DAY 1, MONDAY / ROME: Start your tour with an airport transfer from Rome Fiumicino Airport or Rome Ciampino Airport to your Rome hotel. Alternatively, if you are already in Rome, you
can check into your hotel in the afternoon and then spend the rest of your day at leisure. Perhaps take a leisurely walk to Villa Borghese, Rome's tranquil park, or explore the city's vibrant neighborhoods like Trastevere or Testaccio.    

DAY 2, TUESDAY / ROME: After breakfast, head out on a 3-hour walking tour with your guide. Starting from Largo di Torre Argentina – a small piazza with Roman temple ruins – your route continues to Campo de Fiori -- Rome’s lively central square. Stroll to Piazza Navona with its Baroque fountains and romantic cafés, and then see unmistakable monuments like the Pantheon. Amble past the Spanish Steps and throw a coin in Trevi Fountain for good luck!  Your walking tour ends in the center of Rome – perfect for sightseeing independently if you wish. Return to your hotel in the evening, and then spend the rest of your night in Rome at leisure. (B)

DAY 3, WEDNESDAY / ROME – Assisi – Siena – FLORENCE: Leave Rome early and travel north by coach to the village of Assisi in Umbria. On a walking tour, see sites frequented by
Assisi’s patron, St Francis of Assisi, and hear about his life here – first as a young man of wealth and then later as a poor street preacher. Visit the Basilica of St Francis to see early-Renaissance masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue, and then enjoy free time for lunch. Continue to Siena, one of Tuscany's most popular towns, and spend your afternoon at leisure. Perhaps stroll through its UNESCO-listed historic center or relax in Piazza del Campo -- the handsome square that featured in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. Leave Siena in the late afternoon and travel north to Florence. Check into your hotel in time for dinner. (B, D)    

DAY 4, THURSDAY / FLORENCE: After breakfast, meet your guide for a morning walking tour around the city. Concentrating on Florence’s many Renaissance-era sites, your tour takes in city highlights like Florence Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore), Giotto’s Bell Tower and Santa Croce – a 13th-century Franciscan church that’s home to Cimabue’s famous Crucifix painting.
Stop for lunch (own expense) and then spend the rest of your day sightseeing at leisure. Maybe take a walk along Florence’s stunning medieval bridge -- the Ponte Vecchio -- or arrange an excursion with your guide to nearby Pisa (own expense). (B, D)

DAY 5, FRIDAY / FLORENCE – Padua – VENICE: Enjoy breakfast and then travel northeast by coach. Your first destination is Padua – Venice’s lesser-known (but equally attractive) neighbor – which you’ll get to know on a walking tour. Stroll around the downtown streets and head inside St Anthony’s Basilica – the city’s most celebrated monument. Admire its extravagant high altar, decorated by early-Renaissance painter Donatello, and then admire the Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata (another Donatello masterpiece) from outside. After a break for lunch (own expense), continue east to Venice by coach. Check into your hotel and then set out to see the city’s top sites. Stroll through Piazza San Marco with your guide and marvel at historical monuments like
Basilica di San Marco. Learn of the doges who once ruled Venice by dastardly means, and then visit the Bridge of Sighs where prisoners were led before being locked away. Return to your hotel for dinner, and then spend your evening at leisure. (B, D)      

DAY 6, SATURDAY / VENICE: Relax over breakfast and then take a boat ride to Murano – a cluster of tiny islands in the Venetian lagoon. Once a significant commercial port, Murano gained a reputation for glassmaking at the start of the 13th century – producing items that were (at that time) either rare or non-existent in Europe. Watch a glass-blowing demonstration inside a Murano workshop and see local glassmakers in action. After some free time here to sightsee or to shop for quality Murano glass souvenirs, return to your hotel by boat, enjoy your dinner and then spend your night at leisure. (B, D)

DAY 7, SUNDAY / VENICE – Verona – Italian Lakes – MILAN: After breakfast, leave Venice and travel west by coach to Verona. Famously the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this enticing Veneto city has gained UNESCO status for its collection of monuments from eras dating back to 1st century BC. On a walking tour, see top Verona attractions like Piazza della Erbe and Juliet’s House, and lose yourself in the setting of the world’s best-known love story. Continue to Sirmione at Lake Garda, and explore the little peninsula town with your guide. Admire its colorful streets, Roman ruins and the 13th-century Scaligero Castle – all set against the picturesque backdrop of Italy’s largest lake – and enjoy some free time for lunch (own expense). Later, hop back on board your coach and visit stunning Lake Como in the foothills of the Rhaetain Alps. Walk around one of the lake’s waterfront villages and soak up the relaxed atmosphere of Italian lakeside life. Travel by coach to the city of Milan in the late afternoon, and after checking into your hotel, enjoy dinner and spend your night at leisure. (B, D)   

DAY 8, MONDAY / MILAN: Enjoy breakfast in your hotel, check out, and then relax on a sightseeing tour of the city. See Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the extravagant shopping galleria that links Piazza della Scala to Piazza del Duomo, and then gaze in awe at Milan Duomo. Marvel at Castello Sforzesco, Milan’s Renaissance pride and joy, and learn of its role today as home to several of the city’s museums. Your tour finishes at Milano Centrale (the central train station). Rest of the day at your leisure for last minute shopping . (B)     

DAY 9, TUESDAY / MILAN - USA: Enjoy breakfast early this morning. This morning you will be transferred to Milan's Malpensa Airport for your flight home.  (B)