Itinerary
- Day 1
Venice
You'll arrive in Venice and take a water taxi from the airport straight to your hotel, which is the proper way to enter the city. Your Travel Director has set up dinner at a local restaurant where you can grab a cocktail with live music. Later on, head to St. Mark's Square once the tourist crowds have cleared out for a quieter look at the surroundings.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner at a local restaurant with Travel Director and fellow travellers, featuring traditional Venetian fare)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio, Venice)
Included Activities
- Dinner at a local restaurant with Travel Director
- Cocktail at twilight with live music ensemble
- Evening visit to St. Mark's Square
Landmarks St. Mark's Square 
- Day 2
Venice
This morning you'll start at St. Mark's Square to see the basilica, Clock Tower, Campanile, and Doge's Palace, which connects through the Bridge of Sighs. There's a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience where you can watch traditional glassblowing demonstrations. After that, the rest of your day opens up so you can wander the arcades, or if you prefer, take a boat out to Burano island to try local food and drinks.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio, Venice)
Included Activities
- Visit St. Mark's Basilica
- Visit Clock Tower
- Visit Campanile
- Visit Doge's Palace
- Visit Bridge of Sighs
- MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience - Traditional glassblowing demonstration
Optional Activities
- Shopping in small arcades
- Cruise to Burano island with meal of local specialities and wine
Landmarks St. Mark's Basilica Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio) Campanile di San Marco Doge's Palace Bridge of Sighs Burano - Day 3
Rome
You're heading into the Apennine Mountains and then to Tuscany to meet a local host at Niccolò Machiavelli's Renaissance home. There you'll see his private office where he wrote 'The Prince', walk through the Italian gardens, and tour an historic cellar with a secret underground tunnel. You'll have wine tasting and Tuscan snacks, then continue on to Rome for a private after-hours visit to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes to see the Byzantine mosaics and Bernini's first sculpture.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Wine tasting of locally made wines and Tuscan snacks at Machiavelli's home cellar)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Room 007 Select, Rome)
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Niccolò Machiavelli's house and private office
- Visit to Italian gardens at Machiavelli's home
- Visit to historic cellar with secret underground tunnel
- Wine tasting and Tuscan snacks at Machiavelli's home
- Private after-hours visit to Basilica of Saint Praxedes
- View Byzantine mosaics and Bernini's first sculpture
Landmarks Machiavelli's House Basilica of Saint Praxedes Tiber River - Day 4
Rome
Working with your Local Expert, you'll enter the Vatican Museums using fast-track entry to view the Papal art collection. Inside you'll see Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica where the Pieta and dome are located. Later, cross the Tiber to view the Colosseum from the outside. Your afternoon is free to do as you like.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Room 007 Select, Rome)
Included Activities
- Visit Vatican Museums with fast-track entry
- View Papal art collection
- Visit Sistine Chapel and view Michelangelo's ceiling
- Visit St. Peter's Basilica
- View Michelangelo's Pietà
- View St. Peter's Basilica dome
- Visit exterior of Colosseum
Landmarks Vatican Museums Sistine Chapel St. Peter's Basilica Colosseum Tiber River - Day 5
Florence
Meet Chef Lorenzo at his family farm in Umbria to learn about Italian cooking during a pasta demonstration. You'll have lunch with Orvieto Classico wine, then travel on to your hotel in Florence.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch with Chef Lorenzo accompanied by Orvieto Classico wine)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Villa Neroli, Florence)
Included Activities
- Meet Chef Lorenzo at family farm
- Pasta demonstration and cooking experience
- Lunch with Chef Lorenzo
- Day 6
Florence
Your Local Expert will take you through Florence's multicoloured marble cathedral, bell tower, and baptistery with Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. Head to Piazza della Signoria, the city's political center, to see the open-air Renaissance gallery. The afternoon is yours to explore the city, or you can choose to travel to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Villa Neroli, Florence)
Included Activities
- View Florence Cathedral (Duomo)
- View bell tower (Campanile)
- View baptistery with Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise
- Visit Piazza della Signoria
- View open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces
Optional Activities
- Visit Pisa and see the Leaning Tower
Landmarks Florence Cathedral (Duomo) Campanile di Giotto Baptistery of Florence Piazza della Signoria Leaning Tower of Pisa - Day 7
Lucerne
You're heading north toward the Italian Lake District by way of Lake Lugano. The route takes you through the Swiss Alps via the Saint Gotthard Tunnel, one of the world's longest road tunnels, with mountain views and rushing water alongside. When you arrive at Lake Lucerne, you'll see the Lion Monument carved into limestone, walk across the Chapel Bridge, and visit the baroque Jesuit Church.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Astoria Lucerne)
Included Activities
- Pass through Saint Gotthard Tunnel
- View Lake Lugano
- View Lake Lucerne
- View Lion Monument
- Stroll across Chapel Bridge
- Visit Jesuit Church
Landmarks Lake Lugano Saint Gotthard Tunnel Lake Lucerne Lion Monument Chapel Bridge Jesuit Church 
- Day 8
Lucerne
There's a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience on Mount Stanserhorn using an open-top cable car with solar panel power. You'll walk scenic paths looking for marmots and have the chance to hear a conservation talk from a Swiss ranger. On clear days, views reach toward Alsace and the Black Forest in Germany. Later, the day opens up to shop for chocolate in the Old Town or take a horse-drawn carriage into the countryside. You'll enjoy a Dine-Around Evening with several restaurant options.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dine-Around Evening with fine selection of restaurants offering choice of cuisine and ambience)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Astoria Lucerne)
Included Activities
- Mount Stanserhorn - Open-top solar-powered cable car experience
- Scenic mountain pathways walk
- Conservation talk by Swiss ranger
Optional Activities
- Shop for chocolate in traffic-free Old Town
- Horse-drawn carriage ride in the countryside
- Meet local farmers
Landmarks Mount Stanserhorn Lucerne Old Town 
- Day 9
Paris
You'll travel through the rural French countryside of Burgundy, known for vineyards and wine production, and arrive in Paris. You'll see the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre facades. Walk along the Seine and its bridges, see Place de la Concorde, and drive down the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Your evening is free to take in Paris's lively atmosphere.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Le Meridien Paris Arc de Triomphe)
Included Activities
- View Eiffel Tower
- View Notre-Dame Cathedral
- View Louvre facade
- Visit banks of the Seine
- View Place de la Concorde and obelisk
- Drive along Champs-Élysées
- View Arc de Triomphe
Optional Activities
- Visit world-famous cabaret shows
Landmarks Eiffel Tower Notre-Dame Cathedral Louvre Seine River Place de la Concorde Champs-Élysées Arc de Triomphe 
- Day 10
Paris
Start exploring Paris with Insight Choice by picking your experience: either the Montorgueil district to see community life, or join a local food lover visiting places where Parisians shop and sample treats from small shops. In the evening, you'll have dinner at the well-known restaurant L'Alsace for refined French cuisine.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Refined French cuisine at iconic restaurant L'Alsace)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Le Meridien Paris Arc de Triomphe)
Included Activities
- Insight Choice activity in Paris
- Dinner at iconic restaurant L'Alsace
Landmarks Montorgueil District - Day 11
Paris to Departure
Your journey ends here as you say goodbye to your traveling companions. Transfers will take you to Charles de Gaulle Airport for your departure.
- Meals
- Breakfast
