CHRISTMAS IN ROME & NEW YEAR'S EVE IN VENICE 9 DAYS FROM $2,299 US Details below or
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A very special vacation! Arrive in Rome and enjoy guided sightseeing with included visits to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. Bask in the Christmas atmosphere in Vatican City. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant on Christmas Eve, and spend Christmas day in Rome. Then, drive to Assisi, where a guided walking tour includes the Basilicas of St. Clare and St. Francis. Continue to Florence, where your Local Guide will show you Michelangelo’s David and more. Via Romeo and Juliet’s Verona, arrive in Venice for your 3-night stay. Visit St. Mark’s Basilica, lavish Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, and celebrate New Year’s Eve at a local restaurant. A unique way to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve!
Note: Christmas Eve in Rome and New Year’s Eve in Venice.
Day 1 Arrive in Rome, Italy Time to rest or to start exploring the “Eternal City.” At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome drink at your hotel.
Day 2 Rome
Start with a guided visit of the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Next, visit ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Then, cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM. Tonight is Christmas Eve—enjoy a special Christmas dinner with wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 3 Christmas in Rome
A whole day to further explore Rome or to go to Mass. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for how to spend your day. (Breakfast)
Day 4 Rome–Assisi
In peaceful Assisi, walk with your Local Guide from ST. CLARE’S CHURCH via pretty Piazza del Comune down to ST. FRANCIS’ BASILICA. Hear about monastic life and admire the priceless frescoes adorning the walls of the church. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 5 Assisi–Florence
A leisurely departure today for Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Enjoy time to explore the city and the many shops. (Breakfast)
Day 6 Florence
Follow your Local Guide to the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David and the magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Tonight, why not join an optional dinner outing to a fine Tuscan restaurant and try out the Chianti wines? (Breakfast)
Day 7 Florence–Verona–Venice
Stop in Romeo and Juliet’s Verona to see Juliet’s Balcony and the Arena, the Roman amphitheater. Arrive in style by PRIVATE BOAT in Venice, powerful magnet for romantics and art lovers. (Breakfast)
Day 8 Venice
Highlights of your guided walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and its BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Later, you may wish to join an optional cruise to the charming island of Burano, followed by dinner. (Breakfast)
Day 9 At Leisure. New Year’s Eve in Venice
A whole day at leisure to further explore Venice. Tonight, celebrate New Year’s Eve with your traveling companions and enjoy an included farewell dinner with wine at a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 10 Venice
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)
INCLUDED FEATURES
Headsets throughout the tour
Rome:
Welcome drink; guided sightseeing, visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica; Christmas Eve dinner at a local restaurant
Assisi:
Guided walking tour, visit St. Clare’s Church and St. Francis’ Basilica
Florence:
Guided walking tour, visit Michelangelo’s David, the cathedral, and Signoria Square
Verona:
Walking tour including Juliet’s Balcony and the Arena
Venice:
Private boat ride; guided walking tour, visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; glassblowers’ demonstration; New Year’s Eve dinner at a local restaurant
INSIDE VISITS
Inside visits and special features are shown in the description, including admission charges when applicable.
MEALS
Full buffet breakfast; 3 dinners, including a welcome drink and a Christmas Eve dinner with wine in Rome and a New Year’s Eve dinner with wine in Venice.
SUPERIOR HOTELS - (D) Deluxe (SF) Superior First-Class (F) First-Class
Rome Starhotels Michelangelo (SF), Assisi Windsor Savoia (F) or Subasio (F), Forence Starhotels Michelangelo (SF) or Albani (SF), Venice Residence Palazzo Selvadego (F) or Bonvecchiati (SF)
Optional Excursions
Important Note:
the following list of optional excursions are examples only for this vacation as they are the excursions that are being offered for this vacation in the current travel year. These optional excursions might or might not be offered next year, as well as new optional excursions might be offered. Information about what optional excursions will be offered for your vacation will be available later this year into next year. If no example excursions are listed, please check back later.
Here's a list of optional excursions you can enjoy during your vacation. Whether it's a special dinner, a local show or a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into an historical site, optional excursions are a wonderful way to enrich your vacation even further. Plus, they give you flexibility. We include the must-see sites and experiences, and we also understand that people take interest in different activities and may want to craft a more personal vacation by hand-picking optional excursions that appeal to them.
Availability is subject to sufficient participation, weather conditions, seasonal suitability, days of operation, group interests, and general feasibility for your vacation. The approximate value listed gives you a good, general idea of what you can expect to pay but may vary once you are on your vacation. Some information provided might be in a foreign currency.
CITY: Florence
Tuscan Dinner
Drive out to the Tuscan Hills to enjoy a traditional Florentine meal, including drinks, in a picturesque country setting. Approximate value: EUR €53 per person
Highlights of Uffizi Gallery
Admire the world's greatest collection of Italian and Florentine art. The GALLERY showcases works by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and Michelangelo. Approximate value: EUR €34 per person
Renaissance Dinner
In the magnificent setting of Palazzo Borghese, enjoy a four-course dinner with wine served by waiters wearing costumes inspired by the great Florentine banquets of the 15th century. Original Renaissance music, ballets, and a jester will add to the cheerful evening. Approximate value: EUR €52 per person
CITY: Rome
Excursion to Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica at the mouth of the Tiber is the home port for ancient Rome's conquest of the Mediterranean. Your local guide relates the surprisingly sophisticated urban life of more than 2,000 years ago as your visit a Roman theatre, an ancient mill, and the luxurious Forum Baths. Note: Comfortable walking shoes are advised. Approximate value: EUR €46 per person
Roman Highlights
A guided walking tour takes you to some of the most famous monuments. Admire the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti, Piazza Navona, Parliament, and Pantheon. A four-course dinner including drinks at a popular Roman restaurant can also be added for the total price of EUR 65.00 per person. Approximate value: EUR €37 per person
CITY: Venice
A Venetian Night Out
Travel by private water taxi along the splendid Grand Canal with its elegant palaces to a fine Venetian restaurant, and taste four mouth-watering courses of local specialties and wine. Later there's time to explore and absorb the romantic and unique atmosphere of Venice by night. Approximate value: EUR €68 per person
Gondola Serenade
Enjoy a serenaded ride in a traditional gondola (for 6 people), gliding through centuries-old canals, under famous arched bridges, and past lavish palaces and quaint piazzas. Approximate value: EUR €37 per person
Lagoon Cruise with Lunch or Dinner in Burano
Leave the crowds of Venice behind and appreciate the peaceful vistas of the Lagoon while you glide past the islands of San Giorgio, Santa Elena, and the famous Lido. In the picturesque fishing village of Burano, renowned for its pastel-colored houses, savor a four-course lunch/dinner with drinks included. Afterward there's time to shop and stroll. Approximate value: EUR €67 per person
DEPARTURE
DATES
December
PRICES
From approx $2,299 US
per person
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