A Taste of North & South

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from $2,735**

Departures from  Feb. 22, 2020 – Oct. 24, 2020

Escorted Tour: 11 Days/ 9 Nights

Visit the “Cradle of the Renaissance”, with its fascinating churches, monuments, and works of Michelangelo. Taste “nobile” wine in medieval towns in Tuscany. Tour the Vatican Museums and magnificent Sistine Chapel in Rome.  See the ruins of Pompeii, frozen in time, now Unesco World Heritage sites.

Rome, Assisi, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Padua, Venice, Montepulciano, Pompeii, Naples, Sorrento, Capri

ITINERARY:

Note: First day of tour is your departure date from the USA. Actual tour in Italy begins the next day.

Day 1: Departure from USA to Rome.
Departure from USA to Italy – with your own purchased airline tickets.

Day 2: Arrival in Rome
Welcome to Italy!
Upon arrival in Rome’s Fiumicino airport please proceed through the Passport Control and collect your luggage inside the customs area. Then meet your driver for a private transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the Eternal City.
At 8:00 pm transfer to the meeting point for the departure of your Rome by Night tour.  Our local expert guide will lead you to discover the wonders of the Eternal City, charming by day — absolutely romantic by night.  You will enjoy the center of this magical city in the moonlight during this panoramic mix of a bus and walking tour.  The tour ends in the Colosseum area.  Return transfer to the hotel is on your own.
Overnight in Rome.
Day 3: Rome/Assisi/Siena/Florence
Tour Assisi at your own pace, visiting the Basilica of St. Francis.  In the afternoon, board the bus for Siena, a Medieval town known for its annual Palio horse race around the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo.  Arrive in Florence in time for dinner.
Overnight in Florence.
(Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 4: Florence (Pisa Optional)
Enjoy exploring the Cradle of the Renaisance, visiting Florence’s magnificent Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, and the Basilica of Santa Croce.  Then, stroll the cobblestone streets on your own or take an optional afternoon trip to Pisa, famous for its Leaning Tower.
Overnight in Florence.
(Breakfast, Lunch)
Day 5: Florence/Bologna/Padua/Venice
Depart for Bologna, home to 38 kilometers of porticos and landmarks such as Piazza del Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore.  Continue northeast for a brief visit of Padua, then make your way to magical Venice
Overnight in Venice.
(Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 6: Venice
Hop on a water bus to the enormous St. Mark’s Square, visiting the cathedral and Doge’s Palace before seeing the Bridge of Sighs and stopping at a Murano glass factory.  Spend the afternoon roaming Venice’s canals and narrow alleyways at your leisure.
Overnight in Venice.
(Breakfast)
Day 7: Venice/Chianti Region(Montepulciano)/Tuscany/Rome
Depart for romantic Tuscany, taking in a spectacular panoramic view of the Chianti region.  Proceed to Val di Chiana with a stop in the Medieval town of Montepulciano, known for its “Nobile” wine and annual jazz festival.  Enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant.  Spend the afternoon exploring Montepulciano on your own before continuing on to Rome.
Overnight in Rome.
(Breakfast,Lunch)
Day 8: Rome
Tour the Vatican with our exclusive “Skip the Line” access!  After visiting the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, pass through a private entrance into St. Peter’s Basilica, the biggest church in the world.  Enjoy free time for lunch and then depart on a panoramic tour of Rome, including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and the Colosseum.  Enjoy free time in the afternoon to explore Rome on your own.
Overnight in Rome.
(Breakfast)
Day 9: Rome/Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento
Arrive in Naples via the “Sun Route” motorway.  Once there, enjoy a panoramic tour of the main sights.  Have lunch enjoying a local traditional Neapolitan pizza en route to Pompeii and visit the town frozen in time after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.  Next, take in the beauty of the Sorrentine coast on the way to Sorrento.
Overnight in Sorrento.
(Breakfast,Lunch, Dinner)
Day 10: Sorrento/Capri/Rome**
Board a boat for the island of Capri and, depending on sea conditions, visit the famous Blue Grotto.  Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and then roam Capri at your leisure.  Return to Rome in the evening.   (Attention: during the Low Season the itinerary doesn’t include the visit to Capri.  This would be a day of leisure in Sorrento. Lunch would not then be included.  )
Overnight in Rome.
(Breakfast,Lunch)
Day 11: Rome
Arriverderci toRome! After breakfast meet your driver for a private transfer to Rome airport for your return trip home or your continuation to another destination.
(Breakfast)

**During low season – visit to Capri (Day10) is not included. Day 10 would be at leisure in Sorrento.  Lunch would not be included in low season.

Includes:

• Hotel accommodations in 4* hotels for nine nights (Rome-4 nights, Florence-2 nights, Venice-2 nights,Sorrento-1 night) based on two people sharing a double room.
• Breakfast daily.
• 4 lunches.
• 3 dinners.
• Visit of the Vatican (entrance fees included).
• Panoramic Tours as per itinerary. (during low season visit to Capri (Day 9) not included.)
• Round-trip airport/hotel transfers.
• Bus as per itinerary.
• Services of a professional multilingual tour director.
• Hotel taxes and service charges.

Please Note: based on your flights, your transfers to/from the airport may not be included in your tour price even if referenced in the day by day description above.

Does not include:

• Round-trip air transportation from USA or Canada to Italy.
• Porterage at airports and hotels.
• Beverages and meals not mentioned in the itinerary.
• Tips and optional excursions.
• Transit tax to be paid locally upon check-out.
• Travel Insurance.
  Optional excursions are a wonderful way to enrich your vacation even further while giving you the flexibility you want in a vacation. Click here for some must-see sights and experiences.

Please note that for operational reasons it may be necessary to substitute hotels and adjust itineraries due to local conditions.

DEPOSITS/PAYMENTS:
We accept American Express, Visa, Master Card and Discover credit cards as well as checks as forms of payment. A deposit of 25% of the total price of the land services, inclusive of taxes and fees or full payment (depending on departure date) is required to confirm a reservation. Final payment is due no later than 90 days prior to departure. Airline tickets must be paid in full prior to issuance regardless of departure date. Ticket prices cannot be guaranteed until paid in full and ticketed. For full Terms and Conditions please click here.

Tour operated by Ciao Italy & Carrani Tours (218142)

TRAVEL TIPS:

Gratuities:
Tips to waiters, chambermaids, and to the Tour Directors, local guides, and drivers are not included. The following is a suggested guideline on tipping:
(a.) Euro 1.00 per person/per day for waiters and chambermaids
(b.) Euro 2.00 per person/per day for drivers and local guides
(c.) Euro 3.00 per person/per day for your Tour Director
Transfers:
Add transfers to your tour so you don’t have to worry about how to get to your hotel and back. Prices available upon request.
Transit Tax:
As of July 1, 2011 all visitors to Italy are required to pay an additional tourist tax for their hotel stay. The new tax has been created mainly to help re-build the ancient cities and is based on how many stars a hotel has. This tax may vary by city and can range from 1 to 6 Euro per person, per night, for a maximum of 10 consecutive nights. This must be paid by the visitor, in Euro, directly to the hotel at time of check-out. It will be presented as a separate charge from any other charges accrued at the hotel. (Children under the age of 10 are exempt from this tax.
Baggage:
Different airlines may have different policies. For information on specific airline policies, please check your carriers web site.
Air Transportation:
Air fares change often and vary by gateway city, season, day of week and seat availability. Our air fares will be quoted to you within two business days of your tour reservation and will include the air fare, fuel surcharges and government taxes as quoted by the airlines. You are under no obligation to accept our airfare quote and may elect to use your reward miles or your preferred airline. Typical airfares from New York to Rome varies from $1200 in March – May and September – October to $1500 in June – August but can change without prior notice. We highly recommend to reserve your seats early in order to obtain the best air fare.