Day 2 - Highlights of Venice - In the morning we will meet our local Venetian guide for our historic walking tour of the famous sites and secret alleyways of Venice.  We start with the art and architecture of Doges Palace.  It is a wonderful example of Venetian Gothic and houses the treasures collected by the rulers of Venice.  After an introduction to St. Marks Piazza/Square we will go through the grand Basilica with its gold mosaics.  It holds the relics of St. Mark brought to Venice (i.e. stolen) from Alexandria.  We will continue with some wandering the back streets of Venice and the historic Rialto Bridge area and finish with a late sidewalk café lunch.  Your late afternoon is free to wander to other fine churches or museums in the area or just relax and soak in the magic of Venice. Dinner is on your own. (B,L) Sleep Venice

Day 3 - Venice Discovery Day - The entire day is dedicated to the things that you want to do and your discovery of Venice. You could wake up late and wander through the old city or do some shopping for anything from local artists works to Italian leather to the specialty of Viennese glass and jewelry.  There are so many things to choose from – Glass blowing on the Island of Murano, Titian in the Gothic Frari Church or just skipping from gelato to gelato – the choice is yours. (B) Sleep Venice

Day 4 - Venice to Siena and wander Siena - We will have a relaxing morning in Venice and take the mid morning scenic train to heart of Tuscany- the medieval city of Siena.  We will have a fun picnic lunch on the train (from Venice fresh market), and arrive in the early afternoon and head to our hotel in the heart of the old city.  There will be plenty of time to wander and have a bit of Tuscan wine to kick off the evening.  We will have dinner together at a local restaurant serving a wonderful combination of Italian and local Sienese specialties. The Il Campo center of Siena is one of the most beautiful in all of Italy and especially at night a fun place to drink in Italian ambiance. (B,L,D) Sleep Siena

Day 5 - Tuscan Village hopping and Wine tasting -We will be picked up at our hotel around 9:00 by our private mini-bus and driver and head out to the hill towns of Tuscany.  We will start with the medieval village of San Gimignano.  It is surrounded by an ancient wall and complete with 14 still standing medieval towers from feudal lords of the past and a beautiful cathedral. It’s hilltop views and fun shopping make it a fun first stop.  As no tour would be complete without one, after San Gimignano we will head o an old winery for a tour and some tasting of the local wine with some fun explanation of the various Italian wines.  After our wine, we will head to the lovely village of Colle Val d'elsa for some more exploring and lunch on your own and then back to Siena with plenty of time to take in the historic sights of the city.  Dinner is on your own tonight. (B) Sleep Siena

Day 6 - Art and Culture of Florence - We will depart for Florence by “rapide” bus pretty early(8:00) so that we can kick start our day with the cultural capital of Tuscany – Florence. We will meet our Florence expert guide at the station and embark on a 2-3-hr historic walking tour of this city.  The tour will include the beautiful white and green marble Duomo Cathedral and Tower followed by skipping the lines and going directly into the Accademia museum with Michelangelo’s David - A perfect place to discuss and admire the beauty of the great Italian Renaissance artists.  We will continue with our outdoor visit of Renaissance architecture with the Battistero and its famous bronze gates by Ghiberti, Signoria square and the Old Bridge area and then say good bye to our guide and take a break with a tasty “real” pizza lunch.  After lunch, we will skip the lines(reserved time at 2:00) and head straight into the famous UFFIZI museum where you will have a personal audio guide and wander the museum at your own pace.  The works of Italian Renaissance artists such as Botticelli, Titian, Raphael and many more will keep you amazed.  After the Uffizi, you are on your own to continue to enjoy Florence, do some shopping, stay for dinner or head back to Siena.  Dinner is on your own. (B, L) Sleep Siena

Day 7 - On to Rome - You can either do some morning shopping or catch up on your sleep as we will get on our train around noon for the 4-hr journey to the center of Rome. We will settle into our hotel in the center of the old city, stay together for a little “Rome 101” and then you have some time to relax and wander around some of the Campos and sights in our area. Dinner is on your own and there are streets and Piazzas lined with the cutest little restaurants for you to choose from. If you still have energy and the weather is good, it is a perfect night to wander the glorious Piazzas(Navona, Rotunda, Trevi Fountain) that are all within walking distance of our hotel and come alive at night. (B) Sleep Rome

Day 8 - A Day walking in Caesars' footsteps -  We will meet our local guide at the entrance to the Roman Colosseum for our 3 hour walking tour of ancient Rome and its people. We will begin by skipping the lines and touring this ancient structure inside and out, imagining exactly how it looked when it was completed and used by Emperor Titus in 80AD.  After the Colosseum we will wander next door through the Forum – a set of buildings and temples which represented the center of Roman civilization for nearly 500 years. If we have time we will also visit the Capitoline Hill and museum which is the new home of the Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the only surviving bronze status of a pre-Christian Roman emperor.  After our tour we will find a cozy Roman café for pizza, pasta or whatever suits your fancy for lunch. The rest of the afternoon and dinner is on your own for you to explore Rome. The Pantheon, National Museum, or even the ancient site of Ostia Antica outside of Rome are all good choices. (B,L) Sleep Rome

Day 9 - The Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel morning plus free afternoon - We will head out to the Vatican and again, skip the long winding queue, and pick up our guide at the group desk inside the Vatican museum for our 2-hr walking tour.  With the fall of Rome, the church became the great preserver of art and civilization which you will see with exhibits on ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome in addition to works by Michelangelo and Raphael.  We will finish with the famous Sistine Chapel – the Last Judgment - by Michelangelo.  It took him four years on scaffolding to complete this masterpiece which is often judged to be the single greatest work of art by one human being.  You can see if you agree – prepare to be in awe! The afternoon is free for more wanderings of Rome. We will get together in the evening for our “Roman feast” at one of the local Roman specialty restaurants situated on the peaceful Piazza Farnese to say our “good-bye” to Rome, to each other and to Italy. (B, D) Sleep Rome

Day 10 - Tour over after breakfast - You can head to the airport to go home or stay on in Europe on your own. Whew, what an awesome 10 days! (B)