Division of Continual Learning
Passport Italy 2009 Itinerary
Day 1: Fly overnight to Italy
Day 2: Rome
Arrive in Rome
Day 3: Rome
Visit to Vatican City
Day 4: Rome • Florence
Guided sightseeing of Florence
Day 5: Florence
Excursion to Pisa
Day 6: Venice
Day 7: Venice
Guided sightseeing of Venice
Day 8: Venice • Assisi
Day 9: Assisi • Rome
Transfer via Spoleto
Day 10: Return Home
Day 1 Flight
Overnight flight to Italy
Relax as you fly across the Atlantic.
Day 2 Rome
Arrival in Rome
Touch down in bella Roma, the Eternal City. Here, Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope in A.D. 800.
Day 3 Rome
Visit to the Vatican City
Today, you will explore
Vatican City, the world’s smallest country. Begin
at the Vatican Museum, where elaborate
galleries filled with one artistic masterpiece after
another lead you directly to the Sistine
Chapel. Next, tour St. Peter’s Basilica,
erected on the site where the saint was martyred.
Enter the basilica under the watchful
eyes of the brightly dressed Swiss Guard. Inside,
admire Michelangelo’s Pietà, the only
sculpture he ever signed.
Guided sightseeing of Rome
Get to know Imperial Rome on a panoramic tour. Then spend time exploring the mighty Colosseum, Rome’s largest amphitheater. Later, pass by the Forum Romanum, once the heart of the Roman Empire.
Walking tour of Rome
As part of your walking tour of Rome, stop at the Trevi Fountain and make sure to toss in a coin to ensure your return to Rome. Then view the Pantheon, one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in the city. Then, during free time, continue to the Piazza Navona before meeting at the Spanish Steps prior to dinner.
Day 4 Rome • Florence
Transfer to Florence
Arrive in Florence, birthplace of the Italian language, the Renaissance and opera.
Day 5 Florence
Excursion to Pisa
In the city’s Field of Miracles, you’ll see the 12th-century Leaning Tower, aslant ever since the third floor was built. This is where Galileo was said to have developed his laws of gravity. Be sure to visit the adjacent cathedral and baptistery, which contain exquisite marble pulpits carved in the Gothic style by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano.
Day 6 Florence • Venice
Arrive in magical Venice, home of Marco Polo.
Day 7 Venice
Guided sightseeing of Venice
Begin your tour of La Serenissima (the city’s nickname, meaning “the most serene”) at St. Mark’s Square. Also see the Grand Canal and the 324-foot campanile (bell tower), whose steps were originally built so that a noble could ascend on horseback. Venice is also famous for its glassware—you’ll see why during a glass-blowing demonstration.
Visit the grand 14th-century, pink-and-white Doges’ Palace, from which mighty Venetian dukes once ruled. Here, you’ll stroll over the Bridge of Sighs, connecting the palace and its prison. Casanova made a daring escape from this prison in 1756.
Day 8 Venice • Assisi
Transfer to Assisi / guided tour of Assisi
Arrive in Assisi, birthplace of both St. Francis and St. Clare.A local guide shows you the city, nestled between Mount Subasio and fields of olive groves, which draws millions of tourists every year with its religious significance and some of Italy’s finest early Renaissance art. At the Basilica of St. Francis, follow the life of one of Italy’s most beloved saints through Giotto’s artful frescoes.
Day 9 Assisi • Rome
Transfer via Spoleto
Transfer via Spoleto • Travel through the medieval town of Spoleto, which is most famous for the Spoleto Festival.
Arrival in Rome • Return to Rome, where you’ll spend the night.
Day 10 Home
Return home
Your tour director assists with the transfer to the airport, where you’ll check in for your return flight home.