Exchange Details
Overview
Pack in the sights of the Italian peninsula on this Journey through many of Italy's most remarkable places. Milan, Venice, Florence, Assisi, Pompeii and Rome - these historical, culture-rich cities continue to fascinate and inspire all who visit. Add a cooking lesson and home-hosted dinner and this is a not-to-miss Journey!
Home Hospitality
There is no home hospitality on this Journey, but you will attend a glass-blowing demonstration, a cooking lesson, and a home-hosted meal.
Live With a Local
- See a glassblowing demonstration to learn about the Venice's most celebrated art
- Join a local chef for a cooking class where you’ll make pasta by hand, create two kinds of bruschetta, and craft tiramisu for dessert. Savor your creations at dinner with accompanying wines
- Join a local at their home in Rome to enjoy traditional dishes and dine like a true Italian. During this dinner, you’ll receive an authentic understanding of your host’s day-to-day life, while learning about Italian culture and traditions from a new perspective
Sightseeing Highlights
- Iconic St. Mark's Square and St. Mark's Basilica
- The legendary Florence Cathedral, known as the Duomo
- Tour the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Assisi
- Guided tour of the famed ruins of Pompeii
- The Colosseum, the largest amphitheater of the Roman Empire
- Ruins of the Forum, once the setting of parades, elections, and trials
Italian culture is so deeply soaked in an appreciation of the good things in life. - Mariska Hargitay, American actress
Grand Tour of Italy
15 Days / 14 Nights Program and Itinerary:
October 2, 2021 – October 16, 2021
Coordinator: Helcio Lanzoni, FF Ribeirao Preto
[email protected]
All Friendship Force Itineraries are subject to change.
Oct. 2, 2021 - Overnight Flight
Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Milan today
Oct. 3, 2021 - Lake Como Region
Welcome to Italy!
Arrive in Milan
Transfer to your hotel in the Lake Como region
Enjoy tonight’s welcome dinner
Included meal: welcome dinner
Oct. 4, 2021 - Lake Como Region
Como & Villa Carlotta
Head out on a morning trip to explore Como, a city known for its mix of cultural and natural attractions
Enjoy free time in Como for lunch and shopping, while admiring the lakeside vistas
Transfer to the beautiful Villa Carlotta to soak in spectacular views from the elaborate villa gardens
Included meal: breakfast
Oct. 5, 2021 - Venice
Venice via Verona
En route to Venice, stop in Verona and walk through the city
Stroll through the city’s UNESCO-recognized historic center
Admire the Roman arena, Piazza delle Erbe, and the balcony of Shakespeare’s Juliet
Enjoy free time before continuing on to Venice where you’ll enjoy an included dinner
Included meals: breakfast and dinner
Oct. 6, 2021 - Venice
Sightseeing tour of Venice
Admire historic churches, winding canals, and picture-perfect piazzas on a guided tour of the city known as the Queen of the Adriatic
Step into the iconic St. Mark’s Square and enter St. Mark’s Basilica
View the stately Doge’s Palace, built in the Venetian Gothic style in 1340
Marvel at the Bridge of Sighs, the link between Doge’s Palace and the New Prison
See a glassblowing demonstration to learn about the city’s most celebrated art
Enjoy a free afternoon in Venice
Included meal: breakfast
Oct. 7, 2021 - Florence
Florence via Ferrara
On your way to Florence, stop in Ferrara, where you’ll have free time to eat lunch and explore the city’s historic center, home to beautiful Renaissance architecture including Este Castle and Palazzo dei Diamanti
Continue on to Florence and sit down for an included dinner
Included meals: breakfast and dinner
Oct. 8, 2021 - Florence
Sightseeing tour of Florence
Set off on a guided tour of Florence, the city at the center of the Renaissance
View the legendary Florence Cathedral, known as the Duomo
Pass Giotto’s Campanile, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture
See the medieval Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, center of Florentine life
Step inside the Basilica of Santa Croce, burial site of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo
Enjoy a free afternoon in Florence
This evening, join a local chef for a cooking class where you’ll make pasta by hand, create two kinds of bruschetta and craft tiramisu for dessert. Savor your creations at dinner with accompanying wines
Included meals: breakfast and dinner
Oct. 9, 2021 - Florence
Free day in Florence
Included meal: breakfast
Oct. 10, 2021 - Assisi
Transfer to Assisi and sightseeing tour
Drive through spectacular Umbria to hillside Assisi, where you’ll enjoy a guided tour of the town’s UNESCO World Heritage sites
Visit Assisi’s lower and upper basilicas
See Giotto’s magnificent frescoes and other late-medieval art
Sit down for an included dinner this evening
Included meals: breakfast and dinner
Oct. 11, 2021 - Assisi
Free day in Assisi
Included meal: breakfast
Oct. 12, 2021 - Sorrento Peninsula
Sorrento Peninsula via Pompeii
En route to the Sorrento peninsula, stop in Pompeii for a guided tour of the city’s famed ruins
Discover how Roman citizens lived before Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D.
View the excavated Roman ruins of theaters, villas, temples, and baths
Continue on to the Sorrento peninsula and sit down for an included dinner
Included meals: breakfast and dinner
Oct. 13, 2021 - Sorrento Peninsula
Free day on the Sorrento Peninsula
Included meal: breakfast
Oct. 14, 2021 - Rome
Transfer to Rome & sightseeing tour
Travel to Rome and follow in the footsteps of the ancient Romans on a guided tour of the Eternal City
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 by Palatine Hill to see Circus Maximus, the stadium where ancient Romans raced chariots, and the Baths of Caracalla
Join a local at their home in Rome this evening to enjoy traditional dishes and dine like a true Italian
During this dinner, you’ll receive an authentic understanding of your host’s day-to-day life while learning about Italian culture and traditions from a new perspective
Included meals: breakfast and dinner
Oct. 15, 2021 - Rome
Enjoy a free day in Rome
This evening, enjoy an elegant, four-course farewell dinner
While you dine, you’ll be treated to some of opera’s best-loved arias
Included meals: breakfast and farewell dinner
Oct. 16, 2021 - Departure
Transfer to the airport for your flight home
Included meals: breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
Rate:
$4099 USD
Price Includes: FFI fees, 13 nights in handpicked hotels, breakfast daily, 8 dinners with beer or wine, multilingual tour director, private deluxe motor coach, guided sightseeing, and select entrance fees.Does NOT include: Gratuities for English-speaking guides/drivers, personal items on tour such as phone calls, laundry, etc., or travel insurance (required by FFI)
Know before you go
- Journey number 21327.
- On this guided tour, you’ll walk for at least 2 hours daily across moderately uneven terrain, including paved roads and cobblestone streets, with some hills and stairs.
- Deposit of $500 is due upon acceptance of application
- 50% of balance is due Feb. 1, 2021
- Final payment is due April 1, 2020
- NEW! Risk free deposit period that now lasts until March 1, 2021.
- Single supplement is $600.
Our Mission
Friendship Force International provides opportunities to explore new countries and cultures from the inside by bringing people together at the personal level. Through the signature program of home hospitality, local hosts welcome international visitors into their culture, sharing with them meals, conversation, and the best sights and experiences of their region.
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