Grand Tour of Italy & Greece

Board your overnight flight to Venice.

Welcome to Italy! Settle in to your hotel. Then, gather with your Tour Director and fellow group members at tonight’s welcome dinner.

Admire historic churches, winding canals, and picture-perfect piazzas on a guided tour of the city known as “the Queen of the Adriatic.”

• Marvel at the Bridge of Sighs, the link between Doge’s Palace and the New Prison
• View the stately Doge’s Palace, built in the Venetian Gothic style in 1340
• Step into the iconic St. Mark’s Square and enter St. Mark’s Basilica
• See a glassblowing demonstration to learn about the city’s most celebrated art

Enjoy a free afternoon in Venice or add an excursion.

Cross through the Apennine Mountains as you make your way to Florence. Once you arrive, get to know the city with a local guide.

• View the legendary Florence Cathedral, known as the Duomo
• Pass Giotto’s Campanile, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture
• Walk past Piazza della Repubblica to the medieval Ponte Vecchio
• Stroll along the Arno River and through the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery to Piazza della Signoria, center of Florentine life

Spend a free day in Florence or add an excursion.

Depart Florence for Rome, where you’ll explore the ancient city on a guided tour.

• Soak up over 2,000 years of history in Imperial Rome, viewing the arch of Constantine and the Arch of Titus
• Enter the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater of the Roman Empire
• Stop at the ruins of the Forum, once the setting of parades, elections, and trials
• Pass Palatine Hill, see where ancient Romans raced chariots at Circus Maximus, and view the Baths of Caracalla

Enjoy a free day in Rome or add excursions.

Spend a free morning exploring Rome or add an excursion.

This evening, enjoy an elegant, four-course dinner at a local restaurant. While you dine, you’ll be treated to some of opera’s best-loved arias.

Fly to Athens, Greece this morning. Then, continue on to Delphi.

Set off on a guided tour of Delphi, home of the mystical oracle. You’ll visit the Temple of Apollo where, according to legend, the gods once communicated with mortals.

Cross onto the Peloponnese peninsula as you make your way to the Olympia region this afternoon.

Tour the historic city of Olympia with a local guide.

• View the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
• See the ancient Gymnasium and site where the first Olympic Games took place
• Step inside the Archaeological Museum of Olympia and enjoy free time to explore the exhibits

Spend a free afternoon in the Olympia region or add an excursion.

As you make your way to Athens, stop to visit several historic sites.

• Head to the UNESCO-listed Archaeological Sites of Mycenae
• Take a guided tour of the ancient Mycenaean city and learn about its connection to Homer’s famous Greek epics the Iliad and the Odyssey
• Snap a photo of the Corinth Canal, which separates the Peloponnese peninsula from mainland Greece

A local guide introduces you to the highlights of this bustling ancient capital, home to the world’s first democracy.

• Pass by the Olympic Stadium, Syntagma Square, and the Arch of Hadrian
• View the sixth-century Temple of Zeus
• See the classically inspired Old Royal Palace, home of the Hellenic Parliament, and drive through the Plaka district
• Set off on a walking tour around the ancient Acropolis, site of the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, and Erechtheion

Enjoy a free afternoon in Athens or add an excursion.

Celebrate your trip with your fellow group members at a farewell dinner this evening.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or continue on to visit Santorini and further explore Athens.