Board your overnight flight to Venice.

Welcome to Italy! Meet your Tour Director and fellow group members at tonight’s welcome dinner, served with beer or wine. 

Surrender to the beauty of Venice’s labyrinthine canals, elegant bridges, and ornate Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Close your eyes and let the sound of lapping water and passing gondolas soothe you, but not for too long—there’s so much to see! You’ll meet up with your local guide and explore the heart of Venice on foot and (if you’d like) by gondola a little later.

• Feel the energy of St. Mark’s Square, with its thriving cafes and sumptuous buildings, and marvel at the domes, mosaics, and arches of St. Mark’s Basilica— one of the symbols of Venice.
• View the stately Doge’s Palace. The center of political life in the Republic of Venice, it was built in the 1500s in the Venetian Gothic style and expanded in the centuries that followed.
• See the windowed Bridge of Sighs, named after the legend that prisoners would sigh at their final view of their beloved city before being taken down to their cells in the New Prison.
• Watch a Murano glassblowing demonstration, where artisans keep the Venetian glasswork tradition alive. Observe as they skillfully use the distinctive millefiori technique to create intricate patterns by fusing tiny glass rods.

Spend a free afternoon walking through Venice, or board a gondola and cruise down the city’s famous canals on today’s optional experience.

Please note: Due to ticket time availability, travelers on some departures, may enter St. Mark’s Basilica after the sightseeing tour.

Cross through the Apennine Mountains as you make your way to Florence, where Renaissance treasures and hidden piazzas shimmer in the golden glow of Tuscan sunlight. Set off on a walking tour of the city with a local guide once you arrive.

• Head to Florence’s UNESCO-listed historic center and view its exquisite 15th-century cathedral—the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. Also known as the Duomo, it’s the world’s third-largest church.
• Learn about the cathedral’s distinctive, marble-clad exterior and its instantly recognizable dome, the latter of which was built by Filippo Brunelleschi and has become a symbol of the Renaissance and Florence itself.
• Pass Giotto’s Campanile, or bell tower. A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, it rises nearly 280 feet above the city and features the same red, white, and green marble found on the Duomo’s facade.
• Walk past the Piazza della Repubblica, one of Florence’s main squares, to the medieval Ponte Vecchio, an iconic bridge that spans the Arno River and has been lined with shops since the 13th century.
• Stroll along the riverbank and through the Uffizi Gallery’s courtyard to the Piazza della Signoria—a beautiful square that’s situated just outside the Palazzo Vecchio. It’s home to several notable statues, including a replica of Michelangelo’s David and the 16th-century Fountain of Neptune.

This evening, enjoy dinner with your group, served with beer or wine.

The day is yours! Enjoy free time in Florence or add an excursion to the Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano, home to a dramatic skyline punctuated by 14 soaring medieval towers. Throw in wine, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar tastings, and you have the makings of a satisfying day.      

Need inspiration for a free day in town? Escape the crowds and wander through the Boboli Gardens, located behind the grand Palazzo Pitti. Explore the extensive greenery, hidden pathways, and stunning sculptures of this peaceful oasis, then dive into the vibrant Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio, which has served locals for more than 100 years. Smaller than its more famous counterpart, the Mercato Centrale, it’ll give you an intimate and authentic appreciation for how Florentines live. Browse through stalls bursting with fresh produce, regional delicacies, and traditional wares. After, join the locals for a coffee or a bite to eat at the market’s lively cafes. 

Depart Florence for Rome. Upon arriving in the Eternal City, take a guided walk to discover its centuries-old squares and fountains.

• Stroll past the Spanish Steps, where Pietro Bernini’s Baroque-style Fontana della Barcaccia has stood since the 1600s, and head to the intricately carved Trevi Fountain. The latter, a Baroque beauty carved of Travertine marble, has served as the dreamy backdrop to La Dolce Vita and Roman Holiday. Legend says that if you throw one coin into the fountain, you’re bound to return to Rome.
• Step inside the Pantheon, home to the world’s largest unenforced concrete dome. There, you’ll learn about the engineering skills of the ancient Romans and how they created this well-preserved temple.
• End at Piazza Navona and see Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, commissioned by Pope Innocent X in the 17th century. It symbolizes the four major rivers of the four continents where papal authority had spread at the time.

Please note: The order of activities is subject to change. Travelers should have their passport information confirmed at least 30 days prior to departure to ensure we can secure tickets for entrance to the Pantheon.

Need a moment of respite? Visit the picturesque Aventine Hill, home to the peaceful Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden) and the famous keyhole view of St. Peter’s Basilica—which you can visit by adding the guided tour of Vatican City to your day. Here, you’ll also experience the grandeur and serene beauty of the Vatican Museum, as well as the Sistine Chapel’s venerated ceiling fresco.

The neighborhood of Trastevere is something of a hidden gem—an eccentric, mostly car-free district filled with narrow streets and delectable trattorias. If you choose to add our snack-filled walking tour this evening, you’ll explore this art-filled haven while eating your way through pasta, pastries, and gelato. Otherwise, enjoy some free time to yourself (and maybe scope out some landmarks you absolutely want to see).

You won’t want to skip the guided tour of St. Paul’s Basilica—one of Rome’s four major papal churches. Add it to your itinerary to view the final resting place of St. Paul and to take a subterranean journey through Rome’s ancient catacombs.

Prefer to spend the day on your own? Whether you want to take it easy over an Aperol spritz or take in the beauty of the Galleria Borghese’s art collection, the day belongs to you.

This evening, enjoy an elegant, four-course dinner—served with beer or wine—at a local restaurant with live musical entertainment.

Fly to Athens, Greece this morning. Then, continue to Delphi. Tomorrow, you’ll journey into the epicenter of ancient Greek culture on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, hugged by the Gulf of Corinth and the verdant valley of Phocis.   

Journey to the slopes of Mount Parnassus and visit the Archaeological Site of Delphi. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Delphi was believed by ancient Greeks to be the “navel of the Earth,” a spiritual focal point and the center of the universe.

• Embark on a guided tour of the Temple of Apollo where, according to legend, the god Apollo once spoke in prohphecy to mortals through the voice of the Oracle of Delphi and Pythia, or high priestess.
• Take time to explore the ancient treasures of the Delphi Museum, including the life-size bronze statue named the Charioteer of Delphi*.*

Cross onto the Peloponnese peninsula as you make your way to the Olympia region this afternoon.

This morning, meet your local guide and tour the legendary Archaeological Site of Olympia, where the Olympic Games were born.

• View the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, once home to a gargantuan statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• See the ancient Gymnasium where track-and-field and pentathlon athletes trained in the early second century B.C.
• Step inside the Archaeological Museum of Olympia and enjoy free time to explore its world-renowned sculpture, bronze, and terra-cotta exhibits.

Greeks celebrate life with food—and dancing. Join in on the fun during an optional cooking demonstration, followed by dinner and a dance performance where you can pick up a few new moves. Opa!

You can choose to explore the quaint village of Olympia on your own this evening (ask your Tour Director for a recommendation!) or rest up for tomorrow.

As you make your way to Athens, stop to visit historic sites that trace Greece’s progress from antiquity to modernity.

• Take a guided tour of the ancient city of Mycenae and learn about its connection to Homer’s famous epics: the Iliad and the Odyssey. As you walk through the hillside citadel, you’ll come across the remains of homes, storefronts, ancient tombs, and Agamemnon’s Palace—associated with the mythical king who led the Greeks during the Trojan War.
• Snap a photo of the Corinth Canal, which separates the Peloponnese peninsula from mainland Greece. This diminutive waterway connects the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf and was an important navigational route upon its opening in 1893. While it’s too narrow for today’s modern vessels, its steep limestone walls provide a scenic contrast to the aquamarine waters.

A local guide introduces you to the highlights of this bustling ancient capital, home to the world’s first democracy.

• Pass by the Panathenaic Stadium, built entirely out of marble—the only such stadium in the world.
• Continue to Syntagma Square, home to the neoclassical Greek Parliament building, and admire the plaza’s imposing marble steps, fountain, and lush shade trees.
• Reflect on the Arch of Hadrian, built to honor the Roman emperor, and imagine how its Pentelic marble stones were carted more than 11 miles from Mount Pentelikon in 131 A.D.
• View the remains of the sixth-century Temple of Zeus and gaze up at its 16 ornate Corinthian columns.
• Set off on a walking tour around the ancient Acropolis—site of the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, and Erechtheion. You may have seen these enduring icons of antiquity in books and film, but now you’re stepping through the work of craftsmen who quarried and honed these marble blocks thousands of years ago.
• Walk through the Plaka and enjoy free time to wander the narrow streets and charming shops. Situated at the foot of the Acropolis, this district is one of the oldest parts of Athens and is known as “the neighborhood of the gods” due to the dozens of monuments strewn throughout.

Opt into the excursion to Cape Sounion this afternoon, where the remains of the Temple of Poseidon—god of the sea—offer the perfect vantage point to take in panoramic views of the Aegean and its island chains.

Alternatively, spend a free afternoon in Athens to explore on your own. Head back to the Plaka district, or wander through Anafiotika on the northeast slope of the Acropolis. The neighborhood dates to the 19th century and is chock-full of charming, whitewashed cottages and vibrantly hued doors, the likes of which you might have seen—or will see soon—on Greece’s Cycladic islands.

Tonight, celebrate your trip with your group over a farewell dinner, served with your choice of beer or wine.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your stay to visit inimitable Santorini, where you’ll walk through picturesque fishing villages, enjoy a cruise or local wine tasting (or both), and get your fill of just-caught seafood.