A Taste of Tuscany Plus Rome

We depart the USA on an overnight flight to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served on the flight. Add-on flights from most major airports as well as business and premium economy upgrades are available upon request. . Add-on flights from most major airports are available upon request as well as upgrade quotes for premium economy and business class.

Upon arrival at Rome airport, we are greeted by our Italian Tour Manager and assisted onto the bus. Our first stop is the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, where we celebrate Mass. Following lunch at St. Paul’s Cafeteria, we visit Tre Fontane Convent nearby and check into our hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Rome. (D)

Early this morning, we are at the Vatican, where we see the Holy Father during the general session of the Papal Audience. In the afternoon, we have time to explore the city on our own. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Rome. (B)

We check out of our hotel and visit St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum before we depart for Florence. Arrive in Florence and settle into our hotel. Enjoy dinner with wine at a local restaurant. Overnight in Florence. (B, Special dinner)

Today, we start with a guided sightseeing tour including the famous Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence, and the Duomo - Florence’s magnificent cathedral, the fourth largest church in Europe. (Outside view). We see the Bargello National Museum, with remarkable Renaissance sculptures, including works by Michelangelo, set in a 13th-century palace. Continue to Santa Croce Basilica, a Neo-Gothic Franciscan church known for its Giotto frescoes, plus tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo. The afternoon is free for us to explore Florence on our own. If you have plans to visit a museum on your own, be sure to purchase the tickets online in advance. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Florence. (B)

This morning, we visit the Convent and Museum of San Marco and admire devotional frescos on the cloisters and cells by the famous Fra Angelico and the nearby Accademia Gallery, home to Michelangelo’s David. We break for lunch at the San Lorenzo market, where the locals buy their food items and where we can shop for leather goods and other gifts. The rest of the day and dinner are at leisure. Overnight in Florence. (B)

This morning, we visit the amazing Uffizi Gallery, one of Italy’s greatest art museums, where we see works of art by Italian masters such as Botticelli, Giotto, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raffaello. Following a break for lunch, we travel to Lucca, a hidden gem within walls, where the grid of streets still follows the pattern of the Roman colony founded in 180 BC. Enjoy a pleasant walking tour of the city center with a visit to Lucca’s Duomo, which houses the venerated Santo Volto. We have time to enjoy a gelato or a cappuccino before continuing on to Viareggio to check in to our hotel. Mass will be celebrated. Dinner is at the hotel. (B, D)

Today, embark on an excursion to Pisa, the capital of the 12th-century powerful trading empire. Our sightseeing in the area called Field of Miracles includes the famous Leaning Tower built on a sandy silt subsoil, which started to tilt before the third story was finished in 1274. We continue with a visit to the Cathedral, one of the finest Pisan-Romanesque build-ings in Tuscany, and its Museo dell’Oper displays exhibits removed over the years from the Cathedral, Baptistry, and the Camposano. Next, visit the circular Baptistry. Its marble pulpit displays beautiful carvings with scenes of the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presen-tation, the Crucifixion, and the Last Judgment. We continue with a visit to the Camposanto (cemetery); the vast marble arcades of this long building are said to enclose soil from the Holy Land. On our way back to Viareggio, we stop for a short visit at the small church of Santa Maria Della Spina, built to house a thorn from Christ’s Crown of Thorns. Overnight in Viareggio. (B, D)

We have a full-day trip to Cinque Terre, the star of the Italian Riviera. The five self-contained fishing villages are listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Clinging dramatically to the steep cliffs, an ancient footpath links these villages. Travel between the towns is by boat (weather permitting). Enjoy incredible marinas, natural bays, and the famous anchovies. Dinner and overnight in Viareggio. (B, D)

We say goodbye to Viareggio and depart for Siena, home of St. Catherine, the patron saint of Italy. We start with a visit to St. Domenico’s Cathedral, which houses the relics of St. Catherine. Continue with a walking tour of St. Catherine’s house - surrounded by cloisters and chapels. Continue with a visit to the Duomo, one of Italy’s greatest cathedrals. It is a spectacular mixture of sculptures, paintings, and Pisan-influenced Romanesque-Gothic architecture. Marvel at the sight of the Duomo’s floor (if open, as they are only open to visitors a few days yearly), which is known to be the most beautiful, largest, and most magnificent ever made. Our tour ends in Piazza del Campo, the finest square in Italy, where the annual Palio delle Contrade horse race takes place. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore Siena on our own. Mass will be celebrat-ed. Overnight in the area. (B)

Today, we have an excursion to Arezzo. Enjoy a walking tour of Arezzo’s downtown with a visit to St. Francis Basilica, which contains scenes from Pietro Della Francesca’s Legend of the True Cross, one of the most important fresco cycles of the 15th century. Enjoy time to wander in Arezzo, known for its craftsmen working in gold. We stop at a country winery in the afternoon to taste the wonderful Tuscany wine. Overnight in the area. (B, D)

We start our day traveling to Volterra, the center for artists working with alabaster since Etrus-can times. Enjoy a sightseeing walking tour of Volterra with a visit to the Alabaster Ecomuseum, an environmental museum that leads from the stone quarry to the center of production and marketing. Early in the afternoon, depart towards San Gimignano, the town with fifteen towers that, in the 10th century, was a center for trade. It is designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Enjoy a walking tour with a visit to the collegiate church of Santa Maria in the Piazza del Duomo. The church complex includes San Giovanni’s cloister and Santa Fina’s chapel. We have free time to delight in San Gimignano. Tonight, we enjoy a farewell dinner to celebrate the end of a beautiful trip. Overnight in the area. (B, Special dinner)

This morning, we transfer to Florence’s airport for our flight back to the USA. (B)