Day 1 – Welcome to Rome
You will be met on arrival at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport and transferred to your elegant five-star hotel on the Via Veneto. There can be no better introduction to the Eternal City than an evening of authentic food and wine at a boutique artisan pizzeria.
Stay: Regina Baglioni, Rome
Meals included: Welcome reception and dinner
Day 2 – Rome and the Vatican in style
Enter the Sistine Chapel before it is open to the public for a private tour without the crowds. After contemplating Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling, continue into St. Peter’s Basilica, then visit the Colosseum where the gladiators once prepared for battle.
Stay: Regina Baglioni, Rome
Meals included: Buffet breakfast
Day 3 – Pompeii and The Isle of Capri
Journey to the ill-fated town of Pompeii, frozen in time when it was engulfed by an eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD. Next, board your hydrofoil bound for the sun-drenched Isle of Capri. Transfer to open-top taxis to ride to your exclusive hotel in style. Once the day-trippers have returned to the mainland, you will be offered a selection of discerning restaurants on your ‘Dine-Around’ evening.
Stay: Capri Palace Hotel & Spa
Meals included: Buffet breakfast,
Dine-Around
Day 4 – Explore the Isle of Dreams
(Relaxed Start) Relax on-board a cruise around the island. See the white grotto and spectacular cliffs, before ascending to Capri town by funicular. Cool off with a refreshing lemon granita before walking with your local expert to the Gardens of Augustus to view the Faraglioni rocks. Lunch will be served at Il Riccio – a Michelin-starred restaurant famous for its sparkling waterside setting.
Stay: Capri Palace Hotel & Spa
Meals included: Buffet breakfast, Michelin-starred Highlight Lunch
Day 5 – Into the green hills of Umbria to Assisi and Perugia
Follow the Highway of the Sun north to the winding, cobbled streets of Assisi for a guided visit inside the imposing Basilica of St Francis. Move on to the Umbrian capital of Perugia. Ascend from the lower town through the maze of medieval streets to your five-star deluxe hotel.
Stay: Hotel Brufani Palace, Perugia
Meals included: Buffet breakfast
Day 6 – San Gimignano and Tuscany
(Relaxed Start) Walk with a local expert along Perugia’s Corso Vannucci to the main square. Afterwards, visit a workshop to see how the art of hand-weaving textiles has been passed down through the generations. Continue to hilltop San Gimignano, famous for its medieval towers. Ascend serpentine alleyways to taste the award-winning gelato of Sergio Dondoli. Journey on through the vines, olive groves and cypresses of the Chianti hills for a delicious exploration of the regional wines.
Stay: Villa le Maschere, Barberino
Di Mugello
Meals included: Buffet breakfast
Day 7 – Renaissance Florence
Meet an art historian for an insider’s guide to Florence. Admire Michelangelo’s original Statue of David in the Academy Museum before strolling to the cathedral, the Gates of Paradise and the open-air gallery in Signoria Square. Make an exclusive behind-the-scenes visit to the Uffizi Gallery and a private viewing of the Vasari Corridor. The afternoon is free to enjoy Florence at your own pace before a delicious dinner with wine in delightful Barberino Di Mugello.
Stay: Villa le Maschere, Barberino Di Mugello
Meals included: Buffet breakfast, Highlight Dinner
Day 8 – Pisa and Tuscan Cooking Class
(Relaxed Start) Head to Pisa and view the splendid Duomo, baptistery and gravity-defying bell tower. Experience authentic Italian cooking at a hands-on culinary masterclass with lunch.
Stay: Villa le Maschere, Barberino Di Mugello
Meals included: Buffet breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9 – Exploring the Cinque Terre and the Italian Riviera
(Relaxed Start) Journey west towards the Mediterranean, and continue along the coast to the Cinque Terre. Join a local expert in the picturesque fishing village of Manarola then cruise along the rugged coast to explore Monterosso’s medieval quarter and popular sandy beach. After free time for lunch, board the train bound for the resort of Rapallo.
Stay: Grand Hotel Bristol, Rapallo
Meals included: Buffet breakfast, dinner
Day 10 – ‘Fair’ Verona and on to the
Islands of Venice
(Relaxed Start) Cross the fertile Po Valley to Verona, home of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers. Stroll past the well-preserved Roman Arena and through a maze of elegant squares to stand beneath the balcony said to have belonged to the Capulet family.
Stay: Bauer L’Hotel, Venice
Meals included: Buffet breakfast
Day 11 – The Magic of Venice
(Relaxed Start) A local expert will introduce you to the joys of Venice. Admire St Mark’s Basilica and see the lavish pink-marbled Doge’s Palace with its Bridge of Sighs. Take your seat in a traditional gondola for an enchanting ride through the romantic canals. In the evening, cruise to the idyllic fisherman’s island of Burano for a celebratory dinner.
Stay: Bauer L’Hotel, Venice
Meals included: Buffet breakfast, Celebration Dinner
Day 12 – Arrivederci Venice
Your Luxury Gold journey will come to an end after breakfast with a private boat transfer to Venice Airport for your onward flight.
Meals included: Buffet breakfast