Highlights:

• Rome, Italy

• Vatican City

• Florence, Italy

• Pisa, Italy

• Bologna, Italy

• Venice, Italy

• Milan, Italy

• Matterhorn, Italy

• Mont Blanc, Italy

• Geneva, Switzerland

Rome is the capital of Italy its sprawling and cosmopolitan city with nearly 3,000 years of globally influential art, architecture, and culture on display. Ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum evoke the power of the former Roman Empire. Vatican City, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, has St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, which house masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes.

We will pick you up at the airport in Rome. Depending on your flight, the first day will be to introduce you to Rome's metro and bus systems, and enjoy a stroll soaking up the historical neighborhood and surroundings. We will meet in the hotel lobby to discuss our plans for your vacation. You will enjoy dinner in the evening at a local restaurant and the rest of the evening will be your free time to relax or go out for a casual walk in the historical city of Rome.

After breakfast, you will enjoy the day on a hop-on-hop-off bus that covers the city's major attractions and allows you to plan your sightseeing adventures. You may hop on and hop off at any of the designated stops for sightseeing, shopping, and dining. While on board you will learn about Rome’s history with the help of audio commentary available in 8 languages.

You will see the Colosseum, the Palatine & Palatine Museum, Roman Forum, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps, and many more historical sights. You will also visit St Peter's Basilica, St Peter's Square, Vatican Museums & Courtyards, the Sistine Chapel, and the Castle of the Holy Angel (Castel St. Angelo). We will get off the bus and tour each site listed on the itinerary. 

You will have front-of-the-line privileges for the Colosseum, Palatine & Palatine Museum, Roman Forum, Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. Later, you will enjoy dinner and the rest of the evening will be time for you to relax.

Today you will spend the day at the Vatican City. You will tour St Peter's Basilica, St Peter's Square, Vatican Museums & Courtyards, the Sistine Chapel, and the Castle of the Holy Angel (Castel St. Angelo).

St. Peter's Basilica is considered to be one of the largest buildings in the world with an area of over 15,000 sq. meters. The inner capacity of St. Peter’s Basilica can accommodate up to 60,000 people. The dome of St. Peter's Basilica can be reached in about 537 steps and is the largest self-supporting building made from brick in the world. The internal diameter of the dome is 42,34 meters and is carried by 4 pentagonal pillars. From the dome, you can enjoy a beautiful view of Rome and of the Vatican.

The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is one of the top attractions to see in Rome! This Sistine Chapel was built from 1475 until 1483 under the command of Pope Sixtus IV, the namesake of the chapel.

There are 14 different museums that are a part of the Vatican in Rome. The collection includes classical antiquities, pieces from the Orient, as well as Etruscan-Italian and Early Christian and Middle Age Art. Artworks from artists like Raffael, DaVinci, and Michelangelo are displayed in the museums.

The Castle of the Holy Angel is one of the top sights to see in Rome. Formerly it was built to be an imperial mausoleum, but it served to be a portion of the city wall and also as a fortress for some time. Later it was converted into a prison and also a place of refuge. Today, the Castle of the Holy Angel serves as a national museum. In the evening, you will enjoy dinner and the rest of the evening will be yours to relax.

Florence is the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region and is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. During the Renaissance period, the city of Florence was at the height of its powers, talented artists such as Brunelleschi and Michelangelo left their mark with magnificent buildings and artwork.

You will enjoy a 2-hour walking tour with an experienced guide that will begin at Santa Maria Novella Church, passing along to the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio, and completing the tour at Palazzo Pitti. After dinner will be your free time to relax or go out for a casual walk in beautiful Florence and enjoy some amazing pastries.

With any trip to Italy, one must visit Pisa which is known worldwide for its leaning tower. Construction of the Tower of Pisa, which stands 180 feet in height, was completed in 1372. Due to its faulty foundation on unstable soil, the tower leans precariously more than 14 feet out of line. You will visit the Cathedral Square, Campo Santo, and the Pisa Baptistery and then you will have free time to explore the area and enjoy local pizza and pasta! Later in the evening, you will enjoy dinner and the rest of the evening will be yours to relax.

Venice is located in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 117 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It has no roads, just canals,  including the Grand Canal thoroughfare lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the city’s red roofs. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting and is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world for its celebrated art and architecture. With all of the sites and things to see and do, you will have 2 days of sightseeing in the beautiful city. All travel in Venice is either by walking or by water bus. Later that day, you will enjoy a dinner and the rest of the evening will be yours to relax or have a drink at a local tavern.

Italy - Rome and Swiss Alps Escorted 14-Day Tour of Europe:

Cost:   Adults / $5,995*

            Students (ages 6-12) / $2,995

            Children 5 and under / Free

*Children under the age of 12 are required to share a room with an accompanying adult. There is a maximum of 2 children with 2 adults.

Prices are based on Double Adult Occupancy

Single room supplement of $750

Private Tour Supplement of up to $1,000 per person depending upon the tour requests and days.

The tour includes:

• All ground transportation from flight arrival and departure in Munich.

• Tour in private auto/minibus, with transportation to and from all tours and restaurants on the itinerary.

• All accommodations are in a clean comfortable hotel, bed & breakfast, or country inn. (German 3-5 star standards).

• Breakfast each morning.

• Dinner each evening with two free drinks (beer, wine, soda, juice, or water only).

• Free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages with European snacks are available while traveling between cities and tours.

• Entry and tour fees for all sights are mentioned in the itinerary.

The tour does NOT include:

• Airfare to and from Germany.

• Meals other than those indicated in the itinerary.

• Beverages other than those indicated in the itinerary.

• Free time transportation or sightseeing.

• Personal expenses for shopping, etc. 

Optional tours:

We have handpicked our tours to give you the must-see sites with a relaxed and enjoyable vacation. We understand that some people have different interests than others. We will try to accommodate special requests such as a special tour, a historical site, a river cruise, or just a special dinner. Please feel free to contact us.