ROME AND TUSCAN HIGHLIGHTS

• Ciao Roma! Italy opens its doors for an unforgettable jaunt through Rome, Tuscany, and two millennia of culture, history and fiery Italian verve.
• Spend the afternoon exploring the city before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner.
• Embark on an orientation drive past some of Rome’s icons and unexpected highlights, including the Circus Maximus, once the site of exhilarating chariot races which attracted thousands of enthusiastic spectators.

Arrival Transfer: Depart Leonardo da Vinci airport (FCO) at 09:30, 12:30, 15:00

Welcome Meet your Travel Director at 17:00

Included Experience: Rome Orientation

• Your journey through Rome begins when you join a Local Specialist on an included sightseeing tour.
• See St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City.
• Cross the Tiber into Ancient Rome and see the Colosseum and Circus Maximus, imagining the great chariot races and thunderous applause.
• This afternoon, enjoy a leisurely drive through the scenic Tuscan hills to Montecatini, the largest and most famous spa town in Italy and your home for the next six nights.
• Consider joining an Optional Experience at a delightful regional restaurant set among the pines and cypress trees, where a feast of gastronomic specialities awaits, accompanied by song and music.

Optional Experience: Dinner, Wine and Music in the Tuscan Hills

• Your Local Specialist will reveal the history of Renaissance Florence during your walking tour.
• View the magnificent Duomo and visit Piazza della Signoria.
• In your free time, perhaps take a walk across the beautiful Ponte Vecchio.
• Dating back to the 16th century, a decree mandated that the only businesses allowed to ply their trade on this bridge were goldsmiths and jewellers, and to this day, some of the city’s most prestigious jewellery shops can be found here.
• Or, enjoy an Optional Experience that provides insight into the world of Michelangelo and his masterpiece, David, by visiting the Academy of Fine Arts and its Michelangelo collection.
• Here, you’ll learn all about the life and works of this immortal Renaissance genius through the expert commentary of your Local Specialist.

Included Experience: Florence City Tour

Optional Experience: Michelangelo’s ‘David’ & Accademia / Discover Palazzo Vecchio

• Relax in the spa atmosphere of Montecatini on your day at leisure or join an Optional Experience to Cinque Terre, whose quaint pastel-hued villages cling to the rugged Ligurian cliffs.

Optional Experience: The Cinque Terre and Porto Venere

• Journey to Pisa where we join a Local Specialist to view the famous Leaning Tower, the finely sculpted marble Cathedral and the ornate Baptistery, said to be the largest in Italy.
• We continue through Tuscany, arriving in Vinci where we’ll Dive Into Culture with a Local Specialist at Museo Leonardiano and gain a deeper understanding of the life of this talented master.
• Admire Leonardo da Vinci’s machines and models, his sketches and handwritten notes, as well as interactive exhibits during your visit.
• Tonight, Connect With Locals at the Agriturismo Borgo Vigna Vecchia, where you’ll enjoy an exclusive Be My Guest dinner surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.

Included Experience: Discover The life of Leonardo da vinci in His Tuscan Birthplace, Visit Pisa with a Local Specialist, Enjoy an Exclusive Dinner at the Agriturismo Borgo Vigna Vecchia in the Tuscan Hills

Optional Experience: The Walled City of Lucca

• Saunter through the beautifully preserved medieval city of Siena to see the 13th century marble cathedral and the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, home to the biannual Palio horse race.
• Then venture to the walled medieval town of San Gimignano, renowned for its towers.
• Enjoy some free time strolling through its narrow lanes and shopping for locally-produced delicacies and hand-painted Tuscan pottery – the alluring aromas of pecorino cheese and cured meats tempting you at every turn.

Included Experience: Visit San Gimignano

• Feast your eyes on the vibrant colours and busy stalls heaving with fresh produce at a local food market where you will join a Local Specialist professional chef for a tasty introduction to Tuscan cuisine.
• Learn how to cook like only an Italian mamma can, selecting your fresh produce from the market and preparing lunch which you will enjoy with a delicious glass of local wine.
• The tastes of Tuscany still lingering after an unforgettable lunch, we return to our hotel in the Tuscan hills for the night.

Included Experience: Tuscan Market Stroll, Hands-On Cooking & Local Lunch

• Departing Tuscany, travel south to Rome.
• This evening, Roman flavours take centre stage as you toast your travels over a selection of signature Roman dishes.

• Today we bid a fond farewell to newfound friends and an epic experience, departing Rome.

Departure Transfer: Arrive at Leonardo da Vinci airport (FCO) at 07:00, 09:30