Italian Intermezzo - Small Group, Winter

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 travelers 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, join an optional experience to the island of Burano. Leave the hustle of St Mark's Square behind on a delightful private cruise around the islands of the Venetian lagoon. Alight at the island of Burano, famous for its candy colored 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 specialties with wine included.

Stop in Pisa to see the incredible Leaning Tower from which Galileo is said to have conducted experiments on velocity and gravity. Explore Florence with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the Accademia Museum and see Michelangelo’s David. After that, continue on foot to admire the multicoloured marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, where Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory. Continue into the Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces. Spend time gazing at statues such as Neptune, Hercules and Cacus along the front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Alternatively, take a stroll with your Travel Director to Piazza Santa Croce to enjoy a typical Italian treat in a local café, where you will be in the perfect spot to admire the basilica and indulge in people-watching the elegant Florentines.

Learn the secrets of traditional Florentine leatherwork when you visit a local workshop to admire the intricate work. The rest of the day is free for you to fully immerse yourself in the Tuscan capital. Perhaps shop for leather or gold goods around Santa Croce or relax and soak up the atmosphere in one of the many street cafés. Be sure not to miss the magnificent museums and galleries that house some of the most famous works of art in the world. Choose to take an excursion to Tuscany's most famous hill-top town, San Gimignano. Soak up the atmosphere of this ancient gem which has remained intact for centuries and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the evening, consider an optional experience dining on Tuscan cuisine with local wine, including, of course, Chianti from the vineyards of Tuscany.

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. Join an optional experience, Piazzas & Fountains, and with your Local Expert, take a "passeggiata" (stroll) to enjoy the backstreets and secrets of pedestrian Rome. Be amazed at sights such as the fascinating Pantheon and the beauty of 17th-century fountains and beautiful piazzas. Why not throw your 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 gaining fast-tracked entry into the Vatican Museums with a Local Expert. Admire the Papal art collection and enter the Sistine Chapel where you'll marvel at Michelangelo's masterpiece on its ceiling. Afterwards, see the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica followed by free time. In the evening, dine on Lazio's culinary specialties to celebrate your time together with your traveling companions on your journey through Italy's heritage and culture.

Bid farewell to the glories of Italy, savoring the memories of its enchanting cities, historic landmarks and stunning landscapes. Italy's unique allure will linger in your heart long after you leave.