Italy & Greece

Day 1 – Air

Fly through the night to Italy.

Day 2 – Florence

Buon giorno! Welcome to Firenze. Explore Florence and take in the highlights of the city. On your City Tour, see the Piazza del Duomo with the magnificent cathedral and baptistery whose East door is Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, a renowned landmark of Renaissance sculpture. Also see the Church of San Lorenzo, the Bargello, the Ponte Vecchio, and visit the Galleria dell’ Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s marble sculpture David.

Day 3 – Rome

Enjoy the morning in Florence on your own. Later, travel to the Eternal City of Rome via Orvieto, where you’ll stop to enjoy the quiet beauty of Piazza del Duomo. The facade of the stunning Cathedral is one of the most colorful Italian Gothic works.

Day 4 – Rome

Take a guided Rome City Tour to see Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus (seating capacity: 300,000!), the Arch of Constantine, the Imperial Forums, Piazza Venezia, and the Monument to Vittorio Emmanuel. Visit the Colosseum, scene of gladiatorial combats and early Christian martyrdom., then on to Capitoline Hill for a spectacular view of the Roman Forum. Continue to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Piazza di Trevi, the Spanish Steps and the Piazza del Popolo. Leave Italy behind and enter the independent city-state of the Vatican. See Bernini’s legacy, St. Peter’s Square, and visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world. Covering over six acres, St. Peter’s Cathedral can accommodate 95,000 visitors. From St. Peter’s, continue your tour for a visit to the Vatican Museum. Among the impressive works is the Sistine Chapel’s vault by Michelangelo. This stunning depiction of the Old Testament was completed in four years and is perhaps the single greatest work of art ever created.

Day 5 – Sorrento

En route to Sorrento stop to explore Pompeii with its excavation sites that display the remains of the destruction caused by Mt. Vesuvius. You’ll find the reality of Roman life in the bakeries, wine-shops, groceries, villas and temples buried in showers of cinders and volcanic pebbles.

Day 6 – Night Boat

This morning is free to explore on your own. This afternoon journey to historic Brindisi to board your night boat.

Day 7 – Athens

Welcome to Greece! Your first visit will be Delphi, the site of the Oracle of Delphi, where pilgrims from throughout the Greek world came seeking answers to life’s perplexities.

Day 8 – Athens

Discover the wonders of Greece and the ancient cradle of European civilization. On an Athens City Tour you’ll visit the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and its other monuments, and see the remains of the Agora and the Olympic Stadium. This evening, enjoy a special Greek dinner with light entertainment in the Plaka.

Day 9 – Depart/Optional Cruise

Return home or board a three day luxury cruise to the Greek Isles. At Mykonos you can see the three famous windmills, relax on the beach or shop in the trendy boutiques along the quaint, narrow streets.

Day 10 – Optional Cruise

Arrive in Turkey and discover the ancient Roman port of Ephesus. Then sail on to Patmos where you can visit the fortified monastery.

Day 11 – Optional Cruise

Dock at beautiful Rhodes, then explore the island at your leisure, or choose to visit Lindos. Then sail to Athens, enjoying a starry night under the Mediterranean sky.

Day 12 – Depart

Disembark and board your flight home with new knowledge and wonderful memories of the ancient world!