Arrival in Rome. Individual group members can check-in to the hotel anytime from 2pm onward. The official start-time for the tour is 6pm when we rendezvous in the hotel for pre-dinner drinks and introductions followed by a stroll to the venue of a special ‘Welcome to Italy’ dinner. Accommodation: Hotel…
The first full day of our tour begins with a guided bus excursion around ancient and Renaissance Rome, highlighting its geographical layout, earliest foundations and religious history, along with its main basilicas and Renaissance sites. We will travel by private bus and enjoy an informative commentary from our local guide…
In the morning we will travel by private bus to Villa d’Este estate in Tivoli. After morning tea in the villa’s café, we will be guided through Cardinal Ippolito d’Este’s stately home and its extensive gardens with stunning fountains. From there a short drive leads to Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s villa),…
A full day to wander through and wonder at the incredible art and architectural wealth within the Vatican. In the morning we will visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel; in the afternoon the Pinacoteca, home to some of Raphael’s tapestries, and two areas normally closed to the public,…
After checking out of our hotel we will visit Villa Farnesina, the grand suburban home of a Sienese banker and papal treasurer, with elaborately frescoed rooms. At the Church of San Pietro in Montorio we will see Bramante’s Tempietto. This small…
The day begins with a short stroll across the piazza to Orvieto’s cathedral, built with alternating bands of dark-green and white stone. Inside we will see the magnificent 15th century frescoes in the Chapel of the Madonna di San Brizio depicting scenes from the Last Judgement and the Apocalypse…
In the late morning we will drive from Orvieto to Pienza via the scenic Montepulciano route. Along the way we will stop at the unique 16th century centrally-planned Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Biagio, Montepulciano. After lunch together, a local guide will lead us on a walk around Pienza,…
Our tour today begins in Siena’s Piazza del Campo, regarded as one of Europe’s greatest medieval squares, renowned for its beauty and famous for il Palio, the wild biannual horse race. Here we will view the sculpted fountain, Fonte Gaia, before briefly moving on to the Loggia della Mercanzia and…
Siena’s Santa Maria della Scala was once an important hospital dedicated to caring for abandoned children, the poor, the sick and pilgrims. Now a museum, it is considered one of Siena’s most important artistic hubs. A local guide will lead us on a private tour introducing the artworks and sculptures…
