Traveling in Italy is pretty sweet. If you've never been, it needs to be on the top of your list. Seriously. If you have, then you know that Italy is a place you can return to again and again and never cease to be delighted. It really is one of those antique lands that has it all: a place saturated with cultural and artistic wonders, history galore, gorgeous and varied natural beauty, a fashionista's playground, and, of course, the best food and the sweetest desserts from gelato to cannoli. What makes travel to Italy even sweeter is the fact that it has more UNESCO World Heritage sites (55 out of 1,121) than any other country in the world. With all of this and more, it's no surprise that this rich and dolce antique land is consistently one of the top five tourist destinations in the world. Andiamo!
The following sample itinerary could be called "Italy 101": a classic 14-day excursion highlighting her Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque treasures.
❊ - indicates a UNESCO World Heritage Site
DAY 1 - Arrive at Milan Malpensa Airport
-Our representative will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel.
-Rest of the day free to rest and acclimate.
DAY 2 - Milan
Note: Every morning your guide and driver will meet you after breakfast.
-Start your day at the Church of Santa Maria della Grazie, home of Leonardo Da Vinci's awe-inspiring Last Supper (1490s CE).
-Next, you'll visit Castello Sforzesco (1358 CE), the bastion of Milan's once-powerful Sforza family. You'll tour the Pinoteca with masterpieces by Mantegna, Titian, and Tintoretto, and you'll also see Michelangelo's last sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà.
DAY 2 - Milan (Cont.)
-After lunch you'll tour Milan's iconic and massive Duomo. Begun in 1386 CE and not completed until 1965, this Gothic tour de force is one of the largest cathedrals in the world.
-Walk through the nearby Galleria di Vittorio Emanuele II (1877 CE) and then tour the famous La Scala Opera (1788 CE) before hitting the fashion capital's major shopping streets of Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga.
DAY 3 - Milan - Venice
-Depart Milan for Venice, stopping en route in charming Verona* where you'll visit Juliet's Balcony of Romeo & Juliet fame. You'll also tour its well-preserved Roman Arena (30 CE).
-Arrive that afternoon in otherworldly Venice* where you'll tour the Basilica di San Marco (1117 CE) and Doge's Palace (begun in 1340 CE) with its fantastic galleries and world-famous Bridge of Sighs (1603 CE).
DAY 4 - Venice
-Start your day's guided walk through the city at Piazza San Marco which Napoleon called "the most elegant drawing room in Europe."
-Next, tour Venice's grand art museum, the Galleria dell'Accademia before having some authentic Venetian cuisine in one of the city's less-touristy neighborhoods.
-After lunch you'll continue on to the Chiesa di San Sebastiano (1562 CE) famous for its paintings by Veronese.
-Take a vaporetto to the Grand Canal and visit the Rialto Bridge (1588 CE) renowned for its shops selling glass and gold.
-Spend the rest of your afternoon shopping to your heart's content or take some time to rest and reflect.
DAY 5 - Venice - Florence
-This morning you'll travel to the nearby island of Murano to learn about Venice's centuries-old tradition of glassmaking.
-Sigh and say farewell to Venice before heading to another city overflowing with Renaissance-era treasures, Florence*.
-Your first stop in Florence's UNESCO-listed historic center will be at the Galleria dell'Accademia, home of Michelangelo's glorious David (1504 CE).
-End your day with a tour of the city's magnificent Duomo (1436 CE) and a visit to its mosaic-rich Baptistry.
DAY 6 - Florence
-Today you’ll explore Florence's innumerable artistic riches, first with a visit to the Bargello Museum, home to some of finest sculptures in Western art.
-Next, become immersed in the world's greatest collection of Italian Renaissance art at the Galleria degli Uffizi.
-Marvel at Giotto's Frescoes and pay homage to Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo, and Rossini at their tombs in the Basilica di Santa Croce (1443 CE).
-Take in a breathtaking view of the River Arno and shop for gold on Florence's most famous bridge, the Ponte Vecchio (1345 CE).
-Rest of the day free to rest and reflect.
DAY 7 - Florence - Rome
-Today is all about Tuscany. Depart Florence for Rome, stopping first in the hilltop town of San Gimignano* where you'll enjoy a guided tour through this historic locale known for its numerous towers, charming streets, and its churches' unforgettable frescoes.
-Depart San Gimignano for art-rich Siena*. You'll first visit the Duomo (1348 CE), renowned for its black and white stone bands, numerous sculptures, and vivid mosaics.
-Next, tour the 14th-century Palazzo Pubblico with its unique secular instead of religious frescoes by Lorenzetti.
-Take part in a little people watching over un caffè in Siena's Piazza del Campo before departing for your next destination.
-Travel to a local winery where you'll savor an indulgent Tuscan lunch featuring farm-to-table food and wine from vine to glass.
-Arrive late that afternoon at your hotel in Rome.
DAY 8 - Rome
-Buon giorno and welcome to the Eternal City*! You'll start your multi-day tour through thousands of years of Rome's history with a visit to a museum dedicated to her predecessors, the National Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia.
-Next stop is the 2,600-year-old Forum, an open-air museum that was once the heart of Ancient Rome. Here you'll visit its famous Senate, ruined temples, triumphal arches, and basilicas.
-Looming just nearby is Rome's iconic Colosseum (80 CE), the Emperor Vespasian's gift to the people of Rome as well as to humanity. As you stand within its walls, you can just imagine the sound of 80,000 spectators baying for blood on the sand.
-You'll then explore the Capitoline Museum with its impressive collection of Ancient Roman art and artifacts.
-Your day's tour of Ancient Rome will culminate with a visit to the perfectly preserved Pantheon (125 CE), the pinnacle of classical-era architecture.
DAY 9 - Rome
-While yesterday focused on Rome's ancient glories, today will center on her Renaissance and Baroque epochs, with a good part of the day devoted to discovering the treasures of the Vatican*.
-Your visit to the Holy See will commence with a tour of St. Peter's Basilica (1626 CE), masterwork of the collective genius of Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno, and Bernini. The list of important historical and artistic sights to behold is exhaustive, but some highlights you'll see include: Michelangelo's Pietà, the Chapel of the Sacrament with Bernini's Tabernacle, and the Crypt of St. Peter.
-Next, you'll be guided through the Apostolic Palace with its Raphael Rooms, Borgia Apartments, and, of course, the breathtaking Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's masterpiece of Renaissance artistic expression.
DAY 9 - Rome (Cont.)
-Continue to be awed as you explore the Vatican Museums and Library, home to an extensive range of Italian painting as well as the largest collection of ancient sculpture in the world, all housed in some of the most sumptuously decorated buildings anywhere.
-After an intense day of sightseeing at the Vatican, enjoy Rome at a more leisurely pace as you wander through the historic quarter around Campo dei Fiori.
-End your day in the Baroque gem of Piazza Navona, famous for its fountains, especially Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651 CE). Sit, relax, and engage in some dolce far niente over a caffè as you watch the world go by.
DAY 10 - Rome
-Begin your day with a stroll under Rome's majestic pines in the Borghese Gardens before touring the Galleria Borghese, one of the world's finest art museums in terms of its manageable size, the quality of its collection, and the beauty of its setting.
-Next, reach into your pocket and throw some coins over your shoulder into the Trevi Fountain (1762 CE), Rome's Baroque public waterworks showpiece.
-Visit the city's famous Spanish Steps (1725 CE) and shop in Rome's fashion district around Via del Babuino.
-Enjoy some downtime in the afternoon before experiencing Rome's hip and Bohemian neighborhood of Trastevere, famous for its stellar restaurants and vibrant nightlife.
DAY 11 - Rome - Sorrento
-Say: Arrivederci, Roma and depart for Sorrento, stopping on the way at two of the most important archeological sites in the world, Herculaneum* and Pompeii*. You will be awed while wandering through these amazing snapshots of classical antiquity that were tragically preserved by Mt. Vesuvius' eruption in 79 CE. You'll see ancient amphitheaters, gladiator barracks, and villas with Roman frescoes that seem to have been painted only yesterday.
-Arrive that afternoon in Sorrento.
DAY 12 - Sorrento
-Today you'll tour the picturesque Amalfi Coast, visiting two of its most stunning cliffside towns, Amalfi* and Positano*. Positano is renowned for its colorful homes, narrow lanes, and charming ambiance. You'll enjoy soaking up the aura here so much that it's likely you won't want to leave. But not to worry. You'll continue to be enraptured by the coastline's natural beauty as you pass its olive groves, terraced gardens, citrus trees, pines, and bougainvilleas, not to mention emerald mountains colliding dramatically into turquoise seas.
-While in the equally beguiling town of Amalfi, you'll visit its impressive 11th-century Duomo, known as one of the finer examples of Arab-Norman architecture outside of Sicily.
-Return that evening for dinner and lodging in Sorrento.
DAY 13 - Sorrento - Rome
-This morning your guide will escort you to the fabled island of Capri, once the playground of emperors.
-Before arriving ashore, you'll stop and visit the magnificent Blue Grotto, where light and water bounce off of one another in a spectacular visual ballet.
-Once ashore, you'll tour the Gardens of Augustus with its terraced displays of local flora and incredible views of the famed Faraglioni Rocks.
-You'll also visit Villa San Michele, an early 20th-century home built over the site of the Roman Emperor Tiberius' villa that boasts commanding views of Capri and its harbor.
-Peruse Capri's handicraft stores known for ceramics and jewelry and then see and be seen in an open-air café in Piazza Umberto before returning to Rome later that afternoon.
-Enjoy a farewell dinner on the last night of your trip.
DAY 14 - Depart for Home
-We will transfer you to Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport for your flight home.
Buon Viaggio!
INCLUDED WITH ANTIQUE LANDS' CUSTOM JOURNEYS: