Donna Franca Vacations

Thursday - Day 1 - Rome (Welcome Dinner with wine)

Arrive at Rome and transfer to your downtown hotel. Check in for room assignment. Leisure time in the afternoon to rest up for the evening or explore the surrounding area. Our hospitality desk is always at your disposal. At 6 PM your Tour Manager will meet you in the hotel lobby to review the tour schedule. Afterwards, you will leave on an informal escorted "passeggiata" through pedestrian Rome, followed by a Welcome Dinner with wine at a typical Roman restaurant. Perhaps after dinner you may enjoy a leisurely stroll of the Via Veneto before retiring for the evening.

Friday - Day 2 - Rome/Caserta/Pompeii/Naples/Rome (Breakfast/Lunch)

After breakfast at the hotel, leave for a full-day excursion to the Romantic South with a guided tour of Pompeii and a visit to Naples. Along the way we will stop at the "Reggia di Caserta", Italy's Versailles, where we will visit the formal Italian Gardens and royal palace followed by a buffalo mozzarella tasting with lunch. In the afternoon, we stop at the ruined city of Pompeii where you will be guided through this time capsule of a lost civilization. On our way back to Rome, we enjoy a drive through Naples with a stop for a slice of famous Neopolitan pizza.

Saturday - Day 3 - Rome (Breakfast)

After breakfast at the hotel, you have the opportunity to join our optional guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. After lunch on your own, enjoy a half-day guided tour of ancient Imperial Rome with a visit of The Coliseum. Inside this impressive structure, the silence of the stones is both awe-inspiring and absolute, a testament to Christian Martyrs. Your excursion through the ancient world continues with stops at the Arch of Constantine, the Circus Maximus, Piazza Barberini and the beautiful Tritone, Naiadi, and Trevi Fountains, and the Piazza Venezia. Return to your hotel and plan a dinner on your own for your last night in Rome.

Sunday - Day 4 - Rome/Chiusi/Cetona/Florence (Breakfast/Country Party at Donna Franca's private Villa)

After breakfast depart Rome for the North of Italy. On our way, we will pass through the quiet town of Chiusi, once one of the twelve sovereign cities of Etruria. From there we arrive at Donna Franca's private Villa for a TUSCAN COUNTRY PARTY with regional delights and delicious Chianti Wine from Donna Franca's private wine cellar. The breathtaking countryside, the background of classical music and the voice of the late Luciano Pavarotti provide the perfect backdrop for this special event. Before we leave Cetona, we will tour the famous Castle and then continue on to Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel and then meet your group for a late-afternoon walking tour of the city.

Monday - Day 5 - Florence/Siena/Florence (Breakfast/Wine tasting with Lunch)

After breakfast at the hotel, we embark on a full-day excursion to the walled city of Siena. Upon arrival, your tour escort will prepare you for a visit of this medieval city. You may opt to see the Fontana Gaia, Palazzo Pubblico, the Loggia della Mercanzia and Santa Caterina Church. You may choose to proceed to the Santa Barbara fortress built by the Medicis for a tour of the Enoteca, an Italian National Wine Library. In the afternoon, you will have a wine tasting with lunch at Castello di Verrazzano, one of the premier vineyards in the region. Upon your mid-afternoon return to Florence, take some time for your own pursuits. Enjoy dinner on your own in this beautiful city known as "The City of Lillies."

Tuesday - Day 6 - Florence/Lucca/Pisa/Florence (Breakfast/Dinner with wine)

After breakfast, you cannot leave Florence without visiting the Accademia Gallery, one of the most famous picture galleries in the world. Our tour escort will help you discover the treasures at one of the most famous and important museums in the world. After our visit, enjoy an excursion to Pisa and Lucca. We begin with a stop in the medieval town of Lucca, one of Europe's first licensed casinos, and birthplace of the roulette! Visit the Ponte del Diavolo, a narrow stone bridge spanning the river. Legend has it that Satan agreed to build the bridge for the townspeople, under the condition that they would grant him the first soul to cross it. The next morning, when the bridge was finished, the citizens outsmarted the devil and sent a dog scampering across! After Lucca, we proceed to Pisa to view the Piazza dei Miracoli, the Duomo and the famous leaning tower. Return back to the hotel and prepare for an included dinner and wine at a local restaurant.

Wednesday - Day 7 - Florence/Verona/Venice (Breakfast/Dinner with wine)

After breakfast, bid arriverderci to the city of Florence as we head toward incomparable Venice. Along the way, we stop in romantic Verona and stand in the courtyard below Juliet's balcony where Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers professed their love.

Then, arrive in Venice where time stands still as gothic buildings seemingly drift by in a shroud of mist. Gondolas float along, not just for show, but to deliver the staples of life and provide vital transportation. Motor launch from Piazzale Roma to the Venice hotel for check-in and tonight's dinner.

Thursday - Day 8 - Venice (Breakfast)

After breakfast, you will soon discover that Venice must be discovered on foot. This is a city where everything is irregular and is regulated by the slow rhythm of the Lagoon. You will visit St. Mark's square, the Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, Byzantine St. Mark's Basilica, the Bell Tower and the Clock Tower. Enjoy a free afternoon to get lost in the city's labyrinth of canals, bridges and tiny piazzas. Don't worry, it's impossible to stray too far! Enjoy your final evening on your own for an intimate dinner in this most romantic city.

Friday - Day 9 - Venice (Breakfast)

After breakfast, transfer by private motor launch to Marco Polo airport for your flight home. Or continue your stay in Italy with extra nights in Venice or with our Splendors of the Cinque Terre extension by traveling from Venice to Genoa.

Rome: Ludovisi Palace or similar
Florence: Strozzi Palace or similar
Venice: Colombina or similar