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Highlights of Italy
(10 Days – Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Venice, Florence & Tuscany, Rome
This tour includes comprehensive private touring of the highlights of Italy’s most famous cities—Venice, Florence, and Rome—plus a private day tour into the Tuscan countryside to visit the picturesque Chianti countryside and renowned villages and towns such as Siena.
Begin in Venice. During flexible private touring, visit favorite local neighborhoods, museums, architectural landmarks, outdoor markets and specialty shops. Also, take a private cruise through the fascinating Venetian lagoon to visit islands such as Murano, which is famous for its glass, Burano and Torcello. Your expert guide will ensure that you discover the best of Venice including learning about the origins of Venice’s unique architecture and cityscape, discovering hidden neighborhoods, and sampling local food and wine at Venetian bacari (bars). Also enjoy a gondola ride with musicians through the narrow canals and a “secret itineraries” tour of the Doge’s Palace. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange activities such as shopping for high-quality glass and silks, a private Venetian mask-painting lesson, special access to museums and art sites, and much more.
Next, drive to Florence. En route, you might like to stop in Bologna, one of Italy’s great gastronomic centers. With your private expert guide in Florence, tour the city’s highlights according to your interests. Enjoy skip-the-line access at world-renowned museums such as the Uffizi and Accademia, browse antiques and artisan workshops of the Oltrarno district, tour historic squares, learn about Tuscan cuisine at specialty food shops and the Mercato Centrale, see the impressive Great Synagogue or stroll through the beautiful Boboli Gardens. Perhaps also visit less-frequented but fascinating museums, such as the Convent of San Marco Museum, with its frescoes by Fra Angelico, local fashion museums (Gucci, Ferragamo and others) or the excellent Museo del Bargello, a prison in the 13th century and now home to sculpture by Michelangelo and Donatello. During free time, enjoy leisurely meals, walks along the Arno River and shopping for Florentine gold jewelry, handmade paper, leather goods, antiques and housewares. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange additional touring such as access to private art collections and specialty museums, visits to renowned local gardens, and activities such as an Italian cooking lesson.
One day, enjoy a private excursion into Tuscany. Travel through olive groves and vineyards to explore celebrated hill towns such as Siena and San Gimignano. Repeat visitors to Tuscany may wish to visit the beautiful towns of Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciano. Walk medieval alleys and admire palazzi and ancient towers, and enjoy free time to browse for olive oil, wine, baskets, cheeses, olive wood, and ceramics. Taste wines at their source, listen to white-robed monks sing haunting Gregorian chants in a Romanesque church, or shop for designer goods at excellent outlet shops—the day’s itinerary will be determined by your interests. Alternatively, opt to take a private excursion to the enchanting town of Lucca and nearby Pisa to see (or climb!) the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Continue by private car to Rome. Enjoy comprehensive private touring and experience the best of Roman culture, history and lifestyle. 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, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese, the Jewish Quarter, the ruins along the Appian Way, beautiful Aventine Hill, and the catacombs and “Underground Rome.” Artisans of Leisure can also arrange special activities such as visits to other ruins and museums according to your interests, a private cooking class, tickets to evening cultural performances, tours of important churches, garden tours, wine tasting and more. During free time in Rome, enjoy la dolce vita and the city’s excellent restaurants and boutiques.
| Itinerary Overview |
| Day 1Arrive Venice Private arrival transfer to hotel for 3 nightsDay 2Venice Half-day private tour of Venice, including a gondola rideDay 3Venice Half-day private boat tour of lagoon islandsDay 4Venice – Florence Private transfer by car to Florence for 3 nights, with stop in Bologna en routeDay 5Florence Half day private walking tour in Florence, including skip-the-line access at museumsDay 6Florence & Tuscany Private full-day excursion in Tuscany, including wine tasting, Siena and other hilltowns such as San Gimignano, Pienza, Montalcino or MontepulcianoDay 7Florence – Rome Private transfer by car to Rome for 3 nightsDay 8Rome Full-day private city tourDay 9Rome Half-day private city tourDay 10Depart Italy Private airport transfer |
| Hotels |
| Venice:Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Gritti Palace or Aman VeniceFlorence:Four Seasons Florence, Helvetia & Bristol, St. Regis Florence or Hotel SavoyRome:Hotel de Russie or Hotel Eden |
| Cost |
| Upon request |
Booking Information >
All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.
Please Contact Us for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.
The Artisans of Leisure Style of Travel:
- Private touring with your own personal guides and drivers
- Preferred rooms in the very best luxury hotels
- Firsthand, sophisticated destination knowledge and recommendations from our travel specialists
- Itineraries that are customized according to your interests and schedule
- Artisans of Leisure upgrades and amenities
- A seamless travel experience, including all logistics, skipping lines during touring whenever possible, restaurant and spa reservations, performance tickets, private airport transfers, internal transportation, VIP and fast-track airport assistance in many destinations
- Around-the-clock support in each destination during your trip
- Unique, insider travel experiences and access to the Artisans of Leisure network of experts around the world
Client Testimonials
“We had a fantastic time in Morocco! An experience we will never forget and will never duplicate. The hotels you provided were wonderful, our guide and driver were terrific, knowledgeable, entertaining and fun to be around. The country, people and culture were warm, friendly and engaging. It was truly one of the best if not the best trip we have ever taken.”
“The World team on the ground was phenomenal. They treated us like their own family. TOP NOTCH. Our Egyptologist guide was full of knowledge, bright, friendly and just went out of his way to assist us. Our driver had skill and confidence. The hotels were all spectacular. Some of our favorite sites were sites you included in our itinerary (from what I can tell, no one else knows to visit them!). We never would've have known about these sites if not for your recommendation. We can't wait to do another international trip with World of Leisure. The pre-planning, the execution, everything—this trip has been stress-free and exceptional. I can't believe we've waited this long to take a trip like this!”
“Our Greece trip was AMAZING!!!! We loved every hotel and tour. The food was delicious everywhere. We loved Israel. Our guide was unbelievable. He knew everything. We absolutely loved him. We received some incredible hotel upgrades.”
“We had a fantastic Sicily trip. It was wonderful working with you.”
“We are back from our trip to Egypt. It was absolutely wonderful in every way. Every representative along the way was fabulous – especially our Egyptologist guide. He has to be the best guide in all of Egypt. He taught us, kept us safe, and made sure we were comfortable every step along the way. We were treated like family by everyone and were taken care of in every way. The trip (which was not a vacation but rather an adventure of a lifetime) was the best of our lives.”
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“My clients had an amazing time in the Dolomites. They said that everything was perfect. Thank you for making this very last-minute Italy trip work.”
“We had a great time in Jordan. What you organized was once again perfect. We love the blend of culture, history, beautiful nature, connecting with local people and relaxation pauses in wonderful hotels. Our guide is perhaps the best guide we ever got throughout our many travels. He is amazing in knowledge on so many issues, caring and knows when to leave space. Just perfect. Once again, a big thank you. Really well done!”
“I just wanted to say big thank you for organizing such a magnificent Dubai trip. We had the best time!! Hotels, people, food, activities, everything was wonderful. In particular, our guide. We all loved her so, so much.”
“We had a wonderful, amazing time! Our guides and drivers and experiences were all top notch in both Portugal and in France.”
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“We got back from Mexico and had a wonderful time. We loved the food we made with the chef in Oaxaca and the chef in San Miguel. We had great food in Mexico and I have to say, some of the best things we ate were the things we made in these two classes. They were both excellent teachers, great technique and ingredient specific teachers.”
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“Our Colombia trip was extremely successful. We found Colombia to be a very beautiful country with a quite interesting political and cultural history. Our guides that you arranged did a very nice job of exposing us to all of that. We were particularly impressed that you were able to put together such a great itinerary on very short notice. We found all of the guides as well as the hotels and the transportation to be of very high quality. We greatly appreciate all the effort you put in to organizing it. Finally, we were very pleased with your work in putting all this together on short notice. Many thanks for helping us have a first class experience and a very memorable and enjoyable trip.”
“Our Italy and Switzerland trip was wonderful, our grandsons did not want to go home. Every one of the guides we had was amazing. The hotels were great too. We loved the watchmaking experience and all of the activities in the mountains. Looking forward to planning the next trip.”
“Thank you for organizing a wonderful Egypt trip! We had a fantastic time and our guide was amazing.”
“I had an amazing time in Vietnam. My guide was such a lovely guy. He was very personable and shared so much of his culture with me. Our trip out to Halong Bay was extra special. The trip was well put together and my guides were always present and punctual. Thank you so much for putting all this together for me!”
“We just got back from one of the best trips we've ever taken! Thanks so much for arranging the Morocco trip for us! The accommodations were fantastic! We loved all of them from Kasbah Tamadot to Royal Mansour to the tent in Sahara Desert and Dar Ahlam. They all have its own special charm and beauty. The entire trip went smoothly, and full of surprises along the way. I will definitely recommend your services to others. Look forward to the next adventure with World of Leisure.”
“Our Germany and Hungary trip was excellent. We loved spending time with the drivers and guides and learning about the history, culture, architecture, war and holocaust from their perspectives.”
“A sincere thank you for making my clients happy! The loved their Iceland tour. It's a pleasure doing business with you and hopefully we'll be working together again soon.”
“We had a wonderful time and your team synchronized everything very well. Many thanks for your professional and expert help. My granddaughter was thrilled to experience her 'dream' Italy vacation.”
“Thank you for arranging our honeymoon in Germany and Croatia! You made our trip stress-free, and the itinerary was comprehensive and clear. Thank you also for arranging experiences for us that we never would have discovered on our own! Our guides and drivers were professional, knowledgeable, and so friendly! We had such an amazing time!”
“Our Egypt trip was PERFECTION! Every detail of coordination, organization, and planning, and especially our guide's extensive knowledge, passion, and care, made the trip SEAMLESS! World of Leisure and its global network are FANTASTIC! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!”