BEST OF ITALY

Assemble at Changi Airport for our flight to the financial capital of Italy, Milan. 

Join our guide for a stroll through the compound of the Sforza Castle and be impressed by Leonardo Da Vinci’s design of this fortress and the city.  A statue of the great inventor can be seen at Da Vinci Square.  

Continue with an orientation tour around the city center.  Admire the magnificent Gothic exterior of the Duomo, the glass & steel Galleria, the first building in Italy to be lighted by electricity and the La Scala Opera House where the world’s finest have performed. 

Shop at boutiques along the popular Via Monte Napoleon after lunch.   

Take a short drive to Lake Garda, Italy’s biggest lake and renowned for its mild climate, amazing landscapes, and small, picturesque villages.   

Enjoy a walk around the ancient, fortified town of Peschiera del Garda with its narrow medieval streets and formidable fortifications built between the 16th and 17th centuries.   

Continue our journey towards Venice, a unique and captivating city known for its intricate network of canals, historic architecture and romantic ambiance.   

From Tronchetto, board a private water taxi to Venice, famous for its numerous churches, maze of canals and floating gondolas.  

Enjoy a guided tour around St Mark’s Square where St Mark’s Basilica and the Bell Tower stands, the Bridge of Sighs links the Doges Palace to the prison.   

Visit one of the fine Venetian Glass Blowing Factories where richly coloured Venetian glass is made into exquisite pieces of art.  

Hop over to colourful Burano. Be intrigued by the colourful houses that are reflected into the water of the canals.  Admire lace works which Burano is famous for as we stroll around Galuppi Square. 

Enjoy a fascinating insight into the production, maturation and age process of balsamic vinegar, a process handed down for generations.  The ancient practices of decanting and replenishing vinegar in centuries-old barrels grant the balsamic vinegar the scent and flavours.  Savour the flavours with lunch at the historic house.   

Adjourn to Parma where two of Italy’s most beloved delicacies are produced, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma.  Delve into the divine flavours at a local cheese and ham producer.   

Look forward to a spectacular day as we board the regional train for Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Five (cinque) perilously perched strung along a short stretch of cliffs above the Gulf of Poets.   

Explore magnificent scenery of rocky cliffs, clear blue waters, terraced vineyards and olive groves linked by a network of footpaths between the villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza & Monterosso.   

Be charmed by how the woods alternate with vineyards and olive groves in a landscape dotted with Romanesque churches and farmhouses as we drive to Pisa. 

Visit the ‘Square of Miracles to appreciate the wonderful artistry of one of the world’s wonders, the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  Admire the white-marble Cathedral, the elaborate Baptistery & the symmetrical Monumental Cemetery perfectly framed by the green lawns of the square.    

Drive to Florence, the birthplace of Renaissance Art.   

Breakfast/Florentine Steak Dinner with wine 

Enjoy a walking tour of Florence to admire Brunelleschi’s masterpiece, the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, as well as Ghiberti’s legendary Doors of Paradise.     

Cross the Ponte Vecchio glittering with its rolls of goldsmiths and jewellery shops before we visit the most important square in the city, Piazza Signoria. 

Enjoy some time at leisure to explore the beautiful city.   

Start the day with some retail therapy at The Mall Luxury Outlets. 

In the afternoon, visit Civita di Bagnoregio, a semi-abandoned village perched on a precarious rock stack.  Trek across the steep footbridge to a fairytale hamlet that seems to float in the clouds.  Below it is a stunning landscape of deep canyons.  

Continue to Rome, the Eternal City.   

Visit the world’s smallest state, Vatican City.  Admire St Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest church with Michelangelo’s Pieta, his magnificent dome, Bernini’s famous canopy as well as the incredible mosaics.  (May close without notice)  

The Vatican is known for the masterpieces which the Roman Pontiffs have commissioned, collected and preserved during the ages.    

One of the most famous is the Sistine Chapel with frescoes by Michelangelo as well as the most important 15th century masters from Umbria and Tuscany.  

Visit the World’s largest basilica, St Peter’s Basilica with its magnificent dome.  Admire Michelangelo’s Pieta as well as Bernini’s famous canopy and many other intricate mosaic masterpieces in the basilica (Note: No miniskirt and shorts allowed.  Shoulders must be covered).    

Enter the Colosseum, the biggest amphitheater built in antiquity.   See the Arch of Constantine to celebrate the victory of the emperor himself.   

Make wishes at the Trevi Fountain, Rome’s most photographed site before we adjourn to the Spanish Steps, the most popular meeting point of the Romans and tourists.   

Take a leisurely drive to the Sorrento Peninsular, one of the most romantic and beautiful regions in Italy.  

View Mt Vesuvius, the volcano whose eruption in AD79 covered Pompeii and Herculaneum with tufa stone & volcanic mud.  

Our guided tour of Pompeii gives an insight into the excavations of this ancient city which was buried by Mt Vesuvio’s ashes.  See significant buildings such as the theater, Forum, Stabian baths which were restored.     

Descend about 100 steps into the underground of Naples City.  Walk through thousands of years of history including the ancient theater of Neapolis and Emperor Nero’s dressing room.  See the ancient aqueduct responsible for providing Naples with water for centuries.       

Naples, hailed as the birthplace of pizza, provides the perfect setting for our pizza making experience!  

Board the hydrofoil to the island of Capri, an enchanting and picturesque island made of limestone.  Take the funicular to the famous main square, Piazza Imberto I or fondly known as Pizzetta, where celebrities are often seen photogenically sipping their coffee or cocktail. 

Leaving Capri, we take the hydrofoil to Sorrento, a charming town known for the cultivation of citrus fruits and olives.  Our orientation tour includes the Piazza Tasso Square, Chiesa di San Francesco and the busy Via di San Cesareo.     

It is time to bid farewell to Italy and travel home with fond memories of the sights, sounds and stories we have collected on this incredible journey.