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The Elegance of Italy
September 15, 2023 to
September 28, 2023
Join Fox World Travel on this incredible trip through Italy! You will see famous historical sites, the lakes region, and mountains. As you soak up Italy’s striking scenery, delicious cuisine and wines, and rich history and priceless art, you will soon see why it is Europe’s most revisited country. With charming culture at every turn Italy never ceases to surprise and delight.
Marvel at the Colosseum and the Vatican in Rome. See the stunning beauty of the Cinque Terre by train and boat and enjoy the scenery of the classic Italian countryside of Umbria and Tuscany. View the stunning vistas of the Dolomites mountains and end your tour in the exquisite city of Venice. Experience the very best of Italy!
FEATURED INSIGHT VACATIONS TOUR DIRECTOR: GIGI BROMAGE
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Itinerary
Your journey begins with an overnight flight from Chicago O’Hare to Rome, Italy
Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches. You will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Relax and settle in before joining your Travel Director and get to know your fellow travelers over a delicious Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
Hotel: Veneto Palace Hotel (or similar)
Meal: Welcome Dinner with Wine
With our Local Expert, we will explore the glorious history of the Roman Empire. Enjoying priority reserved entrance
ahead of the crowds, we will hear tales of deadly gladiatorial combat inside the mighty Colosseum. Then enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
In the morning you have a relaxed start at leisure. This afternoon visit St. Peter's Basilica and enjoy special fast tracked VIP entry into the Vatican Museums with a Local Expert. Admire the Papal art collection and observe the stunning Museo Gregoriano Profano which documents various moments and themes in classical art, from Ancient Greece through to the late Imperial Roman age. Enter the Sistine Chapel to marvel at Michelangelo’s masterpiece on its ceiling. After, dine in the Vatican's elegant Cortile del Giardino Quadrato, should weather permit, where you will enjoy incredible views of the cupola of St. Peter's during your private VIP Highlight Dinner (availability permitting).
Meal: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Take the autostrada north to Renaissance Florence and explore with Insight Choice. Choose between a visit to the Accademia Museum with an art historian to see Michelangelo's David or alternatively, wander through the market stalls on a guided shopping tour and enjoy all the treats and trinkets on show. From there, see the cathedral, campanile and the baptistery, adorned with the Gates of Paradise. Walk on to Piazza della Signoria with its open-air gallery of Renaissance sculpture.
This afternoon meet your Local Expert for a guided visit through the house of the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer, Niccolo Machiavelli, with a special opening of his private office where he wrote ‘The Prince.’ Visit the Italian garden for views of Florence’s iconic domed cathedral and see the historic cellar which connects to the oldest restaurant in Italy by a secret underground tunnel. Enjoy a wonderful cooking demonstration, with superb food and wine, served with warm and genuine Tuscan hospitality.
Hotel: Villa San Lucchese Poggibonsi (or similar)
Meal: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
In the morning, visit medieval Siena where narrow cobbled streets lined with palaces and patrician mansions, lead to Piazza del Campo, scene of the Palio horse race. Explore with your Local Expert and visit the beautiful, striped cathedral. Continue to hilltop San Gimignano, famous for its medieval towers that scrape the azure Tuscan sky. Ascend serpentine alleyways to the artisan gelato parlor of world champion gelato maestro, Sergio Dondoli, for a taste of his finest frozen treats. On return to your hotel, stop at a local winery to sample some of the robust red wines of Tuscany and learn about their origins.
Meal: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Head for Pisa and see the incredible Leaning Tower, from which Galileo is said to have conducted experiments on velocity and gravity. See the splendid cathedral and baptistery, decorated with mosaics and designs in solid marble. Drive through the patchwork of vines, olives and cypresses that typify the Chianti hills before continuing to the delightful town of Lucca. Taste the lavish loaves of buccellato, Lucca's sweet raisin anise bread. Continue along the coast to the pretty seaside resort of Santa Margherita Ligure.
Hotel: Best Western Regina Elena, Santa Margherita (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Head for the port of La Spezia for a highlight of your travels, the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Italy's most beautiful landscapes. With a Local Expert, appreciate the views as you approach one of the picturesque fishing villages by boat. Enjoy a delicious sea-to-table lunch in Monterosso. There is time to explore the old medieval quarter or the popular sandy beach before returning to your hotel. Your afternoon is at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
Cruise along the rugged Ligurian coast to the elegant seaside village of Portofino, the epitome of la dolce vita (should weather permit). Enjoy leisure time to admire the colored houses, browse the boutiques or simply stay a while in the cafe bars on the piazzetta, watching the yachts moored in the harbor. Next, head north to the beautiful Italian Lake District, a favorite retreat of the rich and famous where Alpine scenery combines with lush vegetation.
Hotel: Hotel Simplon/Hotel Dino, Baveno (or similar)
Meal: Breakfast
Continue through the Dolomites, to the mountain resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo for our next two nights.
Hotel: Hotel Evaldo (or similar)
Meal: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
The whole day is free for you to explore the colorful peaks and sheer valleys of the Dolomites, one of the most
impressive mountain ranges in the Alps. There are a number of walking tracks through pristine Alpine wilderness for the adventurous to explore, or for a more relaxed pace, perhaps take a thrilling Optional Experience cable car ride to the summit of one of the peaks for breathtaking 360-degree views?
Meal: Breakfast
Descend through the mountains to the romantic city of Venice. A private launch glides you past canals lined with ornate palaces to St Mark’s Square. See the basilica, the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs, before checking into your intimate and luxurious hotel. This afternoon at leisure, cruise the Venetian lagoon to the island of Burano for a meal of local specialties and wine.
Hotel: Splendid Venice (or similar)
Meal: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Visit an arts center to watch one of the few remaining craftsmen blow Venetian glass. Then there is free time to enjoy the magical atmosphere of this incredible city at your own pace. Mingle with the locals at the open-air markets near the Rialto Bridge and explore the back lanes and squares where Venetians go about their day. Later, on your romantic gondola serenade, glide along the atmospheric canals exploring the intimate and hidden parts of this unique city while musicians set the mood with traditional songs. This evening stroll past the entrance doors of the famous Opera House to Taverna La Fenice restaurant for a magical Celebration Dinner (availability permitting). Indulge in traditional Venetian dishes that are enriched with inspiration from seasonal produce.
Meal: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Your journey comes to an end after breakfast. Your group is transferred via boat to the Venice Airport for your flight home.
Meal: Breakfast
Terms: A minimum of 20 travelers is required for this tour to operate. Hotels and itinerary are subject to change
Inclusions
Air-Inclusive Package
- Round-trip air from Chicago O’Hare to Rome, Italy and return from Venice, Italy including current air taxes and fees
- Round-trip airport/hotel motorcoach transfers including baggage handling for one bag per person when purchasing the air-included package
Hotel Accommodations
12 Nights throughout the tour
- Three nights in Rome
- Two nights in Tuscany
- Two nights Santa Margherita Ligure
- One night Lake Maggiore
- Two nights Cortina D’Ampezzo
- Two nights Venice
Includes hotel service charges, taxes and luggage handling
Included Meals
- Daily breakfast
- One lunch with wine
- Eight dinners with wine including cooking demonstration and dinner in the Tuscan Hills
Fox Flourish!
- Extra night in Rome
- Dinner and Cooking Demonstration at Machiavelli Estate in Tuscany
- Burano excursion including tour and dinner
- Professional tour manager from Fox World Travel
- Premium Fox World Travel Gift given with your travel documents
Premium Tour Experiences
- Priority reserved entrance and a tour of the Roman Colosseum
- Fast Track VIP entrance into the Sistine Chapel and St Peters Basilica with dinner at the Vatican
- Choice of Accademia Museum visit or shopping in Florence
- Visit to the medieval village of Siena and the beautiful hilltop village of San Gimignano
- Wine tasting in beautiful hills of Tuscany
- View the Leaning Tower of Pisa and then onto the town of Lucca and taste its famous sweet raisin bread
- Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Cinque Terre traveling by train and boat with a Sea-to-Table lunch
- Cruise to the seaside village of Portofino and on to the beautiful Italian Lake District and Lake Maggiore
- Experience the Italian Alps with a visit to the incredible Dolomites
- Stay in the heart of Venice and enjoy the beauty of St. Mark’s Square
Tour Services
- Luxury air-conditioned 40-seat coach with extended leg room and on-board restroom for transportation and sightseeing
- Headset for guided sightseeing visits and walking tours
- Professional driver and guide for transfers and included excursions
- Customized, informative travel documents containing trip details and helpful packing and planning information
Note: Daily Itinerary is subject to change. Order of sightseeing may change throughout the itinerary.
A minimum of 20 travelers is required for this tour to operate.
Pricing
Tour Only
| Tour Only |
| Arrange your own airfare |
| Based on double occupancy |
Air Inclusive
| Tour and air included |
| Airfare from Chicago |
| Based on double occupancy |
Single occupancies are limited and based upon availability.
Pricing includes current air taxes of $399.75 per person and a Fox World Travel Professional Fee of $50.00 per reservation. Air package pricing is subject to change until air is contracted due to the volatility of airfare costs.
Special Offers
Available Discounts
Early Booking Discount: Book and deposit by February 1, 2023 and receive a $300.00 discount per person
Insight Vacations Past Passenger Discount: $100.00 per person*
*Must have traveled with Insight Vacations, Uniworld, Brendan Vacations, Trafalgar or Contiki within the last five years to qualify.
Discounts are subject to change at any time
Group Flights
Roundtrip flights from Chicago O’Hare
Flight schedules are subject to change and FWT has no control over flight changes, seat assignments, delays or cancellations. Tickets will be non-refundable once issued. Changes will be subject to a fee plus any fare difference. Additional restrictions may apply. Checked baggage fees may apply.
Pricing and flight options from other cities available upon request.
Notes
Optional Motorcoach:
$50.00 per person, each direction. Group motorcoach transfer to and from Chicago O’Hare from select pick-up points (Air & Tour Packages only unless air schedules fit the group air package).
Optional Insurance:
In these volatile times and for peace of mind, we recommend purchasing travel protection insurance. Your travel advisor can discuss options with you, including medical expense coverage, pre-existing medical condition exclusion waivers, trip cancellation, trip delay, lost, delayed or damaged baggage and more. To cover pre-existing conditions, most policies must be purchased within 14 days of making your initial deposit. Travel protection insurance prices are based on your age and the trip cost.
Cancellation Penalties:
- From date of deposit to June 9, 2023: Initial deposit of $200.00 per person
- June 10 – July 11, 2023: 50% package price cancellation fee + applicable airline fees
- July 12 – August 10, 2023: 75% package price cancellation fee + applicable airline fees
- August 11 – day of travel: No refunds
Airline tickets are non-refundable once ticketed.
Note: Daily Itinerary is subject to change. Order of sightseeing may change throughout the itinerary. Substitute visits to other sites may occur during your trip due to water levels or other uncontrollable factors.
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PLAN YOUR TRIP WITH A TRAVEL ADVISOR
CALL 888-369-8785
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