See historical Italy and classical Greece on this all-encompassing vacation. Start in Rome with a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. In Italy, sightseeing highlights St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and a special visit to the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs) at San Giovanni Laterano in Rome; Michelangelo’s David, the cathedral, and Signoria Square in Florence; the Leaning Tower in Pisa; and St. Mark’s Basilica and Doges’ Palace with the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. Also stop in Ferrara for a guided visit of Este Castle, then stay overnight in Assisi, with visits to St. Clare’s Church and St. Francis’ Basilica. From Ancona, sail to Patras in Greece. Hear about the history of the Olympic Games in Olympia, and explore the excavations of Delphi. Here, a truly unique experience awaits you: learn from a local dancer how to dance the sirtaki, made famous in the movie Zorba the Greek, and taste a glass of ouzo. The three nights in Athens include guided sightseeing and a visit to the Acropolis, with enough time to explore on your own or to take an exciting optional cruise to some of the charming islands. A farewell dinner has been included.
Itinerary:
Day #1 Arrive in Rome, Italy. Welcome to Rome! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions, and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with pasta and wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (D)
Day #2 Rome. Sightseeing with your Local Guide concentrates on ancient Rome. Visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman legions marched in triumph. Continue to Rome’s main cathedral, St. John’s Lateran, to see [LF] the HOLY STAIRS, Scala Sancta, supposed to have been brought from Jerusalem to Rome by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. Officially, these 28 marble steps may only be ascended on the knees. To make the most of your stay, join our optional Roman Highlights excursion and see the sites and squares of medieval Rome made famous in the movie Angels and Demons. (B)
Day #3 Rome–Florence. Start with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Next is Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany and the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Tonight, an optional dinner at a typical Tuscan restaurant can be arranged. (B)
Day #4 Florence. Follow your Local Guide to the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s David, and the magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afternoon and evening at leisure. (B)
Day #5 Florence–Pisa–Venice. In Pisa, marvel at the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 12 feet out of the perpendicular. Then, straight across the wooded Etruscan Apennine Mountains to Venice, city of romantics. (B)
Day #6 Venice. Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT. Highlights of your guided walking tour this morning are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and the Byzantine BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride through the maze of little canals. (B,D)
Day #7 Venice–Ferrara–Assisi. In Ferrara, a [LF] special guided visit has been arranged for you to ESTE CASTLE, former residence of the ruling Este family, one of whom was married to Lucrezia Borgia. As Ferrara is very close to the River Po, over the centuries the city has been threatened by floods. You can still see how high the water level came in the past. Also admire the marble cathedral before continuing to peaceful Assisi. A walking tour with a Local Guide features ST. CLARE’S CHURCH and ST. FRANCIS’ BASILICA, the hub of a religious order devoted to ideals of humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and love for God’s creatures. Hear about monastic life and admire the priceless frescoes adorning the walls of the church. (B,D)
Day #8 Assisi–Ancona–Overnight Cruise to Patras, Greece. In Ancona, board your high-speed FERRY for your overnight CRUISE across the Adriatic Sea to Greece. (B,D)
Day #9 Patras–Olympia. Dock at Patras and continue by motorcoach to Olympia, a sanctuary and a national shrine to the Greeks in classical times. (B,D)
Day #10 Olympia–Delphi. Focus on Olympia, where the athletes of antiquity performed in honor of the king of deities. Learn about the history of those original Olympic Games as you walk with your Local Guide among the impressive remains of the GYMNASIUM and the Temples of Hera and Zeus. Visit the MUSEUM, which displays a magnificent statue of Hermes. In the afternoon, proceed to mythical Delphi. Tonight, a special highlight: a [LF] DANCING LESSON, where you’ll learn how to dance the Sirtaki, made famous in the movie Zorba the Greek. Also enjoy a glass of Ouzo, a traditional drink in Greece. (B,D)
Day #11 Delphi–Athens. Morning visit with a Local Guide to the ancient sanctuary of the god Apollo in its dramatic setting on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Hear about the Oracle and tour the EXCAVATIONS. Also visit the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM to admire the Charioteer of Delphi, an extraordinary 5th-century BC bronze statue. On your way to Athens, your Tour Director will tell you about Thebes, the setting of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, and Marathon, where 10,000 Athenians defeated more than twice that number of Persian invaders in 490 BC. You may wish to join an optional dinner outing to one of Plaka’s tavernas with cool Retsina wines and folk dancing. (B)
Day #12 Athens. Tour the capital’s classical sites with a Local Guide: the Parthenon’s crowning beauty atop the ACROPOLIS, the Erechtheum with its Porch of Maidens, the beautifully preserved Theseum, Roman Temple of Zeus, Theater of Dionysus, and the Agora where Socrates taught. Vistas of the Royal Palace, government buildings, and elegant homes in the modern city provide a striking contrast to the remains of a glorious past. Exciting optional evening excursions are available. (B)
Day #13 At Leisure in Athens. A full day at leisure to give you a chance to enjoy an optional day cruise to the islands of Aegina, Hydra, and Poros. This evening, a farewell dinner with wine has been prepared at your hotel to celebrate the success of your vacation. (B,D)
Day #14 Athens. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
