EUROPE - Scenic Tours

ROME TO BUDAPEST AND
RIVER CRUISING
The Colosseum, Rome
Day 1 Rome You will be met at Fiumicino
Airport and transferred to your centrally located
hotel by your Scenic Tours Representative. Our
fi rst excursion today is an afternoon walking tour
to see many of Rome’s famous sights including the
Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona.
See the city illuminated by night on the way to our
welcome dinner. Please schedule fl ights to arrive
before midday. Two Night Special Stay : The
Westin Excelsior.
Day 2 Rome We begin today’s Included guided
sightseeing at the Vatican City. See centuries of
accumulated wealth during our visit to the Vatican
Museums and the breathtaking Sistine Chapel. The
highlights here are Michelangelo’s Last Judgement
and Old Testament Frescoes. We enter the world’s
largest church, St. Peter’s Basilica and emerge into
St. Peter’s Square to marvel at Bernini’s colonnade
and Michelangelo’s impressive dome. We continue
to the Forum and follow in the footsteps of the
ancients to the mighty Colosseum, opened in
80AD.
Meals: FB, HD
Day 3 Rome – Sorrento This morning
we venture to Pompeii, which lay buried under
tonnes of ash following the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Our Included tour enables
us to appreciate the incredible level of civilisation
enjoyed by the Romans. We continue on to
Sorrento, perched dramatically on cliffs overlooking
the Mediterranean Sea. Tonight we enjoy dinner
at the famous Francischiello’s family restaurant
and enjoy the wonderful panorama of the bay of
Naples and Mt Vesuvius, while mama makes fresh
pasta in the kitchen. Two Night Special Stay : La
Favorita.
Meals: FB,HD
Day 4 Sorrento We make the short hydrofoil
trip across the gulf of Sorrento to Capri. Today
choose from one of the following Included Scenic
FreeChoice tours: (1) a funicular ride to Capri
town for a journey around the island; or (2) visit
the Blue Grotto, followed by a funicular ride to
Capri town. Once back, there is time at leisure to
explore the town.
Meals: FB,L
Day 5 Sorrento – Perugia We journey
into the green heart of Italy, viewing enchanting
hill towns, olive groves and vineyards. We stop
at the medieval village of Assisi, home town of St.
Francis. On our Included walking tour around the
old town, we visit the Basilica of San Francesco,
built in the 13th century after the Saints death. It’s
only a short drive to Perugia to view the Fontana
Maggoire and the monuments around the site of the
Roman Forum – the Duomo and the Palazzo dei
Priori, Umbria’s fi nest palace. Overnight Stay: Hotel
Brufani Palace.
Meals: FB,D
Day 6 Perugia – Florence We drive past
tranquil Lake Trasimeno to Siena, a delightful
medieval city and UNESCO World Heritage
site. Our local guide will show us the Torre della
Mangia, the large bell tower overlooking the Piazza
del Campo – a sloping amphitheatre of a square
surrounded by cafés and bars. We continue on to
San Gimignano, famous for its 14 towers. Scenic
Enrich We visit a Tuscan farmhouse where we will
be shown the cantina and learn the techniques
of wine and oil production used in the area. A
typical rustic lunch will feature the local produce
and wines. Our Included orientation tour of San
Gimignano will feature the main square, dominated
by the Communal Palace and the Duomo. There
is leisure time to wander the quiet streets before
continuing to Florence and our centrally located
hotel. Two Night Special Stay : Hotel Helvetia &
Bristol.
Meals: FB,HL
Day 7 Florence Today we enjoy an Included
guided walking tour of Florence, starting at the
Academy of Fine Arts, to admire Michelangelo’s
David. We then visit the Duomo with its
spectacular exterior of marble panels. The
immediate vicinity features Giotto’s Belltower,
Brunelleschi’s Dome and Ghiberti’s ‘Gates of
Paradise’. A walk onto the stunning Ponte Vecchio
and through Piazza della Signoria will take us back
to the historic centre. Choose from one of the
Included Scenic FreeChoices: (1) a guided tour
of the Uffi zi Gallery featuring works by the Italian
masters; or (2) enjoy an excursion to Pisa to see
the Leaning Tower. This evening we enjoy exquisite
Italian cuisine in one of Florence’s fi ne restaurants.
Meals: FB,HD
Day 8 Florence – Santa Margherita
Scenic Enrich A truly memorable day awaits as
we journey to the Cinque Terre. We start from
Manarola along the Via dell’Amore (the Lover’s
Pathway) to Riomaggiore, then by boat and train to
Monterosso, visiting the stunning villages along the
Siena
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