ROAD TO ROME (START PARIS CLASSIC GROUP)
Description
Itinerary
Price
Hotel
Remarks
Description
Overview
Take the road to Rome through the cobbled streets of Paris and across the Alps of Innsbruck. Journey through the vineyards of Burgundy and slip across the Swiss border for an indulgent Dine Around meal in Lucerne. Enjoy a feast of local delicacies at a selection of hand-picked restaurants, set along the beautiful lakeside vistas. Voyage across the Dolomites to Venice and bear witness to the ancient skill of glassblowing. Practiced by precious few, this almost extinct artform is led by local craftsmen, intent on keeping the 15th-century tradition alive. In ancient Rome, enjoy fast-track access to the Vatican Museums and see Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel.
Included/Excluded
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Paris (Dinner with Wine)
- Settle into your hotel and enjoy leisure time.
- Explore iconic landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysées, and Arc de Triomphe.
- Join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner at a local brasserie in the heart of Paris.
Day 2: Paris, the ‘City of Light’ (Breakfast)
- Explore small shops and sample local treats with an avid foodie.
- Enjoy the lively atmosphere of Paris during the rest of the afternoon.
- Consider joining an Optional Experience to see the Paris cabaret.
Day 3: Burgundy and Lucerne (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Journey through the rural French countryside of Burgundy, known for its vineyards and wines.
- Pass the Jura Mountains and cross into Switzerland.
- Arrive in lakeside Lucerne.
- Enjoy a Dine-Around Evening with a selection of hand-picked local restaurants.
Day 4: Lucerne & Mount Stanserhorn (Breakfast)
- Explore Mount Stanserhorn on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
- Ride an open-top cable car powered by solar panels to the summit.
- Walk along scenic pathways and watch for marmots and native animals.
- Hear a conservation talk by a Swiss ranger about local wildlife and flora.
- Enjoy pristine mountain air and breathtaking views, including Alsace and the Black Forest on clear days.
- Return to Lucerne and visit the Lion Monument, dedicated to heroic Swiss Guards.
- Stroll across the covered Chapel Bridge to the baroque Jesuit Church.
- Spend leisure time shopping for chocolate and Swiss watches in the Old Town.
Day 5: Lucerne to Innsbruck (Breakfast)
- Begin the day with a journey to the heart of the Alps.
- Pass through the Principality of Liechtenstein.
- See the tiny capital, Vaduz, with its castle located on a hillside overlooking the city.
- Drive into Austria and continue to mountain-ringed Innsbruck.
- Your Travel Director will show you the 14th century houses of the old town.
- Explore the impressive Imperial Palace.
- Admire the delightful Golden Roof.
Day 6: The Dolomites to Venice (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Leave Innsbruck to travel across the impressive Europa Bridge and through the Dolomites.
- Cross into Italy and stop at a local family winery in Veneto to discover the art of prosecco production.
- Savour a tasting of these luxurious sparkling wines and discover how to make the perfect Bellini.
- Continue to the romantic city of Venice, Queen of the Adriatic.
- Enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the islands with dinner at a local restaurant, long after the day-trippers have returned to their mainland hotels.
Day 7: The Magic of ‘La Serenissima’ (Breakfast)
- In the morning, prepare to embrace this most romantic city.
- See the immense Campanile and Doge’s Palace on St. Mark’s Square, connected to the ancient prisons by the Bridge of Sighs.
- Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you witness the skill of glassblowers on a visit to a traditional arts centre.
- The rest of the day is at leisure.
- Perhaps shop in the small arcades or why not cruise the Venetian lagoon to the island of Burano for a meal of local specialties and wine?
Day 8: Tuscany, Pisa and Florence (Breakfast/Lunch with Wine)
- Visit Il Poggio organic farm for a guided walk and learn about organic food and wine production.
- On the veranda, take in beautiful views of the rolling Tuscan hills, as you taste the farm’s wines and freshly produced olive oil.
- Enjoy an authentic Italian meal prepared with locally sourced ingredients.
- Explore the nearby town of Pisa with a Local Expert and see the baptistery with its intricate marble facade, the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the cathedral and of course the famous Leaning Tower.
- Afterwards, travel to Florence.
Day 9: Florence Sightseeing (Breakfast)
- Walk with your Local Expert to the marble-clad cathedral and baptistery, where Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory.
- The next stop is Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces.
- Spend time gazing at statues such as Neptune and David along the front of the Palazzo Vecchio.
- The area around Santa Croce Basilica is famous for the quality of its luxury goods of gold and leather and there’s free time to shop or continue exploring.
Day 10: Chianti Country to Assisi and onto Rome (Breakfast)
Day 11: Papal and Imperial Rome (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Visit the Vatican Museums, full of priceless treasures collected by the Popes. Insight provides special priority entry to avoid the crowds and admire the Papal art collection.
- Next, visit the Sistine Chapel to admire Michelangelo’s famous ceiling.
- Next door in St. Peter’s Basilica, view another masterpiece by Michelangelo, the Pietà, as well as the splendid dome, completed after his death.
- Cross the River Tiber to see the Colosseum, still echoing with the ghostly cries of gladiatorial combat and see Circus Maximus, the ancient chariot-racing stadium.
- Later, there is time for last-minute shopping or exploring at your leisure.
- In the evening, enjoy Celebration Dinner with local wine at a Roman restaurant.
Day 12: Arrivederci Roma (Breakfast)
- Bid farewell to the glories of Italy.
- Departure transfers arrive at Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport.
Price
PRICE FROM RM21,204 SUBJECT TO DATE AND AVAILABILITY
Hotel
- Day 1 – Day 2: Le Méridien Etoile
- Day 3 – Day 4: Hotel Astoria
- Day 5: AC Hotel Innsbruck
- Day 6 – Day 7: BW Premier Collection CHC Continental
- Day 8 – Day 9: Hotel Indigo Florence
- Day 10 – Day 11: Kolbe Hotel Rome
Remarks
