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11-Nights Italian Elegance - Small Group

Italy
11-Nights Italian Elegance - Small Group
Italy
Insight Vacations
Vacation Offer ID 1517347
Reference this number when contacting our travel specialist.
Overview

Insight Vacations

Italian Elegance - Small Group
Experience the food and fun of Italy on this 12-day guided tour. In Rome, see the Colosseum where gladiators fought to the death, then visit the Vatican Museums with a Local Expert for a behind-the-scenes look at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Travel from Florence to the heart of Tuscany, stopping in scenic San Gimignano for a taste of gelato with a world-champion gelato maker; later, arrive at your hotel for a sampling of the region’s most robust red wines. Prop up the Leaning Tower of Pisa for a photo and see the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cinque Terre with a Local Expert, who will join you for a sea-to-table feast in the medieval town of Monterosso. Allow yourself to be serenaded as you float along the canals of Venice in a traditional gondola, and watch a renowned craftsman blow Venetian glass into a masterful work of art.


Dining Summary
  • 5 Dinner (D)
  • 11 Breakfast (B)
  • 1 Lunch (L)
Choice Highlights
  • 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: Take a stroll with your Travel Director to Piazza Santa Croce and immerse yourself in the essence of la dolce vita of Florence while you enjoy a typical Italian treat in a local cafe.
Additional Included Highlights
  • 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.
Authentic Dining
  • San Gimignano: Ascend serpentine alleyways to the artisan gelato parlour of world champion gelato maestro, Sergio Dondoli for a taste of his finest frozen treats.
  • Veneto: Visit a local winery and delight in a tasting of their magnificent prosecco. Meet the vignerons and learn how this local drink has come to rival its well-known counterpart in France.
  • Venice: Enjoy a true Venetian dining experience.
Insight Choice
  • 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: Take a stroll with your Travel Director to Piazza Santa Croce and immerse yourself in the essence of la dolce vita of Florence while you enjoy a typical Italian treat in a local cafe.
Insight Experiences
  • Vatican: Visit the Vatican Museums, witness the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and see St. Peter's Basilica.
Make Travel Matter
  • 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 master craftsmen 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.
Top Rated Highlights
  • Rome: Discover ancient treasures of Rome with a passionate local. See Circus Maximus and the Ancient Forum, where Ancient Roman political life and law courts mingled with open-air markets and shops.
  • Florence: Enjoy a stroll through Renaissance Florence and admire the medieval buildings that gave birth to this new style of architecture.
  • San Gimignano: Visit the medieval Manhattan of Italy.
  • 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.
  • Portofino: Cruise from Santa Margherita and get a taste of the sweet life in this elegant resort.
  • Cinque Terre: Led by your Local Expert, visit this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site, tucked away on the mountainous Italian Riviera coastline. Explore one of the five charming fishing villages for some memorable pictures.
  • Baveno: During your orientation with your Travel Director see the cobbled streets and 16th century square.
  • Cortina d'Ampezzo: Enjoy the stunning scenery of the Cortina, a small town framed by magnificent alps as your Travel Director conducts an orientation.
  • Venice: Delight in the magic of this charming city as you glide along the canals by gondola.
Well-being
  • 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 th

    Featured Destinations

    Baveno

    Baveno

    Baveno is a town perched on the shores of Lake Maggiore, in northern Italy. Baveno is known for its historic villas and castles, beautiful gardens, peaceful location, and perhaps best of all, its spectacular views of the lake and the Borromean Islands.
    Venice

    Venice

    With a great historic past and incomparable art treasures, Venice is renowned as one of the world’s great cities. Its 118 islands are separated by more than 150 canals and spanned by 400 bridges. During Venice's artistic golden age many magnificent structures were erected to create world-famous masterpieces. One of the best sightseeing routes is along Grand Canal, with many palaces lining the famous waterway. St. Mark’s Square offers access to some of Venice’s most famed attractions - St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. From Piazza San Marco, a maze of narrow streets are lined with shops, cafés and restaurants. A popular pastime is sitting at an outdoor café facing the square while people-watching and letting the whole marvelous scenario unfold. Venice’s Murano, Burano and Torcello Islands comprise an area famous as home of Venice’s glass-blowing industry and known for their charm, skilled lace-making and medieval monuments. Relax on a gondola ride, see art treasures in museums, churches and palaces, and have a sumptuous meal - all in this incomparable city.
    Destination Guide
    Cortina D'Ampezzo

    Cortina D'Ampezzo

    Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and municipality in the province of Belluno, Veneto, northern Italy. Located in the Dolomites, it is a popular winter sport resort. .Probably among the three most exclusive mountain locations in Europe, Cortina is known for its first-class hotels and shops.

    Santa Margherita

    Santa Margherita

    Santa Margherita is located on the Italian Riviera in the province of Genoa. It has plenty of hotels and waterfront restaurants that make this the perfect getaway destination without having to deal with much of the tourist crowd. There is plenty to do in Santa Margherita; this includes visiting a famous castle, taking a stroll down the historical Abbazia della Cervaraand and enjoying a day at the beach.
    San Gimignano

    San Gimignano

    Welcome to San Gimignano, Italy - An Italian and European Paradise. -- It's no wonder Italy is one of top destinations in Europe. San Gimignano, Italy is a wonderful destination for even the most discriminating traveler. Come explore San Gimignano. It's no wonder San Gimignano, Italy is one of top destinations in Europe. It offers a traveler a feast of opportunities to fall in love with this charming country. There's no escaping it San Gimignano, Italy means history, ruins, food, art and love...There's layers of the stuff! Activities usually involve nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking and listening to good music. Find a cafe at twilight and watch the shades of pink turn to gold and copper before night finally falls. After dinner you can stroll by the fountains and have a gelato or an espresso, and pause in the early evening to experience the charm of San Gimignano, Italy as evening comes.
    Destination Guide
    Rome

    Rome

    Sprawled across seven legendary hills, romantic and beautiful Rome was one of the great centers of the ancient world. Although its beginning is shrouded in legend and its development is full of intrigue and struggle, Rome has always been and remains the Eternal City.

    Rome enjoyed its greatest splendor during the 1st and 2nd centuries when art flourished, monumental works of architecture were erected, and the mighty Roman legions swept outward, conquering all of Italy. These victorious armies then swept across the Mediterranean and beyond to conquer most of the known world. With Rome's establishment as capital of the western world, a new ascent to glory began.

    Today's Rome, with its splendid churches, ancient monuments and palaces, spacious parks, tree-lined boulevards, fountains, outdoor cafes and elegant shops, is one of the world’s most attractive and exciting cities. Among the most famous monuments is the Colosseum. As you walk its cool, dark passageways, imagine the voices that once filled the arena as 50,000 spectators watched combats between muscled gladiators and ferocious animals.

    Stop to see the remains of the Forum, once the city's political and commercial center. In later times, Rome's squares were enhanced with such imposing structures as the Vittorio Emanuele Monument and grandiose fountains like the Fontana di Trevi. Join the millions who stand in awe of Christendom’s most magnificent church and admire the timeless masterpieces of Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.

    Rome jars the senses and captures the soul. Grasp all you can during the short, precious time you have available in the Eternal City. With so much to see and do, a day or two will only allow you a sampling of the city's marvelous treasures.

    Caution: As in many big cities and tourist destinations purse snatching and pickpocketing is common. Valuable jewelry and excess cash are best left in a safety deposit box in your hotel.

    Shopping For most visitors shopping for beautiful Italian leather articles, designer shoes, fashions for men and women, linens, knitwear, silk scarves and ties is a favorite pastime. Except for tourist-oriented shops, the majority of stores are closed on Sundays. Some of the department stores, such as Rinascente, open in the late afternoon on Sundays.

    Cuisine Rome's choice of restaurants is mindboggling as is the variety of cuisine. Whether your meal is at a top-rated restaurant or a rustic trattoria, you can be sure that you will enjoy your food, especially when accompanied by wines from the hill towns surrounding Rome.

    Other Sights Rome's attractions are endless, and depending on how much time you have at your disposal a careful selection has to be made about what to see. Be aware of horrendous traffic conditions and major construction work all around the city in preparation of Jubilee 2000, the Holy Year. Some of the sights not to be missed:

    Piazza Venezia - This busy square is easily recognized by its imposing Vittorio Emanuele II Monument. The white marble structure was inaugurated in 1911 as a symbol of Italy’s unification.

    The Forum - Once the civic heart of ancient Rome, today the remains include a series of ruins, marble fragments, isolated columns and some worn arches.

    Colosseum - No visit to Rome is complete without a stop at this awe-inspiring theater, which is among the world’s most celebrated buildings. Here ancient Rome flocked to see gladiatorial contests and numerous other spectacles.

    Trevi Fountain - Take a stroll to Rome's famous fountain. A spectacular fantasy of mythical sea creatures and cascades of splashing water, the fountain is one of the city's foremost attractions. Legend has it that visitors must toss a coin into the fountain to ensure their return to Rome.

    St. Peter's Square - Part of Vatican City, this square created by Bernini is considered one of the loveliest squares in the world. Twin Doric colonnades topped with statues of various saints and martyrs flank either side of the square. In the center stands an 84-foot obelisk, brought from Egypt in 37 A.D.

    St. Peter's Basilica - At the head of the square stands Christendom's most magnificent church, which was begun in 1452 on the site where St. Peter was buried. Throughout the following 200 years, such Renaissance masters as Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael and Bernini worked on its design and created an unparalleled masterpiece. Of special note are Michelangelo's Pieta and the bronze canopy over the high altar by Bernini. The immense dome was designed by Michelangelo.

    Vatican Museum - To see this museum's immense collection would take days. As you enter, there are special posters that plot a choice of four color-coded itineraries. They are repeated throughout the museum and are easy to follow. It is a good idea to pickup a leaflet at the main entrance and concentrate on exhibits of major interest. Of course, the Sistine Chapel is a must. Most likely you may have to wait in line to enter.

    Destination Guide

    View Full Itinerary

    Valid Date Ranges

    April 2025
    04/25/2025 05/06/2025 $6,275 per person
    June 2025
    06/13/2025 06/24/2025 $6,175 per person
    July 2025
    07/25/2025 08/05/2025 $6,275 per person
    Trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discounts. Trip prices and discounts are subject to change. Airfare is additional. Tour prices, dates and itineraries are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. Other restrictions may apply.

    All fares are quoted in US Dollars.