VIP Tour of Italy: A Signature Experience

After a delicious and hearty breakfast at the hotel, you’ll get the ultimate first-look at Lake Como as an expert guide ferries you to the area’s most attractive villages and towns. Start on Como’s western coast, taking in some of the most enchanting villas in the country, from the stunning gardens of Villa Balbianello to the opulence of the villas that line the lake. Pass some of the lesser-known towns on Como’s shimmering shore before exploring Bellagio and enjoying a unique and unforgettable lunch at well-known local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you’ll travel back to the streets of Milan to get a rare and very special tour of the Refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie, where the incredible Last Supper fresco by Leonardo da Vinci dominates a wall where the faithful used to take their meals.

Bring your passports as your local driver takes you through the soaring Rhaetian Alps past the Italian frontier and into the dominion of Switzerland, bound for the sensational resort town of St. Moritz. The drive will lead you alongside Lake Como, its blue waters glistening in the morning sun, before you begin your ascent of the mountains and the crossing into Switzerland. Upon arriving in St. Moritz, spend some time cruising through the scenic streets of this beautiful city, enjoy a traditional Swiss lunch at one of the city’s many laid-back cafes or climb the nearby peaks to gain a spectacular vista over the breathtaking scenery that surrounds you. Return to Lake Como for the evening.

Make your way east from the shores of Lake Como through the rugged landscape of the Italian north, bound for the shores of the Adriatic and the singular city of Venice. While en route, stop in the delightful northern town of Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s immortal Romeo and Juliet and a fascinating community in its own right. You’ll certainly want to see ramparts and battlements on the Castel Veccio, as well as tour the incredible Arena Amphitheater, a Roman-era structure that still hosts performances of Verona’s opera company.

After a delicious lunch, you’ll continue your journey to Venice, finally alighting at the Piazzale Roma. There, you’ll take a water taxi to your amazing accommodations footsteps away from the famed Piazza San Marco. You can take a few hours to explore your immediate environs before setting out for dinner.

Today begins with a fully guided tour of the incomparable Floating City, winding your way through the labyrinthine canals and serpentine streets that slither through the metropolis. Your expert guide will show you the back alleys – or rather back canals – of Venice, the unworn paths that many tourists overlook, the nooks and crannies that hold the treasures that make this one of Italy’s greatest cities. You’ll explore Venice by land and by water, checking out the most beautiful churches, townhouses, and artwork that the city has to offer.

This afternoon, take an exclusive tour of St. Mark’s Basilica led by a guide who will be sure to give you all of the best details of this opulent church of gold. You’ll be free from the throngs of people to take your time, reveling in the amazing details that go into seemingly every square inch of this beautiful structure.

After a leisurely morning and a delicious breakfast, you’ll take a private water taxi to the immaculate island of Torcello, just in time to make your reservation for lunch, where the food is simple and superb and the service is second-to-none. Enjoy the rich wood ceilings and the warm terra cotta bricks that dominate the scenery here before setting into classic Venetian fare re-done “Cirpriani style.”

After this delectable meal, the main islands of the Venetian lagoon await you, ready to showcase their artisanal wares and the darling communities to all passersby. Explore Murano, Torcello, and Burano as a knowledgeable guide tells you about these islands’ storied history and their cultural impact, and where you can pick up some of the fine handicrafts that can be found throughout the islands. Murano is particularly known for its glasswork, while some of the best lace in the world is made in Burano.

Return to the west of Italy as today sees you leaving Venice and bound for Tuscany, passing through rustic Italian scenery and past noble and fascinating villages. Stop in Bologna in the mid-morning to discover all that this city has to offer, from the campus of the world’s oldest university to the striking edifices and delightful streets of the historic city center. You’ll even get the chance to enjoy a meal in one of the best foodie towns in Italy.

Alight in Florence, where you’ll spend your nights within eyeshot of the famous Ponte Vecchio with a fantastic view over the gently rolling River Arno. You’ll find the staff is attentive and courteous, the facilities modern and elegant, and the location simply unbeatable, as it offers the perfect place to base your excursions into Florence.

Today is stuffed with Florentine adventures, as you’ll walk the streets of this famous city where the air is thick with the remnants of artistic genius. Begin at the bustling Piazza della Signoria, the traditional city center, fronted by the immense and imposing Palazza Vecchio, where the city’s ruling class met to made city-wide decisions. Continue on to the Piazza del Duomo, where Giotto’s brightly colored campanile and Brunellschi’s soaring dome highlight the beautiful church of Santa Maria del Fiore. Don’t forget to check out the baptistery doors, executed by Lorenzo Ghiberti and dubbed “the Gates of Paradise” by Michelangelo himself.

Check out the remains of some of Italy’s greatest names at Santa Croce, as Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Galileo and many more are all laid to rest here, before returning to the shores of the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio, where some of the best jewelers in Florence have set-up shop.

This morning, discover the many magnum opuses that fill the halls and walls of the unmatched Uffizi, one of the best art galleries in Europe and arguably the foremost collection of Renaissance art in the world. Enjoy the best efforts of legends like Caravaggio, Botticelli, and da Vinci, before exploring the astounding Vasarian Corridor, the hidden passage used by the Medici to spirit them from their home at the Pitti Palace to their “office” at the Palazza Vecchio. This is a side of this famous structure that few know about and even fewer get to see, and it is a truly one-of-a-kind experience. If you like Italian art, you may find the Italy art tour interesting.

Take the afternoon to enjoy Florence on your own. Maybe shop for some of the fine leather goods that fill the city, or simply spend time at a nearby café sipping espresso.

Bid adieu to the banks of the Arno and travel south to the streets of the Eternal City – Rome. Along the way, you will stop in two of Tuscany’s best-known and best-loved towns to get a true sense of life in this tremendous region of Italy. First up is Siena, a medieval town that has one of the most picturesque squares in Italy, Il Campo. Next, you’ll visit the tower-filled town center of San Gimignano, the site of a Renaissance arms race that resulted in the skyline being dominated by scores of proto-skyscrapers, reaching like teeth into the blue Tuscan air.

Finally, you’ll arrive in Rome and check into your accommodations right in the middle of all of Rome’s best spots, with the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Via Veneto all beckoning you with their nearness.

There are few cities on the planet that can match the majesty and history of puissant Rome, and today is dedicated to discovering all the highlights of its noble and notorious past. Start at the Roman Forum, which was the major public meeting place in Ancient Rome, where you’ll get a view of the Senate as well as the Basilica of Constantine. After, head next door for an in-depth look at the iconic Colosseum, one of the most indelible images of the Roman Empire. Enter the venerable church of St. Peter in Chains to see Michelangelo’s triumphant statute of Moses.

Later this afternoon, you’ll get a private visit to the Vatican Museums and the sensational Sistine Chapel, led by a guide that knows the Vatican better than most cardinals. Make your way through the incredible collection to enjoy Raphael’s famous The School of Athens, before ending your tour in the awesome presence of the frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Today is yours to enjoy the pleasures of Rome as you see fit. Head to the Piazza Navona to enjoy a cappuccino and some of the best people-watching in the city, or check out the exhibits at one of the city’s excellent museums. The Capitoline Museum, for instance, sports an impressive assortment of ancient statuary – including a cast of the famous Capitoline Wolf, the she-wolf that allegedly nursed the legendary brothers Romulus and Remus – while the National Gallery of Modern Art has the largest collection of works by Italian modern artists in the world, as well as a number of pieces from foreign masters.

Your last days in Italy are spent in the serene splendor of the southern shores of the Mediterranean, bound for Ravello on the beautiful Amalfi Coast. Once in Ravello, you’ll check into a five-star hotel that perches prominently and features envy-inducing views of the stunning Amalfi Coast and the crashing surf of the Mediterranean. Situated in a former Italian villa, this hotel has consistently been rated one of the best hotels in the country and, indeed, the world; the suites are large and offer stupendous amenities, the spa has a myriad of incredible treatments. This is sure to be a stay that you will never forget.

Wind your way through some of Italy’s most dazzling scenery as you spend today in and around the eye-catching and breathtaking Amalfi Coast. Start at the town of Amalfi, where you can admire the beautiful cathedral and its Cloisters of Paradise, a shining example of Norman and Arabic architecture in Italy, before continuing on to Ravello. It is in Ravello where you’ll find the best sweet pastries in the region and where you can find the spectacular Villa Rufolo, a 13th-century mansion that charmed the heart of Richard Wagner with its gorgeous gardens and miraculous view.

One final hurrah awaits you today, a day of exploration and adventure, a day of discovery and pure, unadulterated natural beauty, for today, you set out for Capri, the play place of emperors and aristocrats for centuries. You’ll board a private yacht that will show you all of this amazing coastal region, treat you to a delicious lunch and introduce you to the charming towns that dot the landscape. Stop by the stunning Li Galli Islands before setting out for Capri, where you can walk the ruins of the former imperial villas or marvel at the beryl glow of the famed Blue Grotto.

Today, a private driver will take you to the airport in Naples, where you’ll board the plane that will see you back to your home country. As you reminisce upon the past two weeks, these 16 incredible days that saw you traverse this amazing nation, you’ll find yourself smiling at the fun of the past and planning for the fun of the future.