DAY 2: EXPLORING LAKE COMO

Today, enjoy a walk through Bellagio and enjoy the sites and learn a bit about the history of the town and the lake with your Tour Captain; Then meet our "other Captain," Captain Luca on our private boat tour of the lake to view the magnificent villas. Lago di Como is the third largest lake in Italy. At over 1320 feet deep it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. The lake's name comes from the town of Como. On a clear day the spectacular Alps are visible across the lake.

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Chapter 1: Welcome to Venice

La Serenissima: Venice: The Most Serene — 
2 Days, 2 Nights

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Why Now Journey for Italy's Great Cities? Venice: Experience the rooftops of Venice at sunset, the leaning tower of Venice, and amazing cuisine. Oh! And don't forget the 'cellos!

 

DAY 3: ONWARD TO BEAUTIFUL VENICE

This morning we will say "Arrivederci" to Lake Como as we will make our way to Milano Centrale Train Station for onward journey on the fast-train to the port city of Venice. On some departures you will be whisked along via our Micro-coach or Sedan. It's about a 2.5 hour trip to Venice and the coast. 

Upon arrival we are transported via private water taxi to our hotel on San Marco along with your fellow travelers and your Journey Tour Captain. Check-in, drop carry-ons off (remember, your luggage is portaged and you manage your carry-ons), and then relax until our Discovery Walk. 

Discovery Walk

You will enjoy a get-to-know-Venice Discovery Walk — a hallmark of the Journey style of traveling and exploring new destinations hosted by your Journey Tour Captain. We will take in the beautiful sights of Piazza San Marco, the "Campanile" or clock tower, the Grand Canal and more.

Leisure Time

Enjoy some leisure time before meeting tonight for a special 'Welcome to Venice' evening from one of our exclusive perspectives to see Venice.

Welcome to Venice Dinner

We then make our way to our favorite restaurant in Venice where we will be delighted with cuisine from several regions throughout Italy including the Veneto, Lazio and Campania (all paired with delicious wines and premium beverages - and all included with Journey).

Accommodation in Venice, 2 Nights with breakfast

Our Deluxe Hotels Collection:
Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, and Hotel Saturnia & International
Our Deluxe Package includes these 4 Star and 5 Star properties and feature Classic and Superior category rooms —  inquire if you'd like to upgrade room category. Hotel assignments are made closer to tour departure.
Our Classic Hotel Collection:
Hotel Do Pozzi

Final hotel assignments are made at around 60 days prior to the adventure. A comparable hotel will be utilized should our space be sold out by the time you book —  we will advise you of your final hotels.

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Venice's Secrets & Treasures is Journey's unique touring experience through this dramatic and historic port city. Today, learn of Venice's fascinating and colorful past, including everything from Casanova to Napoleon. Venice's character springs to life as we make our way through her nooks and crannies and mysterious alley ways.

Journey's professional local guide provides expert commentary as we enter the fascinating and colorful Basilica San Marco (St. Mark's Basilica). Then we go back in time with our visit to the Doge's Palace, the Old Prison (and yes, you will learn about the gentleman Casanova), and the famous Bridge of Sighs.

Special Adventure: Venetian Gondola Experience

Later today, just before sunset enjoy our included Gondola ride through the canals of Venice with our professional musicians to make the ambiance perfect. On occasion inclement weather will prevent the gondola ride. In this scenario an alternate activity will be substituted later in the tour.

Enjoy the balance of the afternoon and evening at your leisure.

May We Suggest?
• We think simply soaking up Venice this afternoon is a great plan, but if you'd like to fill it up a bit more, consider:

—  Peggy Guggenheim Museum
—  3 Island Explorer: Burano, Murano and Torcello

Journey is Different: Your Journey Tour Captain will invite you to an optional dinner after the Gondola ride, and they can also help you with dining reservations if you choose to explore lovely Venice on your own. 

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On the Discovery Walk we will orient you to the very heart of historic Florence. In addition to seeing many of the major sites including Giotto's Campanile (Bell Tower) and the Baptistery, the Florence Cathedral, also known as the Duomo, we will enjoy entrance to Orsanmichele church and the church of Via Santa Margherita which was the parish of many Florentine families, such as Cerchi, Donati, Adimari and Portinari.

Enjoy the balance of the afternoon at leisure until our welcome dinner tonight.

Your Journey Tour Captain hosts an amazing welcome dinner in Florence with authentic Tuscan cuisine served by Fiorentini who love what they do. Florence welcomes us with a variety of regional culinary tastes, premium beverages, and ample portions of fine local wines from Toscana and Chianti.

Our Deluxe Hotels Collection:
Grand Hotel Cavour or Hotel Bernini Palace
Our Deluxe Package includes these 4 Star and 5 Star properties and feature Classic category rooms —  inquire if you'd like to upgrade room category. Hotel assignments are made closer to tour departure.
Our Classic Hotel Collection:
Hotel Rosso 23 or Hotel Renaissance

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Journey's Florence Secrets & Treasures tour boasts a variety of fine sights to see including Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery's Bronze "Gate of
Paradise," Giotto's Bell Tower, Signoria Square, and the Galleria dell'Accademia, where Michelangelo's David is housed.

We will take our time walking through the Piazza della Repubblica, the famous Piazza Signoria with her old palace, Palazzo Vecchio, and make our way through the portico of the Uffizi complex before arriving at the Arno River and a visit to the "old bridge," or Ponte Vecchio. This was the only bridge in Florence to survive the World War II bombing raids.

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1. It's a great day to explore further into the Tuscan countryside.
2. Our first stop is the hilltop village of San Gimignano. One of San Gimignano's most impressive sights is the medieval skyline made up of 13 remaining towers dating back from the 11th century. San Gimignano rises on a hill dominating the Elsa Valley. The town increased in wealth and developed greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena", the trading and pilgrim's route that crossed it. Once in San Gimignano, we enjoy free time to explore the city of towers. San Gimignano also has several distractions for shopping - so dig in and enjoy!

We'll toast our arrival into the countryside of Tuscany with a unique perspective and our first taste of Vernaccia, a white wine that hails from San Gimignano.

Enjoy our in-depth experience at our winery estate in the heart of Tuscany - simply stunning.

We will enjoy a tour of the production facilities and cellars, followed by a delightful wine-tasting paired with perfect morsels for lunch. Buon Appetito!

Our lunch palate-pleasing appetizers, including pecorino cheese, bruschetta, and other local farm-to-table delights. You'll get your fill of classic Chianti and Super Tuscan varieties along with delicate cuisine hand-made by the chef.

On the Discovery Walk of Cortona we make our way to its very heart to learn about its fascinating past with Etruscans and Romans, as well as Hollywood. Your Journey Tour Captain welcomes you to the Tuscan countryside and tonight's special Italian experience.

We continue our walk as we explore Via Nazionale up to Piazza Garibaldi and finally into Piazza della Repubblica where you will Learn about the plains of Trasimeno and of the amazing battle of the same name: The Roman-Carthaginian Battle. Soak up the afternoon sunshine as we slow down and enjoy a typical Tuscan evening.

Tonight you will join your Journey Tour Captain for a Journey exclusive welcome "aperitivo" called Apericena by the modern Italians.

It's the perfect complement for your palate after a day of great cuisine and wine. Our dinner aperitivo provides a just-right, light meal finale to our beautiful day in the Tuscan countryside and in the magical ambiance of this delightful hill town.

Afterwards, enjoy the balance of the evening at your leisure.

Our Deluxe Hotels Collection:
Villa Marsili or Monastero di Cortona Hotel & Spa
Our Deluxe Package includes these 4 Star properties and feature Classic category rooms —  inquire if you'd like to upgrade room category. Hotel assignments are made closer to tour departure.
Our Classic Hotel Collection:
Hotel Italia

DAY 8: EXPLORING CORTONA AT LEISURE

Enjoy a full free day at your leisure in beautiful Cortona.

Many options are available from Cooking Classes to a day trip to Siena and more. Today, enjoy Tuscany at your leisure - perhaps it's a thorough exploration of delightful Cortona, a cooking class, horse-back riding, Vespa rental and much more.

Options for Today
Might we suggest:

• Cooking Class from Cortona
—  Just outside of Cortona, in the company of an expert chef, participants learn how to make several courses including a dessert. It is a different experience where the participants learn to prepare a multiple-course meal and then partake in the sampling of the prepared dishes while enjoying the olive oils and wines of the region! -Duration 3-5 hours. $248 per person.

•  Horseback Riding Adventure
—  Commences at 9:30/10:00am or 2:00/3:00pm. $99 per person for first 2 hours, $37 per hour for each additional hour. Front desk of hotel will arrange round-trip taxi for you at guest expense. Options available for beginner or experienced riders.

• Tour of Siena
—  Departs around 9:30am. $465 per person. The tour includes round-trip transfer from Cortona to Siena with a walking tour of Siena in the morning and some free time in the afternoon. Today's tour will walk you through the old Ghetto, the Tower District (Contrada della Torre), and through little alleys, and on to the Basilica dei Servi, from which point you can enjoy an amazing view of the old town. We will take in Orto dei Pecci; a pleasant and easily accessible garden, located just behind the main square: The serenity and tranquility of this green oasis, together with the view of the incredible Torre del Mangia will mesmerize you.

• Morning Tour of Siena with Cooking Class in Afternoon
— Departs around 9:30am. $599 per person. Enjoy the morning tour (see description above) and then a special cooking class in the afternoon. Our driver then whisks you to a nearby villa where you will enjoy a tour of the vines, immersion in all things Wine, Balsamic, and Olive Oil followed by a cooking lesson. And, yes, you then enjoy the fruits of your labor. Our chef is capable and entertaining as you enjoy learning more about Tuscan cooking. We then return to the hotel in Cortona for a free evening.

•  Cortona and the Franciscan Monastery Le Celle
—  $190 per person. A classic private walking tour of Cortona comprises the Garibaldi Square with its magnificent panoramic view over the Valdichiana, the Church of St. Dominic built for the Dominicans with its medieval architecture and paintings by Luca Signorelli e Lorenzo di Niccolò, via Nazionale, the Republic Square with the Town Hall, the Church of St. Francis with its collection of objects owned to St. Francis of Assisi, Piazza Signorelli with Palazzo Casali and the Duomo. Then the tour continues by car outside the city walls of Cortona to the Franciscan Monastery of Le Celle, immersed in a forest and a place of an extraordinary beauty, calm and Franciscan spirituality.

•  Cortona Ancient Walls, Fortresses, Convents and Churches
—  $190 per person. This is a walking tour on steep slopes in the oldest part of Cortona leading up to the very top of the hill. For this reason is suitable for guests who enjoy walking (hiking) on slopes. The prize at the end is a fantastic view of Cortona and the valley below and the beauty of this less frequented and untouched part of the town. Above the center, half-way up to the hill of Cortona, are the Church San Francesco and beyond a cypress-lined courtyard, is the 15th century Chiesa di San Niccolò. The 15th-century church has a small porch with slender columns and the interior houses paintings by Luca Signorelli: the two-sided panel-painting, Descent from the Cross and Madonna Enthroned, and a fresco, Madonna with Saints. Passing by the little church San Cristoforo and Porta Montanina we will stop on the top to visit the Sanctuary of Santa Margherita, the town's patron saint. Finally walking down through the old part of town through the narrow alleyways of the quarter called Poggio San Marco you will admire also the beautiful 12 Via Crucis Stations with mosaics by the Futurist artist Gino Severin, a native of Cortona.

About Cortona
Cortona is a small but fascinating hill town in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany. It is situated on a commanding hill that overlooks Lake Trasimeno, known for the infamous rout of the Romans by Hannibal and the Carthaginians. Its cyclopean walls, still preserved in great part, are said to be 3000 years old. It was one of the twelve cities of Etruria.

Soak in the morning: enjoy a walk through the vineyards, or a hike up to the castle or a leisurely stroll through the piazza and streets.

Journey is Different: Your Journey Tour Captain will invite you to an optional dinner tonight or choose to enjoy your last night in Cortona at your leisure.

You will meet the Journey Tour Captain for a walk through the very heart of Old Rome.

We begin our exploration of Rome beginning with an elephant and continue to immerse ourselves in over 2000 years of history of the 'Empire. We enter the amazing Pantheon and learn of its interesting history and continue our walk to soak up Piazza Navona, once a site where mock naval battles were held. We continue with our Discovery Walk as we pass through Campo de Fiore (field of flowers) - do you know the name of the figure whose likeness is crafted in the statue in this amazing campo? We walk by Largo di Torre Argentina and learn of Julius Caesar's fate. We will also see a village of modern Roman felines.

Tonight you will join your Journey Tour Captain for a special welcome to Rome dinner complete with premium beverages and wine from the region of Lazio, Campania and Toscana.

Our Deluxe Hotels Collection:
Palazzo Navona or Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon
Our Deluxe Package includes these 4 Star and 5 Star properties and feature Classic category rooms —  inquire if you'd like to upgrade room category. Hotel assignments are made closer to tour departure.
Our Classic Hotel Collection:
Hotel Navona, Albergo Abruzzi or Albergo Santa Chiara

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DAY 11: EXPLORING MODERN & IMPERIAL ROME

Today's Adventure: Imperial Rome

This morning we will enjoy our walking tour of Rome. You will see ancient elements intertwined perfectly with present-day apartment buildings, and discover how the modern Romans have intertwined their vast history into present-day experience.

We're making our way to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the town center of the Roman Empire, for our special access, in-depth touring experience, complete with admissions. 

Special Sightseeing Includes:

• Colosseo: Flavian's amphitheater known popularly as the Colosseum. Admission and Guided Tour of the Colosseum: Heart of The Empire. Enjoy Skip-the-Line entrance.
• Foro Romano: Admission and Guided Tour of the Roman Forum ~ We walk through the archaeological dig for unique perspectives of the Old Town Center of Rome, Palatine Hill, Capitoline Hill, Caesar's Palace, Curia or the Senate House, Temple of the Vestal Virgins, and the Triumphal Arches.
• Capitoline Hill: We ascend this amazingly sculptured and architecturally inspirational locale.
• Walking Delights: Views of Trajan's Market, Palatine Hill, Caesar's Palace, Curia known as the Senate Building, the Vittorio Emanuele II National Monument, the Jewish Ghetto, and other historic landmarks. 

Farewell to Rome Dinner: A Very Special Evening

Tonight join your Journey Tour Captain for our included 'Farewell to Rome' event.

Our days have been filled with new sights, tastes and discoveries - tonight enjoy reflecting on the incredible journey we've had together. It has been a Journey of Adventure and Discovery, along with making new friends!

Tomorrow we will say, 'Arrivederci Roma!' but tonight we sing and make melody in the very heart of Rome. 

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Chapter 5:Sorrento

Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast —
2 Days, 2 Nights

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Why Now Journey for Italy's Great Cities? Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast: Perfectly positioned hotels with amazing terraces, balconies and views of the Bay of Naples, consider our optional private boat with towel service, refreshments and the amazing Island of Capri.

 

Amalfi Coast & Sorrento Peninsula

Day 12: NAPLES, POMPEII, THE SORRENTO PENINSULA & AMALFI COAST