Donna Franca Vacations

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

After breakfast at the hotel, we embark on a half-day excursion to Chianti Wine Country south of Florence. You will have a wine tasting with lunch at Castello di Verrazzano, one of the oldest vineyards in the Chianti region. Surrounded by the vineyard, is The Castle of Verrazzano, built in the 10th century on a hilltop. The Castle, built on a site first settled by the Romans, possibly even the Etruscans and then by the Longobards, dominates the magnificent panorama. After our visit and lunch, we head to the factory outlet Mall outside of Florence for a shopping trip. Enjoy dinner on your own in this beautiful city known as "The City of Lillies."

After breakfast, enjoy a half-day guided tour of Florence with entrance to the Accademia Gallery, one of the most famous picture galleries in the world. Our guide will help you discover the treasures at one of the most famous and important museums in the world. After lunch on your own, join us for a private meeting with Assessore alla Moda (Minister of Fashion for Florence) and listen as she discusses the latest trends in the fashion industry. After our visit, return back to the hotel and prepare for an included dinner with wine at a local restaurant.

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.

After breakfast, you will soon discover that Venice must be discovered on foot. This is a city where everything is irregular and regulated by the slow rhythm of the Lagoon. On your half-day private tour, 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, or join our optional tour to the various islands of Venice. Enjoy your final evening with an intimate dinner on your own amongst the sounds and sights of this canal-laden city.

Transfer by motor launch from your Venice hotel to Piazzale Rome. Board a private motor coach for your transfer from Venice to Stresa on Lake Maggiore. Arrive in the afternoon and check in at the hotel. Enjoy an included dinner in Stresa at a local restaurant or at the hotel.

After breakfast, join your tour escort on a full-day excursion to Lugano with lunch. Lugano, an Alpine village, is actually in Switzerland but clings to its Italian roots. The natural beauty of the Alps serves as a stunning backdrop to the quaint shops filled with Swiss favorites - like clocks, watches and, of course, chocolates. You will enjoy an included lunch at an authentic restaurant that serves specialties of the region. Return to the hotel for a dinner on your own and an evening at leisure.

After breakfast, join your tour escort for a half-day excursion on Lake Maggiore and visit two of the four Borromean Islands, Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori. On Isola Bella you will receive a guided visit of Palazzo Borromeo with its splendid decorated rooms, rich art collections and famous Italian gardens on a series of beautiful sloping terraces. Continue on to Isola dei Pescatori for an escorted tour. While the island contains neither palazzo nor hanging gardens, it does not prevent it from being a favorite with painters. It contains a medley of fishermen's homes of many colors, yellow, pink, and terra-cotta, that jostle each other to the very water's edge at the eastern end of the island. We arrive back in Stresa where you have some free time to explore this beautiful Alpine village on your own. A Farewell Dinner with wine is included...buon appetito!

After breakfast, transfer by private motor coach to the Milan airport for your flight home. Or extend your stay in Italy with one of our independent 4, 5, or 6 night programs.