Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Rome aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Breakfast (in flight), Dinner

Welcome to Rome, the Eternal City! A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and then escorts you to your hotel. If you have taken our pre-tour extension to Rome, join the rest of your tour today. The rest of the day is free to begin your explorations of Rome. At tonight’s included dinner, meet your fellow travelers.

Breakfast

Colosseum

Follow in the footsteps of Caesar during your guided sightseeing tour of Rome. Highlights include the Colosseum, where 50,000 spectators cheered their favorite gladiators to victory, and the ruins of the Forum Romanum, from which the Caesars ruled their vast empire. This afternoon is free to further your explorations of ancient Rome. Visit the Pantheon, or tour one of Rome’s many important churches.

Breakfast

Enjoy another free day in Rome or join an optional excursion to excavated Pompeii, an ancient Roman city buried in volcanic ash in A.D. 79.

Optional Excursions

Pompeii with Lunch $165* pp

Travel to Pompeii for a guided tour of the famous ruins. Discover how Roman citizens lived 2,000 years ago, before Mount Vesuvius erupted in and smothered the town of Pompeii in a flood of volcanic ash. Visit the excavated ruins of theaters, villas, temples and baths. Lunch is included. Please note: Travel time to Pompeii is approximately 2.5 hours each way.

Breakfast

Spend a free day in Rome however you choose. Take in all the art and architecture that greet the eye at every turn—from relics of Caesar’s reign to treasures of Renaissance and Baroque art. Stroll across the Spanish Steps. See Bernini’s captivating Fountain of the Four Rivers and stop at the legendary Trevi Fountain, into which centuries of visitors have tossed coins to ensure their eventual return to Rome. You might also wish to join an optional excursion to Vatican City, featuring visits to the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Opt to end the day at a Dinner with Tenors, an evening of food and live music.

Optional Excursions

Vatican City $85* pp

This guided tour takes you inside the world’s smallest state, Vatican City. Upon arrival, you'll first visit the Vatican Museums, which recently celebrated a 500-year anniversary and hold many of the world's most important Classical and Renaissance-era sculptures. Next, you'll visit the Sistine Chapel, where you'll gaze on what is perhaps Michelangelo's greatest masterpiece. Finally, you'll visit the enormous St. Peter’s Basilica, the epicenter of the Roman Catholic faith. The artists whose efforts have contributed to its glory are some of the best Italy has ever known, including Bramante, Peruzzi, Raphael and Michelangelo. Masterpieces await at every turn, from Bernini’s magnificent bronze canopy to Michelangelo’s Pietà. Please note: This excursion is not available on Sunday. Advanced reservation and booking is required prior to your final payment deadline.

Optional Excursions

Dinner with Tenors $79* pp

End your day with an elegant four-course dinner at one of our favorite Roman restaurants. While you dine, you’ll be treated to some of opera's best-loved arias…and you might even join the singers on stage. Don’t miss this lighthearted evening of food and fun!

Breakfast, Dinner

Funicular ride

As you journey to Florence, stop at the ancient Etruscan stronghold of Orvieto. Situated on a pedestal of volcanic rock, the lovely town of Orvieto boasts one of the finest Italian Gothic cathedrals in the country. Travel to this impressive medieval city by funicular and take in views of the surrounding Volscian Mountains. Continue on to the timeless city of Florence, birthplace of the Italian language, the Renaissance and opera. Dinner is included tonight.

Breakfast

Church of Santa Croce

This morning’s guided sightseeing of Florence introduces you to the city’s Renaissance splendor. Marvel at Brunelleschi’s masterpiece—Florence’s massive pink, white and green Duomo, complemented by Giotto’s Campanile. Then discover the church of Santa Croce, where the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo, as well as the Dante Memorial are displayed. You’ll also see the Palazzo Signoria, which serves as an open-air gallery of ancient and Renaissance statues. During free time in Florence, choose to admire the world’s finest collection of Renaissance art at the Uffizi Gallery. Stroll along the romantic Arno River or visit the Accademia Galleria to view Michelangelo’s early masterpiece, the sublime statue of David, sculpted when the artist was 26 years old. This afternoon join an optional excursion to Pisa, where you’ll see the 12th-century Leaning Tower and visit both the adjacent cathedral and the Baptistery. Tonight, opt to travel to the hilltop village of Fiesole for a drive through town, dinner at a local restaurant and views of Florence.

Optional Excursions

Pisa $69* pp

Travel through the Tuscan countryside for a visit to Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles). You'll see the famed Leaning Tower and enjoy a tour of the adjacent cathedral and the Baptistery of St. John.

Optional Excursions

Dinner in Fiesole $65* pp

Take a scenic ride to the town of Fiesole, where you'll be treated to some of the region's best cuisine over a relaxing three-course dinner. Unmatched views of nearby Florence serve as the perfect complement to your indulgent meal. Fiesole sits on a hill overlooking Florence, and its views of the city have been prized since pre-Roman times.

Breakfast

Enjoy another free day in Florence. Alternatively, you could also join an optional excursion to Siena & San Gimignano in the Tuscan countryside. You’ll begin in Siena, where you’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Siena’s glorious scenery and landmarks, including the cathedral and the famed Campo. Continue on to San Gimignano, where you might choose to visit the Palazzo del Popolo or the Citadel. On your way back to Florence, stop to sample some of the region’s finest wines.

Optional Excursions

Siena & San Gimignano $105* pp

Discover the essence of Tuscany on a full-day excursion. In Siena, a local guide introduces you to the town and its black-and-white marble duomo, where you'll find brilliantly colored 16th-century frescoes in the Piccolomini Library. You'll have some free time to explore the Campo, the square that serves as the center of civic life in Siena. Then, journey through the countryside to the town of San Gimignano, where you'll have some free time to explore the city's medieval towers or simply admire the Tuscan hills. As the sun begins to set, you'll head to a nearby vineyard, where an included wine tasting awaits. Please note: This excursion involves moderate walking.

Breakfast

Cross the sprawling plains of the Po Valley to the city of Venice. Your introduction to Carnival begins with a course on the history of the famous Carnival masks followed by a workshop during which you’ll create your own mask. Then, take to the streets and join the revelry! Since the Middle Ages, Venice has celebrated the coming holy season of Lent with a bacchanal featuring fantastical masks, lavish galas and a citywide sense of merriment. This is Carnival, an annual jubilee in which Venetians take to the streets in Renaissance costumes to dance, laugh and perhaps eat and drink a bit more than is sensible. How you spend the rest of the day is up to you, but whatever you choose to do, you’ll always remember your Carnival in Venice.

Breakfast

Doge’s Palace

Experience the romance of La Serenissima during a guided sightseeing tour. Visit the Gothic Doge’s Palace, once the political heart of this powerful maritime empire. Wind through the maze-like streets and view several important churches. Afterwards, consider joining an optional gondola tour with music.

Optional Excursions

Gondola Ride With Music $65* pp

More than 100 waterways crisscross Venice, and boarding a sleek black gondola to explore them has become a time-honored tradition. On this memorable excursion, join your fellow travelers for a tour through the canals of Venice. A musician serenades you as your gondola cruises through the city. Please note: This excursion runs as weather permits. A private two-person gondola ride is available for an additional $100 per person.

Optional Excursions

Gondola Ride for Two $165* pp

More than 100 waterways crisscross Venice, and boarding a sleek black gondola to explore them has become a time-honored tradition. On this memorable excursion, you'll enjoy a private, serenaded gondola cruise through the canals of Venice. Please note: This excursion runs as weather permits.

Breakfast, Dinner

You’ll have free time today to explore the city on your own. Find a hidden trattoria and enjoy a delicious Venetian lunch. Stroll across the Rialto Bridge or follow alleyways lined with boutiques of handblown glass treasures. Or simply don a mask and join in with the throngs of partygoers all around you. Alternatively, enjoy an optional tour of the beautiful islands of Burano and Torcello. Tonight, don your Carnival mask and join your fellow travelers for a Farewell Dinner followed by a tasting of Carnival sweets, including fritelle, chiacchere and castagnole.

Optional Excursions

Burano & Torcello $65* pp

Visit the islands of the Venetian lagoon, a favorite day trip for locals and travelers alike. First travel by water taxi to Torcello, where the story of Venice began. It was here that mainlanders sought a safe haven from invading barbarians. Step inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, whose famous mosaics depict The Last Judgement. The next stop is the tiny fishing village of Burano, where brightly colored homes greet visitors. Wander as you please throughout Burano, and be sure to stop in at the island's bakeries.

Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

A Go Ahead representative escorts you to the airport for your return flight home.