Italian Intermezzo (Winter)
Overview
Itinerary
Welcome to Italy. Greet your Travel Director at Milan's Malpensa Airport. Later, join your Travel Director and head to a local restaurant where your welcome dinner provides the opportunity to mingle and get to know your fellow travellers over a pleasant evening.
Journey across the Veneto plain, rich in agriculture, known for its peach fruit trees & vineyards, with the Dolomite mountains on the northern horizon. Your hotel, exuding authentic Venetian charm, beautifully reflects the history and culture of the surrounding area. As night falls, there's the opportunity to immerse yourself in the magic of St. Mark's Square, with its orchestras and delightful alfresco cafes, providing an unforgettable experience.
Wake up ready to embrace this romantic city. What better way to see Venice than from a private boat, sailing past palazzos and churches to St. Mark's Square? See the gilded basilica, the Doge's Palace and Lord Byron's Bridge of Sighs. No visit to Venice would be complete without a gondola serenade through the myriad of beautiful canals. Relax and enjoy the local traditional songs, as you drift along in awe. While here, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during a visit to a traditional glassmaking workshop, where you can see how beautiful handcrafted glass is made by expert glassblowers, safeguarding traditional skills.
Spend the afternoon and evening as you wish. Or, leave the hustle of St. Mark's Square behind on a delightful private cruise around the islands of the Venetian lagoon on an Optional Experience to the island of Burano. Alight at the island of Burano, famous for its candy-coloured houses, artisan lace makers and leaning bell tower that would give Pisa a good run for its money. Enjoy a superb meal sampling the local specialities with wine included.
Stop in Pisa to see the remarkable Leaning Tower, where Galileo is said to have conducted his famous experiments on velocity and gravity.
In the evening, consider joining an Optional Experience featuring a traditional Tuscan dinner paired with local wines — including, of course, Chianti from the region's renowned vineyards.
This morning, explore Florence with Insight Choice: choose to visit the Accademia Museum to see Michelangelo's David, or take a stroll with your Travel Director and enjoy a typical Italian treat in a local cafe.
Afterwards, join a guided walk with your Local Expert through the Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, where you'll admire the cathedral, Giotto's bell tower, baptistery and Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise, as well as the statues fronting the Palazzo Vecchio.
Afterwards, enjoy a demonstration of Florence's renowned leatherwork and gold craftsmanship before an afternoon at leisure.
In the evening, you may wish to join an Optional Experience to San Gimignano, where medieval towers and artisan shops line the cobbled streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Journey to Umbrian Orvieto, a hilltop village overlooking a vineyard-covered plain. Explore the town with your Travel Director and visit Piazza del Duomo to admire the cathedral, before continuing towards the Eternal City of Rome. Enjoy the backstreets and secrets of pedestrian Rome on an optional experience taking a "passeggiata" (stroll) with your Local Expert discovering the piazzas and fountains. Be amazed at sights such as the fascinating Pantheon and the beauty of 17th-century fountains and beautiful piazzas. Why not throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain to ensure your return to the city?
In the morning, enjoy the very best of the city's highlights, including fast-tracked entry to the Vatican Museums with a Local Expert. Admire the Papal art collection and step inside the Sistine Chapel, where you'll marvel at Michelangelo's masterpiece on the ceiling.
Afterwards, view the magnificent exterior of St Peter's Basilica, followed by free time. In the evening, dine on Lazio's culinary specialities as you celebrate your journey through Italy's heritage and culture with your fellow travellers.
Bid farewell to the glories of Italy, savouring the memories of its enchanting cities, historic landmarks and stunning landscapes. Italy's unique allure will linger in your heart long after you leave.
Trip Inclusions
- Venice: Glide into La Serenissima with a scenic cruise along the Giudecca Canal. As your Travel Director offers a guided orientation, take in the grandeur of 13th to 18th-century palazzi, their colorful facades and elegant balconies lining the water's edge. Pass iconic landmarks including the Doge's Palace and the expansive St Mark's Square, getting your first glimpse of Venice's timeless beauty from the water.
- Venice: Glide through Venice's canals on an iconic gondola ride, passing beneath historic bridges and past elegant palaces. Soak up the city's romantic atmosphere as your gondolier navigates the tranquil waterways, offering a unique perspective of this timeless floating city.
- Pisa: During your orientation, your Travel Director will show you the baptistery bristling with marble spines, and the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the 11th-century cathedral - the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
- Florence: See the historic neighbourhood of the Santa Croce Basilica and witness local craftspersons at work during a gold and leatherwork demonstration.
- Orvieto: During your orientation of this Umbrian hilltop town with your Travel Director, visit Piazza del Duomo to admire the cathedral.
- Rome: Explore Rome's storied past as you see the sweeping Circus Maximus, once the largest stadium in ancient Rome and host to thrilling chariot races. Admire the Arch of Constantine, a triumphal monument built to celebrate Emperor Constantine's victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge and gaze up at the Palatine Hill, the most central of Rome's seven hills and the site where, according to legend, Romulus founded the city.
- Vatican City: Visit the Vatican Museums, witness the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and see St. Peter's Basilica.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Florence: Stand beside Michelangelo's monumental statue, 'David', in the Accademia Gallery, and admire the exquisite technique and absorbing history behind the world's most famous sculpture.
- Florence: Join your Travel Director on a short walk to a local spot loved by residents. Sample a classic Italian treat and hear how it became a staple of the area. It's a chance to experience the flavours locals grow up with and return to time and again.
- Venice: Witness the ancient skill of glassblowing, now practised by precious few masters. Watch artisans create delicate works of art using rare traditional practices. The workshop's artisans teach visitors about the traditional craft of glassblowing and its history which dates back to the 15th century. Every visit helps to support the workshop and the survival of this traditional craft. This workshop directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
- Milan: Get to know your fellow travellers over a special dinner with wine.
- Rome: Savour regional flavours and embrace Rome's rich culinary heritage as you toast to the Eternal City over your Roman dinner.
- Dining Summary: 3 Dinners (D), 7 Breakfasts (B)
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
You’ll enjoy the icons and hidden gems with a Local Specialist by your side. Read more
With one on every itinerary, Be My Guest ensures your journey is truly one-of-a-kind, wherever it takes you. Read more
Find yourself overnighting in accommodations with stories as rich as the destinations you’re exploring. Read more
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Trafalgar Worldwide Tours (2027-28)
Dates & Pricing
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A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Enquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Trafalgar. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
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