Sample Tours:: |
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Italian Interlude DAY 1: TORONTO – VENICEDepart from Toronto on an overnight flight to Venice, Italy. DAY 2: VENICE (D)Upon arrival in Venice, you will be met and transferred by coach to Piazzale Roma which is a short walk from your hotel. The unique nature of Venice has amazed people since the very beginning of its existence. A city rising in the middle of a lagoon, with water flowing between streets, intruding in front of houses and shops, seemed as weird a thousand years ago, as it seems today. Venice is made up of more than 100 islands; all linked by bridges and this makes it necessary to walk to most places. The remainder of the time is left free for you to acclimatize yourself to the time change. Evening: Dinner and overnight in Venice. DAY 3: VENICE (B)Breakfast at hotel. This morning, a wonderful day begins with a walking tour of Venice. Start in San Marco Square, beautiful in its proportions and romantically facing the canal of San Marco. See the old Clock Tower, the Campanile, the famous Bridge of Sighs, and the graceful Rialto Bridge, built from 1588 to 1592 by Antonio da Ponte, was designed to allow an armed galley to pass under it. It is a hump-backed bridge with a central street lined with rows of shops and gangways on either side affording views of the Grand Canal. Visit the 11th century St Mark’s Basilica and the adjacent Doge’s Palace, the seat of the former rulers of the Republic of Venice. Your afternoon is left uninstructed for own activities. Overnight in Venice. DAY 4: VENICE – RAVENNA – FLORENCE (B/D)After breakfast at the hotel, check out and walk to Piazzale Roma to meet your tour coach. En route to Florence, you will visit the peaceful and provincial-looking town of Ravenna to see the art of Mosaics. Founded by Julius Caesar, Florence is a small compact city: its narrow streets open unexpectedly into spacious squares, populated by strollers and pigeons. A visit to Florence is a visit to the living museum of Italian Renaissance. The Renaissance began right here and the city bears witness to the proud spirit and unparalleled genius of its artist and artisans. This place has more sights to visit within one square kilometre than any other city in Europe. And, it is also a shopper's paradise: countless shops laden with jewelry of Florentine gold and silver, exquisite leather goods, chic fashion houses and also of course, the straw market where you will find great bargains. Upon arrival in Florence, check-in to hotel. Remainder of the time is at leisure. Evening: Dinner and overnight in Florence. Hotel Capitol or similar. DAY 5: FLORENCE (B)Breakfast at the hotel. This morning enjoy a guided walking tour of the city of Dante, Boccaccio, Botticelli and Da Vinci. You will see all the major points of interest such as the 14th century Ponte Vecchio, the mighty church of Santa Croce which begun in 1294; it has Giotto’s frescoes in the chapel and the monumental tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Miachiavelli (you may see the inside of the church on your own), the Duomo and the Palazzo Vecchio. After lunch on your own, meet your guide at the Accademia Museum. See an extraordinary group of Michelangelo sculptures. There are seven in all, the most admired of them is David; the most famous male nude in the history of art. Following the Accademia tour, visit the other famous museum; Gallerie degli Uffizi which is the result of a process of acquisition, selection and rearrangement stretching over several centuries and consists mostly of antique sculpture and paintings ranging from the 13c to 18c. Overnight in Florence. DAY 6: FLORENCE – SIENA – ORVIETO (B/D)After breakfast at the hotel, check out and load the coach. Transfer to Orvieto via the medieval walled city of Siena, one of Italy’s great art centres, with a profusion of fine architecture. Perched on three dramatic hills, Siena’s Piazza del Camp, its main square, shaped like a gigantic seashell is considered to be one of the most magnificent in the world, as is its remarkable black and white marble Cathedral. You will have about two hours to explore the town on your own. Continue on to Orvieto, an important Etruscan centre that later became a papal stronghold. It was here that Clement VII took refuge in 1527 when Rome was put to sack by the troops of the French King, Charles V. Orvieto is a pleasant city with its wealth of historic buildings and enjoys a particularly remarkable site on top of a plug of volcanic rock. Upon arrival, check-in to your hotel. Remainder of the time is left free for you to relax or to explore the area with your teachers. Evening: Dinner and overnight in Orvieto. Hotel Europa or similar. DAY 7: ORVIETO – ROME (B/D)Immediately after breakfast, board the coach and transfer to Rome. After check-in at the hotel, meet your tour guide for an afternoon tour of Imperial Rome. The tour will cover the major archaeological monuments: The Forum was the city's religious, political and commercial centre in the days of Caesars. The Colosseum: it was its colossal size that gave the Colosseum its name, but it was its game of bizarre cruelty that made this the most famous building in Rome. 50,000 people could be seated with enviable efficiency. The games were organized carefully; gladiators were recruited from the ranks of those condemned to death and war prisoners. During the years when Christians were literally thrown to the lions along with other "criminals", Claudius used to arrive at dawn to see the spectacle. The Circus Maximus: today a long esplanade planted with flowers is all that's left of the Circo Massimo's great chariot tract. During the reign of Trajan, it was a huge amphitheatre where 380,000 Romans might gather to watch and gamble on horse or chariot-races. The Pantheon: with its original doors and ancient granite columns will not prepare you for the interior. The outside gives little hint of what's to come - there is nothing like it in the world, the circular opening way on top comes as a shock. The immensity of the round space so high above the coffered ceiling around it is awe-inspiring. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Hotel Nizza or similar. DAY 08: ROME (B)After breakfast at the hotel, transfer by private coach to Vatican City. The Vatican has its own flag and national anthem, mints its own coinage, prints its own postage stamps, has its own polyglot daily newspaper and is an independent state ruled by the Pope, the only absolute sovereign in Europe. All these activities take place in an area just over 100 acres, a considerable part of which is taken up by St. Peter's, the world's largest basilica in the world’s smallest state. Your guided tour (audio headsets provided) includes St Peter’s basilica, the Vatican Museum, and Sistine Chapel, famous for its beautiful ceiling painted by Michelangelo. In the afternoon, meet the coach once again and travel to Tivoli for a tour of Villa Adriana and Villa D’Este. Tivoli is a small town on the lower slopes of the Appenines where the river Aniene plunges in cascades into the Roman plain. The villas testify to Tivoli’s importance as a holiday resort from the Roman period through to the Renaissance. Villa Adriana was probably the richest building project in antiquity and was designed entirely by Hadrian (76-138), who had visited every part of the Roman Empire. With a passion for both art and architecture, he wished to recreate the monuments and sites he had visited during his travels. Next, visit the beautiful gardens of Villa d’ Este which is a UNESCO world heritage site. Return to Rome. Overnight in Rome. DAY 9: ROME (B)Breakfast at the hotel. Your entire day is at leisure for personal sightseeing. DAY 10: ROME – POMPEII – NAPLES (B/D)Today you will travel south toward Pompeii, the sumptuous town that was buried under lava during a volcanic eruption of Vesuvius that started in August 24, AD 79. The city itself tells the story clearly in the tragic casts of figures caught under the ash, crouching under tables, struggling upstairs, a mother holding up her baby, etc. The molten ash made sculptor’s mold of them which have been used to recreate the bodies displayed in the museum (Antiquarium) at the entrance to the excavations and returned to their original locations. At Pompeii the fascination lies in the glimpses of everyday life frozen in time. Your journey continues further south to Naples, a city rich in history and architecture. Enjoy a guided orientation tour of the city and a visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. The museum is one of the most important and leading archaeological museums in the world. It contains a collection of Roman-Greco antiquities from Pompeii, Stabiae, Herculaneum and other archaeological sites located in and around the region of Campania. Evening: Dinner and overnight in Naples. Hotel Cavour or similar. DAY 11: NAPLES – CAPRI – ROME (B/D)After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the ferry which will take you to the beautiful island of Capri. The ferry or hydrofoil will land you at Marina Grande. As you near the port look to the far left on top of the cliff. Here stood Villa Jovis, now in ruins, the home of the most powerful man in the world the Roman Emperor Tiberius. The surrounding area is medieval: arches, shady vaults, sunlit white walls, arcades, terraces and pergolas. You may also want to visit the Blue Grotto, the most famous of the many marine caves on the island. In the mid afternoon return to Naples where the coach awaits you. Return to Rome. Upon arrival, check-in to the hotel for dinner and overnight. DAY 12: ROME – TORONTO (B)ARRIVEDERCI ROMA! HELLO CANADA. Transfer to the airport for your flight home, arriving in Toronto the same afternoon. INCLUSIONS:
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