When you think of Italy... you evoke thoughts of leisurely cruises on picturesque lakes lined with villas against the backdrop of the Italian Alps... the Byzantine grandeur of San Marco and serenades aboard gondolas in the age-old canals of Venice... Florentine art and architecture that sing of life in the Renaissance, and a stroll in the garden where opera was born... a glass of Chianti in a sidewalk café in hilltop Siena... the haunting ruins of Imperial Rome... hand-painted frescoes whose eloquence is most poignantly experienced in the Sistine Chapel...
From Michelangelo's masterpieces to the glories of Ancient Rome, the art and drama of the ages inspire our journeys in Italy including Lake Como, Venice, Florence, Siena and Rome. View the inspiring treasures of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel and view the original works of the masters at the Uffizi Gallery and Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. In Venice, stay at a top award-winning hotel on a private island in the Venetian Lagoon, explore St. Mark's Basilica and Square and take a gondola ride on the canals, complete with a serenade. Visit the medieval town of Siena in the Tuscan countryside. Take a high-speed train to Florence. And of course, you'll also have ample time to pursue what interests you most in Venice, Florence, and Rome...
Highlights
TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – Guided visits to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Uffizi Gallery & Galleria dell'Accademia – discover the world's great art
TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – A visit to St. Mark's Basilica highlights a two-night stay in Venice; your accommodation is a lovely centrally located hotel near the Rialto Bridge
High-speed train travel from Venice to Florence
Lecture by an art historian in Florence, setting the stage for guided museum visits
Special Note: 2025 is a Jubilee Year, celebrated once every 25 years – a meaningful time in the Roman Catholic Church that transforms Rome into a center of spiritual celebration with a significant increase in visitors. This special occasion will enhance your time in Rome, and the atmosphere will be memorable – a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will provide opportunities as well as possible adjustments to our itinerary.
Arrive Milan and on to Menaggio on Lake Como
Tour begins: 6:30 PM, Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa. A transfer is included from Milan's Malpensa Airport to Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa in Menaggio, on Lake Como. Upon arrival, travel through the beautiful northern Italian countryside from Milan to your 5* 19th-century grand hotel in beautiful Menaggio on the shores of bejeweled Lake Como. Meet your fellow traveling companions at a welcome cocktail reception and dinner at your hotel.
A Villa on fashionable Lake Como
Your travels take you by private boat to visit Villa del Balbianello; set on a wooded peninsula that juts into the lake, it was built in the late 18th century on the site of a Franciscan monastery. Noted for its exquisite landscaping and sculpture, the villa features spectacular terraced gardens ablaze with magnolias, cypresses, azaleas and more against dramatic views of the distant Alps and the famous shore of Lake Como, and appeared as a location in the James Bond film Casino Royale and in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. Cruise to the lovely village of Bellagio for lunch, and some free time to explore, before returning to Menaggio late afternoon; spend the evening as you wish.
From Lake Como to Venice
En route to Venice, stop in the Veneto region for a lunch at a wine relais in the countryside, paired with a wine pairing from the Veneto region. Continue on to Venice, uniquely designed along an intricate system of canals within a lagoon. A private boat transfer on the iconic canals brings you to the heart of Venice; enjoy an iconic Venetian experience – a gondola cruise through the city's historic canals as local musicians serenade you with traditional Italian songs. Transfer by private boat to your home for the next two nights in Venice – Splendid Venice; this evening, join us for a Tauck Exclusive – an after-hours visit to St. Mark's Basilica, one of Europe's architectural masterpieces with its exquisite mosaics and detailed carvings.
St. Mark's & Venice as you please
Start the day in Venice with guided visits to Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) and the Doge's Palace, an extraordinary palace that was once the seat of Venetian government. Spend the rest of the day and evening experiencing more of Venice at your leisure – perhaps exploring the small islands of the Venetian Lagoon; viewing one of the world's largest collections of Venetian art at the Galleria dell'Accademia; or visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a head-turning display of modern art housed in Guggenheim's former home on the Grand Canal, the 18th-century Palazzo Venier dei Leoni; your Tauck Director can offer recommendations.
High-speed rail to Florence
Travel Italy by high-speed rail today from Venice to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Get an introduction to the city's architectural landmarks and great artists from a local art historian; view Lorenzo Ghiberti's bronze doors with detailed panels at the Baptistry, part of the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiori complex. Your art lecture is a fitting prelude to today's visit to Galleria dell'Accademia, Europe's oldest art school and home to many of the world's most beloved paintings and sculpture, including Michelangelo's famed statue of David. Later, a walking tour explores the historical center of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Have dinner this evening at a Florentine osteria, known for Tuscan specialties.
The Uffizi & time at leisure in Florence
The day is free to explore Florence as you please; perhaps you may want to visit the Pitti Palace, the Medici Chapels or stroll across the Ponte Vecchio to the lovely Boboli Gardens. Tonight, we invite you to join us for a Tauck Exclusive – an after-hours visit to Florence's extraordinary Uffizi Gallery, Italy's largest art museum and one of the first art galleries in the world (subject to availability and day of the tour may vary), where you'll gaze at some of the world's greatest art masterpieces on a guided tour with a local expert. You'll be introduced to masterpiece works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Lippi, Leonardo da Vinci, and many more Renaissance masters; you have time to study, and contemplate, without the day crowds.
Through Tuscany & Umbria via medieval Siena
Travel Italy through lush Tuscan landscapes this morning, featuring olive groves, cypress trees, and vineyards, including the region that produces Chianti wine. Stop in the medieval hill town of Siena, and wander through its narrow centuries-old streets. See the Piazza del Campo where the Palio bareback horse race is held, and visit the Duomo, one of Italy's great cathedrals, with scenes inlaid in the marble floors and sculpture by Michelangelo. Travel on to the beautiful Val D'Orcia for a two night stay in the most beautiful part of Tuscany. Dinner is at leisure in your hotel.
Wine tasting in Val D'Orcia
Enjoy a tour and wine tasting at a local vineyard in Val D'Orcia, a UNESCO Heritage Site, where you'll have the opportunity to immerse in the production process, from the grape to the bottle to the glass, amidst picturesque views. The remainder of the day is free.
Journey to Rome
Journey to Rome this morning for a two-night stay in the heart of the city; upon arrival, have lunch at a local restaurant. The remainder of the day is free to explore Rome as you please – during your stay, you'll have a guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel (subject to availability, day and time of the visit may vary).
The treasures of Imperial Rome
Get an insider's view of Imperial Rome from a local guide on a city sightseeing tour – view iconic can't-miss sights. Spend some more time this afternoon exploring the "Eternal City" as you wish prior to this evening's farewell cocktail party and dinner at your hotel in Rome – a fitting finale to your extraordinary adventure to three of Italy's greatest cities.
Arrivederci, Roma
Tour ends: Rome. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The St. Regis Rome to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino; allow 3 hours for check-in.