Rome, Florence, Venice and Lake Maggiore
4 nights in Rome, 4 nights in Florence, 3 nights in Venice, 2 nights in Stresa
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
Welcome to Italy!
Upon arrival at Rome FCO airport, meet your driver and transfer to your hotel in Rome. Overnight in Rome.
Day 2: Heart of Rome + Vatican Museum
This morning your private guide will take you on a 3-hour walking tour to some of Rome’s top attractions and picture-postcard sights. You will see the gorgeous Piazza di Spagna with the iconic 135 steps of the Church of the Holy Trinity, aka the Spanish Steps, and the magnificent Trevi Fountain, where it’s a tradition to toss a coin to guarantee your return to Rome. You will then explore the heart of Italian politics at Palazzo Montecitorio, the seat of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, and marvel at the engineering mastery of the Romans at the Pantheon, which features the largest unsupported dome in the world. Another great stop will be at Piazza Navona, one of Rome’s most beautiful Baroque squares, lined with cafés and guarded by the majestic Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini.
After lunch transfer to the Vatican Museums house some of the world’s most beautiful and culturally significant art. The palace has an estimated 1,400 rooms, chapels, and galleries. The enormous amount of paintings, sculptures and other works located inside can easily become overwhelming for even the most well-traveled visitor. Home of the Sistine Chapel and Raphael rooms, this Museum is undoubtedly one of the symbols of Western culture and a unique site to appreciate the genius of artists like Michelangelo, Raffaello, Bernini, Giotto, and many others. The tour will end with a walk in the St. Peter’s Cathedral (occasionally this access can be limited or closed). Overnight in Rome.
Day 3: Rome Jewish Ghetto + Imperial Rome
Meet your driver and guide at your hotel and transfer to the Ghetto for an interesting discovery of the hidden part of the city.
The Jewish tour starts in one of the most important and ancient ghettos in the Western World, whose construction was ordered by Pope Paul IV in 1555. Here all ages of the city come together: from the Teatro Marcello, the ancestor of the Colosseum, to the Portico of Ottavia from the Roman ages, to the fountain of the turtles, from the Renaissance period. Conclude your visit to the Ghetto with a group tour visit of the Synagogue, whose majestic outline dominates the Tiberine riverside.
The Ghetto is also famous for its culinary tradition. It’s said that the cuisine of the Jewish Roman community is a time machine into the old Roman food.
After the tour, free time for lunch. Meet your driver and transfer to the Colosseum. Walk in the footsteps of emperors and gladiators and retrace 3,000 years of history with this 3-hour tour of the city’s illustrious past as capital of the ancient Roman Empire. You will visit the Colosseum, whose construction was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian as a gift for the Romans and then became the stage of cruel gladiator games, and the Roman Forum archeological area, the monumental maze of public and religious buildings that used to be the political, social and commercial hub of the empire. Included in the tour is a visit to the stunning Palatine Hill, rising high above the Forum where, according to the legend, Romulus founded the city of Rome. Overnight in Rome.
Day 4: Rome
Today is yours to explore Rome at your own leisure. Overnight in Rome.
Day 5: Rome to Florence
Meet your driver and transfer to Rome railway station. Take a high speed train to Florence. Upon arrival, meet your private driver and transfer to your accommodation. Overnight in Florence.
Day 6: Florence walks with Uffizi Galleries
Florence is a city of timeless beauty packed with extraordinary artistic treasures at every corner. Your guide will meet you directly at your accommodation and from there you will embark on a pleasant stroll through the city’s major sights, such as Piazza della Signoria, a beautiful open air museum guarded by Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi with its incredible collection of marble statues, and Ponte Vecchio, the city’s iconic bridge lined with goldsmith shops. The tour will take you to the marvelous Uffizi Galleries, where the guide will show you the greatest masterpieces displayed there, such as Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Caravaggio’s Medusa. Overnight in Florence.
Day 7: Duomo, Accademia and St Maria Novella Church
This morning meet your guide outside your hotel and walk towards Santa Maria de Novella church, a Gothic-Renaissance design that’s steeped in centuries of Florentine history. Step inside one of Florence’s spiritual gems, admiring evocative frescoes and devotional sculptures by Giotto, Brunelleschi, and Ghirlandaio that decorate the chapels while a guide explains their meaning and importance. Afterwards move to the stunning Piazza del Duomo, home to artistic masterpieces like the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with the stunning cupola realized by Brunelleschi, the Baptistery and Giotto’s Bell Tower. The tour will take you also to the Accademia to see masterpieces like the marble sculpture of the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna and the stunning silhouette of Michelangelo’s David. Overnight in Florence.
Day 8: Cinque Terre
A private excursion with an expert driver guide to Cinque Terre where you will have the chance to experience all the true magic of this enchanted coast-line. After meeting your driver at your hotel, enjoy a relaxing ride towards Cinque Terre, Italy’s smallest national park with one of the world’s most dramatic coastal landscapes. Upon arrival, board the little coastal train that runs between the five villages within the park, scenically sneaking through dark tunnels cut into the mountains that open out to glorious views of the Ligurian Sea. Discover their history and unique features as you tour some of the villages on foot accompanied by your guide. Overnight in Florence.
Day 9: Florence to Venice
Meet your driver and transfer to Florence railway station. Take a high speed train to Venice. Upon arrival, meet your private driver and transfer to your next accommodation. Overnight in Venice.
Day 10: Venice walk with St Mark Basilica and Doge’s Palace
Once a major maritime power, today Venice is a magical city that enchants visitors with historic canals, picturesque gondolas, and unique views. Your private guide will meet you in the splendid St. Mark’s Square, where the walking tour begins. You will delve into the history, culture, and traditions of the city, as you hit all the major attractions and top sights. Highlights include St. Mark’s Basilica, the 9th-century church with over 8000 sqm of brilliant mosaics, and the Doge’s Palace, the former residence of the ruler of the Venetian Republic that you will visit with special skip-the-line tickets. There will also be lots of bridges to cross, such as the famous 16th-century Rialto Bridge and the iconic Bridge of Sighs, and fantastic Sestieri to explore, each with its own unique vibe. Overnight in Venice.
Day 11: Venice
Today is yours to explore Venice at your own leisure. Overnight in Venice.
Day 12 Venice to Stresa
Meet your assistant and transfer to Venice railway station. Take a train to Milan. Upon arrival, meet your driver and transfer to your accommodation in Stresa. Overnight in Stresa.
Day 13: Lake Maggiore and Isola Bella
Situated between Lombardy, Piedmont and Switzerland, Lake Maggiore is a stunning lake with breathtaking landscapes, lush nature, and art masterpieces. A boat trip is the best way to discover the landscape, its picturesque gardens with lush vegetation, private villas and secluded dwellings. Meet your guide and skipper at the nearest pier. You will take a 4-hour panoramic boat cruise on the lake, visiting the three Borromean Islands, whose name derives from the aristocratic family that owned them. The first stop will be Isola Madre, the largest island and home to a beautiful botanical garden filled with rare exotic plants and flowers and inhabited by peacocks and parrots. The boat will then dock at the tiny Isola dei Pescatori, with its atmospheric cobbled lanes and colorful fishermen’s houses, and at Isola Bella, the island shaped like a ship where a sumptuous Baroque palace was built in the 1500s and is surrounded by terraced gardens. Overnight in Stresa.
Day 14: Departure
Meet your private driver and transfer to Milan MXP airport to catch your flight.