Italy and Greece

Day 1:

Overnight Flight to Venice

Day 2:

Welcome to Italy!

• Meet your Tour Director at the airport
  

Day 3:

Explore Venice

• Guided by a local expert, explore Venice’s layers of power and artistry. Visit St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, walk through St. Mark’s Square, and watch a live demonstration of Murano glassblowing
• Enjoy a gondola ride along Venice’s iconic canals and experience the city from its most timeless perspective
  
• Explore Venice on your own, from quiet canals and artisan shops to hidden corners beyond the main squares
  

Day 4:

Venice - Florence

• Travel via Verona to Florence
  
• Explore Verona on foot with your Tour Director, winding past Roman ruins and Renaissance facades to the Verona Arena and the balcony said to have inspired Shakespeare’s Juliet

Day 5:

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
• Free time or Optional Guided excursion to Pisa
• Opt to take a guided excursion to Pisa. See the iconic Leaning Tower, visit the baptistery and cathedral, and explore the Field of Miracles set against a classic Tuscan skyline

Day 6:

Florence - Rome

• Travel to 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
  

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.
  
• 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 8:

Rome - Sorrento

• Travel via Capri to Sorrento
  
• Take an excursion to Capri and the Blue Grotto, ferrying across turquoise waters to explore this glamorous island and - weather permitting - enter the glowing sea cave that’s inspired poets and emperors alike
  

Day 9:

Sorrento - Rome

• Travel via Pompeii to Rome
  
• Guided by a local expert, visit the ruins of Pompeii. Walk the stone streets of this once-thriving Roman city, frozen in time by volcanic ash, and glimpse the lives of those who lived, worked, and worshipped here
  

Day 10:

Rome - Athens

• Fly to Athens
  
• Explore Athens on foot with your Tour Director, wandering through the Plaka district’s shops and cafés, past Hadrian’s Arch, and to the Temple of Olympian Zeus rising quietly beside modern streets

Day 11:

Explore Athens

• Guided by a local expert, follow the footsteps of philosophers and revolutionaries through Athens. Pass Syntagma Square and the Olympic Stadium, wander streets where ancient debates shaped democracy, and see where modern Athens still carries echoes of its past
• Visit the Acropolis and climb the slopes of the ancient citadel. Stand before the Parthenon, visit the Temple of Athena Nike, and see the Erechtheion’s Porch of the Caryatids while taking in sweeping city views.
  

Day 12:

Athens - Delphi

• Travel to Delphi
  
• Guided by a local expert, visit the ancient sanctuary of Delphi, where pilgrims once sought wisdom from Apollo’s oracle. Walk the Sacred Way, stand before the Temple of Apollo, and take in views where myth meets mountains

Day 13:

Delphi - Tolo

• Travel via Olympia to Tolo
  
• Guided by a local expert, stand where the Olympic Games began. Visit the ancient stadium, the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, and the Museum of Archimedes
• Visit the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, where treasures unearthed from the birthplace of the Olympic Games bring ancient Greek culture to life
  

Day 14:

Tolo - Athens

• Guided by a local expert, explore the ruins of Mycenae, home to Agamemnon and legends of the Trojan War, and visit the ancient theater of Epidaurus, famed for its acoustics and hillside setting
  
• Travel to Athens
  
• Enjoy a special farewell dinner to celebrate your journey and share a final meal with your group
  

Day 15:

Depart for home