The Essence of Rome & Florence: A Golden Age Tour

Palazzo Medici Riccardi interior in Florence, Italy

What to expect on this itinerary

This luxurious, 8-day journey leads you across the wonders of Rome and Florence to experience the magic of Italy. Leave no stone unturned as you taste the culinary delights, marvel at the artistic masterpieces, and dip into the wild hot springs that can be found here. On this trip, you will witness the must-sees of Rome and Florence in addition to partaking in off-the-beaten-path excursions to discover the hidden gems and sites that are missed by the majority of visitors.

Countries Visited

Italy

Places Visited

Rome, Florence, Vatican City

Suggested Duration

8 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Rome – A Backstage Pass to the Teatro dell’Opera

Over the next eight days, you will be led through the many delights that Italy’s largest cities have to offer at a comfortable and customizable pace. Today, a driver will be ready to transfer you from the airport in Rome to your deluxe suite awaiting you in the heart of the city. Once you have had some time to settle in and become acquainted with your luxurious accommodation, your driver will transfer you to Rome’s premier opera house, Teatro dell’Opera, for an exhaustive tour. Once you have indulged in all of the secrets of the complex, you will be seated in a VIP box to enjoy a true Italian opera performance.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Day 2

Rome – An Open-Air Excursion through the Highlights of Rome

Day 3

Rome – Visit a World-Class Golf Course and Spa

Day 4

Rome – Tour of the Vatican and Sunset Cruise

Day 5

Florence – Vinotherapy and Hot Springs of Tuscany

Day 6

Florence – Experience the Accademia Gallery

Day 7

Florence – Explore the Mediterranean Sea on a Yacht

Day 8

Florence – Craft Your Signature Scent with a Master Perfumer

Trip Highlights

  • Discover the backstage workings of the Teatro dell’Opera in a behind-the-scenes tour and al fresco performance
  • Zip through the sites of Rome on a luxury golf cart that will lead you past iconic sites, such as in the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain
  • Cross the Orbetello Lagoon to a Mediterranean Peninsula with a five-star golf course and spa
  • Open the closed doors of the Vatican on your private tour, including the rarely seen Bramante Staircase
  • Appreciate the sunset on the Tiber River on a peaceful, gourmet dinner cruise
  • Bask in the hot springs of Bagno Vignoni and experiment with vinotherapy
  • Marvel at the works in the Accademia Gallery as you follow your historian guide and Michelangelo expert
  • Set sail on the Mediterranean aboard a luxurious yacht with a customized lunch that will be prepared by a Michelin-starred chef
  • Craft your signature scent with the help of Florence’s Master Perfumer, an ideal souvenir for men and women alike

Detailed Description

A tour of Italy would not be complete without the inclusion of wine tastings, decadent cuisine, and time to marvel at the stunning vistas that this incredible country offers. On this tour, you will sit in the lap of luxury by soaking in a tub of local wine, following an ancient, anti-aging technique before indulging in a tasting at the vineyard. Onboard a yacht, you will sample traditional meals that will be made from fresh, local ingredients against a backdrop of the Mediterranean and the rolling hills of Tuscany. This adventure will send you across Rome, Florence, and the surrounding areas to provide you with the best locations, the most delicious meals, and the most spectacular views.

You will begin your journey in Rome with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a private, backstage tour of the Teatro dell’Opera. Not only will you experience the behind the scenes of putting on a performance on this stage, but you will also leave with a signed playbill of the show by the performers. The following day, you will be picked up in a luxury golf cart for an open-air, fully customizable tour of the highlights of the Eternal City. You will be able to stop and see whatever grabs your attention because the day will be yours to answer to whatever inspires and attracts you. For day three, you will spend a day on Italy’s official PGA Golf Course, where you will be hosted by world-class golfing experts. In the marble halls of the golf course’s on-site spa, you will discover the benefits of the Wellness Method. Day four will find you on a Closed Door Tour of the Vatican with private showings of sites that rarely opened to the public. You will then be provided with a full 30-minute period to spend alone and admire the design of the Sistine Chapel.

On day five, you will set out for Florence, where you will spend the day wine tasting with the option to experience vinotherapy in an ancient village in the heart of Tuscany. The following day, you will meet with a local art historian and certified Michelangelo expert for a private tour of the Accademia Gallery. During your tour, you will learn about the history of this world-famous artist and how his work came to take the world by storm. Day seven will set you out to sea in the sweet fresh air of the Mediterranean aboard a yacht with a Michelin-starred chef and Master Winemaker to keep you company. You will be able to taste the essence of the sea with a seafood lunch and perfectly paired wine for each of the four courses. For your final day, you will meet a Master Perfumer in their shop in Florence to be walked through creating your own signature scent. With their assistance, you will have the opportunity to create a scent that is unique to you. You will get a feel for the beating heart of Florence and its ancient traditions before your private driver arrives to transport you directly to the terminal of your airport in Rome for your flight home.

Each and every day of this trip has been carefully crafted to delight, inspire, and produce an authentically Italian experience. You will have the opportunity to explore Rome, Florence, and the surrounding areas, knowing that every experience is fully customized for you and your group. This luxurious, Italian getaway is completely customizable, so you can adjust anything and everything to better suit your moods and desires once you are in Italy.

Starting Price

$9,800 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

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Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 6193 reviews

Italy Vacation Review: 12 Days

It was a fantastic trip. Everything we planned with Zicasso’s travel company was on time and with high-quality local guides and drivers. They were very responsive and helped us build an itinerary for our 12-day trip to southern Italy. They stayed in touch throughout the planning process, helping us find restaurants and answer questions. I would highly recommend this travel company to anyone planning a trip to Italy.

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Italy Vacation Review: Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Florence, Tuscany, 10-Night Trip

Zicasso’s travel specialist was a pleasure to work with. She helped me plan our trip of a lifetime to Italy. I told her which cities we wanted to visit and our interests, and she gave me great recommendations for tours and experiences. She was flexible with the itinerary changes I made beforehand and, after our arrival, the pre-arranged transportation was seamless and the hotels were great.

Our ambassador during the trip was very responsive when I had questions. I appreciated the daily messaging app reminders for the times and activities for the next day, including a location link on Google Maps for the meeting points. Our pre-arranged drivers and tour guides were excellent.

This holiday was everything I hoped for. If I am fortunate enough to plan another holiday to Italy, I will definitely use the travel company again! Based on this experience, I will definitely use Zicasso again for an international holiday.

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Italy Trip Review: Florence, Tuscany, Rome, Food Tour, Wine Tasting, 1 Week

We had a great trip to Florence, Tuscany, and Rome. One of the best parts about the trip was our travel company. Zicasso's travel specialist took care of booking everything we needed and doing so within budget. I didn't have to worry about keeping up with tour tickets and schedules because he had already taken care of all that. He was also available for quick questions and updates while we were on our trip. We couldn't have asked for better!

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Italy Trip Review: Rome, Florence, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, 2 Weeks

Zicasso set us up with a wonderful travel agent. The process of choosing and communicating through the Zicasso system was easy and helpful.

The travel specialist and her team planned a wonderful 15-day trip, with nine days in Rome and four days in Florence. She found us great accommodations that included a kitchen, which was a must for us. Other travel agents were not able to provide such accommodations.

The drivers we had were professional and picked us up on time. The guides were experts in their field and generally had taught at universities. The guides were very personable and tailored the tours to our interests.

She arranged all the necessary skip-the-line tours. We went to the Vatican with three different tours: the Sistine Chapel, the Gardens, and the necropolis to see St. Peter's tomb.

There were a couple of hiccups in this perfectly planned itinerary. Each time, the travel specialist and her staff were immediately available and guided us through solutions, such as trying to get to the Colosseum during the Roman Marathon.

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Italy Trip Review: Piedmont, Langhe, Turin, Lake Como, 2 Weeks

Zicasso’s travel company was highly responsive and understanding of what we wanted to experience and used their expertise to steer us to the best people and locations possible.

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Italy Travel Review: Rome, Venice, Florence, 1-Week Trip

We enjoyed our trip so much. Everything was planned well and on time in Italy! Zicasso's travel company did everything to help us with our trip interruption due to flight delays for weather here in the US! All the communications we had with them were spot-on.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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