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Bella Italia Escape
Overview
Short Description
Visit some of Italy’s most iconic, romantic, and stunning locations on this escorted tour of Italy: from legendary Venice to Florence, Rome, and Sorrento. With fewer crowds and lower pricing, you’ll enjoy your time in Italy even more. What better way to start your Escape than with a delicious welcome dinner in Venice? Your Venetian experience also includes a private boat ride, a guided walking tour; a visit to St. Mark’s Square, the Doges’ Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. Also witness the age-old tradition of glassblowing performed by a local artisan. Travel to Pisa—home of the famous Leaning Tower—before continuing on to Florence, considered to be the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Florence is an art-lovers dream, and your sightseeing highlights include Michelangelo’s David statue in the Academy of Fine Arts. You’ll also travel to Assisi to visit the Basilica of St. Francis—named after the saint who sought the virtues of humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and best known for his love of God’s creatures. Spend two nights in Rome where your Local Guide takes you to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, where you will see Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment. You’ll visit St. Peter’s Square and Basilica—with the artist’s marble-sculpted masterpiece, La Pietà. Drive to the Imperial Roman Forum area to visit the Colosseum—ancient arena of the gladiators. Journey along the Highway of the Sun to Pompeii—the legendary city both destroyed and preserved by erupting Mount Vesuvius. Get a sense of life during Rome’s ruling era with your expert Local Guide, then, continue to Sorrento for two nights. You’ll enjoy a full day of leisure in this charming bayside resort. Your Tour Director will share suggestions for spending free time in Sorrento. This is one Italy vacation you’ll remember not for the crowds, but for the ease of discovering these beautiful cities and sites of Bella Italia and Sorrento!
Itinerary
Day 1
ARRIVE IN VENICE ISLAND, ITALY Welcome to Venice! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
Day 2
VENICE ISLAND Italian Beauties VENICE Take a private Boat Ride on the canals. Guided walking tour includes St. Mark’s Square and views of the Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Glassblower demonstration and free time. (B)TOUR HIGHLIGHTHISTORIC SPOT Locals simply call Piazza San Marco “la piazza.” As paired with the smaller Piazzetta, it forms the social, religious, and political hub of Venice, which Napoleon called “the drawing room of Europe.” St. Mark’s Basilica dominates the square, offering visitors a spectacular view of the great arches, marble embellishments, and the Romanesque carvings of its façade. Also gracing the square is Doge’s Palace – a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture. The enclosed Bridge of Sighs, connecting the palace with the prison, is named for the prisoners sighs at seeing their last view of the Rio di Palazzo on their walk to the prison rooms.
Day 3
VENICE ISLAND–PISA–FLORENCE The Tilted Tower PISA Take photos near the Leaning Tower en route to Florence. (B) 240 mi/ 420 kmTOUR HIGHLIGHT ART & ARCHITECTURE See architecture gone askew from the viewpoint of the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa. Take the ultimate selfie in front of the Leaning Tower with a tilt of the head or other popular poses to commemorate your visit to the site of medieval art in this beautiful piazza.
Day 4
FLORENCE–ASSISI Fine Art in Firenze FLORENCE Guided sightseeing includes Michelangelo’s masterpiece, David, at the Academy of Fine Arts, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gates of Paradise,” and Signoria Square. Then on to Assisi. (B,D) 112 mi/ 180 kmTOUR HIGHLIGHT ART & ARCHITECTURE Those lucky enough to visit the Tuscan capital are witness to some of the world’s most magnificent art. Home to a wealth of Rennaissance masterpieces, Florence is famous for Michelangelo’s Marble Masterpiece, David, standing ready for battle in the Academy of Fine Arts. Outside, the Piazza del Duomo and Signoria Square offer spectacular sights of Florentine Gothic and Renaissance art, architecture, and monuments.
Day 5
ASSISI–ROME The Patron Saint of Italy ASSISI [LF] Visit the Basilica of St. Francis. Free time this evening. (B)112 mi/ 180 kmTOUR HIGHLIGHT ICONIC FOOTSTEPS Walk in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi with a visit to the Basilica named after the deacon, friar, and mystic, who became one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity. Revered for his love of the Eucharist and the Earth, Francis found communion with God through nature here in this Italian village where he lived and died. Marvel at the magnificent frescoes by Italian master Giotto that adorn the Basilica where the saint is buried.
Day 6
ROME Roman Holiday ROME Guided sightseeing includes the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum. Free afternoon. (B)TOUR HIGHLIGHT LEGENDARY LIVES Stand in awe and wonder amid one of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements in the Sistine Chapel. Hear how in 1508, a young Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II to decorate the chapel’s ceiling – a request not welcomed by the 33-year-old sculptor. Michelangelo’s 4-year project was indeed one of physical pain and psychological distress, while painting from scaffolds high above the sanctuary floor. Nevertheless, he created what is considered the most famous ceiling in the world, depicting the Creation of Adam in striking fresco style.
Day 7
ROME–POMPEII–SORRENTO Historic Proportions POMPEII Take a guided walking tour of the excavations.Scenic drive en route to Sorrento. (B) 170 mi/ 270 kmTOUR HIGHLIGHTLEGENDS & LORE The fascinating archaeological site of Pompeii is a treasured glimpse into Roman life near the Bay of Naples. This once thriving and sophisticated Roman city was consumed by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., with its residents and structures buried beneath inescapable ash and stone. See the preserved site of excavated ruins that reveal remarkable frescoes, artwork, and artifacts within its streets and dwellings of the people who perished here.
Day 8
SORRENTO Amore, Sorrento SORRENTO Orientation walk. Free time this afternoon. Farewell dinner. (B,D)TOUR HIGHLIGHT CULTURAL GEMS Just as the sirens of Greek mythology lured sailors to the rocky shores of Sorrento, we are drawn to its alluring panoramas, sun-washed beaches, bistros, and boutiques. Take a seat in a sidewalk cafe to peruse the picturesque panoramas on the Bay of Naples.
Day 9
SORRENTO Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (The nearest airport is Naples) (B)
Availability
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9,066 Globus Travel Reviews & Ratings
Bella Italia Escape
Company Reviews
We really enjoyed our tour Geinpiero
Best guided vacation ever
Everyone was courteous and helpful
Very personable and really felt they wanted us to enjoy and be happy!
Loved the vacation!
Very pleased!
Great Trip
Our guide and driver were fantastic
I had hoped for a smaller group but when I got here the small group did not exist.. there were 42 people, not the 25 I signed up for.
There was a great deal of sitting and I would have liked to get off the bus more often. The bus was nice and the train was really nice. In all it was good.
Details
Accommodations
Carlton on the Grand Canal
A plush traditional Venetian style hotel set in a majestic four story building with refined interiors such as Murano glass wall lamps and gilt-edged furniture. Perfectly placed on the Grand Canal, with a vaporetto stop right outside and close to the main train station, this property offers great transportation access with the Rialto Bridge close by. Free Wi-Fi access is available throughout the property which has an elegant fine-dining restaurant, a lobby bar, and a lovely rooftop terrace where drinks are served with views of the spired city skyline as a backdrop. 145 air-conditioned classically styled guestrooms offer coffee/tea-making facilities.
Venezia
Italy
Santa Croce, 578
Grand Hotel Mediterraneo
Modern hotel situated on the banks of the river Arno, steps away from the city center. The Duomo and Palazzo Pitti are nearby.
Florence
Italy
Lungarno Del Tempio, 44
Hotel Royal Firenze
Set in an elegant 18th-century building, Villa Royal features a beautiful garden with a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, situated in a green neighbourhood, less than 1 km from the Gothic cathedral of Florence. This splendid Florentine villa was built in 1700 and was a noble family residence up until 1956 when it was converted into a hotel. Each of the 40 air-conditioned guest rooms feature high ceilings, minibar, safety deposit box and are all tastefully decorated with period furnishings.
Florence
Italy
Via Delle Ruote, 50-54
Cenacolo
Hotel Cenacolo Assisi is a structure created from the accurate and careful renovation of an old Franciscan convent, located in Santa Maria degli Angeli, a short distance from the Porziuncola of St. Francis. The wonderful atmosphere of the place, a beautiful view of Assisi, the wide green spaces that call for reflection and the functionality and efficiency of the Hotel Cenacolo guarantee a perfect stay.
Assisi
Italy
V.Le Patrono D'italia 70
Starhotels Michelangelo
Modern hotel catering to business and leisure travelers located a short walk to St. Peter's Square; staff is multilingual.
Roma
Italy
Via Stazione S.Pietro,14
Grand Hotel Cesare Augusto
Set in its own lush garden, the hotel features 120 air-conditioned guestrooms complete with safe, satellite TV, and mini-bar. Amenities include a contemporary restaurant with international and regional menus and panoramic roof-top terrace with swimming pool and snack bar.
Sorrento
Italy
Via Degli Aranci, 108
Trip ID#:
globus-KIE
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