Discover Bella Italia on Tauck's most popular of Italy tours with visits to scenic Tuscan hill towns, in centuries-old cities and countryside villages, and along the Amalfi Coast. Experience world-renowned art, architecture and dramatic scenery. Classic Italy is highlighted by a Tauck Exclusive – an after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel for an extraordinary look at some of the world's most magnificent art treasures – without the crowds – during a three-night stay in glorious Rome. Art is the focus in Florence; a lecture by an art historian precedes a walking tour of the city and a visit to Galleria dell'Accademia. You'll also tour the magnificent Uffizi Gallery with a local guide. Cruise by private boat along the shores of Cinque Terre villages... stay at a 17th-century country house hotel in Torgiano and share the secrets of great Italian cooking with an Umbrian chef... discover historic sights in Pompeii... spend two nights in magical Venice... and visit the hill towns of Orvieto, Assisi and San Gimignano. New for 2012 - special "Ferragamo" departures!
Departures
10, 24 Jun; 8 Jul; 5, 19 Aug; 2, 16, 23, 30 Sep; 7, 14 Oct 2012.
Inclusions
- SMALL GROUP DEPARTURES averaging 24 Tauck guests! A small group size means a more personal travel experience highlighted by stays at chic smaller hotels in fabulous locations
- TAUCK EXCLUSIVE! After-hours guided tour of the opulent Doge’s Palace in Venice, including the legendary Bridge of Sighs
- TAUCK EXCLUSIVE! After-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, without the crowds – see the Vatican treasures at your own pace
- A wine tasting in Umbria, and a cooking demonstration where you’ll discover the nuances of Italian cuisine from a local chef
- An in-depth briefing by an art historian before a walking tour of Florence and a guided visit through the famed Galleria dell’Accademia, the oldest art school in Europe
- Airport transfers upon arrival and departure
- 25 meals (13 breakfasts, 4 lunches & 8 dinners), service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage
- Meet Ferragamo at a private wine-tasting reception in Florence! This exclusive Tauck experience, made possible by our partnership with AuthentEscapes – and a big hit with our guests in 2011 – will be personally hosted by Salvatore Ferragamo, grandson of the fashion icon, and will feature locally produced Ferragamo wines. Visit the illustrious Salvatore Ferragamo Museum for a privileged VIP viewing of some 10,000 shoes designed and created by Salvatore Ferragamo from the 1920s to his death in 1960, plus personal photographs, patents, sketches and wooden lasts of famous feet! Inspired by Florentine ornamentation and colorful mosaics, Ferragamo deftly combined aesthetics with function to create beautiful shoes with a comfortable fit – turning footwear into an art for the Hollywood elite. His influence on high-stepping fashion, most notably the wedge heel and “cage heel,” continues to set new trends today. Today, his family carries on the Ferragamo legacy for luxurious living through an international retailing empire that includes handbags, leather goods, eye wear, fragrances, men’s and women’s ready-to-wear – and wine. Savor a taste of vintage Ferragamo on select departures of Tauck’s Classic Italy: Jun 10, Jul 8, Sep 23 and Oct 7, priced from $7890 per person double