Treasures of Italy Student Tour

Day 1

Flight to Venice

Flight to Venice: You depart from home today on your overnight flight to Venice.

Day 2

Arrive in Venice. walking tour including the Rialto Bridge and St Marks's Square

Walking Tour of Venice: After check in at your hotel there will be time for a walking tour to explore the city’s narrow streets and hidden piazzas. You see the famous white marble Rialto Bridge which spans the Grand Canal and St. Mark’s Square where musical bands play and cafés spill onto the square.

Evening: Dinner this evening will be at a restaurant in one of the city’s lively piazzas

Day 3

Doges Palace and free time to explore Venice

Doge’s Palace: One of the most famous buildings in Venice, the Doge was the ruler of Venice and the mighty Venetian Republic. Built in the Venetian gothic style the Palace is famous for its gilded ceilings and opulent apartments, decorated with works of art by Veronese, Titian, Bellini and Tintoretto.

Free Time: There will be free time to explore Venice on your own. You can ascend St Mark’s Bell Tower, the Campanile, for a spectacular view across the city.

Day 4

Padua and Verona

Padua: This morning you travel to the historic city of Padua with its medieval marketplaces. Padua is famous for its frescoes and the highlights are those by the thirteenth century artist Giotti which appear on the walls of the Scrovegni Chapel. These frescoes, which are of great historical importance, have been remarkably preserved and have incredibly vibrant colours.

Verona: You continue to fair Verona where you have time for lunch, to see the Roman Arena, where performances at the annual opera festival are staged, and to explore the historic old city. No visit to Verona is complete without seeing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet balcony.

Day 5

Ravenna and Florence

Ravenna: This morning you travel by private bus to Ravenna, famous for its well-preserved late Roman and Byzantine architecture and extensive Byzantine mosaics. The highlights are the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo which features 26 mosaic scenes from the New Testament, and the Chapel of Sant’Andrea, the only chapel of the early Christian era that is still fully preserved.

Travel to Florence: In the afternoon you travel to Florence. On arrival you visit the Piazzale Michelangelo for a spectacular view across the city.

Dinner at the Hard Rock Café:    Dinner this evening will be at the Hard Rock Café.

Day 6

Exploring Florence including the Uffizi Museum and the Duomo

Uffizi Museum: This morning you visit the Uffizi Museum, the most famous art museum in Florence. Situated near the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio, it originally built for the art collection of wealthy Medici family. It became a public gallery as long ago at 1765 and today houses an incredible collection of paintings including artists such as Bellini, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Among its most famous paintings are Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Caravaggio’s Medusa.

Lunch: You have time for lunch and there are many options in this area.

The Duomo: In the afternoon you ascend the Cupola of the Duomo – the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. This spectacular basilica took more than 100 years to build and was completed by 1436. The dome was the work of the celebrated architect Brunelleschi. On the interior of the dome, you can admire Giorgio Vasari’s frescoes of the Last Judgment, and from the top you have a spectacular view across the red-tiled roof tops of Florence.
Evening: Dinner this evening will be at a traditional Italian restaurant on the lively Piazza delle Signoria.

Day 7

Pisa and the Leaning Tower

Travel to Pisa: This morning you travel to Pisa where you explore the Piazza dei Miracoli with its Cathedral, Baptistry and of course the instantly recognisable Leaning Tower.

Leaning Tower of Pisa: The Tower is actually the campanile or freestanding bell tower, of the Cathedral. It took almost 200 years to build and was eventually completed in the 14th century. It gained its famous lean early in construction due to the soft ground on which it stands. You will be able to climb the Tower which will give you a sensational view across the city, as well as the unusual and somewhat unnerving experience of walking up the sloping staircase.

Lunch and Free Time: There will be time for lunch and free time to explore on your own before traveling back to Florence.

Accademia Museum: The Accademia is famous for the magnificent giant marble sculptures created by Michelangelo, and above all, the glorious David which stands in a position of prominence at the end of a long gallery. There are also works of art by several famous Italian artists including Botticelli, many of which were commissioned by the Medici Family.

Day 8

Siena and san Gimignano

Siena: This morning you visit the city of Siena, possibly Italy’s most attractive medieval city. At the heart of Siena is the central piazza known as Il Campo, famous worldwide for annual Palio, a horse race run around two laps of the piazza.

San Gimignano: In the afternoon you explore some of Tuscany at the hill top village of San Gimignano, famous for its fascinating medieval architecture and towers that rise above the other buildings. Exploring San Gimignano is a step back in time.

Day 9

Travel to Rome and walking tour of the historic center

Travel to Rome: This morning you travel to Rome.

Historic Center Walking Tour: After lunch you have a guided walking tour of the historic centre taking in all the famous sights including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and the wonderful Piazza Navona where you can try the world famous tartufo ice cream. You cross the River Tiber to Castel Sant Angelo and finally arrive at the Vatican and St. Peters Square.

Evening: Dinner this evening will be at a city center restaurant.

Day 10

Vatican Museums, St Peters Basilica and the Vittorio Emanuele Monument

Vatican Museums: This morning you have a guided tour of the Vatican Museums which includes the magnificent Gallery of Maps. The highlight is undoubtedly Michelangelo’s extraordinary ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.

St. Peter’s Basilica: You continue to St. Peter’s Basilica where there are many treasures and artworks including the famous Pieta sculpture by Michelangelo. In the crypt, you see the tombs of many former Popes stretching back hundreds of years.

Lunch: There will be time for lunch in the Vatican City.

Vittorio Emanuele Monument: After lunch you see the dazzling white marble of the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, now a memorial to Italy’s unknown soldier. An elevator trip to the top of the Monument reveals one of the best views in Rome.

Day 11

Visit to the Colosseum and free time to explore Rome

Colosseum: This morning you visit the Colosseum. Gladiatorial combats took place here where over 50,000 spectators watched gladiators fight. You then enter the ruins of the Roman Forum, with its many temples and triumphal arches. Above the Forum you find the Palatine Hill and the ruins of its ancient palaces, once the home of Emperors and the site of temples.

Free Time: This afternoon will be free for you to explore Rome on your own and do some shopping on the Via del Corso.

Day 12

Fly Home

Flight Home: This morning you transfer to the airport for your flight back home.