ITALY CLASSIC

Itinerary

1. 

   Day 1

   Arrive Rome — Colosseum, Palatine & Roman Forum

   • ColosseumVisit Rome’s ancient amphitheatre and walk the tiered seating where gladiatorial games and public spectacles once took place.
   • Palatine HillExplore the hill tied to Rome’s legendary founding and later imperial palaces. Terraces overlook the Roman Forum and the city beyond.
   • Roman ForumWalk the civic and religious heart of ancient Rome among temples, basilicas, and triumphal arches.
2. 

   Day 2

   Rome — baroque piazzas, Pantheon & sunset

   • Piazza NavonaAdmire Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers at the centre of this baroque square, with artists and cafés along the edges.
   • PantheonEnter the Pantheon, Rome’s great domed hall from antiquity, and look up through the nine-metre oculus. Raphael’s tomb lies inside.
   • Church of St. IgnatiusView Andrea Pozzo’s ceiling frescoes; from a marked spot on the floor, the painted vault reads as a soaring dome in perspective.
   • Trevi Fountain & Spanish StepsPause at the Trevi Fountain, then continue to the Spanish Steps and the surrounding shopping streets.
   • Pincian HillFinish on the Pincian Hill terraces with views toward Piazza del Popolo as the sun sets over Rome.
3. 

   Day 3

   Vatican — Castel Sant’Angelo, St. Peter’s & Museums

   • Castel Sant’AngeloCross the Angel Bridge to the fortress built on Hadrian’s tomb. Climb the ramparts for views along the Tiber and tour the papal apartments and armoury.
   • St. Peter’s BasilicaTour St. Peter’s Basilica: Michelangelo’s Pietà, Bernini’s baldachin, and the nave beneath the great dome. Climb to the dome gallery for views over St. Peter’s Square and the Roman rooftops.
   • Vatican MuseumsWalk the museum route from classical sculpture through the Raphael Rooms and the Gallery of Maps to the Sistine Chapel.
4. 

   Day 4

   Florence — Duomo, Ponte Vecchio & Boboli

   • Rome to Florence by trainBoard the morning high-speed train to Florence, check in, and continue with the afternoon programme.
   • Florence CathedralClimb 463 steps inside Brunelleschi’s dome to see Giorgio Vasari’s Last Judgement fresco and wide views over terracotta roofs and hills.
   • Ponte VecchioCross Florence’s oldest bridge, still lined with goldsmiths’ shops, and look up at the Vasari Corridor as it runs above the rooftops.
   • Boboli GardensWalk the terraced gardens behind Palazzo Pitti with fountains, grottoes, and overlooks toward the city and countryside.
   • Piazzale MichelangeloVisit this belvedere south of the Arno for the classic postcard view of the Duomo and towers.
5. 

   Day 5

   Pisa — Field of Miracles

   • Train from FlorenceTake a morning train to Pisa and return to Florence in the evening.
   • Leaning TowerClimb the cathedral’s bell tower — the Leaning Tower — for views across the Field of Miracles toward the duomo and baptistery.
   • Cathedral & BaptisteryVisit the Romanesque cathedral and its round baptistery. The baptistery’s domed interior carries sound in a clear, ringing echo.
   • Knights’ SquareVisit the civic heart of Pisa’s university quarter, with Medici emblems on surrounding palaces and Cosimo I’s statue at the centre.
6. 

   Day 6

   Venice — Grand Canal & gondola

   • Florence to Venice by trainBoard the train to Venice, then take your water transfer to a canal-side hotel.
   • Grand Canal bridgesCross the Scalzi, Accademia, and Rialto bridges — three distinct crossings over the Grand Canal.
   • Grand Canal & gondolaRide the vaporetto along palazzo façades, then take a gondola into quieter side canals.
7. 

   Day 7

   Venice — St. Mark’s & Doge’s Palace

   • Doge’s Palace & Bridge of SighsTour the former seat of government with grand council halls and Tintoretto’s Paradise. The enclosed bridge connects the palace to the historic prisons.
   • St. Mark’s SquareEnjoy the city’s main public space with the campanile, historic cafés, and steady pedestrian life.
   • St. Mark’s BasilicaAdmire gold mosaics and Byzantine architecture that reflect Venice’s ties to the eastern Mediterranean.
8. 

   Day 8

   Milan — Arco della Pace & Sforza Castle

   • Venice to Milan by trainDepart after breakfast on first-class rail to Milan.
   • Arco della Pace & Parco SempioneStroll from the neoclassical arch through Milan’s large central park toward the castle.
   • Sforza CastleExplore the fortress courtyards and museums, including Michelangelo’s unfinished Rondanini Pietà and major art collections.
9. 

   Day 9

   Milan — Duomo, Galleria & shopping

   • Milan CathedralVisit Milan Cathedral, the Gothic duomo in Candoglia marble, then walk the rooftop terraces among pinnacles above Piazza del Duomo.
   • Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IIWalk the glass-vaulted arcade between the Duomo and La Scala, with luxury shops and historic cafés.
   • Shopping in MilanWalk Corso Vittorio Emanuele II from the Duomo for high-street brands, visit La Rinascente, and browse leather and gifts in the side streets.
10. 

    Day 10

    Depart for home

    • DepartureTransfer to the airport after breakfast for your international flight, closing ten days across Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice, and Milan.