It's
time again for our Best of Italy trip with the added destination
of Venice for 2-nights. Last time we did this trip we took a
train from Florence to Venice and just stayed for the day. This
time we will fly into Venice for 2-nights, then take in 3-nights
in Florence, 3-nights in Siena (Tuscany) and 2-nights in Rome. We
will return from Rome. We've got great air and the folks from the
east coast will be able to meet the group in Philly.
Starting off with Venice will
certainly kick this trip off with a bang. Venice is one of my all
time favorite places on earth. If you've never been I'm quite
confident you will be completely blown away by what you will be
seeing. Our hotel is perfectly situated to get us on the island of
Venice by bus or train. We get in pretty early on the 8th so we'll
have 2 full days to tour this amazing destination.
We'll then travel by train from
Venice to Florence (about 2 hours).
Florence is situated in central Italy, in the heart of Tuscany.
Florence's museums, palaces, and churches house some of the
greatest artistic treasures in the world. The most popular and
important sites in Florence include the
Cathedral, the Baptistery, the
Uffizi, the
Bargello, and the
Accademia. The churches of
Santa Maria Novella and
Santa Croce are veritable art galleries, and the library of
San Lorenzo is a magnificent exhibition of
Michelangelo's architectural genius.
The memory of the
Medici, who for centuries commanded the city’s fortunes and
were, as generous patrons, instrumental in unleashing the
Renaissance, lives on. To this day the family crest of six balls
adorns many public buildings. The city’s artists and sculptors
regaled the city with their finest creations. Michelangelo,
Leonardo, Donatello, Giotto, the Lippis, Masaccio, Botticelli,
Pontormo and a host of others left their mark, and formidable
galleries such as the Uffizi, Pitti and Accademia today house
many of their works.
While in Florence, besides touring
this incredible city
we
will organize a side trip to Pisa and Cinque Terra. But
Florence itself will amaze you and since this is our 3rd trip
there so we've got it dialed in with the very best places for our
tours. Our hotel is perfectly situated just outside of the city
center - an easy walk to all the attractions.
From Florence we will use our motor coach to
get to Siena. Again our hotel is right outside of the
old city in the ideal location. It's a hotel that I've used on a
past Siena trip that everyone really loved.
Siena is wonderful with a beautiful piazza, winding, cobblestone streets and tons of
history. We'll also take daily bus tours (included in package) to
several of the nearby medieval towns set up on hillsides that are
just extremely picturesque. Some of the towns we have visited on
past trips include
Val D’Elsa,
San Gimignano,
Pienza and another
of my favorite places -
Montepulciano where we will set up some wine tasting at a
classic winery. This is Tuscany at it's best and
the scenery will amaze you.
Finally we
head to Rome.
If you've never been, you will certainly
be blown away. Everything
is just amazing - the Piazza's, the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, the
Coliseum and all the many other ruins and sights make this city
unforgettable. Our hotel is one that I've used on past Rome trips
that everyone really loved and only a 10 minute walk to the
Vatican!
Our
group rate for the 10-nights, airfare, 3 city tours and daily
breakfast will be just $3,395 from from LAX. And
unlike some of our trips with a huge departure tax,
this one is a very reasonable $138. Deposit of $200 to
sign up.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT (your own room):
$1,025
