10 Days Discover Italy Tour with Tauck

From Michelangelo’s statue of David to the echoes of gladiators at Rome’s Colosseum, the art and drama of the ages inspire this journey. View the original works of the masters at the Uffizi Gallery, Vatican Museums, and Venice’s Accademia. See the Doges’ Palace and St. Mark’s Square in Venice, the Roman Forum and the Vatican in Rome; and the medieval town of Siena in the Tuscan countryside. Enjoy a ferry ride across Lake Como at the foot of the Alps, and a train ride to Florence. Pursue your own interests with free time in Venice, Florence, and Rome when you travel Italy with Tauck.

Day 1

Arrive Milan and on to Bellagio on Lake Como

Tour begins 6:00 PM, Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. A transfer is included from Milan’s Malpensa Airport to Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio. As you travel Italy Tauck-style, you’ll see the best of this ancient country, from great cities to countryside villages and towns that are off-the-beaten track! Begin by heading through the beautiful northern Italian countryside from Milan to your historic 19th-century grand hotel in beautiful Bellagio on the shores of bejewelled Lake Como. Meet your fellow travelling companions at a welcome cocktail reception and dinner at your hotel.

Lodging

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

Day 2

Villa delights on Lake Como

Your travels take you by private boat from Bellagio to visit Villa Del Balbianello; set on a wooded peninsula that juts into the lake, it was built in the late 18th century on the site of a Franciscan monastery. Noted for its exquisite landscaping and sculpture, the villa features spectacular terraced gardens ablaze with magnolias, cypresses, azaleas and more against dramatic views of the distant Alps and the famous shore of Lake Como, and appeared as a location in the James Bond film Casino Royale and in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. After lunch on Isola Comacina, return to Bellagio and enjoy the afternoon and evening to explore as you wish; enjoy dinner on your own tonight.

Lodging

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

Day 3

Travel Italy from the lakes to Venice – St. Mark’s Basilica and more

Journey across northern Italy from the lakes to Venice, among the world’s best-loved cities, designed along an intricate system of canals within a lagoon. After lunch, head to St. Mark’s Square, the heart of Venice, with a local guide. Visit Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) and St. Mark’s Basilica, one of the greatest buildings in Europe with its exquisite mosaics and detailed carving, and the Doge’s Palace, a pink marble Gothic masterpiece containing a precious art collection. Dine this evening at a popular Venetian restaurant.

Lodging

Hotel Danieli

Day 4

Explore Venice as you please

Spend the entire day exploring Venice at your leisure – your Tauck Director can offer recommendations. You may wish to explore the small islands of the Venetian Lagoon, including the lace-making island of Burano or Murano where skilled artisans still make glass in the ways of their forefathers. Possibilities on your day in Venice include a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia, boasting one of the world’s largest collections of Venetian art, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a head-turning display of modern art housed in Guggenheim’s former home on the Grand Canal, the 18th-century Palazzo Venier dei Leoni. Late afternoon, join us for a gondola cruise through the canals, complete with a serenade… the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Lodging

Hotel Danieli

Day 5

High-speed rail to Florence, guided visit of the Galleria Dell’Accademia

Travel Italy by high-speed rail today from Venice to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Get an introduction to the city’s architectural landmarks and great artists from a local art historian; view Lorenzo Ghiberti’s bronze doors with detailed panels at the Baptistry, part of the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiori complex. Your art lecture is a fitting prelude to today’s visit to Galleria dell’Accademia, Europe’s oldest art school and home to many of the world’s most beloved paintings and sculpture, including Michelangelo’s famed statue of David. Later, a walking tour explores the historical center of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Have dinner à la carte at your leisure this evening at your hotel in the heart of the city .

Lodging

The St. Regis Florence

Day 6

Masterpieces of the Uffizi & time at leisure in Florence

We’ve made reservations for you today at Florence’s extraordinary Uffizi Gallery, Italy’s largest art museum and one of the first art galleries in the world, where you’ll gaze at some of the world’s greatest art masterpieces on a guided tour with a local expert. Admire works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, and more; following your tour, you can spend as much time as you like looking at the art.  The rest of the day is free to explore more of Florence as you please; perhaps you may want to visit the Pitti Palace, the Medici Chapels or stroll across the Ponte Vecchio to the lovely Boboli Gardens; enjoy lunch and dinner on your own today.

Lodging

The St. Regis Florence

Day 7

Antiquities in Siena, then on to Rome through Tuscany and Umbria

Travel Italy through lush Tuscan landscapes this morning, featuring olive groves, cypress trees, and vineyards, including the region that produces Chianti wine. Stop in the medieval hill town of Siena, and wander through its narrow centuries-old streets. See the Piazza del Campo where the Palio bareback horse race is held, and visit the Duomo, one of Italy’s great cathedrals, with scenes inlaid in the marble floors and sculpture by Michelangelo. Continue through scenic Umbria and Lazio to your final destination – Rome, the Eternal City that was the center of the once-powerful Roman Empire, and is today the capital of modern Italy – for a three-night stay at one of Europe’s finest hotels. Indulge this evening in an à la carte dinner at a Roman neighbourhood restaurant known for its regional cuisine.

Lodging

The St. Regis Rome

Day 8

The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel on an exclusive after-hours tour

Your first full day in Rome begins with a visit to one of the world’s most famous houses of worship, immense St. Peter’s Basilica, and St. Peter’s Square. The remainder of the day is free to explore Rome as you please before this evening’s Tauck Exclusive! An after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel (subject to availability; day of the visit may vary) gives you privileged access to the treasures of the Vatican, without the day’s crowds. See the Candelabra Gallery, Map Gallery and the Tapestries; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of the world’s great masterpieces, including Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes, without the usual crowds. Up close and unhurried, you’ll have a chance to see firsthand why the chapel’s floor is as famous as its celebrated ceiling! 

Lodging

The St. Regis Rome

Day 9

The Colosseum and glories of Imperial Rome

Get an insider’s view of Rome from a local guide on a city sightseeing tour – view such can’t-miss sights as the Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia, and the Circus Maximus – and you’ll avoid long lines with pre-arranged reservations for a visit inside the Colosseum. Opened in AD 80, the Colosseum once reigned supreme as an entertainment venue used by Roman emperors to maximise their popularity with the general public. Spend some more free time in Rome this afternoon prior to this evening’s farewell cocktail party and dinner – a special finale to your extraordinary Italy travel days from the Italian Lakes to Rome.

Lodging

The St. Regis Rome

Day 10

Arrivederci Rome

Your trip ends in Rome. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The St. Regis Rome to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino; allow 3 hours for check-in.