11 DAYS/10 NIGHTS PACKAGE IN BEAUTIFUL ITALY. ENJOY THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF ROME , FLORENCE , MILAN , VENICE , LAKE COMO WITH ISLAND AND CITY TOUR

Day 1: Arrive Rome

Welcome to Italy the Land of the Mystique! On arrival in Rome, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Check in and relax. Rome comes alive at night and you should not miss the opportunity to see its most beautiful monuments illuminated. In the evening we recommend you to enjoy this panoramic Rome Illuminations tour which starts at around 1900 hours. Overnight in Rome.

Day 2: Rome

Wake up to an early breakfast this morning as its time for your hop on hop off tour to enjoy Rome’s most famous sights. In the afternoon we recommend you to visit the richest country in the World – the Vatican. Enjoy the tour of the treasures of the Vatican, including the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museum where you'll be shown a fine collection of antiquities, the fascinating Tapestry Gallery etc. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3: Rome

Today the day is free at leisure. Today we strongly recommend you to opt for a full day excursion down to Naples, Capri and Anacapri. This tour will give you an opportunity to visit the world famous Blue Grotto on own. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4 : Rome - Florence

Following breakfast this morning its time to check out of the hotel and make your way to the station to take a train to Florence. Upon arrival please make your way to the hotel and check in. Florence is a lovely city famous for its wine growing Tuscany Region. In the afternoon we recommend you to take the tour to Pisa which gives you an opportunity to take in some wonderful scenery en route to the historic university town, most famous for its Leaning Tower. Your tour returns to Florence later in the evening. Relax and spend a nice quiet evening here. Overnight in Florence.

Day 5 : Florence

After breakfast, proceed to enjoy the morning city tour of Florence, you will drive along the romantic Viale dei Colli up to Piazzale Michelangelo: a stop to admire the wonderful panorama of the city. You will also see the Duomo complex, Giotto’s bell tower, the Baptistery with its bronze doors, the Cathedral. A short walk through the historic streets of the heart of Florence brings you to the renowned Galleria dell’Accademia where you can admire the famous David by Michelangelo and other works by the great artists. The tour ends inside the museum. Overnight in Florence.

Day 6 : Florence -Venice

Post breakfast travel to the most romantic city of the world. Upon arrival please make your way to the Hotel. Check in and the rest of the day is free for you to relax and explore this really unique city on water. Later in the evening you can opt for a gondola ride, cruising through the Grand Canal. Overnight in Venice.

Day 7 : Venice

Wake up to breakfast this morning. Today the morning is free at leisure, you can opt for the morning walking tour covering the San Marco area where you will see The stunning Basilica of San Marco. Later in the afternoon proceed for your 3hours island tour. You will witness how the beautiful colored glass is made in Murano Glass making factory, then on to the pretty islands of Burano, famous not only for its lace but also for the fishermen's houses painted in bright colors and Torcello, the earliest centre of civilization in the estuary. Overnight in Venice.

Day 8 : Venice - Lake Como

Following breakfast its time for you to proceed Lake Como, the deepest lake in Italy with its beautiful villas and the famous silk factories, it is a favourite tourist destination in Northern Italy

Day 9 : Lake Como

The day is free for you to enjoy this scenic haven on your own.

Day 10 : Lake Como -Milan (1 hr)

Today, travel to Milan, 'the world's design capital'. Check in and relax. In the afternoon proceed for your city tour where you will enjoy the overview and highlights of the major monuments of the city like the Dumo, Gothic Cathedrals, the world famous "Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci, etc. Overnight in Milan

Day 11 : Depart Milan

Following breakfast its time for you to pack and you will be transferred by chauffer driven car to the airport for your flight back home.

• Take in a show. There are lots of theatres, but you will need to know Italian to enjoy them. The main concert venue is the Auditorium in viale Pietro de Coubertin to the north of Rome The Auditorium at Parco della Musica is a large complex composed of three separate halls whose shapes are inspired by musical instruments. These are positioned around an open air amphitheatre, that is used nearly every night in the summer for concerts. The Parco della Musica hosts a constant stream of classical, popular, and jazz music, featuring national as well as international musicians and groups. Really big names perform outdoors in the summer; usually in either the Olympic Stadium or in Stadio Flaminio, which is next door to the Parco della Musica. In winter the Palalottomatica in EUR is an important pop concert venue.

To get full details of what is on, buy a copy of the La Repubblica newspaper on Thursdays, when it has an insert called TrovaRoma. There are a couple of pages in English but even with no Italian you should be able to decipher the main listings. This is not published in late July and August, when half of Rome heads to the beach. Both La Repubblica and Il Messaggero have daily listings.

• Walk and feel the energy of Rome; sights are everywhere waiting to be discovered.

• Explore the Trastevere neighbourhood for some great cafes and trattorie, and a glimpse at a hip Roman neighbourhood.

• Take in a game of soccer at the Olympic Stadium. Rome has two teams, A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio and they both play at this stadium.

Holidays and Events

• Anniversary of the Founding of Rome - Since 1922, every 21st of April the city of Rome celebrates its founding. A national holiday between 1924 and 1945, the celebration is now limited to the city; during this day, admission to some of the municipal museums is free while historical parades, reenactments and other events take place.

• Labour Day - The 1st of May is a national holiday; Romans either leave town or attend a big rock concert in piazza San Giovanni. On this "day of the worker" much will be closed, but you may find parades and festivals all over Italy. Expect big crowds in popular areas.

• Vatican guard swearing in - 6 May is when new groups of Swiss Guards are sworn in, marking the sack of Rome in 1506. Guards are sworn in by the San Damaso courtyard, Vatican City. The public is not invited, but you may steal a glimpse if you book a private guided tour of the Vatican.

• Italian Open Tennis Tournament, For two weeks in May, Rome hosts one of the most important European clay-court tournaments, a warm-up for the French Open.  edit

• Republic Day - June 2 is the Italian national holiday, commemorating the founding of the Italian Republic in 1946; in Rome, a grand military parade takes place from via dei Fori Imperiali to piazza Venezia and the gardens of the Quirinal palace are open to the public.

• Feast of Saints Peter and Paul - June 29th is a public holiday in Rome and a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Public buildings, along with many shops, will be closed; on the plus side, fireworks will take place during the evening at Castel Sant'Angelo.

• Estate Romana Festival (Roman Summer Festival) - from late June through early September offers various musical events of jazz, rock, and classical music, and film, sport, theatre and children’s fun.

• White Nights (Notte Bianca), In early to mid-September, various events until dawn, plus shops and restaurants, museums stay open while the Roman Notte Bianca stages music, dance and theatre events. Expect enormous crowds; buses and trams will be packed to the brim.  edit

• Opera at Caracalla, Performances start at 21:00. If you are in Rome during summertime don’t miss the chance to experience a lyric opera in the truly unique setting of the Caracalla Baths Programs have included Tosca, Carmen and Midsummer Night’s Dream

Events

Voga Longa  the yearly equivalent of a marathon run on water. Voga Longa competitors must row 32 kilometers under 3.5 hours to receive a certificate of attendance at the finish line, but everybody with a human-powered vessel is welcome to participate (some foreigner teams take up to 10 hours to complete the journey just for the fun of it).

The official purpose of the Voga Longa was to protest the sharply increasing use of powerboats in Venice, but the event has gradually grown into a festival since 1974, with up to 5500 racers in 1500 vessels attending by the early 2000s. The racetrack visits different parts of Venice as well as some of the nearby islands. Locals and tourists lining up alongside rios and canals cheer the racers.

Visitors wishing to participate should have serious experience in rowing or sculling and practice duely, as the journey is physically demanding (even seasoned oarsmen develop calluses by the finish line). The event is mainly for teams, completing Voga Longa on a single oar is considered a major achievement. Extreme participation (scuba frogmen and surface swimmers) sometimes occurs, but it is not recommended due to water contamination issues.

Regata 'Storica  (Historic fleet event) is held on the first Sunday of every September. Celebrating a historic event from 1489, the regatta displays almost a hundred varieties of venetian boats from the city's rich past. Large oarships, replicating ancient roman and medieval vessels, are rowed along the Canal Grande, followed by many smaller boats. There are several races, including a master championship for solo sculling in streamlined gondolini, painted in unusual white, pink, etc. colours. There are many excellent photo opportunities for this event.

La Biennale di Venezia  is one of the most well known culture institutions. Two events organised by Biennale are the Art and Architecture International Exhibitions happening alternately (Architecture Biennale in even years, Art Biennale in odd) but other fields are also covered - contemporary theatre, dance, music, cinema (Venice International Film Festival). Exhibitions take place mostly in two locations:Arsenale and Giardini. They are both worth visiting even when no event is scheduled. Arsenale is the largest pre-industrial production centre in the world, dating back to 13th century, and Giardini is architectural gem filled with national pavilions from different parts of the world, often designed by famous architects, it was a venue for the International Art Exhibition since 19th century.

Activities

Ride a Vaporetto (Water Bus) down the Grand Canal right before sunset. The Vaporettos are expensive, but the sights are priceless: amazing architecture, soft seaside sunlight, and a fascinating parade of Venetian watercraft.