Romantic Italy

(11 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Amalfi Coast & Capri, Florence & Tuscany, Rome

Italians may or may not have invented romance, but they've certainly spent centuries refining it. This tour is perfect for honeymooners or anyone ready to fall in love with Italy's fine food, luxurious hotels and romantic landscapes. Begin with a three night stay at a glamorous seaside resort in Positano or Ravello. En route to the Amalfi Coast, enjoy a tour of beautiful seaside villages. Enjoy a day to relax at your hotel. Another day, take an exclusion to the fabled isle of Capri. While there, enjoy time to explore the shops and cafes, or visit the village of Anacapri, admire the limestone grottoes and faraglioni (crags rising from the sea), and visit the modernist Villa Malaparte.

Next, transfer by private car and driver to Florence for three nights in elegant, contemporary style at the Hotel Lungarno, overlooking the Arno River. During a flexible private walking tour, experience Florence according to your interests. You might like to explore the market squares, antique districts and artisan workshops of the Oltrarno district near your hotel. Perhaps visit the world-renowned Uffizi or the excellent Museo del Bargello—a prison in the 13th century and now home to sculpture by Michelangelo and Donatello, or visit smaller museums such as the Salvatore Ferragamo Shoe Museum. Learn about Tuscan cuisine at specialty food shops and the wonderful Mercato Centrale. Tour the beautiful Boboli Gardens. Enjoy plenty of free time for leisurely meals and time to stroll along the river and shop for Florentine gold jewelry, handmade paper, gloves, leather, antiques and housewares. If desired, also have us arrange an Italian cooking class at a villa just outside of the city.

Continue with your private driver to Tuscany and spend two nights in a luxurious country retreat in a cluster of converted, 700-year-old brick buildings. With your private driver, travel through olive groves and vineyards to explore celebrated hill towns such as Siena and San Gimignano and wine tasting in the Chianti countryside. Also visit the beautiful towns of Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciano. Walk the medieval alleys and admire palazzi and ancient towers, and enjoy free time to browse for olive oil, wine, baskets, cheeses, olive wood, and ceramics. Each night, enjoy accommodation in the heart of Tuscany at one of Italy's most special hotels.

Finally, you will be transferred to Rome for a two night stay at the stylish Hotel de Russie, known for its superb location overlooking Rome's beautiful and romantic Borghese Gardens. Discover ancient pagan and Christian monuments, the splendors of Baroque and Renaissance palaces and churches, and the surprising urban additions of the modern city. Highlights include the Roman and Imperial Forums, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Vatican, Saint Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, Via Veneto, the morning fruit and flower market of Campo dei Fiori, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Jewish Quarter, Villa Borghese, the ruins along the Appian Way, beautiful Aventine Hill, the catacombs and "Underground Rome." During free time in Rome, enjoy la dolce vita and the city's excellent cuisine.