Journey to Italy
Enjoy all Italy has to offer including stops in Venice, Burano, Murano, Modena, Florence, Siena, Orvieto, and Rome
12-Day Journey
Your Journey
Personalized journeys by our travel designers from start to finish
Experience
Our travel designers have been around the world and back again
Peace of Mind
Our team is available 24/7/365 before, during and after your journey
What's Included in your Journey to Italy Tour
-
Twelve nights in Italy
-
Hotel Accommodations at each Location
-
Small Group or Private Tours with Expert Local Guides
-
Full support before, during and after your trip
-
Your Travel Designer available 24/7
Your Journey to Italy Itinerary
Day 1-4 Venice, Italy
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Palazzo Veneziano is a new contemporary antique 4 Star Superior hotel in the world’s most mysterious destination – Venice. Allow yourself to go back in time, within continuous view of unattended shapes and original situations embraced in an exclusive and historical area of Venice. Antique damasks in 4 different colors, bronze, glass, stones, and Venetian materials arriving from the past have been assembled into a new and original contemporary alchemy.
ACTIVITIES in VENICE:
- Private Pasta-Making Class
When in Venice learn how to cook like a Venetian with a “cesarian” or home cook. This evening you will learn the secret to making great pasta during a private cooking class.
Follow three regional recipes and discover tricks of the trade. You will be given the utensils and ingredients at a personal workstation to prepare three authentic Italian plates of pasta from scratch, then taste each delicious dish, accompanied by a selection of local wine. Sample a selection of local red and white wines to accompany your meal and take home memories and a souvenir apron and shopping bag
- Murano & Burano Islands-Half-Day Guided Tour by Private Boat
Today you will get to explore the intricacies of two famed Italian handicrafts with a day trip from Venice to the nearby islands of Murano and Burano. Your private guide will share the history of these two artisan islands while you visit local workshops and wander the picturesque streets.
Watch centuries-old glassblowing techniques by local craftsmen in a Murano glass workshop, and marvel at the detailed stitches of exquisite Burano lace.
In Burano experience lace being made by local islanders Visit the Burano Lace Museum independently!
- St. Mark’s Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge’s Palace with Skip-the-line access
You cannot visit Venice without delving into Venetian history on this tour that showcases two of the city’s most iconic structures and sheds light on the stories behind them both.
Your first stop is legendary St. Mark’s Basilica with mosaic-covered interior and Byzantine treasures.
Then continue to the Doge’s Palace to explore the former political heart of Venice. Visit the opulent apartments and the Hall of the Great Council at Doge’s Palace and then take a walk over the Bridge of Sighs Enjoy special access to the first-floor terrace of St. Mark’s for panoramic views over the city.
Your Journey to Italy continues in Bologna
Day 4-Bologna
Check out of your hotel and pick up your rental car to travel to Modena with a stop in Bologna for lunch.
ACTIVITIES in BOLOGNA:
- Bologna Food & Wine tour with a local Chef
Meet a local chef in the center of town and he will show you all of his favorite places where you will discover the few true local spots in town, where a true Bolognese goes shopping and eat. The places who made Bologna famous, making what is now called the food capital of Italy!
Walk around downtown making 6-7 stops including:
- Oldest meat and fish market
- Fruit market
- Cheese and cured meat
- Best sliced pizza
- Typical and local sandwich place
- Bakery with 150 years old recipe of cake!
- Oldest Hosteria of Italy since 1465 for some wine taste
- Best Gelato place of town
As you walk and eat hear the stories and culture of this wonderful city and learn the secrets that only a few locals know.
Your Journey to Italy continues in Modena
Day 5-6 Modena, Italy
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Located 900 feet from Modena Railway Station, 4-star Hotel Principe offers air-conditioned rooms within an 8-minute walk of the Baroque Ducal Palace.
Overlooking Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, between magnificent historic buildings and the renowned Ducal Gardens, the Hotel Principe was renovated in 2017 . A few steps from the station and from the historic center of Modena, it is an ideal base to move comfortably to discover the city.
Each room of the Hotel Principe is designed to ensure maximum comfort for the traveler: natural colors, design elements and complete soundproofing offer the perfect balance between atmosphere and comfort. The staff is at the complete disposal of guests, 24 hours a day, to guarantee all the quality of Emilian hospitality.
ACTIVITIES in MODENA:
- Maranello Experience/ Formula 1 Simulator
The program breaks down as follows: -nr.1 test drive a Ferrari F430* for 20 minutes around Maranello alongside a driving instructor -DVD camera car and driving certificate -nr. 1 test with our Formula 1 Simulator -nr.1 entrance to Ferrari’s Museum -nr.1 full lunch in a typical traditional local restaurant (starter, first course, second course, dessert, and drinks included).
- Stop At:
I Love Maranello-Enjoy your Ferrari test drive
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Free
Museo Ferrari-Discover Ferrari history
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Included
Your Journey to Italy continues in Florence
Day 7-10 Florence, Italy
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Welcome to Palazzo Alfieri, founding member of Alfieri Collezione with a long tradition of refined hospitality. Located on Lungarno Corsini, in the very heart of the city and one step away from the famous Florentine shopping street, via Tornabuoni, Palazzo Alfieri is an architectural masterpiece that blends a historic building with a sophisticated contemporary design. Our Palazzo offers, in many of its rooms, a surprising view of the Arno river. A stone’s throw from this warm and elegant environment are the jewels of the city: the Uffizi Museum, the Ponte Vecchio, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Palazzo Vecchio, all literally at hand.
ACTIVITIES in FLORENCE:
- Guided Tour of Accademia Gallery and Skip-the-Line tickets:
Today you will visit the Accademia Gallery, one of the most exciting museums in the world.
Smaller than the Uffizi Gallery, it offers a collection of unique treasures. This tour was developed with the help of specialists in Art History. As a result, you will be able to see one of the museum’s jewels, that is overlooked by many other agencies: the collection of musical instruments in the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini.
This section includes an original Stradivarius from 1690 made by Antonio Stradivari for the Great Prince, and the first modern piano, which was invented in Florence.
You will then move on to the museum’s other treasures by Michelangelo, and unveil their secrets in the greatest detail. Afterward, you will discover the artistic pinnacle of Michelangelo’s magnificent David, the symbol of the city of Florence. Be delighted with the secrets and entertaining anecdotes that only our professional guides know. As the fast entrance ticket is included, your quick entry is guaranteed which ordinary visitors don’t get. After the guided tour is over you can remain in the museum and continue exploring.
- Uffizi Gallery Tour – Skip-the-Line
On this guided tour see the world-class collection of one of Europe’s oldest art museums, the Ufizzi Gallery. Using an audio headset, learn the stories behind masterpieces by Renaissance greats including Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Leonardo da Vinci. See masterpieces of Renaissance art by Michelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and more Listen to live narration using an audio headset A must-see!
- Private Food Tasting Tour
Join your private local foodie guide to get an insider’s perspective on Florence’s vibrant food scene. Go behind the scenes and discover the food favorites most beloved by locals. Sip on an authentic Italian espresso, haggle over fresh pasta at the bustling Sant’Ambrogio market, and sample regional delicacies like Tuscan street food and the best gelato in Florence. Learn how the best Italian ingredients are chosen at the city’s outdoor market. Explore the history-filled city on foot and get a peek at landmarks as you travel between locations.
Your Journey to Italy continues in Siena
Day 11-12 Siena, Italy
ACCOMMODATIONS:
The NH Siena hotel, formerly known as NH Excelsior, is a great place for tourists. A short walk takes you into the heart of Siena, with its wealth of historical landmarks, Gothic architecture, and pavement cafés.
ACTIVITIES in SIENA:
- Grape stomping in a Tuscan farmhouse
It’s time to take off your shoes and – literally – immerse yourself into the ancient Tuscan culture on a grape stomping excursion to the Chianti hills. In addition to grinding grapes into juice with your bare feet, you’ll also get an up-close look at life at a Tuscan winery.
A visit to the wine cellar and tasting is also included.
After you’ve stomped to your heart’s content, replenish your strength with a homemade lunch.
- Stomp grapes in the traditional fashion
- Eat a homemade Italian lunch Enjoy a wine tasting
- Get the personalized experience of a private guide.
It is truly one of the most authentic and amazing experiences.
Your Journey to Italy continues in Rome
Day 13-16 Rome, Italy
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Hotel Artemide is situated in the historic center of Rome, in Via Nazionale, one of the most vibrant streets of the capital. Shops, boutiques, cafés, theatres, art galleries, and bars: nothing is too far away for you!
Here, there is no better way to describe the Hotel Artemide in the heart of Rome.
The 4-star Hotel Artemide in Rome lies within a grandiose and completely restored building from 1877.
A dome in Art Nouveau style that welcomes you into the lobby is our way of demonstrating just how much we love our history and that we want to take care of preserving its remnants.
It is the staff who know how to give meaning to the word hospitality.
ACTIVITIES in ROME:
- Skip-the-Line Guided Tour of Colosseum Underground, Arena, and Forum
Explore areas of the Colosseum not accessible to regular ticket holders, and see the underground level, the Arena, Belvedere, and the Roman Forum. Along the way, your tour will be brought to life with guide commentary through headsets. Hassle-free tour with entry to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum included. Hear your guide clearly through headsets See restricted areas of the Undergrounds, Arena, and Belvedere
- Prati District by Sunset Rome Food Tour
See Rome like a local and experience the Prati District with all your senses on this delicious sunset walking and eating tour. With your knowledgeable local guide, popping into different gourmet food stores you will sample a plethora of foods.
Visit some real hidden gems, as you snack on cured meats and cheeses, eat amazing pizza, and meet some of the artisanal food makers who give you recipes and food-making tips. Group sizes are limited to 13 people. Hang out in Prati, a neighborhood relatively free of tourists, and experience Rome like a real Roman Eat everything from pizza to cheese to cured meats.
- Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour
Skip the line small group tour.
Experience the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel in an intimate group of up to 10 participants. This option ends at Sistine Chapel.
- Cooking and Dining experience at a local’s home in Rome
No better way to end your time in Italy than to spend your last night in the home of a local. A very warm Italian welcome leads to a class on how to prepare an authentic Roman meal from scratch during this four-course cooking workshop, which includes dinner.
Receive personalized, hands-on instruction in making a starter, pasta, main course, and dessert—plus a proper Roman espresso. Meals include red and white wines,
Take home memories to last a lifetime and an apron and reusable shopping bag. Learn how Italians eat and drink and skip the tourist track to meet authentic Roman locals.
Contact your Travel Advisor
Lisa Crawford
Luxury Travel Advisor, Founder, and CEO
Contact Lisa Crawford today at 954-456-0419
