Italian Soul

Day 01.- Friday   – Venice airport – Hotel Venice / Mestre  

(Overnight)

Arrival at the airport of Venice. Assistance at the airport and transfer by private car to the hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 02.- Saturday: Guided tour of Venice

(Breakfast + Overnight)

Breakfast at the hotel and departure with the bus to the port for the transfer by boat to St Mark's Square. Venice is a unique city in the world. We will start our visit with an official guide of the historic centre (all external visits). The meeting point with the guide is the column of the Winged Lion in Piazza San Marco, the most important square in Venice. We will start the visit admiring the great Doge's Palace, seat of the Government of the old Venetian Republic, as well as the Palace of Justice and official residence of the Doge. It is the maximum expression of Gothic-Venetian architecture. We will arrive at the Bridge of Sighs, one of the most famous bridges in the world, and then time to enjoy St. Mark’s Square, the square par excellence where we can admire the splendid St. Mark’s Basilica, since 1807 Venice Cathedral in which inside are the remains of the city's Patron Saint. We will gape at the Bell Tower, the tallest building in the city, and we will pass in front of the famous Florián Café, open since 1720 and considered the oldest in the world. We will continue our visit to the Rialto Bridge, the oldest in the city with a beautiful view of the Canal grande, and we will finish our visit in St Mark's Square. Free time. If you wish, take part in a gondola ride (not included) through the typical Venetian canals. Return by private boat at 18.00 pm and departure with the bus to the hotel and overnight stay.

Day 03.- Sunday: Chianti Valley with visit to a wine estate and tasting of wines and local products (Tuscany)

(Breakfast + Tasting + Overnight)

After breakfast departure to the Chianti Valley. This mountainous landscape, mixed together with olive groves, cypresses, vineyards and palaces, never fail to impress. You will experience the harmony of colours with your eyes, that only the hill in this region has to offer. Visit to a country estate with its vineyards and its cellars with the tasting of wines and local products. Arrival at the hotel in Rome and overnight stay.

Day 04: Monday : Guided tour of the Vatican Museums + St. Peter’s Basilica in the morning

(Breakfast + Overnight)

Breakfast at the hotel and pick up for the guided tour of the Vatican Museums. Following our knowledgeable and passionate guide, the tour begins at the Vatican Museums with its immense collection built up by the Popes throughout the centuries. The itinerary includes the Pio Clementino Hall, the Laocoon and Apollo Belvedere, the Maps Gallery, the Candelabra Gallery, the Tapestries Gallery and the Sistine Chapel to admire the breathtaking frescos by Michelangelo, one of the most celebrated masterpieces in the world. From the Museum you will exit directly into St Peter’s Basilica, the most important Christian Church in the world, heart of the Catholic religion, where you will admire, among others, Michelangelo’s masterpiece La Pietà and the impressive Baldachin Altar by Bernini. Should St. Peter’s Basilica be closed, the tour will instead include the visit of Raphael’s rooms.
Tour ends in the suggestive St Peter’s Square, dominated by Michelangelo’s imposing Cupola and surrounded by the famous Bernini’s double Colonnade. Free afternoon. Drop off at hotel is not included. Overnight at the hotel in Rome.

Day 05.- Tuesday: Visit of Florence by high-speed train WITH TYPICAL TUSCAN LUNCH

(Breakfast + Lunch +  Overnight)

Pick-up from your hotel is at approx. 05:30 a.m., and we transfer you to the train station, where our assistant meets you with your tickets and information for the day. At 06:05 a.m., the train departs to Florence and arrives at Santa Maria Novella Railway Station at 07:30 am.

At 08:10 a.m., you begin a full-day tour of the city. Discover its outstanding views of Piazzale Michelangelo and Fiesole and admire its most important artistic sites: Piazza Signoria, Santa Croce Basilica, the Duomo and Baptistery. Venture inside Uffizi Gallery, where you can find classics such as Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” Leonardo’s “The Annunciation,” and Michelangelo’s “Tondo Doni,” followed by a visit to the Academy Gallery, renowned as the house of the original David, Michelangelo’s masterpiece. The tour includes a typical Tuscan lunch.

At 06:40 p.m., depart back to Rome from Santa Maria Novella Railway Station (we recommend you to be at the station 20 minutes early). Arrive at the railway station in Rome at 08:20 p.m.. End of services, drop-off at hotels is not included. You can return to your hotel by subway or by taxi, both available at the railway station. Overnight stay in Rome

Day 06.- Wednesday: Rome: Papal Audience

(Breakfast + Overnight)

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, transfer to assist at the meeting with the Holy Father, who holds a public Audience in St. Peter’s Square (WITH ASSISTANCE). (As long as the Holy Father Francisco is in town). Free time and return to the hotel at your convenient time (drop off at hotel is not included). Overnight.