Italy’s Classic Cities

Day 1: UK/Venice
Depart on your scheduled flight to Venice. On arrival, transfer to your hotel in nearby Lido di Jesolo on Italy’s Adriatic Coast, where you will stay for two nights on a half-board basis.

Day 2: Venice
Today’s full-day included excursion will introduce you to the extraordinary floating city of Venice. You’ll see all the main sights such as St Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge and the Doge’s Palace before enjoying some free time to explore at your own pace. Stroll through the narrow lanes and discover delightful squares and boutiques or take your seat in one of the cafés. Live music can often be heard in Venice’s streets, a welcome addition to a relaxing meal. Perhaps try the excellent seafood on offer or cicchetti – the Venetian version of tapas. Before you return to your hotel for dinner this evening, there will be time to step aboard a gondola and view Venice in style as a gondolier expertly navigates you through its maze of canals and bridges.

Day 3: Bologna
After breakfast you will start your journey across Italy and into Tuscany’s glorious countryside. En route you’ll visit the ‘Red City’ of Bologna, so called because of the eye-catching red stone which features in much of its architecture. It has a wonderful old centre, stylish squares and the imposing Church of San Petronio to explore, or why not find a restaurant and treat yourself to a delicious lunch – Bolognese sauce and tortellini are just two of the culinary specialities that originated here. You will arrive at your base for the next three nights in the lovely spa resort of Montecatini Terme early this evening, so relax or explore the area a little before dinner.

Day 4: Florence
Join today’s included full-day tour of Florence – the ‘Art City’ of Italy and home to such masters as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Your Local Guide will show you the highlights, including the Ponte Vecchio, the wonderful cathedral and its charming streets which remind you at every turn that Florence is considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance. As well as often being referred to as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a great place to indulge in a spot of shopping.

Day 5: Montecatini Terme
Spend today at leisure in Montecatini Terme, which has been revered for its curative waters since at least the 16th century. Alternatively, join our optional half-day excursion to Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower. One of four buildings which make up the cathedral complex and what is known as the Field of Miracles, the tower took 176 years to complete and began to lean shortly after construction. Its lean has now been halted, and it is predicted it will remain strong for another two centuries. Enjoy your final evening in Tuscany before tomorrow’s journey to Rome.

Day 6: Orvieto
Enjoy breakfast before leaving Tuscany and heading south towards the region of Lazio and Rome. On the way you’ll visit the impressive fortress town of Orvieto which has a historical centre well worth exploring. You’ll arrive in the traditional spa resort of Fiuggi, which is located in the hills of Monti Ernici, late afternoon. The waters here are said to have restorative properties and the town itself, where you’ll stay for two nights, is centred around two spas set in an attractive park and boasts an appealing selection of shops, restaurants and cafés.

Day 7: Rome
On today’s included full-day tour of Rome you’ll step back in time as you get to know some of the city’s most famous landmarks in the company of a Local Guide. You’ll see the Colosseum, where gladiators would fight for public entertainment in the 1st century, and the landlocked sovereign city state of the Vatican City. There will also be plenty of time to admire St Peter’s Basilica, the Spanish Steps and the wonderful Trevi Fountain – toss a coin in over your shoulder and legend has it that you are guaranteed a return visit to this fascinating city.

Day 8: Rome/UK
Your holiday comes to an end today as you are transferred to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Please note
To maximise your enjoyment of this holiday a certain amount of walking is essential.

Accommodation throughout is in hotels of a comfortable standard, typical of the hotels you will stay in are:

3-star Hotel Salus in Lido di Jesolo
4-star Grand Hotel Panoramic in Tuscany
4-star San Giorgio or similar in Fiuggi
These are comfortable hotels which feature a bar, restaurant and lift. Bedrooms are equipped with television, telephone and en suite facilities.

Hotels will be confirmed in your final documentation.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Included excursions and visits

Venice (full day)
Bologna visit
Florence (full day)
Orvieto visit
Rome (full day)

Optional excursions

Pisa (half day, minimal walking) £30
For full details of this excursion please see page 11 of our Italy Optional Excursions booklet

Your holiday includes

The services of a Travelsphere Tour manager and Local Guide
Scheduled flights
Overseas transfers and other transportation
7 nights’ accommodation
Half-board basis
Hotel porterage (one bag per person)
All airport taxes and security charges
UK Airline Passenger Duty
All state and local taxes

With 50 years’ experience in arranging escorted tours to exciting destinations across the globe, Travelsphere have built an excellent reputation founded on quality and value.

By choosing a Travelsphere escorted holiday you can travel with confidence, knowing that every aspect of your holiday has been carefully planned and arranged from start to finish. Further to this they are ATOL bonded and members of ABTA.

Travelsphere’s thorough planning of travel arrangements, itineraries and accommodation combined with the unique insight of their knowledgeable Tour Managers and Local Guides will enable you to experience the culture, traditions and hidden away places less accessible to other travellers.

Our Opinion
“Travelsphere are one of the biggest names in the Escorted Tour market. Finely tuned over the last 50 years their tours have been tried, tested and refined by thousands of customers.”