Best of Italy: From North to South with Apulia

ITINERARY

• DAY 1
  Duomo, Milan Italy

  Welcome to Milan, Italy!

  Arrive in Milan and meet with your English speaking assistant. Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital of the Lombardy Region. Hotel check-in. Dinner and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Transfer
• DAY 2
  Stresa Italy

  Stresa - Guided city tour of this amazing city Milan

  Hotel breakfast. Start the guided city tour of this amazing city combining art, fashion, style, and finance. See the Duomo, the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery (called Milan’s lounge), the Scala opera house, and the amazing Castello Sforzesco, once the home of the Sforza family, and “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci, in Chiesa Santa Maria delle Grazie. Lunch is on your own. In the afternoon free time at your disposal to enjoy your shopping in the most fashionable city in the world. You will be able to explore Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, where all the great stylists’ boutiques are located, and see with your eyes what you normally see on catwalks. Transfer to Stresa, hotel check-in, dinner and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 3
  Island Lago Maggiore

  Stresa - Explore Lake Maggiore and the beautiful Borromean Islands

  Hotel breakfast and depart from the Stresa Pier to the Borromean Islands. Visit Isola Bella with the Borromeo Palace and its beautiful botanical garden. Until 1632 the island was a rocky crag occupied by a tiny fishing village: but that year Carlo III of the influential House of Borromeo began the construction of a palazzo dedicated to his wife, Isabella D’Adda, from whom the island takes its name. Then Isola dei Pescatori with its lovely landscape. Here the traditional occupation of fishing still exists, but tourism has become central to the economic life of the island, as its picturesque charms have made it a popular destination. Time at leisure for lunch. In the afternoon, continue navigating to the Isola Madre and visit its exotic garden, covering an area of eight hectares whose construction in the English style began in the late eighteenth century on the site of a citrus orchard. Particularly prized is the Scala dei Morti or staircase of the dead. Evening return to Stresa. Dinner and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
• DAY 4
  Garda Lake, Italy

  Lake Garda - Explore the biggest lake in Italy

  Hotel breakfast and departure for Lake Garda, the biggest lake in Italy, one of northern Italy’s most popular tourist destinations. Arrive in Desenzano del Garda for the lunch on your own. Free time, you will also get the chance to stroll along the narrow city center streets full of shops and boutiques. Transfer to hotel. Dinner and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
• DAY 5
  Romeo Juliet house in Verona, Italy

  Venice - Visit city of Verona, Romeo and Juliet’s town

  Hotel breakfast and depart towards Verona, Romeo and Juliet’s town. The city’s main attractions include Castelvecchio, Gavi Arch, Borsari Gate, Pietra Bridge and the Roman Theatre. Then you will walk to the Scaligera Arches before reaching Piazza dei Signori, Piazza delle Erbe, Juliet’s house, and the world-famous Arena, a Roman amphitheater dating back to the 1st Century A.D. Time at disposal for lunch. Afternoon drive to Lake Garda, the biggest lake in Italy, one of northern Italy’s most popular tourist destinations. Visit of Sirmione. Transfer to Venice area, hotel check-in. Dinner and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 6
  World-famous gondolas in Venice, Italy

  Venice - Admire one of the most beautiful city in the world Venice

  Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Venice by train/boat. Meet the guide and start the guided tour of this city, considered one of the most beautiful in the whole world. Sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges, it is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its spectacular architecture, and its artworks. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon. You will get the chance to see: St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doges Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs that connects the Palace to the prisons. Lunch on your own and relax time to walk up and down the romantic canals crossed by narrow bridges Return to your hotel, dinner, and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Train
  • Cruise/Boat
• DAY 7
  Montecatini is the spa town of Tuscany in Italy

  Montecatini - Visit Murano and Burano Islands

  Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Venice by train/ boat. Morning at your disposal or optional excursion at the small Islands in the Venetian Lagoon: Burano and Murano, located north of the historic center of Venice, Murano and Burano offer beautiful handicrafts that have made them famous worldwide: the first is characterized by the centuries-old glass manufacturing, the second for its sophisticated lace, not to mention the original colorful buildings. Visiting Murano and Burano will give you the most authentic and unusual side of Venice. Lunch at your leisure. Afternoon drive to Toscana. Arrival in Montecatini, an idyllic Spa town. Hotel check-in, dinner, and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 8
  Davide Michelangelo, Florence

  Montecatini - Florence the wonderful heart of the Renaissance

  Hotel breakfast. Full-day excursion to Florence, the wonderful heart of the Renaissance, and the capital city of the Italian Region of Tuscany. Centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance and has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. A turbulent political history includes periods of ruling by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was also the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy. The historic center attracts millions of tourists each year, and Florence is ranked as one of the most visited cities in the world. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982, the city contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture, and politics. Florence is also an important city in Italian fashion, being ranked within the top fifty fashion capitals of the world. On arrival, 3-hour guided tour of the city and get the chance, among others, to see the “David” sculpture by Michelangelo. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon free time to visit individually this magnificent city. Late afternoon return to your hotel in Montecatini. Dinner and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
• DAY 9
  Fountain, Lucca, Tuscany

  Montecatini - Excursion to visit Lucca and Pisa

  Hotel breakfast and a whole day free for leisure in your spa hotel in Montecatini Terme. We recommend the excursion to visit Lucca and Pisa. For its monumental and historic wealth, Lucca has been proposed as an addition to Unesco World Heritage Sites. The old town has preserved its medieval appearance with ancient churches, bell towers, and monumental renaissance palaces. Lunch on your own. Afternoon arrival in Pisa, famous for the monumental Cathedral and the Leaning Tower. In the evening turn back to Montecatini. Dinner and overnight in hotel.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 10
  Cinque Terre is a coastal area of Liguria, Italy, which comprises five villages.

  Montecatini - Trip to the Cinque Terre, by picturesque small fishing villages

  Full day trip to the Cinque Terre in Liguria, where the coast is punctuated by picturesque small fishing villages. You’ll enjoy the views of these picturesque - postcards villages and a boat ride or train ride along the coast. Return to Montecatini. Dinner at leisure and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
  • Train
  • Cruise/Boat
• DAY 11
  Beautiful view of Mount Vesuvius, Naples, Italy

  Naples - Driving through the beautiful region of the Chianti wine, visit Siena

  Hotel breakfast in the hotel and leave for Siena, driving through the beautiful region of the Chianti wine. The tradition of cultivating vines in Chianti goes back a long time in history, back to the Etruscans that inhabited the area before the Roman empire. In 1984, Chianti obtained the denomination D.O.C.G. (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita, or Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin), which is the highest type of recognition for quality Italian wines. Stop for wine tasting. Travel to Siena. Lunch on your own and 2 hours guided visit to Siena, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Italy. Its historic center has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation’s most visited tourist attractions, and it is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape, and the Palio, a horse race in traditional costumes. Meet the guide for the city tour: the City Hall, Piazza del Campo, the Cathedral. Lunch on your own. Drive to Naples, check-in, dinner, and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 12
  Mount Vesuvius and Ancient city of Pompeii in Naples

  Naples - Visit the ancient city of Pompeii and capital city of Campania, Naples

  Hotel breakfast and leave for Pompeii, visit the archeological museum and see how life was before the volcano Vesuvius hit in 79 B.C.: the alleys, the town forum, the bakery, the spas, the homes, a perfect reconstruction of family life at that time. Lunch on your own, in the afternoon panoramic tour of Naples the capital of the Italian region Campania and the third-largest municipality in Italy, after Rome and Milan. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Bronze Age Greek settlements were established in the Naples area in the second millennium BC. Naples’ historic city center is the largest in Europe, is enclosing 27 centuries of history, is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Naples has long been a major cultural center with a global sphere of influence, particularly during the Renaissance and Enlightenment eras. Back to your hotel. Dinner and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 13
  The jaw-dropping natural beauty of Capri Island, Italy

  Naples - Visit Capri, one of the most spectacular islands on the Mediterranean Sea

  Hotel breakfast. Transfer to the pier where you will embark on the ferry going to Capri, one of the most spectacular islands on the Mediterranean Sea, right in front of the Sorrentine Peninsula. Enchanting and picturesque, Capri is an island made of limestone rock, a favorite of Roman emperors, the rich and famous, artists, and writers, it’s still one of the Mediterranean’s must-see places. The island’s top attraction is the famous Blue Grotto, Grotta Azzurra. Beaches are scattered around the island. There are only two towns, Capri, just above Marina Grande, and Anacapri, the higher town. Lemon trees, flowers, and birds are abundant and altogether provide that special Capri atmosphere. Spend the whole day on the island where you will have a panoramic tour and lunch on your own. You will also enjoy some spare time to do some shopping in the small boutique shops the world’s jet setters love so much. Return to the mainland for dinner and overnight at your hotel.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
  • Cruise/Boat
• DAY 14
  Italy's Amalfi Coast is sprinkled with colorful seaside towns.

  Naples - Excursion to the Amalfi Coast

  Hotel breakfast. A whole day excursion to the Amalfi Coast. Panoramic tour along a coastal stretch with an explosion of Mediterranean colors and scents, stop in Amalfi, Positano, and Sorrento. In the late afternoon turn back to Naples for dinner and overnight in your hotel.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 15
  Trulli of Alberobello in Puglia, Italy

  Alberobello - Visit the region called “the heel of Italy” Apulia: Trani - Bari - Alberobello

  Hotel breakfast and departure for Apulia, the region called “the heel of Italy”. Stop in Trani to visit the astonishing cathedral. Free lunch and ahead to Bari, the capital of the region. Guided city tour. The Saint Nicholas Basilica, together with the Cathedral and the Theatre Petruzzelli, are the most important sites in town. Transfer to your hotel in area Alberobello. Check-in, dinner, and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 16
  The church in Lecce in Puglia, Italy

  Lecce - Guided tour of Alberobello and visit Ostuni, the “white town”

  Hotel breakfast. Morning guided tour of Alberobello, this blindingly white typical Apuglia town famous for its unique prehistoric “Trulli” buildings. The Trulli of Alberobello has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. Lunch on your own and continue to Ostuni, the “white town”, characterized by its white buildings and the ancient olive groves. Free time for leisure in the city center. Transfer to Lecce, hotel check-in, dinner, and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 17
  Faraglioni di Torre Sant'Andrea in Otranto, Italy

  Lecce - The guided tour of Lecce and Otranto, a fishing town

  After breakfast, start the morning guided tour of Lecce. Because of the rich Baroque architectural monuments found in the city, Lecce has commonly nicknamed “The Florence of the South”. The city also has a long traditional affinity with Greek culture going back to its foundation; the Messapian who founded the city is said to have been Cretans in Greek records. Lunch at your leisure and then transfer to Otranto, a fishing town famous for its breed of horses, located on the east coast of the Salento Peninsula. Return to Lecce, dinner, and overnight in hotel.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 18
  View of Matera in Basilicata, Italy

  Bari - Explore Matera known as the Subterranean City

  Transfer to Matera in Region Basilicata. The town lies in a small canyon carved out by the Gravina. Known as “la Città Sotterranea” (the Subterranean City), Matera is well known for its historical center called “Sassi”, considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1993, along with the Park of the Rupestrian Churches. Italian host of European Capital of Culture in 2019. Transfer to Bari, hotel check-in, dinner, and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
• DAY 19
  The Colosseum is an oval amphitheater in the center of Rome, Italy.

  Rome - Visit the capital of Italy

  Private transfer to Rome. In the afternoon, meet with an English-speaking guide for a tour of Rome, the capital of Italy, and also of the Lazio Region. Rome’s history spans more than 2500 years, since its legendary founding in 753 BC and it is referred to as “The Eternal City”. In the ancient world, it was successively the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire, and is regarded as one of the birthplaces of Western civilization. You will see the Fori Imperiali, the Colosseum, Constantine’s Arch, and all the other most astonishing sights of Ancient Rome. In the late afternoon, hotel check-in, dinner, and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 20
  Moor Fountain in Piazza Navona Rome Italy

  Rome - Continue to visit the city

  Hotel breakfast and continue with the guided visit of the city. Time for a stroll in Piazza di Spagna, with world-famous Trinità dei Monti steps, take a picture by the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and, finally reach the Pantheon. Afternoon free for leisure. Return to hotel, dinner, and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
  • Transfer
• DAY 21
  Beautiful photo of Sistine Chappel, Vatican, Italy

  Rome - Visit of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

  Hotel breakfast. The morning visit of the Vatican Museums originated as a group of sculptures collected by Pope Julius II (1503-1513) and placed in what today is the “Cortile Ottagono” within the museum complex. Continue your sightseeing with the visit of the Sistine Chapel, without doubt, one of the greatest art treasures of all time, one of the most celebrated masterpieces in the world, with amazing frescoed ceilings by Michelangelo. It’s the last stop on the Vatican Museum tour and is the most ardently awaited moment for millions of tourists from around the world. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon time for free or option visit the 3 most important cathedrals in Rome: San Giovanni in Laterano, Santa Maria Maggiore, and San Paolo Fuori le Mura. Return to your hotel, dinner, and overnight.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Accommodation
  • Tour
• DAY 22

  Depart to Rome Airport to fly back home

  Today is our final day in our journey. After buffet breakfast at our hotel, you will be transferred to the airport for flight back home or to your next journey.

  What's included?

  • Breakfast
  • Transfer