architecture, and sweeping views of the Umbrian countryside
  

Day 3:

Explore Florence

• Guided by a local expert, explore Florence where art, politics, and genius shaped the world. Cross the Ponte Vecchio, stand beneath Brunelleschi’s soaring dome, and see Santa Croce and the Baptistery’s Gates of Paradise
• Visit the Accademia Gallery to stand before Michelangelo’s David and explore works that shaped the Renaissance and Western art
  

Day 4:

Explore Tuscany

• Take a full-day excursion to the hill towns of Siena and San Gimignano. Walk winding streets, see soaring towers, and take in the charm of Tuscany’s best-preserved medieval gems
  
• Enjoy a traditional farmhouse lunch in the Tuscan countryside, surrounded by rolling hills and local flavors
  
• Dinner on your own
  

Day 5:

Florence - Rome

• Travel to Rome via Assisi
  
• Visit the Basilica of St. Francis, where frescoes by Giotto and a sense of reverence mark the resting place of one of Italy’s most beloved saints
  

Day 6:

Explore Ancient Rome

• Guided by a local expert, explore Ancient Rome, exploring the epicenter of a vast empire where emperors ruled, gladiators fought, and temples anchored everyday life
• Visit the Colosseum, stepping into the arena where thousands once gathered to witness gladiator battles and Roman spectacle on a monumental scale
  
• Visit the Roman Forum, walking pathways once traveled by Julius Caesar and Cicero, surrounded by the remains of temples, basilicas, and the heart of public life in ancient Rome
  
• Explore Rome on foot with your Tour Director, walking from Piazza Navona to the Pantheon, tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain, and climbing the Spanish Steps with views over the Eternal City

Day 7:

Explore Rome

• Guided by a local expert, explore Vatican City, the world’s smallest country and a sanctuary of Renaissance genius.
• Visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s ceiling continues to awe.
  
• Step into St. Peter’s Basilica to see masterpieces like the Pietà and Bernini’s towering Baldachin.
  
• Free time or Optional Catacombs and Gladiator center excursion
• Opt to visit the Roman Catacombs and Gladiator Training Center. Explore an early Christian burial site beneath the city, then learn how Rome’s arena fighters trained, fought, and lived at a dedicated exhibition space
• Enjoy a special farewell dinner to celebrate your journey and share a final meal with your group
  

Day 8:

Depart for home