Your magical tour of Italy will lead you through six of Italy’s most beautiful, historic, and memorable cities. Guided tours introduce you to Verona, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Vatican City, and you’ll also visit famous sites including Lake Como and Assisi. Live la dolce vita as you explore ancient cathedrals, Roman ruins and romantic vistas on this unforgettable Italy vacation

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Overnight Flight

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

Day 2 - Lake Como Region

Benvenuto! Welcome to Italy. A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and then escorts you to your hotel in the Lake Como region. The rest of the day is free to relax or acquaint yourself with your lake district retreat. At an included dinner this evening, meet your fellow travelers.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Lake Como Region

Admire spectacular lake views from the elaborate gardens of an 18th-century Italian villa on our morning visit to Villa Carlotta (seasonal; in the off-season, a funicular ride to Brunate may be offered instead). The most popular attraction by Lake Como, the villa contains a copy of Canova’s Cupid and Psyche. Then your Tour Director introduces you to the sights and main square of Como before a free afternoon for shopping and discovering this scenic area. This evening, opt for our Lake Como Cruise & Bellagio excursion.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Villa Carlotta (seasonal)

$75 USD

Lake Como Cruise & Bellagio This excursion begins with a scenic cruise of Lake Como. Here you’ll see some of Italy’s most genteel estates set amid splendid gardens with flowering paths. This unforgettable cruise up the lake takes you past charming lake towns to visit lovely Bellagio. Please note: Departure time for this excursion depends on the season and is offered March through October.

Day 4 - Venice

Travel to Verona this morning. On a guided walking tour of Verona, discover the sites that served as the backdrop for one of the greatest love stories of all time. Situated by the River Adige, Verona boasts one of Italy’s best-preserved medieval town centers. Take a look at the Roman amphitheatre and Casa di Giulietta, where you’ll find Juliet’s storied balcony. Continue on to Venice where dinner is included.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 5 - Venice

Experience the romance of “La Serenissima” during this morning’s guided sightseeing tour. Visit the Doge’s Palace, once the political heart of this powerful maritime empire. Continue on to view the 900-year-old Basilica of St. Mark, a rich mosaic of Byzantine, Romanesque and Islamic influences entombing the remains of St. Mark the Evangelist. This afternoon, consider joining an optional gondola ride on the canals, complete with music.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Doges’ Palace

$65 USD

Gondola Ride with Music 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. Advanced reservations are required.

Day 6 - Florence

Make your way south to Florence, passing through Bologna, a hidden gem of Italy known for its pasta, mortadella sausage and for being the location of the oldest university in Europe. Take a sightseeing tour of Bologna with an expert local guide. Arrive later in the Tuscan city of Florence, center of the Renaissance. Dinner is included in Florence this evening.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 7 - Florence

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, with the adjacent Campanile by Giotto. You’ll also see the gold Baptistery doors of Ghiberti. Then discover the church of Santa Croce, where the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo, as well as the Dante Memorial are displayed. This evening, attend an optional dinner in the nearby Etruscan hill town of Fiesole. Enjoy a drive through the town and take in the lights and landscapes of this quintessential Italian village.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Chiesdli di Santa Croce

$65 USD

Dinner in Fiesole This evening, take a scenic ride to the town of Fiesole, where you'll enjoy dinner and spectacular views of Florence. Your menu includes fusili with zucchini flowers in a saffron-infused sauce, rustic chicken and potatoes and a decadent chocolate dessert.

Day 8 - Florence

During free time in Florence, choose to admire the world’s finest collection of Renaissance art at the Uffizi Gallery. Stroll through parks along the romantic Arno River. Take time to view Michelangelo’s early masterpiece, the sublime statue of David, sculpted when the artist was 26 years old. You could also join an optional excursion into the Tuscan countryside villages of Siena and San Gimignano. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to sample some of the region’s finest wines. Admire Siena’s cathedral and famed Campo before continuing on to San Gimignano, where you might choose to visit the Palazzo del Popolo or the Citadel.
Included meals: breakfast

$105 USD

Siena & San Gimignano Discover the essence of Tuscany on today's full-day excursion. In Siena, a local guide introduces you to the town and the black-and-white marble duomo, where you'll see brilliantly colored 16th-century frescoes in the Piccolomini Library. You'll have some free time to grab a snack in 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 enjoy free time to explore the city's medieval towers or simply admire the Tuscan hills. As the sun begins to set, you'll adjourn to a nearby vineyard, where an included wine tasting awaits.

Day 9 - Assisi

Drive through spectacular Umbria to hillside Assisi, birthplace of both St. Francis and St. Clare. Visit Assisi’s Lower and Upper Basilicas, whose most magnificent feature is the Giotto frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. Dinner is included tonight in Assisi.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Upper and Lower Basilicas

Day 10 - Assisi

Spend the day at your leisure in the town of Assisi or join an optional excursion to the city of Perugia, located in the heart of the Umbrian region and known for its fine chocolate.  
Included meals: breakfast

$79 USD

Perugia Discover Perugia on a guided tour. You'll visit the Rocca Paolina, Perugia Cathedral, the Palazzo dei Priori, the Fontana Maggiore and the shops of Corso Vannucci. This excursion includes a wine tasting and lunch.

Day 11 - Sorrento

Travel to Pompeii, one of the world’s best archaeological sites, for a guided tour of the ruins. Discover how Roman citizens lived 2,000 years ago, before Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, preserving the town of Pompeii in a flood of volcanic ash. View the excavated ruins of theaters, villas, temples and baths. Pompeii is located near the idyllic Bay of Naples, known for its expansive views of the area’s islands, capes and nearby Mount Vesuvius. Then continue on to Sorrento, an enchanting resort town. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Pompeii ruins

Day 12 - Sorrento

Exult in the sun-kissed seabreezes of Sorrento with a free day today. Meander the charming streets and find a cafe to sip cappucino or limoncello as you watch the world go by. Alternatively, join an optional excursion to Capri, the “Island of Dreams,” where both Roman emperors and Hollywood starlets once vacationed. Here, you can explore the island, ride to its peak by funicular or indulge in a boat ride around the island (weather permitting). Tonight, opt for an evening of mouth-watering cuisine and traditional dancing at our Tarantella Dinner & Show.
Included meals: breakfast

$105 USD

Capri Travel by ferry to the fabled Isle of Capri, a beloved resort since the days of the Roman Republic. Weather permitting, you’ll enjoy a mini-cruise around the island. Later, you'll enjoy free time to discover why everyone from Roman emperors to Sophia Loren wants to spend their vacation in Capri. If weather prohibits a mini-cruise, you’ll travel to the village of Anacapri, which offers stunning views of the surrounding scenery. Please note: This excursion is weather dependent.

$79 USD

Tarantella Dinner & Show Tarantella dancing is a centuries-old folk tradition in this part of Italy. Tarantella is the Italian word for tarantula, and the frenzied steps of the dance are said to be designed for sweating out the poison if one is bitten by a tarantula. Savor a locally prepared dinner at the Teatro Tasso, then watch a live performance featuring the intricate footwork of the tarantella, demonstrated by a troupe of authentic folk dancers. Please note: This optional is seasonal from March 1-November 1.

Day 13 - Rome

Travel to Rome this morning and check in to your hotel. Then follow in the footsteps of Caesar during your guided tour of Rome. Highlights include photo stops outside the Colosseum, where 50,000 spectators cheered gladiators to victory, and the ruins of the Forum Romanum, from which the Caesars ruled their vast empire. Tonight, join one of our most popular optional excursions, Dinner with Tenors.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Colosseum

$79 USD

Dinner with Tenors 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!

Day 14 - Rome

Today’s guided tour takes you into the world’s smallest state, Vatican City. Visit the Vatican Museums and the enormous St. Peter’s Basilica, the same cathedral in which the pope celebrates Mass. Treasures loom at every turn from Bernini’s magnificent staircase (ceremonial entrance to the Vatican Palace) to Michelangelo’s Pietà. Next, visit another timeless Roman classic: the Sistine Chapel, painted with Michelangelo’s captivating frescoes depicting the history of humankind. This afternoon, you might join an optional excursion into the ancient catacombs, where persecuted Christians once buried their popes and saints, and a visit to the Basilica of St. Paul. Dinner is included tonight in Rome.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel

$65 USD

Catacombs & St. Paul's Descend into Rome’s ancient catacombs, where early Christians buried saints and popes alongside commoners. A local guide will lead you through burial chambers before your visit to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, an ornate monument originally founded by Constantine the Great. Please note: This excursion involves extensive walking and may be inadvisable for claustrophobic travelers.

Day 15 - Rome

Prolong your stay in Rome on our tour extension. Otherwise, a Go Ahead representative escorts you to the airport for your return flight home.
Included meals: breakfast
(In the case of early morning departures, breakfast may not be provided.)