This tour is fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader who will accompany you throughout the tour. If your tour includes multiple countries, you will be met by a new tour leader in each country and any internal flights included will be unescorted.
This tour is categorised as 4 out of 5
Packed itinerary with maximum exploration: Embark on a whirlwind sightseeing tour with minimal downtime. This tour maximises your exploration, keeping you on the move and ticking off must-see locations. A good fitness level and mobility are required to keep pace with this action-packed adventure!
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
✓ Incredible sightseeing including guided tours through the art cities of Florence, Venice and Rome with skip the line access at the Vatican Museums and Pompeii, Tuscany's incredible landscapes and ancient towns, a day on the Isle of Capri and an unforgettable stay on the Sorrentine Coast
✓ 9 nights in central 4-star accommodation
✓ Breakfast daily, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
✓ Fully escorted by professional English-speaking tour guides
✓ Comfortable, dedicated transportation throughout by deluxe coach with complimentary WiFi
✓ Complimentary headsets so you don't miss any information provided by tour leader and local guides
✓ In-depth sightseeing and entrance fees as per the itinerary
✈ Needing international airfares to accompany your Inspiring Vacation? You will be able to access our flight portal after securing your package to add international airfares to your booking.
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Benvenuti a Roma! After your arrival at the airport, make your own way to your hotel and enjoy your first day at your own leisure.
This evening meet your local expert guide for a walk to discover the wonders of the Eternal City. You will visit the Jewish Ghetto, one of Rome’s most beautiful neighborhoods, full of history and with a real Roman atmosphere. We then walk to the Pantheon, the former temple of Marcus Agrippa later converted into a church, then have an opportunity to throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain.
Continue to visit the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps), one of the city’s most popular squares where you can walk up these famous steps to enjoy a lovely view from the top. To finish, relax as you enjoy a creamy and tasty gelato, it’s on us! The tour ends in the Spanish Steps area. Enjoy the rest of the night to explore at your leisure.
The evening meeting and walking tour departs at 7.45pm from the hotel lobby, late arrivals may miss this activity and meet the group the next morning.
Airport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.
Departing Rome early this morning, travel approximately two hours through the picturesque roads of Tuscany to Assisi. Here, you will have ample time to explore this ancient walled city built in the Middle Ages at your own leisure. Be sure to take your time to visit the basilica of St. Francis, where you will see masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue and, then, have free time for lunch (not included).
Board the coach and continue 1.5 hours to Siena, one of the region's most famous cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy time on your own exploring the winding streets and the renowned Piazza del Campo. Continue your journey with a 1.5 hour drive to Florence, where you will check in at your hotel before enjoying an included dinner at one of the local restaurants.
After breakfast, meet your local expert guide for a guided tour around beautiful Florence, the “Cradle of Renaissance", where, with the help of Michelangelo, Italian art reached its pinnacle. You will be fascinated by the uncountable monuments, churches and buildings as Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly referred to as the Duomo. On your visit, you will be amazed by its magnificent dome built by Filippo Brunelleschi. Cross a small piazza to see the “Campanile” tower (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery, with its bronze doors where Michelangelo imagined the “Gates of Paradise.” In the heart of the city, you will see Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo della Signoria (also known as Palazzo Vecchio), and the Basilica of Santa Croce.
Enjoy an included lunch in a typical Tuscan restaurant in Piazza Santa Croce, then free time to spend the afternoon strolling the cobblestone streets of Florence on your own or take an optional trip to Pisa, one of the four main historical Marine Republics of Italy. There, you will tour the Piazza dei Miracoli with the Duomo, Pisa’s iconic “Leaning Tower” and the Baptistery (please note, this tour is not included and is bookable locally). Dinner is at your leisure.
After breakfast in Florence, we continue 1.5 hours to Bologna, the lively, historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, in northern Italy. There, you will discover the elegant city centre with its porticos, shopping streets and so on. From Piazza Malpighi you will walk to Piazza del Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore (Neptune Square and Major Square) in the heart of the city, then King Renzo’s Palace; Palazzo Podestà and the basilica of San Petronio, one of the biggest in the world. Bologna is a real gourmand’s heaven...don’t miss a tasty meal at your own leisure!
In the afternoon, we drive two hours toward Padua, with Sant’Antonio Basilica, one of the most visited churches by pilgrims of the Catholic world. Later in the afternoon, we drive 40 mins to arrive in Venice (Mestre).
Check in at your hotel then enjoy the evening at leisure.
After breakfast, enjoy your transfer to Piazza San Marco and enjoy a guided walking tour of the most iconic places of the “Floating City” with an expert local guide as they share the historical sites as well as stories of local customs and traditions.
Highlights include Palazzo dei Dogi, a symbol of Venice’s glorious past, and the legendary “Bridge of Sighs”. Following your walking tour, enjoy a traditional spritz or a prosecco to crown your visit to Venice. Spend the afternoon roaming along Venice’s canals at your leisure.
After breakfast, we take a four-hour drive through picturesque Tuscany, known for its landscapes, churches, castles and its delicious wines.
Proceed to Val di Chiana with a stop in Montepulciano, a medieval town rich in history and art. Known for its “Nobile” wine, on purchase in local wine houses, Montepulciano also hosts an annual Jazz and Wine Festival every July.
Enjoy lunch in a typical restaurant feasting on local produce before we continue our two-hour journey to Rome where the rest of the evening is at your leisure.
This morning, enjoy a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Square with our exclusive “Skip the Line” access! Upon arrival, your guide will lead you past all the queues and into the museums where you’ll visit one of the most important art collections of the world. Walk along the beautiful Galleries of Tapestries and Geographical Maps before admiring Raphael’s Rooms and, then, the amazing Sistine Chapel.
After this incredible masterpiece, your guide will continue your tour of St. Peter’s Square where you can admire the incredible masterpiece St. Peter’s Basilica: the biggest church in the world! The tour ends in St. Peter’s Square where the rest of the day is yours to explore the city at your own leisure.
Enjoy an early breakfast at your hotel before boarding your coach and heading three hours south, crossing the regions of Lazio and Campania. On arrival in Naples, enjoy a short panoramic tour climbing up to Vomero Hill to enjoy beautiful views over the Gulf of Naples with the Vesuvius, Capri, Ischia and Procida and the city below. Time to take some nice pictures!
Descending towards the port of Mergellina, you will leave the city and drive a quick 20 minutes south toward Mount Vesuvius to Pompeii, where you will have lunch and enjoy real Neapolitan pizza.
After lunch, meet your archaeologist guide for a walking tour through one of the most important archaeological sites in the world, Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Again, enjoy priority access to the ruins with Skip the Line entrance included. Visit the haunting ruins of Pompeii, traveling back in time to the tragic days in 79 AD when the silent Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupted, covering the prosperous Roman city in deadly volcanic ashes and poisonous gases, leaving this prosperous city crystallised.
You'll learn how people lived at that time, visiting houses and “bars” of the time, admiring frescoes and mosaics to imagine how rich and prosperous the city was before After the visit, a 40-minute drive along the Sorrentine Coast sees you arriving in Sorrento for a formal dinner (dress code: jacket for men) and an overnight in your new hotel.
After breakfast, get ready for an exciting excursion to the Isle of Capri, one of the most exclusive summer destinations of the Mediterranean! Admire the dreamy Blue Grotto on a small rowboat (weather dependent) and afterward enjoy lunch at your own pace (not included).
You will have plenty of time to roam the island at your own pace before heading back to the mainland where we join our coach for the 3.5-hour return transfer to Rome. The rest of the evening is at your leisure.
Your Italian adventure ends after breakfast at the hotel.
We hope you’ve been inspired.
Airport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.
Inspiring Sights
Inspiring Taste
This is a land only package.
This package does not include international airfares. If you would like to add airfares to your booking our flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub. The flight portal will allow you to search for all available airfares to your destination. The function works like most general flight search engines allowing you to select your preferred airline, book different cabin classes (eg. Business class) and view flight durations and transit times to your destination.
The flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub once the following criteria has been met:
Visit our Flight Hub for more information on terms and conditions, amending your flights and information on luggage allowances.
Some of our packages will include airport transfers in either one or both directions when arriving or departing from your destination. To know if transfers are included please view the ‘inclusions’ section of your selected package. If airport transfers are stated, transfers will be included as advised.
If transfers are not included, we also offer the option to book your airport transfers using our online portal. Access to this portal is available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed. Transfers are readily available and do not need to be booked until your final hotel list has been confirmed. Once you have made a transfer booking, please refer to your confirmation email for all transfer details including a local contact number for the transfer company.
If you book pre and/or post-tour accommodation on your own arrangement, and the tour includes transfers, note that these will be forfeited. The transfers are only provided in line with the tour dates and pre and/or post-tour accommodation purchased through Inspiring Vacations when available.
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return. Visas may be required for your destination. For further visa information, click here.
Fitness Requirement
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a”4”
Active Tour: A very good level of fitness and mobility is required for you to enjoy all aspects of the itinerary, as this is considered a fast-paced tour. While there is some free time scheduled either in the morning or afternoon, there are many full days of sightseeing with minimal rest and some early starts. You will be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Tipping
A friendly reminder that tipping is not included in your package. While tipping is not customary, it's of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many destinations.
You may also consider tipping your tour leader and driver for outstanding service throughout your trip. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, but we can’t guarantee your request will be available at all properties.
Single travellers
When booking this tour, solo travellers will be presented with two options:
1 - Single Supplement
By paying an additional $845.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price, you guarantee the privacy of your own room throughout the entire trip.
2- Shared Room with a known friend
If travelling together with a friend, you can opt to share your room with him/her and avoid paying a single supplement.
You and your friend can create a unique booking each. Creating a unique booking, gives each of you the flexibility of making different travel arrangements (such adding extra accommodation, flights, etc), make separate payments and have individual access to our Traveller’s Hub
During the purchase path, you will need to provide your friend’s booking ID (if known) or at a minimum, your friend’s full name
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
Visa & Passport information
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return.
Visas may be required.
Please note that these details are subject to change without notice. We recommend visiting https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html for up to date information in terms of entry requirements.
Group Size
Minimum 2, maximum 50.
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Style
To meet the needs of various types of travelers, we choose to operate various types of tours, and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
Venice has implemented an access fee charged to day trip visitors who are not staying overnight in the municipality of Venice, during specific high season dates. The calendar of dates is available here.
If you are staying in an accommodation in the municipality of Venice, then you are exempt from this fee. However, to avoid paying the fee you must register for an exemption by filling out an exemption request here. The exemption form will provide you with a QR code you can show on your phone.
If required for your travel dates, you may pre-book once you have received your final documents confirming your hotel. The exemption must be completed before entering the city, but can be done while traveling.
All participants must be in good physical condition to fully engage in this journey. For the safety and welfare of yourself and fellow travellers, if you are feeling unwell prior to departure, we advise staying home and contacting us to arrange alternate plans.
Prior to selecting your trip, carefully review the itinerary to assess your ability to comfortably manage our travel style. Please be aware that if, based on evaluation by our leader or local representative, a participant is deemed unable to safely complete the itinerary, we retain the right to exclude them from all or part of the trip without reimbursement.
It is advisable to consult your physician for current medical travel advisories and any required vaccinations before embarking. We recommend carrying a first aid kit and any necessary medications in their original packaging, as they may not be readily available during travel. For those carrying medication, it's essential to check your government's foreign travel guidelines for local restrictions or regulations.
Click HERE for more information on weather in Italy.
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