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Rome & Tuscany

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Introduction

Since 2009 we’ve been offering all-inclusive international travel programs for students interested developing real world travel skills while exploring some of the world's most interesting places as part of a small group.
Our programs seize every opportunity to practice foreign language, navigation, scheduling, collaboration, and budgeting skills with real world activities like cross-referencing street and metro maps, purchasing transit passes, researching opening days/times, navigating an itinerary and staying on schedule, choosing restaurants and making reservations, and eating well while staying within a meal allowance.

Itinerary

Rome, the Eternal City, has exerted a huge influence over the world in it’s 2500 years of existence. With wonderful palaces, millennium-old churches and basilicas, grand romantic ruins, opulent monuments, ornate statues and graceful fountains, Rome has an immensely rich historical heritage and cosmopolitan atmosphere, making it one of Europe’s and the world’s most visited, famous, and beautiful capitals.
Florence, a city rich in art and history, rose to prominence in the 14th - 16th centuries under the House of Medici, and was home to Galileo, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. We’ll spend three nights in Florence, taking day trips to enjoy Siena - a medieval city frozen in time since it’s population was decimated by the Black Death in the 14th Century - and Lucca - also known as this city of a thousand churches, it is surrounded by 16th century walls that you can explore on foot or bicycle.

Day City Overview
1 Airborne Meet your Group Director at the airport for an overnight flight to Italy!
2 Orientation Arrive in Rome. Coffee/Pastry. Navigate to the hotel. Pizza/Panini. Walk to San Pietro in Vincoli. Admire Michelangelo’s Moses. Gelato. Walk to the Basilica of Saint Clement. Explore the 12th century basilica, then descend to the 4th century basilica, and then descend to the 1st century domus of a Roman nobleman. Find the Capuchin Crypt home to the skeletal remains of almost 4,000 monks. Visit the Trevi fountain on the way back to the hotel. Relax and freshen up for dinner in Rome.
3 Ancient Rome Early breakfast. Enjoy a guided tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum. Lunch overlooking Trajan’s Column before a guided tour of the Domus Romane at Palazzo Valentini. Coffee/Pastry/Gelato. Stroll to Piazza Venezia and take the elevator to the terrace of Il Vittoriano for a panoramic view of Rome. Admire Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio on the Capitoline Hill then explore the museums. Relax at the hotel and freshen up for dinner in Rome.
4 Modern Rome Morning stroll up the Pincian Hill and through the gardens of Villa Borghese. Explore the Borghese Gallery. Enjoy the panorama of Rome then stroll down to the Spanish Steps. Coffee/Pastry/Shopping. Ascend to the ramparts of Castel Sant’Angelo for another great view of Rome. Lunch at Piazza Navona then visit the Pantheon and Campo di’Fiori. Shopping with a regroup at the hotel. Farewell dinner in the cellars of Da Pancrazio, originally a room of the Theatre of Pompey (where Caesar was assassinated).
5 Vatican City
Florence		 Early breakfast. Explore the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Enjoy the view of Rome from the cupola of Saint Peter’s Basilica then explore the basilica itself. Take the fast train to Florence and navigate to the hotel. Explore the museum, climb the tower, and admire ruins of the Roman Colony beneath Palazzo Vecchio before enjoying dinner on Piazza della Signoria.
6 Florence Early breakfast. Climb Giotto’s Campanile for wonderful view of Brunelleschi’s Duomo. Learn about Dante, Da Vinci, Galileo, Machiavelli, Marconi (and many others) during a guided tour of the tombs at the Basilica di Santa Croce. Lunch/Shopping at Mercato Centrale then spend afternoon exploring the Uffizi and relaxing in the Boboli Gardens. Sunset pictures of Ponte Vecchio from Ponte alle Grazie then admire Florence at night from Piazzale Michelangelo. Dinner on Piazza della Republica.
7 Florence
Siena		 Early breakfast. Admire Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia and then take the then take the bus to Siena. Ascend Torre del Mangia. Lunch at Piazza del Campo then stroll through the medieval streets that surround Piazza del Campo. Explore Siena’s Cathedral. Dinner with a view at Piazza del Mercato. Bus back to Florence.
8 Florence
Lucca		 Early breakfast then take the train to Lucca. Rent bicycles (1-4 person vehicles available) for a ride around the ramparts of the city walls. Lunch at Piazza dell’Anfiteatro (site of ancient Roman amphitheater) then shopping along Via Fillungo and Via Santa Lucia. Coffee/Pastry/Gelato before watching the sun set on Tuscany from Guinigi Tower. Train back to Florence for a Farewell Dinner.
9 Airborne Flight from Florence. Ciao Italia!