Pack your bags, and get ready for the most exciting summer LGBTQ family adventure!! Let’s go "searching for Italy" together. We are thrilled to announce our first LGBTQ family-friendly tour around one of the most exciting countries in the world (with the most delicious food). Italians love to surround themselves with beauty, and it shows. A more fitting country could not have been designed by Michelangelo himself: from medieval hilltop towns to sun-drenched Mediterranean islands, Italy is sublime. Icons are so numerous it's difficult to choose. Some are entire cities: Venice, Florence, and Rome are works of art in themselves, and Italy has played host to arguably the greatest collection of art, architecture, and artists the world has ever seen.
Home to more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country, Italy is nothing if not cultured; an education was once considered incomplete until one spent time in Italy. Today, this tradition continues, as visitors from around the world come to surround themselves with beauty and immerse themselves in la dolce vita. Viva Italia!
Day 1 - Ciao Roma! Feast your eyes and your stomach on the 'Eternal City' - the launch pad for an unforgettable adventure with la famiglia.
Upon arrival, make your own way to your hotel where you will get ready to tread in the footsteps of the ancients before meeting with your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner that will rock Rome.
Meals: Welcome Dinner
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza St. Peter's Hotel, Rome, 4*
Day 2 - Join a Local Specialist to delve into centuries of history and culture, including a guided tour of the Vatican Museums. Gaze up at the wonder of Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel and explore the Catholic shrine of St. Peter's Basilica.
Venture across the Tiber to the Colosseum, imagining a time when brave warriors fought to the thunderous roar of thousands.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza St. Peter's Hotel, Rome, 4*
Day 3 - Book your spot on the podium It's time for Family Fun as you become a gladiator for the day.You'll learn how to wield a gladiator's sword and gain insights into military techniques with an expert. (Participants for the Gladiator School must be 7yrs or older)
This afternoon, you'll have some free time to explore the city with your family. Perhaps count the Spanish Steps or loss a coin into the Trevi Fountain to secure your speedy return to Rome.
Then it's time for a cheesy Family Fun affair as we Dive Into Culture and learn how too make authentic Italian pizza, sharing a tasty slice or two of our culinary masterpieces with our loved ones (subject to availability).
Meals: Breakfast, Regional Dinner
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza St. Peter's Hotel, Rome, 4*
Day 4 - Set your watch to Italian time and embark on a scenic drive north through Tuscany's golden fields.
Stop in Psa to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Piazza del Duomo to snap a selfie in front of the famous Leaning Tower.
Carry on to the Renaissance city of Florence, our home for the next three nights.
Meals: Breakfast, Regional Dinner
Accommodation: FH55 Grand Hotel Mediterraneo, Florence, 4*
Day 5 - The exquisite sights of Florence are brought to life on a walking tour in the expert vompany of a Local Specialist.
See the magnificent Gothic Duomo and famous Baptistery before marveling at Michelangelo's statue of David at the Academy of Fine Arts (subject to availability). Where better to Dive Into Culture and Indulge in a refreshing gelato than in the city where it was invented? Visit a gelato shop and enjoy 2 tastings of gelato.
Tonight we Connect With Locals joining Count Miari Fulcis and his family for a Be My Guest experience, enjoying delicious specialities against the backdrop of picture-perfect olive groves and vineyards on their 15th-century estate in the Tuscan hills (subject to availability). Salute!
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: FH55 Grand Hotel Mediterraneo, Florence, 4*
Day 6 - You have a full day at leisure to enjoy this remarkable Renaissance city. Florence is a living museum that you can explore on foot. Perhaps join an Optional Experience to the 'Town of Towers' - San Gimignano.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: FH55 Grand Hotel Mediterraneo, Florence, 4*
Day 7 - Stop an smell the rich aromas of Bolognese sauce, spending the morning with a Local Specialist to explore the medieval city of Bologna.
Then it's just a hop, skip and a jump to the island city of Venice.
Discover the 'Queen of the Adriatic' from the comfort of one of its traditional gondolas along with a serenade.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Novotel Venezia Mestre Castellana Hotel, Venice, 4*
Day 8 - Cruise to bustling St. Mark's Square on a private launch. View the exquisite Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica and the Campanile and the famous Bridge of Sighs, so named for the sound condemned prisoners made at catching their last glimpse of beautiful Venice. We then witness first-hand the exquisite tradition of Venetian Glassblowing. Your Make Travel Matter Experience helps to support the preservation of this precious Venetian tradition for generations to come. You'll learn how this once-thriving Venetian art is being kept alive by talanted glassmakers who delight in working their magic to craft the stunning treasures for which Venice is justifiably famous.
Time for Family Fun as you learn about the art of crafting Carnival masks, decorating your own masks with enough paint, feathers and glitter to rival even the most elaborate masks seen at the annual event.
This afternoon, consider an Optional Experience to the colorful island of Burano for a delicious meal.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Novotel Venezia Mestre Castellana Hotel, Venice, 4*
Day 9 - Navigating the bustling canals to the Rialto Bridge, we embrace the sights and sounds of Venice from the water before we Dive Into Culture and savor the flavors of Italy during a visit to a traditional food market.
We delve into the hidden highlights of Venice during a Small Group Sightseeing walking tour, working up an appetite for our Farewell Lunch at a local restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Accommodation: Novotel Venezia Mestre Castellana Hotel, Venice, 4*
Day 10 - Our unforgettable journey together has come to end. All that's left to stay is a hearty arrivederci as you prepare for your journey home with fantastic shared memories. Make your own way to the airport.
Meals: Breakfast
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