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. 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM - San Gimignano. || 43.46768737630477, 11.042790517377641 

San Gimignano is an Italian hill town in Tuscany, southwest of Florence. Encircled by 13th-century walls, its old town centers on Piazza della Cisterna, a triangular square lined with medieval houses. It has a skyline of medieval towers, including the stone Torre Grossa. The Duomo di San Gimignano is a 12th-century church with frescoes by Ghirlandaio in its Santa Fina Chapel.

3. 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM - Visit Siena. || 43.31838140755313, 11.329108321586459

Siena, a city in central Italy’s Tuscany region, is distinguished by its medieval brick buildings. The fan-shaped central square, Piazza del Campo, is the site of the Palazzo Pubblico, the Gothic town hall, and Torre del Mangia, a slender 14th-century tower with sweeping views from its distinctive white crown. The city’s 17 historic “contrade” (districts) extend outward from the piazza.

4. 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM - Bodega Visit, wine tasting and lunch (wine and lunch not included)

5. Transfer to hotel. || 43.77297407277265, 11.249780920838402

6. Free time

7. 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. Athens Panoramic Tour

5. Ancient Agora of Athens. || 37.974962059859166, 23.722077175274357 

The ancient Agora of Athens is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus and on the west by the hill known as the Agoraios Kolonos, also called Market Hill.

6. Hadrian's Library (Biblioteca de Adriano). || 37.975645845239924, 23.72601966759971 

Hadrian's Library was created by Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 132 on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens.

7. Temple of Olympian Zeus. || 37.969435299429136, 23.73312145410621 

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a former colossal temple at the centre of the Greek capital, Athens. It was dedicated to "Olympian" Zeus, a name originating from his position as head of the Olympian gods.

8. Roman Forum of Athens (Roman Agora) (Ágora romana). || 37.97440130508336, 23.72600926575048 

The Roman Agora at Athens is located to the north of the Acropolis and to the east of the Ancient Agora.

9. Archaeological Site of the Lyceum of Aristotle. || 37.97533295937701, 23.743297465767867 

The Lyceum was a temple in Athens dedicated to Apollo Lyceus. It was best known for the Peripatetic school of philosophy founded there by Aristotle in 334 BC.

10. Kerameikos Archaeological Site. || 37.97828320865928, 23.717443461166233 

Kerameikos also known by its Latinized form Ceramicus, is an area of Athens, Greece, located to the northwest of the Acropolis, which includes an extensive area both within and outside the ancient city walls, on both sides of the Dipylon Gate and by the banks of the Eridanos River.

11. Lunch (not included)

12. Visit Acropolis. || 37.97281551595255, 23.72549138611136 

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. The word Acropolis is from the Greek words ἄκρον and πόλις.

13. Transfer to hotel

14. Hotel check in. || 37.97387967630925, 23.731794427119908

15. Free time

16. 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. ||

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. || 36.4618827571826, 25.382446628194096

7. Oia Sunset Walking Tour

8. Night in Santorini

1. 7:00 AM - Breakfast at the hotel. || 36.461761955400554, 25.382478814699354

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. || 36.46180509891575, 25.382382255183582

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