Italy and Greece Travel Tour 124

1. 1:50 PM - Arrival in Rome. || 41.90547195631994, 12.492395911713642

Rome is the capital city of Italy. It is also the capital of the Lazio region, the centre of the Metropolitan City of Rome, and a special comune named Comune di Roma Capitale.

2. 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM - Transfer from airport to hotel

3. 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM - Hotel check in. || 41.90373460098231, 12.494873468887032

4. 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Piazza di Spagna. || 41.90630464828817, 12.482391373109454 

Piazza di Spagna, at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, is one of the most famous squares in Rome, Italy. It owes its name to the Palazzo di Spagna, the seat of the Embassy of Spain to the Holy See. There is also the famed Column of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

5. 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Trevi Fountain. || 41.90147551031671, 12.483420288448087

The Trevi Fountain is an 18th-century fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini in 1762 and several others.

6. 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Pantheon. || 41.89928160117102, 12.47689435776803 

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple and, since AD 609, a Catholic church in Rome, Italy. It was built on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus, then after that burnt down, the present building was ordered by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated c. AD 126.

7. 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Piazza Navona. || 41.89977021039453, 12.4732673191244 

Piazza Navona is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in the 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the agones, and hence it was known as "Circus Agonalis".

8. 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Trastevere. || 41.88464641928417, 12.47036752096681 

Colorful Trastevere is a funky, bohemian area that clings to its centuries-old, working-class roots. It's known for traditional and innovative trattorias, craft beer pubs and artisan shops, as well as simple B&Bs and budget hotels. From the pre-dinner passeggiata (promenade) until late, a young crowd buzzes around Piazza di San Calisto and Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, the site of a gilded, mosaic-filled church.

9. Transfer to hotel. || 41.90368669018821, 12.494916384232205

10. Free time

11. Night in Rome

1. 6:30 AM - 7:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. || 41.90365474963881, 12.494948570741087

2. Lunch at St. Peter's Square (not included) 

Saint Peter's Square is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave in Rome, directly west of the neighborhood of Borgo. Both the square and the basilica are named after Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus whom Catholics consider to be the first Pope

3. 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Vatican Museums. || 41.90665545150404, 12.453689576559821

The Vatican Museums are the public museums of Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the most well-known Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world.

4. 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Sistine Chapel. || 41.9036814367389, 12.454504957747455

The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the Cappella Magna, the chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and 1481.

5. Transfer to hotel. || 41.90367870505236, 12.494884197723325

6. Free time

7. Night in Rome

1. Breakfast at the hotel. || 41.90379848198523, 12.494948570741087

2. 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM - Colosseum. || 41.8903858810506, 12.492225532377514

The Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world, despite its age.

3. 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM - Roman Forum. || 41.89297343644967, 12.485260627033712 

The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum, is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum.

4. Transfer to hotel. || 41.90370266045691, 12.494916384232205

5. Free time

6. Night in Rome

1. Breakfast at the hotel. || 41.90370266045691, 12.494916384232205

2. 9:10 AM - 10:45 AM - High speed train to Florence

3. Arrival in Florence. || 43.7704195490057, 11.248164824772013 

Florence, capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. The Galleria dell'Accademia displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture. The Uffizi Gallery exhibits Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation.”

4. 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM - Walking Florence Tour

There are plenty of hidden secrets and mysteries in the city, that makes it a treasure to be discovered. Every corner and every street has its own story and interesting facts. Book this tour and hear the most interesting and fascinating stories. Also learn about gorgeous buildings, pieces of art, local food and wine, handicraft and other typical and famous products of Tuscany. Our tour will start in the Religious City Centre - the Piazza del Duomo where we will discover the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, one of the most beautiful campanile in Italy Giotto's bell tower and the cathedral's octagonal Dome design by Filippo Brunelleschi. We will continue to the Renaissance Palace - Palazzo Medici, the first Medici palace, the home of Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent and the workplace of such artists as Donatello, Michelangelo, Paolo Uccello, Benozzo Gozzoli and Botticelli. The Medieval Area of the town will be introduced by the House and Church of Dante Alighieri and The Tower houses of the Guelphs and Ghibellines. The history of Roman times and the 19th Century will be discovered at the Piazza della Repubblica - one of the main squares in Florence. Piazza della Signoria represents the Political Centre: Palazzo Vecchio which is the main symbol of civil power for the city, Statue of David, Biancone (Fountain of Neptune), La Loggia dei Lanzi with many statues, including The Rape of the Sabines, Hercules and Centaur by Giambologna, Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus. Passing the Uffizi Gallery – the world's top art museums and the place where many Renaissance masterpieces are housed to the Ponte Vecchio or Old Bridge, that joins the centre with the district of Oltrarno on the south bank of the river Arno, is surely one of the great icons of Florence and one of the most famous bridges in the world.

5. Transfer to hotel. || 43.773028302790195, 11.249834565019869

6. Free time

7. Night in Florence

1. Breakfast at the hotel. || 43.773028302790195, 11.249834565019869

2. Full Day in Tuscany. || 43.336818694693505, 10.756899513995405

Enjoy, in a single memorable day, the rich history and the art of the most spellbinding and iconic sights in Tuscany passing through the unforgettable landscapes of the Chianti countryside. Your Tuscany discovery begins with Pisa. We reach the Field of Miracles, a green grass field dominated by the dazzling white buildings of the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the famous Tower, exquisite examples of Pisan-Romanesque architecture. You are in one of the most world-known places: revel in it, take creative photographs, or wander off down the local streets. From Pisa, we drive past hilltop hamlets scattered over some of the most beautiful and enchanting countryside views up to arrive at San Gimignano where a traditional Tuscan lunch with a tasting of four wines will be served. After lunch, your visit continues to the discovery of a Tuscan medieval pearl, the stunning village of San Gimignano, Unesco world heritage, known for the ancient town planning still intact. It is often nicknamed the “Manhattan of the Middle Ages” because its famous tall, narrow towers create a skyline that looks a bit like a modern city. Here you have free time to explore the town centre, the charming craftsmen’s shops along the cobbled stone streets, and small squares. Our last stop is Siena, an amazing hilltop town, rich in works of art and traditions, famous monuments, and picturesque views with a fascinating pedestrianized historical center and one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in the world. Discover the small medieval streets and squares, the oldest bank in the world, and the Piazza del Campo - the site of the famous 600-year-old Palio horse race, and the spectacular Cathedral.

3. Free time

4. Night in Florence

1. Breakfast at the hotel. || 43.77298181992103, 11.249727276656934

2. 9:20 AM - 11:45 AM - High speed train to Venice

3. Arrival in Venice. || 45.443097402114866, 12.31351845877103

Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the city’s red roofs.

4. Transfer to hotel. || 45.43414716107154, 12.330645533826047

5. 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Saint Mark's Basilica. || 45.43467234700338, 12.339741141578617 

The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark, commonly known as St Mark's Basilica, is the cathedral church of the Patriarchate of Venice; it became the episcopal seat of the Patriarch of Venice in 1807, replacing the earlier cathedral of San Pietro di Castello.

6. 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Doge's Palace. || 45.43409499571458, 12.340539603797929 

The Doge's Palace is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the former Republic of Venice. It was built in 1340 and extended and modified in the following centuries.

7. 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Bridge of Sighs (Puente de Los Suspiros). || 45.434207674469924, 12.340881219073564

The Bridge of Sighs is a bridge in Venice, Italy. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone, has windows with stone bars, passes over the Rio di Palazzo, and connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace.

8. Free time

9. Night in Venice

1. Breakfast at the hotel. || 45.434094459932105, 12.330731364516394

2. Transfer from hotel to Venice Airport. || 45.50558671054179, 12.346608042383547

3. Flight to Athens, Greece. || 37.93635276933756, 23.94801165421158

Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, commonly initialised as AIA, is the largest international airport in Greece, serving the city of Athens and region of Attica. It began operation on 28 March 2001 and is the main base of Aegean Airlines, as well as other smaller Greek airlines.

4. Arrival in Athens

5. Transfer from airport to hotel

6. Hotel check in. || 37.97397270818293, 23.731654952450597

7. Transfer to tour meeting point on own

8. 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM - 4 Hours Athens Tour. || 37.979443386783885, 23.728036138371785

Following a hotel pick-up by luxury air-conditioned vehicle, head to Panathinaiko Stadium, the cradle of the first modern Olympic games, which took place in 1896. Pass by the Greek Parliament in the former Royal Palace of Syntagma Square and watch the fanciful Evzoni Guards in their amber tunics. Fall in love with the stately Zappion Conference Center in the National Gardens of Greece before passing the Roman Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Arc and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by more Evzones. After passing by the handsome Numismatic Museum at Schlieman's House, the Catholic Cathedral and the Athens Neoclassical trilogy, you finally reach the impressive Acropolis. Visit the monumental marble gates of the Propylaea, the Temples of Athena, Nike and Parthenon. See the famous Porch of Maidens at the Temple of Erectheion. Continue with a pleasant short walk past Herodion and Dionysos Theater to visit the daring new Acropolis Museum. Home to metopes and the frieze.

9. Free time

10. Night in Athens

1. 7:00 AM - 7:30 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. || 37.973943107145, 23.731676409807974

2. Free day 

Today will be a free day to relax at the hotel or explore on your own.

3. Night in Athens

1. 6:00 AM - 6:30 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. || 37.973862761410444, 23.731676410123434

2. 7:30 AM -8:00 AM - Transfer from hotel to airport. || 37.941815270202426, 23.947677109806563

3. 10:00 AM - 10:55 AM - Flight from Athens to Santorini

4. Arrival in Santorini. || 36.392341393746555, 25.464229219661313

Santorini is one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. It was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC, forever shaping its rugged landscape. The whitewashed, cubiform houses of its 2 principal towns, Fira and Oia, cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera (crater). They overlook the sea, small islands to the west and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles.

5. Transfer to hotel

6. Hotel check in. || 36.418325676839636, 25.43126543888797

7. Oia Sunset Walking Tour

8. Night in Santorini

1. 7:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. || 36.418325676839636, 25.43126543888797

2. Free day 

Today will be a free day to relax at the hotel or discover Santorini on your own.

3. Night in Santorini

1. 7:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. || 36.418325676839636, 25.43126543888797

2. Transfer from hotel to airport

3. 8:30 AM - 9:25 AM - Flight from Santorini to Athens. || 37.941739119889675, 23.947730753981986

4. 12:50 PM - 9:21 AM - Flight back to USA. || 40.79113781983278, -111.97686830539544