|
|
A Month in Italy
offered by supplier M19493 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 28
day(s)
Group Size: 30
- 50
people
Destination(s):
Italy
Specialty Categories:
Sightseeing
Cultural Journey
Season: April - May
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 3200 Pound Sterling (GBP)
Maximum Per Person Price: 6990 Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
|
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1. A hotel room near Milan airport has been reserved for everybody to recover from jet-lag in their own way. No dinner has been booked, but a full breakfast is included for tomorrow morning.
Day 2. After breakfast tour members will be taken to a nearby campground where their rented motor homes will await. After a comprehensive tutorial everybody can start to become familiar with their vehicle and we will then visit a local supermarket to stock up on food etc. This evening we will have a welcome dinner in the campground's own restaurant.
Day 3. This morning we will be collected by a bus with an expert guide for a combined bus/walking tour of Milan. At the end of the day we will be returned to our motor homes for a relaxing evening.
Day 4. We head south today and after a drive of about 190 miles we will arrive at our campground in the city of Pisa.
Day 5. We have a tour of Pisa today, including the world famous "leaning tower". The city, however, has several other places of interest.
Day 6. We have an excursion today to two of the smaller, less well known, but fascinating towns in Tuscany. First we will have a tour of Lucca, which is a lovely old town and the center of the olive oil industry. We will then go on to visit Volterra, which is the center of the alabaster carving industry in Tuscany. Everybody will love this small town and most people will want to buy some of the beautiful hand-carved objects. Lunch will be taken at one of the various restaurants in the town. At the end of the day we will be returned to our campground.
Day 7. We continue south and will reach our next campground, which is in the northern suburbs of Rome, in the afternoon. This evening we will have dinner in the campground's own restaurant.
Day 8. We will have 2 days of tours around Rome and the Vatican over the next 2 days. There is so much to see that this may not be enough! During these 2 days we will see the Roman Forum, Collosseum, St. Peter's cathedral, Vatican Museum, Sistine chapel, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Spanish steps etc. etc. Lunch will be taken in a local restaurant.
Day 9. This is the second day of Roman exploration. Lunch is included.
Day 10. The traditional day of rest, so we suggest you do that! Just relax.
Day 11. We leave Rome this morning and head south to our next campground near Sorrento. The total distance is about 180 miles and you could stop at Montecassino en route if you wanted. Our campground has its own restaurant, private rocky beach (accessible only via a steep path) and shop and there is a bus from right outside which goes into the center of Sorrento. This evening we will be welcomed with a dinner in the campground's own restaurant.
Day 12. Today we will take a bus trip to discover of the ancient town of Pompeii, through the streets, bath, forum and villas buried following the eruption of Vesuvius. After lunch the excursion continues to Vesuvius. The coach will take you to within 1,000 meters of the top of the volcano (still active) and from here you can walk to the top with specialized guides. Remember to wear proper shoes as sandals, flip-flops etc. will not give sufficient protection against the heat of the rocks. At the end of the day our coach will take us back to the campground. Lunch will be taken in a local restaurant.
Day 13. Today's excursion is to the beautiful island of Capri. There is nothing of specific interest to see, but the lovely old town is a mecca for ladies who shop! There are so many designer label stores that it is very easy to wear out your credit card! Nothing has been arranged for this day, simply the boat to and back from the island. You can stroll around the narrow streets at your leisure.
Day 14. Nothing has been planned for today, so you can just relax and calculate how much you spent yesterday or maybe catch the bus into the lovely old town of Sorrento to try the local delicacy, which is a liquor called Limoncello - a lemon flavored drink. There are also several ice cream parlors in the town and Italian ice cream is among the best in the world!
Day 15. Another excursion today, this time to the fascinating city of Naples. The city is rich in history with buildings, churches and monuments dating back centuries. You will see the Royal Palace, the Piazza Plebiscito, the Piazza Municipio with its huge medieval castle the “Maschio Angioino”, the San Carlo Opera house and the National Museum which is one of the best archaeological museums in the world. It houses the valuable relics taken from Pompeii. Naples is the home of Pizza and the Neapolitans claim to have the world’s best tomatoes. After lunch in a traditional Neapolitan restaurant we will visit the Solfatara. This is an area made up of flat, hot rocks from which you can see steam rising. The ancient Romans thought this was the entrance to the underworld! In the past we have had to cancel this excursion because the Neapolitan garbage collectors were on strike and the city was a safety hazard, or roadworks were causing such incredible traffic hold-ups that it was impossible for the coach to get around the city.
Day 16. This morning the bus will collect us again and take us on the Amalfi drive. The views throughout the day will be simply wonderful but it is not recommended for nervous drivers. It is said to be the most spectacular drive in Europe and the winding cliff top road offers breathtaking panoramas at every bend. We will stop to admire the views at Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, taking lunch in a local restaurant en route. At the end of a wonderful day we will be returned to our campground.
Day 17. We head north today and will arrive at our next campground, near the town of Asissi, in the afternoon.
Day 18. We have a tour of this historic town today, including the cathedral and the places which witnessed the life of St. Francis. It is a relatively small town, so the tour will only last for half a day.
Day 19. We leave Asissi this morning and continue north to a campground located to the south of Florence. This evening we will have dinner in the campground's own restaurant.
Day 20. We have a tour of Florence today. The city boasts many fabulous historic sights, including the statue of David, the Uffizi gallery, the Piazza della Signoria which is where you will find the magnificent cathedral and the timeless Ponte Vecchio with its jewelers’ shops, the only bridge over the Arno which was not destroyed by the Nazis in the second world war. Possibly the most amazing sight in Florence, however, is the door to the Baptistry next to the cathedral. The wooden carvings by Ghiberti were described by Michelangelo as being worthy of decorating the entrance to heaven! We will take lunch in a local restaurant. Remember that Florence can get very hot in the middle of the day, so drink a lot of water.
Day 21. This morning a bus will take us to San Gimignano. This fabulous historic town was visited by Michelangelo and he found their Vernaccia wine very appealing. We will take lunch in a top quality restaurant with possibly the finest panoramic views in all of Tuscany. In the afternoon we will continue to the ancient city of Sienna and see the piazza where the famous "palio" horse race is held each year.
Day 22. We continue north today and will eventually reach of next campground, on the beach near Lido di Jesolo. We will be staying here for 3 nights to maximize everybody’s enjoyment of what is one of the best sites in Italy. It has large, shaded pitches, superb shower and toilet facilities, several bars and restaurants as well as 2 supermarkets and assorted other traders.
Day 23. Today we have a full day's tour of the fabulous city of Venice. We will have the services of a private boat and a guide for the whole day and he will show us all of the sights of Venice, including St. Marks cathedral and Florians cafe, which boasts the best, and most expensive coffee in the world! Also included will be a visit to the island of Murano, famous for its artistic glass production. We will have lunch in a local restaurant and at the end of the day will be returned by boat and bus to our campground.
Day 24. Another day to relax, maybe on the private beach or by one of the pools.
Day 25. We head back to the west today, to a lovely campsite on the banks of Lake Garda. Lake Garda is a popular resort which still preserves the characteristics of its historical past. With wide sheltered bays and long curved pebble beaches lapped by clear blue waters, Lake Garda enjoys an idyllic position less than an hour from the historical city of Verona. Much favored by the Venetian nobility until the 18th century, many graceful villas still remain in this beautiful area, the most notable being the Villa Albertini, a vast 15th century palace. A path winds half way around the headland towards the Punta S Vigilio where Churchill wrote his memoirs and which is much favored by royalty as a holiday destination. The towns and villages alongside the lake boast long, wide, traffic free promenades with delightful, lively, colourful cafés, open air restaurants, cheerful bars and many shops and boutiques. Fishing boats bobbing on the lake are backed by elegant hotels and hills clad with olive groves.
Day 26. We have a tour around the lovely old city of Verona today and will see the 2,000 year old arena which houses the world famous Verona opera festival each year. We will also see the balcony from which Juliet is alleged to have made her speech beginning "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo". For the purpose of historic accuracy it should be noted the Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" was based on an old Veronese story which Shakespeare copied. During this tour we will take lunch in a local restaurant.
Day 27. We head north today to our final campground in the Appenines near Trento. There is no need to leave the Garda very early as it is only a short drive.
Day 28. After a relaxing day, we will be collected by bus and taken to one of Italy’s most prestigious wine makers, Fratelli Endrizzi. The company was founded in 1885 and the original building is still in use today. Endrizzi was and still is one of the most important wineries in the Trentino. During the last 3 years they have attached a new building underground to enlarge the old cellars by 2.700 square meters. Today in the new part they have all the new technology and all the production processes. The old part is reserved for the red wines, where they do the maturation and storage in wooden barrels. In one part of the old winery they have installed a restaurant called “La Bottaia” which used to be the place where all the barrels were stored. After a tour of the winery and a tasting we will have a superb dinner, accompanied by some of the best wine Italy can offer. At the end of a memorable evening we will be collected by bus and returned to our motor homes for a good night’s sleep. The tour ends this morning and we will return the motor homes to the rental company. After all the usual checks have been completed the group will be taken back to a hotel near the airport.
Tour dates: 30th April-26th June 2010.
Member discount:
10% discount for InfoHub customer. Request a free gift certificate.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
The price depends on the number of people sharing a motor home.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Italy
Local Culture
Sightseeing
Cultural Journey
Email it to a friend:
Click here to email this vacation to a friend
|
|
|
|
, ext: 19493
