Italian Mystique

After breakfast, proceed for your hop on hop off tour. Aboard a comfortable, open-top, double-decker bus, admire top city attractions, such as Rome's must-see Colosseum - the scene of gory gladiator battles during the Roman Empire - and Piazza Venezia with its ostentatious Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. Pass downtown streets near the eye- catching Trevi Fountain or perhaps hop off at Vatican City to visit one of the most sacred places in Christendom. With your ticket, you can remain on the bus for an entire loop (roughly 1.5-2 hours) as you listen to the informative audio commentary, or you can hop on and off at any of the eight stops around the city to explore Rome's countless delights. Rome Hop-On Hop-Off Tour Stops:  Via Marsala (Termini station)  Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore)  Colosseo (Colosseum and Ancient Rome)  Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus)  Piazza Venezia (Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II)  Vaticano (Vatican City)  Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain)  Piazza Barberini (historic center and Villa Borghese) Overnight at hotel in Rome. (B)

Hop on hop off tour to be continued. Overnight at Rome

After Breakfast you have the rest of the day at leisure. Recommended Optional Tour: Guided Naples and Pompeii Day Trip from Rome (13 hrs)(0730) Combine a trip to Naples with a tour of Pompeii's ruins on a full-day excursion from Rome! From the comfort of your coach, see the sights of Naples, admiring the Royal Palace, Castel dell'Ovo, Piazza del Plebiscito and more. Hear tales of Bourbon kings who once ruled the city, and then travel inland to visit Pompeii. Stop for lunch and then tour the UNESCO-listed ruins, seeing incredible monuments that lay undiscovered for centuries. Start your day with a pickup from your central Rome hotel or alternatively, start your tour at a meeting point in town, near Rome Termini Station. Hit the road and travel south to Italy's Campania region, and as you gaze out at the pretty landscape of Castelli Romani look out for Abbey of Montecassino -- a spectacular Benedictine monastery perched atop of a hill. After a journey of roughly three hours, arrive in the southern Italian region of Campania and head straight to its capital Naples to discover its delights from the comfort of your coach. Entering the city via the coastal road from Mergellina Port, pass through Naples' fishing quarter, Santa Lucia, and then stop for photos in front of Castel dell'Ovo - the medieval castle on the seafront. Continue to the city's historical centre to see Piazza del Plebiscito, the impressive square that's home to Naples Royal Palace (Palacio Real), three other Bourbon palaces, and an eye-catching colonnaded church - Basilica of San Francesco di Paola. Hear the history of Naples in its 19th-century heyday when the Bourbon kings ruled the land, and then take in more of the center's A-list sites. See San Carlo Opera House, the Gallery of Umberto I and, finally, the imposing Castel Nuovo. Leave the city, and travel south toward Mount Vesuvius, passing the towns of Ercolano (Herculaneum), Torre del Greco and Torre Annunziata before arriving in the town of Pompeii. Stop for a well-earned lunch in one of the town's traditional restaurants, and then head out to visit Pompeii's UNESCO-listed ruins on a 2-hour walking tour. Learn how the ancient city lay buried under Mount Vesuvius' volcanic ash for centuries and see incredible excavations of old monuments, like Teatro Grande- a theater that once seated 5,000 people. After your tour, head back to your coach and then travel north back to Rome. Your tour finishes back at the start point near Termini Station. Overnight at your hotel in Rome. (B)

Today after breakfast, proceed to the station on your own, for your train to Florence. Check into your hotel, the rest of the day at Leisure. Overnight at hotel in Florence. (B)

Wake uo to a lazy breakfast. In the afternoon take an excursion through the fertile & picturesque Tuscan countryside of the historic university city of Pisa. Upon arrival in Pisa take a guided walking tour of Piazza dei Miracoli, with the celebrated Leaning Tower (exterior), the Baptistery (exterior) & other important monuments. This is followed by a visit to the interior of the Cathedral, an unrivalled masterpiece of Romanesque art constructed between the 11th and 12th centuries. Free time at your disposal. Those who are interested can take a pleasant walk with the tour escort & reach Piazza dei Cavalieri, where you can admire the historic Scuola Normale, one of the most famous universities in the world. Back to Florence. Overnight in Florence.

Today after breakfast, proceed to the station on your own for your train to Venice. Make your own way to the Hotel in Venice and Check into the hotel. Later proceed for the Gondola Ride. A romantic 'promenade' by gondola that will take you along the canals of Venice. A fantastic opportunity to travel along Venice's waterways looking up at the fabulous mediaeval palaces that line these historic thoroughfares and down to see their shimmering reflections dancing on the surface of the water. This cruise through the city's most secluded waterways passing under small bridges will help you appreciate the special quality of this floating city. Overnight at hotel in Venice. (B)

Today after breakfast proceed for your next tour. You will sail to Murano to see how the beautiful coloured glass is made, then on to the pretty islands of Burano and Torcello. After sailing past the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the Public Gardens, the tip of Sant'Elena and the famous Lido beach resort, the boat arrives in Murano, known throughout the world for its glass manufacturing industry. Here we stop for around 40 minutes to visit to one of the factories. The second stop is at the picturesque island of Burano, famous not only for its lace but also for the fishermen's houses painted in bright colours. The stop will last about 30 minutes. Then after a short cruise, we reach Torcello, the earliest centre of civilization in the estuary. Only the Cathedral with its magnificent mosaics and the church of Santa Fosca remain as testimony of its former glory. The stop will be for about 30 minutes then we return to St.Mark's Square. Transportation by boat, visit to a Glass Factory. Overnight at hotel in Venice. (B)

Today after breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport on private basis for your flight back home.