Bella Italia Tour

Bella Italia

Tours Starts: Rome, Italy

Tours Ends: Milan, Italy

Day 1

Depart for Rome

Your adventure begins as you depart the U.S. on your transatlantic flight. Overnight in flight.

Day 2

Arrive in Rome

Arrive in historic Rome. This evening meet your fellow travelers and learn about the exciting days ahead, then relax over a tasty Italian dinner. (D)

Hotel H10 Roma or similar

Day 3

Vatican City

This morning, take a guided tour of Vatican City, home of the Pope. Explore the Vatican Museums, which house some of the most important and valuable art treasures in the world. Visit the Sistine Chapel to see floor-to-ceiling biblical frescoes painted by Michelangelo in around 1512, St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square. (B)

Hotel H10 Roma or similar

Note: Touring the Vatican Museums requires walking up several staircases and 2-3 hours of walking.

Day 4

Rome

A full-day sightseeing tour includes the highlights of this Eternal City. Today’s sights include outside views of the Roman Forum, once a marketplace and center of daily Roman life, and the Colosseum (entrances not included), the Piazza Navona and the renowned Spanish Steps along with the fabled Trevi Fountain. (B)

Hotel H10 Roma or similar

Day 5

Orvieto and Montecatini Terme

Depart Rome this morning and travel north into the picturesque Umbrian countryside. We stop and take the funicular up to the ancient town of Orvieto, where you can explore the rich history of this charming town and admire a variety of Etruscan, Medieval, and Renaissance art. The Orvieto funicular (a cliff cable railway) first opened in 1888 and uses water and gravity to transport its cars up and down the hillside. We then continue north and by late afternoon arrive at Montecatini Terme, a beautiful spa town that was built around its mineral water springs, where we spend the next two nights. (B)

Hotel Tamerici & Principe or similar

Day 6

Florence and Pisa

Today’s full-day excursion starts with a short drive toward the Mediterranean coast and the city of Pisa. See the Leaning Tower of Pisa and enjoy a walking tour of Florence, during which you can see the 13th century Duomo with the Brunelleschi dome and Giotto’s Campanile (bell tower). See Ghiberti’s golden “Gates of Paradise” doors at the marble-clad Baptistery of St. John, the Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio, the medieval bridge spanning the River Arno, complete with shops built along it. (B)

Hotel Tamerici & Principe or similar

Day 7

Bologna and Venice

We drive northeast and stop in Bologna. Probably best known for its culinary tradition, Bologna also has an impressive history and is home to the world's oldest university, founded in 1088. Enjoy some time on your own and perhaps pasta with authentic bolognese sauce (ragu alla bolognese in Italian) before we continue toward the Adriatic coast. We’ll arrive in the Venice area by late afternoon and will stay just a few miles across the lagoon from the historic city. (B, D)

Crowne Plaza Venice East or similar

Day 8

Venice

Enjoy a sightseeing tour of this amazing city, now a World Heritage Site, built on an archipelago of 117 islands in a lagoon. Formed by 177 canals and connected by 409 bridges, Venice is unique in Europe in having remained a sizable functioning city in the twenty-first century entirely without motorcars or trucks. Transfer by boat to St. Mark’s Square where you’ll begin your walking tour to see the lavish Doge’s Palace, (entrance not included) and the fabled Bridge of Sighs as well as the Rialto Bridge, Venice’s oldest, spanning the Grand Canal. This afternoon you are free to wander through the labyrinth of canals and alleyways, lined with boutiques and souvenir shops, or perhaps relax and “people watch” over an espresso or tasty Italian gelato. If you want to get out on the water, there are a variety of boat rides available (not included) from water taxis to the traditional gondolas. By the end of the day you’ll be truly inspired by the history and romance of this wonderful city. (B)

Crowne Plaza Venice East or similar

Day 9

Verona & Milan

Today we head through the lush northern Italian landscape to Verona. A city best known as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it also offers wonderful examples of Medieval and Renaissance art and architecture. Our walking tour includes the Duomo (cathedral), Piazza delle Erbe with the famous Torre dei Lamberti (high tower), and of course the house of Juliet, with its famous balcony. Continue west to Milan, capital of the region of Lombardy. Your panoramic sightseeing tour highlights will include Piazza del Duomo, the main central square surrounded by several important buildings, such as Milan’s Gothic cathedral and the Royal Palace of Milan. You’ll also have a chance to see Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, an impressive and ornate indoor shopping arcade built in 1865, as well as La Scala Opera House. (B, D)

Crowne Plaza Milan Malpensa or similar

Day 10

Depart for Home (B)

Your Italy vacation comes to an end today as you depart for home with newfound friends a suitcase full of memories to last a lifetime!

Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations. By their nature, all tour vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights.