Italian Scene

The 'Eternal City' has captivated travelers for centuries and you’ll not be disappointed as it prepares you for an exhilarating journey across Italy. On arrival in Rome, check in to your hotel, relax or get ready for your very own introduction to Rome. Later this afternoon, meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a glimpse into what lies ahead.

With so much to see and do, you could explore Rome for an eternity without getting bored. Join a Optional Experience to the Roman Forum or start your day the Italian way. Get to grips with the city’s main attractions, joining a Local Specialist. Cross the Tiber to see the mighty Colosseum and the countless other ancient sites which featured prominently in the days of the powerful Roman Empire. Why not select a Optional Experience dinner in a characteristic trattoria to soak up the city’s effervescent atmosphere?

The Bay of Naples beckons and the first stop is in the picture-perfect resort town of Sorrento. Pastel-hued residences cling impossibly to craggy cliffs that plunge into the deep blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Enjoy your time soaking up the sun-drenched views. You won’t need to venture far to catch the scent of the 'world’s best lemons', which you’ll see in abundance at the local markets. Taste some of the mouth-watering fresh produce grown locally or consider a Optional Experience to the artists’ paradise of Positano, followed by a scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast. The Sirens of Sorrento may be nowhere in sight, but their alluring call will be possible to resist.

Enjoy the atmosphere as you explore the beautiful Bay of Naples during your free time this morning. Alternatively, choose to join a Optional Experience guided walking tour of Pompeii, buried under the volcanic ash for centuries after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Leaving the Bay of Naples behind, journey past Cassino and see the monastery which featured as a backdrop for some of the fiercest battles of World War II. This poignant reminder of war gives way to a place of pilgrimage as you head north to Assisi, where an orientation reveals a medieval town that has changed very little since the time of St. Francis.

• See the Basilica of St Francis

Your journey continues across the Apennines and through the Emilia-Romagna region, credited with being the origin of tortellini, mortadella and parmesan cheese. Before you know it, you’ll arrive in Venice, the Queen of the Adriatic, where a Optional Experience will see you gliding through the city's canals in a gondola.

Embark on a cruise by private launch to bustling St. Mark's Square in the heart of Venice. Admire the most famous of Venice's bridges, the Bridge of Sighs, and enjoy views of the Doge's Palace and the Byzantine St. Mark's Basilica. Later, join a visit to a Venetian glassblowing workshop, where the extraordinary talents of the craftsmen take center stage. Then, consider a Optional Experience to the island of Burano for a relaxing meal with your travel companions.

• Learn about the History and Ancient Skills of Venetian Glassblowing
• Venice Orientation

Veneto’s wide-open plains give way to Verona, where Roman muscle meets Italian polish. Cross Piazza Bra and clock the mighty Arena, still pulling a crowd almost 2,000 years on. Then make the most of your free time, whether that means wandering the old town, slipping into the boutiques on Via Mazzini or stopping for a spritz in one of the city’s elegant squares. Next up is Lake Como, where glossy villas and headline-worthy views explain exactly why the rich and famous keep showing up. Want the inside track? Choose a Optional Experience with a Local Specialist for lakeside stories, a scenic stroll and a local treat in Como.

• Verona Orientation

Pisa's white marble facades gleam in the sunshine, but it is the famous Leaning Tower that gets most of the glory when you visit this 'Field of Miracles', a name coined by 20th-century Italian writer and poet Gabriele d’Annunzio. Since Medieval times, the exquisite structures in the piazza have symbolized the stages of human life: the Baptistery representing birth, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta symbolizing life, and the Camposanto signifying death. After a short drive from Pisa, you’ll arrive at your hotel near Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. With a full day of sightseeing ahead tomorrow, kick back and enjoy the company of your travel companions this evening at an optional dinner in the Tuscan countryside.

• See Pisa's Landmarks

There are few cities in the world with an artistic legacy equal to that of Florence. Your Local Specialist shares a superb commentary of the city's artistic and architectural heritage during a walking tour, which includes views on the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery, the impressive Giotto's Bell Tower and the Ponte Vecchio. Visit Piazza della Signoria and squeeze in some time for shopping – Florence is particularly renowned for its high-quality leather and 18-carat gold jewelry. Later, return to Rome, where your journey began. Spend the evening forging final memories with new friends or consider a Optional Experience that whisks you away on one last sightseeing trip, complete with a mouth-watering dinner and live entertainment.

• Florence City Tour

If Italy has become engraved in your heart as it did for celebrated poet Robert Browning, you’ll have a hard time saying arrivederci. As the legend has it, if you tossed a coin in the Trevi Fountain, you're destined to return. Until then, bid your Travel Director and travel companions a fond farewell.