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Itinerary

Day-By-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Depart U.S. for Naples, Italy

Day 2: Arrive Naples/Amalfi After arriving in Naples this morning, we travel to seaside Amalfi, a popular resort and our base for exploring Italy’s Campania region. We dine at our hotel tonight, as we will throughout our stay here. D

Day 3: Amalfi/Ravello This morning we experience this breathtaking coast by sea as we cruise from our hotel to Amalfi Center (weather permitting). Here we enjoy a brief tour of the region’s largest town then have lunch on our own. Next we ascend to mountaintop Ravello, with its spectacular gardens and coastal views. B,D

Day 4: Pompeii/Amalfi Coast/Sorrento Our full-day excursion begins in Pompeii, the city frozen in time by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD but not excavated until 1748. After a tour and lunch on our own here we embark on a breathtaking drive along the winding Amalfi Coast high above the azure Mediterranean – with stops for photos and in Sorrento along the way. We return to our hotel late this afternoon. B,D

Day 5: Amalfi/Montecassino/Rome En route to Rome today we visit the town of Montecassino, whose Abbey is the mother church of the ­Benedictine order and a center of medieval art. A German stronghold during World War II, the hilltop Abbey was de­stroyed by Allied bombing then rebuilt as a replica of the 17th-century original. We tour the Abbey, then continue on to the Eternal City. We arrive at our well-located hotel mid-afternoon; our tour director will lead an informal walk of the nearby area. B

Day 6: Rome This morning we tour the heart of ancient Rome: the 55,000-seat Colosseum, built in 72 AD to stage gladiator spectacles; and the temples of the Forum, ancient Rome’s political and legal center. The afternoon is free to explore on our own; the possibilities endless: shopping along the fashionable Via Ven­eto; sipping espresso in beautiful Piazza Navona; seeing the Pantheon, the city’s best preserved ancient building; tossing a coin into Trevi Fountain; or visiting any number of renowned museums and churches. B

Day 7: Rome Another morning of touring follow­ed by a free afternoon. Today we visit the Vatican for a tour of St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums. Highlights include Michelangelo’s “Pieta” in St. Peter’s, considered one of the greatest sculptures of all time; his frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, now restored to its original glory; and art-filled St. Peter’s itself, the most important church in all Chris­tendom. B

Day 8: Rome/Umbria Leaving Rome, we travel north through a pastoral landscape of gentle agricultural land bounded by mountain wilderness and dotted with traditional villages and medieval hill towns. Along the way we visit Orvieto, perched high on a plateau above a vineyard-clad plain, where we attend a simple cooking demonstration followed by dinner at Zeppelin Restaurant. Early this evening we reach our intimate hotel in the heart of Todi, a medieval Umbrian village. B,D

Day 9: Todi We tour this peaceful town this morn­ing, visiting the plain but lovely 16th-century duomo that dominates one of Italy’s finest medieval squares, and the museum housing Etruscan and Roman arti­­facts found nearby. This afternoon is at leisure. B

Day 10: Todi/Assisi Today’s excursion is to Assisi, considered a gem of an Umbrian town with inviting plazas, flowers everywhere, buildings of white marble, and a pervasive medieval air. We visit St. Clare Church and the renowned Basilica di San Francesco, the burial place of St. Francis and a sacred pilgrimage site that dominates the town. Inside are Giotto’s priceless frescoes “The Life of St. Francis.” There’s time on our own to stroll the fountain-splashed piazzas and to enjoy lo­cal specialties for lunch. We return to our hotel late this afternoon. B

Day 11: Todi/Perugia/Siena Continuing our journey, we leave Umbria for the equally alluring region of Tuscany. We stop along the way in Deruta, known for its prized hand-painted Majolica ceramics, and in charming Perugia. Late afternoon we reach Villa Lecchi, our restored 18th-century country villa hotel outside Siena. Tonight’s dinner at this small family-run ­lodging is the first of several here featuring savory Tuscan fare. B,D

Day 12: Siena Today we visit walled Siena, ­whose ochre-colored buildings and ancient ramparts evoke the city’s medieval past. Fan-shaped Piazza del Campo is one of Europe’s greatest public squares; its duomo, one of Italy’s finest. We enjoy free time for lunch on our own, then set out on a guided walking tour that includes an inside visit to the duomo, housing masterpieces by Michelangelo and Donatello. We return to our hotel for dinner together. B,D

Day 13: Florence A living monument to the Renaissance, Florence is the crown jewel of Tuscany. We encounter this splendid city on a full-day excur­sion that includes a morning walking tour. Together we visit the Galleria dell’Accademia to view Michelangelo’s sublime “David,” as well as his pieces for the papal tombs; and the revered duomo, with its stupendous dome by Brunelleschi. This afternoon is free to enjoy Florence as we wish before we return to our hotel where we dine tonight. B,D

Day 14: San Gimignano/Chianti Region We encounter classic Tuscany today as we visit the hill town of San Gimignano, known for the 13 watchtowers that have left its skyline virtually unchanged since medieval times. Later we travel Tuscany’s acclaimed “Wine Road” to Chianti to visit a winery and enjoy a tasting; only in this region is authentic Chianti Classico produced. B,D

Day 15: Siena/Venice Leaving Tuscany today, we travel through the Veneto region to Venice, arriving early this afternoon. We’re free to begin enjoying this wondrous city on our own. B

Day 16: Venice This morning’s informal walk includes vast St. Mark’s Square. Our afternoon is free to explore Venice independently; tonight we bid “arrivederci” to Italy and our fellow travelers at a farewell dinner. B,D

Day 17: Depart for U.S. We depart early this morning for our connecting flights to the U.S. B

Please note: This trip involves considerable walking uphill, on uneven or cobblestone streets, and at sites of ancient ruins. In addition, several of our small hotels do not have elevators. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour to the fullest.

Included

Tour Price Includes

• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities
• 15 nights' accommodations in Deluxe, Superior First Class, and First Class hotels
• 24 meals: 15 breakfasts, 9 dinners
• Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
• Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
• Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
• $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after three tours)

Dates and Prices

2009 Tour Dates & Prices

Prices Reflect $300 Savings	Nov 10	Mar 31 Oct 27 Nov 3	Apr 14 Apr 18 Apr 21 Oct 17 Oct 20	May 2, 5 May 12 Sep 5, 12 Sep 22 Sep 29 Oct 6
New York	$3,695	$3,895	$4,295	$4,495
Boston, Chicago, Phil, Wash, DC	$3,895	$4,095	$4,495	$4,695
Atlanta, Balt, Char, Cinci, Cleve, Detroit, Miami, Orl, Tampa	$3,995	$4,195	$4,595	$4,795
Dallas, Den, Hou, Los Angeles, Minn, Phoenix, Port (OR), San Fran, Seattle	$4,095	$4,295	$4,695	$4,895

Please call if your city is not listed or for land only ­prices. Prices are per person based on double occu­pancy. Single travelers please add $995. Your $375 deposit is fully refundable up to 95 days before departure. All 2009 tour prices above are guaranteed.

Business Class upgrade on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: $2,895. Airline taxes and departure fees of $358 per person are subject to change and will be listed separately on your invoice.

Hotels

Hotels & Ratings

Day Itinerary Hotel Rating 1 Depart U.S. for Naples 2-4 Amalfi Marmorata Hotel First Class 5-7 Rome Empire Palace Sup. First Class 8-10 Todi (Umbria) Hotel Fonte Cesia First Class 11-14 Siena (Tuscany) Hotel Villa Lecchi First Class 15-16 Venice Dei Dogi Deluxe 17 Depart Venice for U.S.

Ratings are based on the Hotel & Travel Index, the travel industry standard reference.