SORRENTO - 3 nights
DAY 1: ARRIVE IN SORRENTO
Arrive in Sorrento and collect your bags. Upon exiting customs, you'll be met by your private transfer representative who will escort you to your hotel. Settle in and explore the neighborhood you'll be sleeping in for the next week. The day is yours to explore as you wish, but don't forget to show up in time for your dinner in Villa Rubinacci Restaurant overlooking the Bay Naples.
DAY 2: MARINA GRANDE
This is one of the prettiest corners of Sorrento, almost a community in itself with its own shops, bars and a church called Chiesa di Sant'Anna. It's also one of the few places in and around the town centre with a free sandy beach and as such, places are at a premium, especially during peak season. Despite being one of the most popular holiday resorts in Italy, the Port of Marina Grande has maintained its rustic charm, original identity, and sense of community. Restaurants, homes and shops, rising along the curve of the rocks and the colorful booths on the pier, are all architecturally consistent, creating a harmonious neon free scene. Thus, it has remained one of Italy's untouched treasures.
DAY 3: CORREALE DI TERRANOVA MUSEUM
The Correale di Terranova Museum is considered to be one of the most beautiful museums in Italy. It houses an impressive collection of arts and crafts covering the period between the 15th and 19th centuries. You can also find a collection of archaeological artifacts which makes your trip there a fascinating journey through Sorrento's history. At the back of this beautiful palazzo, there's an impressive garden with tall trees where you can relax in peace under the shade of trees.
Arrive in Sorrento and collect your bags. Upon exiting customs, you'll be met by your private transfer representative who will escort you to your hotel. Settle in and explore the neighborhood you'll be sleeping in for the next week. The day is yours to explore as you wish, but don't forget to show up in time for your dinner in Villa Rubinacci Restaurant overlooking the Bay Naples.
DAY 2: MARINA GRANDE
This is one of the prettiest corners of Sorrento, almost a community in itself with its own shops, bars and a church called Chiesa di Sant'Anna. It's also one of the few places in and around the town centre with a free sandy beach and as such, places are at a premium, especially during peak season. Despite being one of the most popular holiday resorts in Italy, the Port of Marina Grande has maintained its rustic charm, original identity, and sense of community. Restaurants, homes and shops, rising along the curve of the rocks and the colorful booths on the pier, are all architecturally consistent, creating a harmonious neon free scene. Thus, it has remained one of Italy's untouched treasures.
DAY 3: CORREALE DI TERRANOVA MUSEUM
The Correale di Terranova Museum is considered to be one of the most beautiful museums in Italy. It houses an impressive collection of arts and crafts covering the period between the 15th and 19th centuries. You can also find a collection of archaeological artifacts which makes your trip there a fascinating journey through Sorrento's history. At the back of this beautiful palazzo, there's an impressive garden with tall trees where you can relax in peace under the shade of trees.
ROME - 2 nights
DAY 4: ARRIVE IN ROME
Arrive in Rome and collect your bags. As you exit customs, your transfer representative will be waiting to escort you to your hotel. The afternoon is yours to explore as you wish. Grab some gelato and soak in the atmosphere of Piazza Navona, or stretch your legs with a walk to the top of Palatine Hill. Don't forget about your evening pizza making course!
PIZZA MAKING COURSE IN ROME
This 90-minute lesson at the popular That's Amore Restaurant is perfect for all ages. One of the restaurant's fabulous chefs will guide you through the process of preparing pizza dough from scratch and teach you how to dress your pizza properly. You'll have a variety of toppings from which to choose, and the prize at the end is getting to devour your edible masterpiece. A beverage (water, wine or soft drink) is included.
DAY 5:
On the docket for today is a full-day private walking tour of the city. You'll be done in time for dinner, which you can enjoy in one of Rome's copious restaurants. If you're in the mood for a post-dinner cocktail, Salotta 42 is rated one of the best bars in the world and boasts a stunning view of the 2nd-century ruins of the Temple of Hadrian.
PRIVATE ROME IN A DAY WITH VATICAN ESSENTIAL WALKING TOUR WITH SKIP-THE-LINE ENTRANCES AND GUIDE
Your first stop will be the Colosseum, the imposing first-century architectural masterpiece that once hosted gladiatorial combat. From there it's on to the Roman Forum, where your guide will recount stories about some of ancient Rome's most influential political figures. You'll have an hour for lunch (not included) near the Vatican, then enjoy priority entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. A tour of St. Peter's Basilica will be your last stop in Vatican City before heading for some of the city's most famous fountains and piazzas, including Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain.
Arrive in Rome and collect your bags. As you exit customs, your transfer representative will be waiting to escort you to your hotel. The afternoon is yours to explore as you wish. Grab some gelato and soak in the atmosphere of Piazza Navona, or stretch your legs with a walk to the top of Palatine Hill. Don't forget about your evening pizza making course!
PIZZA MAKING COURSE IN ROME
This 90-minute lesson at the popular That's Amore Restaurant is perfect for all ages. One of the restaurant's fabulous chefs will guide you through the process of preparing pizza dough from scratch and teach you how to dress your pizza properly. You'll have a variety of toppings from which to choose, and the prize at the end is getting to devour your edible masterpiece. A beverage (water, wine or soft drink) is included.
DAY 5:
On the docket for today is a full-day private walking tour of the city. You'll be done in time for dinner, which you can enjoy in one of Rome's copious restaurants. If you're in the mood for a post-dinner cocktail, Salotta 42 is rated one of the best bars in the world and boasts a stunning view of the 2nd-century ruins of the Temple of Hadrian.
PRIVATE ROME IN A DAY WITH VATICAN ESSENTIAL WALKING TOUR WITH SKIP-THE-LINE ENTRANCES AND GUIDE
Your first stop will be the Colosseum, the imposing first-century architectural masterpiece that once hosted gladiatorial combat. From there it's on to the Roman Forum, where your guide will recount stories about some of ancient Rome's most influential political figures. You'll have an hour for lunch (not included) near the Vatican, then enjoy priority entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. A tour of St. Peter's Basilica will be your last stop in Vatican City before heading for some of the city's most famous fountains and piazzas, including Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain.
FLORENCE - 2 nights
DAY 6: Arrive in Florence
After an early breakfast, head to the train station for your trip to Florence. After you've settled in to your hotel, you're free to explore to your heart's content! In the evening, meet your guide and set off on your private evening walking tour of Florence.
PRIVATE ORIGINAL EVENING GUIDED WALKING TOUR
This short private guided walk will take you through Florence's Oltrarno neighborhood, where Florentine artisans have operated for centuries. You'll amble along ancient cobblestoned streets, past Renaissance palaces and a medieval hospice holding secrets from Michelangelo's dark past. The tour ends with a glass of fine Italian wine.
DAY 7:
Free day to explore on your own
After an early breakfast, head to the train station for your trip to Florence. After you've settled in to your hotel, you're free to explore to your heart's content! In the evening, meet your guide and set off on your private evening walking tour of Florence.
PRIVATE ORIGINAL EVENING GUIDED WALKING TOUR
This short private guided walk will take you through Florence's Oltrarno neighborhood, where Florentine artisans have operated for centuries. You'll amble along ancient cobblestoned streets, past Renaissance palaces and a medieval hospice holding secrets from Michelangelo's dark past. The tour ends with a glass of fine Italian wine.
DAY 7:
Free day to explore on your own
VENICE - 2 nights
DAY 8: Arrive in Venice
After breakfast, pack your bags and head to Santa Maria Novella Station for your train to Venice. Upon arrival on Venice Island, make your way to your hotel and check in. You'll have a short private gondola ride in the evening, then you're free to wander the canals in search of the perfect sidewalk restaurant for dinner.
PRIVATE GONDOLA RIDE
Enjoy a romantic 45-minute gondola ride through the labyrinth of Venice's pleasant canals.
DAY 9:
Your morning will begin with a half-day tour of three outlying islands in Venice Lagoon. When you return, you'll have time for lunch before heading out later in the afternoon for an exclusive tour of St. Mark's Cathedral.
PRIVATE HALF-DAY MURANO, BURANO, AND TORCELLO TOUR
The first stop on this guided tour is the island of Murano, renowned for its glass manufacturing industry. You'll have time to visit one of the factories before heading on to picturesque Burano, famous for its lace and brightly colored fishermen's houses. The final stop is Torcello, the earliest center of civilization in the lagoon. Only the mosaicked cathedral the Church of Santa Fosca remain as testaments to the islands former glory.
THE TREASURES OF ST. MARK'S CATHEDRAL
The tour begins in the center of the cathedral, where you'll learn about the structure's thousand-year history. After the introduction, you'll be invited to explore two locations generally closed to the public: the Baptistery and the Zen Chapel. The last item on the itinerary will be the Treasury of St. Mark, home to the Golden Pall.
DAY 10:
Today you will be met and transferred from your hotel to the airport. The landscape may disappear as you take off, but your experiences will always loom large within you.
After breakfast, pack your bags and head to Santa Maria Novella Station for your train to Venice. Upon arrival on Venice Island, make your way to your hotel and check in. You'll have a short private gondola ride in the evening, then you're free to wander the canals in search of the perfect sidewalk restaurant for dinner.
PRIVATE GONDOLA RIDE
Enjoy a romantic 45-minute gondola ride through the labyrinth of Venice's pleasant canals.
DAY 9:
Your morning will begin with a half-day tour of three outlying islands in Venice Lagoon. When you return, you'll have time for lunch before heading out later in the afternoon for an exclusive tour of St. Mark's Cathedral.
PRIVATE HALF-DAY MURANO, BURANO, AND TORCELLO TOUR
The first stop on this guided tour is the island of Murano, renowned for its glass manufacturing industry. You'll have time to visit one of the factories before heading on to picturesque Burano, famous for its lace and brightly colored fishermen's houses. The final stop is Torcello, the earliest center of civilization in the lagoon. Only the mosaicked cathedral the Church of Santa Fosca remain as testaments to the islands former glory.
THE TREASURES OF ST. MARK'S CATHEDRAL
The tour begins in the center of the cathedral, where you'll learn about the structure's thousand-year history. After the introduction, you'll be invited to explore two locations generally closed to the public: the Baptistery and the Zen Chapel. The last item on the itinerary will be the Treasury of St. Mark, home to the Golden Pall.
DAY 10:
Today you will be met and transferred from your hotel to the airport. The landscape may disappear as you take off, but your experiences will always loom large within you.
Outbound flight
Other Transportation
Outbound Flight
Other Transportation
Outbound Flight
Overview of Sorrento
The town features beautiful architecture, many cafes and restaurants, and shops catering to tourists. Sometimes overcrowded by tourists, one cannot walk a street but have to stand in an endless queue. As it is on the Circumvesuviana rail system it is easily reached from Naples and an ideal base for visiting Pompeii and Ercolano only by rail. Car way is awful. Ferries regularly commute between Sorrento and Capri, making Sorrento an ideal base for exploring that island as well.
Food & Drinks
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Food & Drinks
- Gnocchi alla Sorrentina - potato gnocchi with tomato sauce and mozzarella baked to perfection.
- The Pastiera a typical cake that is produced in the area.
- The excellent olive oil produced in Penisola Sorrentina, this product to be prized in many events.
- The artichoke or aubergines parmigiana is a typical dish that is made with tomatoes and cheese.
- Limoncello di Sorrento, a strong liquor made from lemon rind. Also try other similar liquors such as Crema al Limone (like Limoncello but cream-based and less strong) as well as local wines (like Falanghina, Lachryma Christi)
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Overview of Rome
Rome is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — have a look at each of them. Rome, the Eternal City, is the capital and largest city of Italy and of the Lazio region. It is famous for being the home of the ancient Roman Empire, the Seven Hills, La Dolce Vita (the sweet life), the Vatican City and Three Coins in the Fountain. Rome, as a millennia-long center of power, culture (having been the cradle of one of the globe's greatest civilisations ever) and religion, has exerted a huge influence over the world in its roughly 2800 years of existence.
The historic centre of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With wonderful palaces, thousand-year-old churches, grand Romantic ruins, opulent monuments, ornate statues and graceful fountains, Rome has an immensely rich historical heritage and cosmopolitan atmosphere, making it one of Europe's and the world's most visited, famous, influential and beautiful capitals. Today, Rome has a growing nightlife scene and is also seen as a shopping heaven, being regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world (some of Italy's oldest jewelry and clothing establishments were founded in the city). With so many sights and things to do, Rome can truly be classified a "global city".
Food & Drinks
Rome is full of good restaurants, many in attractive settings, particularly when you sit outside in the evening. No one location can be recommended to search for a good restaurant: some of the best places to eat are in the most unpromising locations while well-situated restaurants can often live on their reputation rather than the quality of their food. Restaurants in guidebooks can be good but prices can be inflated because it is more than likely a "tourist trap." To find an authentic restaurant that wont break the bank try to find a place in a more residential area or somewhere that isn't in the middle of the tourist locations.
Click here for more information about Rome.
The historic centre of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With wonderful palaces, thousand-year-old churches, grand Romantic ruins, opulent monuments, ornate statues and graceful fountains, Rome has an immensely rich historical heritage and cosmopolitan atmosphere, making it one of Europe's and the world's most visited, famous, influential and beautiful capitals. Today, Rome has a growing nightlife scene and is also seen as a shopping heaven, being regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world (some of Italy's oldest jewelry and clothing establishments were founded in the city). With so many sights and things to do, Rome can truly be classified a "global city".
Food & Drinks
Rome is full of good restaurants, many in attractive settings, particularly when you sit outside in the evening. No one location can be recommended to search for a good restaurant: some of the best places to eat are in the most unpromising locations while well-situated restaurants can often live on their reputation rather than the quality of their food. Restaurants in guidebooks can be good but prices can be inflated because it is more than likely a "tourist trap." To find an authentic restaurant that wont break the bank try to find a place in a more residential area or somewhere that isn't in the middle of the tourist locations.
Click here for more information about Rome.
Overview of Florence
Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany in Italy, with a population of about 366,500. The city is considered a cultural, artistic and architectural gem. It was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Politically, economically, and culturally it was the most important city in Europe for around 250 years; from some time before 1300 until the early 1500s.
Florentines reinvented money in the form of the gold florin. This currency was the engine that drove Europe out of the "Dark Ages" a term invented by Petrarch, a Florentine whose family had been exiled to Arezzo. They financed the development of industry all over Europe, from Britain to Bruges, to Lyon, to Hungary. They financed the English kings during the Hundred Years War. They financed the papacy, including the construction of the papal palace in Avignon and the reconstruction of St. Peters and the Vatican when the papacy returned to Rome from the "Babylonian captivity".
Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio pioneered the use of the vernacular, the use of a language other than Latin. In their case, Tuscan, which, because of them, became Italian. Because Dante, et al., wrote in Tuscan, Geoffrey Chaucer, who spent a lot of time in Northern Italy and who borrowed heavily from Boccaccio's little stories, wrote in English. Others started writing in French and Spanish. This was the beginning of the end of Latin as a common language throughout Europe.
The Florentines, perhaps most notably Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1466) and Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472) invented both Renaissance and neoclassical architecture. These architectural styles revolutionized the way Rome, London, Paris and every other major city in Europe from Barcelona to St. Petersburg were built.
Florentines were the driving force behind the Age of Discovery. Florentine bankers financed Henry the Navigator and the Portuguese explorers who pioneered the route around Africa to India and the Far East. It was a map drawn by the Florentine Paulo del Pozzo Toscanelli, a student of Brunelleschi, that Columbus used to sell his "enterprise" to the Spanish monarchs, and which he then used on his first voyage. Mercator's famous "Projection" is a refined version of Toscanelli's map, taking into account the Americas, of which the Florentine was obviously ignorant. The western hemisphere itself is named after a Florentine writer who claimed to be an explorer and mapmaker, Amerigo Vespucci.
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Florentines reinvented money in the form of the gold florin. This currency was the engine that drove Europe out of the "Dark Ages" a term invented by Petrarch, a Florentine whose family had been exiled to Arezzo. They financed the development of industry all over Europe, from Britain to Bruges, to Lyon, to Hungary. They financed the English kings during the Hundred Years War. They financed the papacy, including the construction of the papal palace in Avignon and the reconstruction of St. Peters and the Vatican when the papacy returned to Rome from the "Babylonian captivity".
Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio pioneered the use of the vernacular, the use of a language other than Latin. In their case, Tuscan, which, because of them, became Italian. Because Dante, et al., wrote in Tuscan, Geoffrey Chaucer, who spent a lot of time in Northern Italy and who borrowed heavily from Boccaccio's little stories, wrote in English. Others started writing in French and Spanish. This was the beginning of the end of Latin as a common language throughout Europe.
The Florentines, perhaps most notably Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1466) and Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472) invented both Renaissance and neoclassical architecture. These architectural styles revolutionized the way Rome, London, Paris and every other major city in Europe from Barcelona to St. Petersburg were built.
Florentines were the driving force behind the Age of Discovery. Florentine bankers financed Henry the Navigator and the Portuguese explorers who pioneered the route around Africa to India and the Far East. It was a map drawn by the Florentine Paulo del Pozzo Toscanelli, a student of Brunelleschi, that Columbus used to sell his "enterprise" to the Spanish monarchs, and which he then used on his first voyage. Mercator's famous "Projection" is a refined version of Toscanelli's map, taking into account the Americas, of which the Florentine was obviously ignorant. The western hemisphere itself is named after a Florentine writer who claimed to be an explorer and mapmaker, Amerigo Vespucci.
Click here for more information about Florence.
Overview of Venice
Venice is a city in Veneto, a region of North-East Italy. The city is virtually the same as it was six hundred years ago, which adds to the fascinating character. Venice has decayed since its heyday and is heavily touristed (there are 56000 residents and 20 million tourists per year).
This place may not seem huge, but it is, and is made up of different boroughs. The most famous is the area comprising the 118 islands in the main districts that are called "Sestieri": Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce and San Marco, where the main monuments and sights are located. Other main districts are Isola Della Giudecca and Lido di Venezia. Some of the more important islands in the lagoon include Murano, Torcello, San Francesco del Deserto, and Burano.
Must Do
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This place may not seem huge, but it is, and is made up of different boroughs. The most famous is the area comprising the 118 islands in the main districts that are called "Sestieri": Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce and San Marco, where the main monuments and sights are located. Other main districts are Isola Della Giudecca and Lido di Venezia. Some of the more important islands in the lagoon include Murano, Torcello, San Francesco del Deserto, and Burano.
Must Do
- Ferry ride (traghetto). If a gondola seems a little pricey, the alternative to cross the Grand Canal by traghetto is much more cheaper. They are stripped down and used as municipal ferries. In the 1950's there were as many as thirty, but now there are seven points to find them. However some only operate when people are going to and from work. The length of any crossing is just a few minutes.
- Gondola ride. Take a Gondola if you can afford it: it's expensive, but the Gondoliere may decrease the price if you ask (but they can also decrease the time...). Make sure you reach an agreement on price and time before you start! A good tip with the Gondolieres is to bargain the price down as low as you can, then say that it's still too much and walk away. Two or three of them will chase after you, one after the other, each offering a lower price than the last. It's possible to knock €20-€30 off the price(even then, be prepared to shell out €80). Gondola rides are always costly, often in a princely way and that expense should be planned in advance of the visit.
- Water Bus ride. Ride a Vaporetto down the Grand Canal right before sunset. The Vaporettos are not cheap, but the sights are priceless: amazing architecture, soft seaside sunlight, and a fascinating parade of Venetian watercraft.
- Water taxi. While going through Venice, make sure you take in the beauty of it all. Walk through the alley ways or take the water taxi to different parts of the island, sometimes at night you can just go sit in an open area and watch locals and tourists passing by. It is wonderful. There are many museums and churches that are around the city that allow tourists to go in a visit. They are many great sights to keep you busy throughout your visit.
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