Rome and Florence by Train

October 8 - 17, 2009

Rome, the Eternal City, and Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance, surrounds you with stunning art, fantastic ruins and ancient architecture.  Our trip to both of these cities gives you the best of everything: the best art, from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and David to the Uffizi Gallery and the best architecture, from the Colosseum in Rome to the Duomo in Florence.  A trip to the Vatican and St. Peters Basicila is always a highlight of a visit to Rome.   For a taste of the Tuscany region, we will spend one day touring San Gimignano and Siena, both very picturesque medieval towns. 

(See tentative itinerary below)

We are currently in the process of planning this trip.
Once we have all the activities, hotels and other details confirmed,
and the price finalized, we will remove this information and post
a completed itinerary with the price.

If you are interested in learning more about this trip,
make a pre-reservation.
It is very important to make a no-obligation pre-reservation.
Those who have made a pre-reservation will be notified first
when the full itinerary and pricing is posted.

 Make a Pre-Reservation

A pre-reservation does not require any money.
Once the tour is finalized and a tour price available, those who have pre-reserved
a space will be contacted via email and asked to decide if they
want to make a deposit. If you are not interested, you don't have to do anything.

 
Tentative Itinerary

Thursday, October 8:  Arrive Rome; Welcome Dinner (D)

Benvenuto in Italia.  Arrive in Rome no later than 2:00pm.  We will gather in the evening to get acquainted and enjoy a welcome dinner.  If you arrive earlier in the day, our tour leader will be available to assist with suggestions for sightseeing.

Friday, October 9:  City Tour; Free Time (B)

We will begin our Italy adventure with a city tour of classical Rome highlights--the Roman Forum, the Circus Maximus, the Colosseum, and the Arch of Constantine

The rest of the day and evening is free to discover Rome on your own.

You might want to visit Volpetti market, a gastronomic institution in Rome, for a taste of some of Italy’s typical wines, breads, salumeria and cheeses.

Saturday, October 10:  Vatican and St Peters Basicila (B)

Vatican City is full of fascinating history and artistic masterpieces.  The Vatican is renowned for its impressive artistic masterpieces and architecture, its collections of painting and sculpture, the Sistine Chapel frescoes, and St. Peter's art and architecture.

This afternoon and evening are free to further explore this fascinating city with suggestions from your tour leader.

Sunday, October 11:  Day Trip to Tivoli Gardens, Villa d'Este, Hadrian's Villa (B,D)

Today's agenda is a trip to Tivoli Gardens.  We will visit Villa d'Este, a convent-turned-palace, complete with elaborate fountains and fishponds.  After the Villa d'Este, we continue to Hadrian's Villa, the largest and richest estate of the Roman Imperial era. This staggeringly large residence of Emperor Hadrian is one of the most evocative classical sites still standing in Italy.  After returning to Rome we’ll have dinner together.

Monday, October 12:  Free Day in Rome (B)

Today is your opportunity to stay in the city or travel outside by train if you are the adventurous sort. You can get to Naples and back in a day.

Tuesday, October 13: Arrive Florence; Afternoon free, Group dinner (B, D)

We will depart Rome at 12:30pm giving you time to take a morning walk on your own or sleep in late before we will board the train for a trip to Florence, the beautiful city where the Renaissance was born.  Upon arriving in Florence at 2:06pm, we will transfer to the hotel and the rest of the day is free.

Wednesday, October 14:  Florence City Tour, Galleria Dell'Accademia, Free Time (B)

Today is an opportunity to learn about the art and architecture of Florence during our city tour.   We will visit places such as the 13th century Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (also known as Duomo), the octagonal Baptistery, Giotto's Bell Tower, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti and Santa Croce Square. Our city tour will conclude at the Galleria dell’Accademia where we will visit Michelangelo’s David, a Renaissance masterpiece that became a symbol for the city.  In 1873, Michelangelo's famous statue David was moved to a specially designed room in the Galleria dell'Accademia from his position in front of Palazzo Vecchio, where he had stood since Michelangelo's time.  The rest of the day is free to shop or to visit more sights in Florence. 

Thursday, October 15: Day trip to San Gimignano and Siena (B)

Our trip begins with the medieval village of San Gimignano, one of the most charming and picturesque of the Tuscan hill towns, known mainly for its medieval towers. The Collegiate church has frescoes of the New and Old Testament dating back to the 14th century.  We will continue to the quaint 12th-century fortress of Monteriggioni, with fourteen picturesque watchtowers.  Our last stop is Siena, a perfectly preserved medieval town set among rolling hills with Renaissance villas, old farmhouses, and scenic vineyards.  Built on seven hills, this medieval town’s center is lined with narrow cobblestone passages.  We will return to Florence for the evening.

Friday, October 16 - Free Day in Florence; Farewell Dinner (B,D)

You might want to visit the Uffizi Gallery, the most important art museum in the city, or any one of the many other cultural sites, or simply relax at a cafe in a lively piazza or do some shopping.

Saturday, October 17: Return Home

All previous information has been superseded.