Many Tour Companies offer various tours from weekends
in Rome or Tuscany to full tours including castle and villa stays, from
Rome to Milan, Venice, Naples and Sicily. The majority offer many options
from land only to air inclusive, from city center hotels to villa stays
in the Tuscany region. You may also choose from budget to deluxe, traveling
by tour bus, by private car with a driver, or train travel. Whatever your
budget or interest - it is important to choose the right company.
For those more adventurous you may want to see Italy
on your own. There are some tour companies that can help there as well.
You will not have to sit on a bus with 30 other people going from town to
town. You will however get tour pricing and your reservations will be made
prior to your leaving the US. In the event that the hotel does not have
your reservation you will have something to fall back on with tour companies.
You can make train reservations and get schedules for planning purposes.
Here is classic week in Italy tour offered by a well
known tour company.
A Week In... Italy
From Rome's monumental Colosseum to Florence's art masterpieces to Tuscany's
medieval hill towns, this week in Italy packs in the classic highlights.
Art historians and local guides provide the inside story behind Florence's
art masterpieces, notably at the Uffizi Gallery. Take a high-speed train
to Rome to view the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, and ornate fountains at
the center of piazzas. Gaze at the Sistine Chapel in wonder on a tour of
the Vatican. The Tuscany tour explores preserved ancient hill towns like
Siena, Orvieto, and Todi. Crowning Assisi is a basilica named after native
St. Francis, who lies buried there.
Day 1: Medieval hill towns
Tuscany tour adventure begins at Rome Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino.
Travel north to Orvieto, set on a 984-foot plateau overlooking vineyards
below. Enjoy lunch at a trattoria. Visit the Duomo of Orvieto, a notable
Romanesque-Gothic cathedral built over a span of 300 years. View the scenic
Tiber Valley en route to the medieval hill town of Todi.
Day 2: Revered Assisi
Visit Assisi, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its art and architecture.
A highlight is the Basilica di San Francesco, the burial place of St. Francis,
the beloved patron saint of animals. A local expert shares insights on the
Basilica's 13th- and 14th-century frescoes. Enjoy time to stroll the cobblestone
lanes on your own. Relax in the ancient Etruscan town of Todi later in the
day.
Day 3: Siena & Michelangelo's David
Travel to Siena, and visit the Duomo, one of Italy's great cathedrals, with
scenes inlaid in the marble floors and sculpture by Michelangelo. See the
Piazza del Campo where the Palio bareback horse race is held. Travel to
Florence, where your first stop is at the Galleria dell'Accademia to see
Michelangelo's marble statue of David standing nearly 17 feet tall, a Tuscany
tour highlight. In the evening, hear a lecture by a local art historian.
Day 4: Art in Florence
Tour the Uffizi Gallery, Italy's greatest art museum, with a local expert.
Gaze in wonder at works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Sandro
Botticelli, and more. Choose among many museums and sights in Florence during
your free afternoon.
Day 5: Rome by rail
Travel by high-speed train to Rome. Tour the Colosseum, opened in 80 AD
for gladiator battles; Circus Maximus, the 4th-century BC stadium where
chariot races were held; and the Roman Forum with temples, monuments, and
the Senate House. Also see the Piazza Barberini, Piazza Venezia, Trajan's
Forum, Imperial Palaces, and the Temple of Vesta.
Day 6: Visit the Vatican
Explore the rich treasures of the Vatican, starting at the Vatican Museums.
Take a guided tour of the Candelabra Gallery, the Map Gallery, and the tapestries.
View the art and architecture of St. Peter's Basilica. In the Sistine Chapel,
view Michelangelo's frescoes of the Last Judgment on the altar and Genesis
on the ceiling.
Day 7: A day in Rome
The day is clear to pursue whatever interests you most in Rome. If you want
to see more, you might want to make a reservation to tour Galleria Borghese
featuring works by Italian Renaissance and Baroque artists or enjoy one
of Rome's wonderful Italian restaurants.
There are so many options available. From pre and post
cruise packages to Rome, Florence and Venice, city stays, or you may make
the longer journey and possibly visiting the beautiful lakes region of Northern
Italy. Whatever your choices are, make sure you choose the right tour company.
