TRANS WORLD TRAVEL, INC.

Monday, April 8, 2024 - Chicago Departure: This afternoon we depart from O’Hare Airport to begin our journey to Italy.  Meals will be served during our overnight flight.

 

Tuesday, April 9 - Venice / Mestre: Upon arrival in Venice, we will collect our luggage and meet our tour manager and coach driver.  We transfer by motorcoach to Mestre, with time to check in and relax before dinner in our hotel. (D) 

 

Wednesday, April 10 - Venice: This morning we will board a motor launch and travel through the canals to the islands of Venice. Our walking tour will include a visit to one of the glass factories for which the city is so famous.  Later, we’ll visit St. Mark’s Basilica and Square and enjoy views of the Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and Rialto Bridge.  We have this afternoon free to enjoy lunch and people-watching from a cafe in St. Mark’s Square and to shop along the narrow streets and canals filled with bustling activity. In the late afternoon, we can enjoy an optional gondola ride, before gathering for dinner in a local restaurant.  This evening we return by private boat to the mainland for overnight in Mestre. (B, D)

 

Thursday, April 11 - Mestre / Padua / Florence: This morning we journey first to Padua to visit a city which considers itself to be one of the oldest in Italy – according to local tradition, it was founded by the Trojans.  We will see the beautiful Prato della Valle as we walk to the Basilica of St. Anthony, which houses the Saint’s tomb and relics.  We will celebrate Mass and enjoy a guided visit of the Basilica complex.  Following free time for lunch, we will journey south to Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

 

Friday, April 12 - Florence: Today we will discover Florence and experience its heritage as we begin our morning walking tour. We will visit the Accademia Museum to see Michelangelo’s famous David; the Duomo and Giotto’s Tower; the Baptistry’s Gates of Paradise; the open-air gallery of Signoria Square; and Santa Croce Church where Michelangelo is buried.  The remainder of the day is free to relax or to become better acquainted with this lively city, where the artistic heritage of the Renaissance is part of everyday life. Overnight in Florence. (B)

 

Saturday, April 13 - Florence (Tuscany Excursion):  No visit to Italy could be complete without experiencing the breathtaking view of its most famous landmark – but the Leaning Tower of Pisa is just one of a quartet of spectacular buildings on Pisa’s ‘Field of Miracles,’ which includes the Cathedral, Baptistery and Cemetery.  Following our visit to Pisa we continue to San Gimignano, the most remarkable of the medieval Tuscan hill towns, where time seems to have stood still since the Middle Ages.  There will be time to absorb at leisure the unique atmosphere of this walled city, before we return to Florence for our overnight. (B)

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Sunday, April 14 - Florence / Siena / Assisi: Today we continue through the rolling hills of Tuscany to picturesque Siena, where we stroll through narrow Gothic streets lined with palaces and patrician mansions, and see the magnificent Cathedral, as well as the birthplace of St. Catherine of Siena. In the afternoon, we continue to Assisi and its spectacular location in the heart of Umbria.  We will enjoy wine-tasting and early supper at one of the local wineries before driving up to the hillside city for our overnight. (B, D)

 

Monday, April 15 - Assisi / Rome:  This morning we will explore the hilltop, walled city which is a monument to the all-embracing spirituality inspired by St. Francis. We will tour the Basilica of St. Clare, the Piazza del Commune, and the Basilica of St. Francis, after which there will be free time to absorb the unique atmosphere of this special place.  We will depart Assisi in the afternoon to pause in the valley below the town and visit the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli with the Porziuncola - the chapel given by the Benedictines to St. Francis and his followers, which became the cradle of the Franciscan Order.  We continue to Rome for dinner and overnight. (B, D)  

 

Tuesday, April 16 - Rome (Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica): This morning is dedicated to the Vatican State – we will visit its Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica and Square.  Following our visit, there will be free time for lunch before those who wish to explore further on foot can join our tour manager to walk from St. Peter’s Square, across the River Tiber to Piazza Navona and on to the Pantheon.   We are then free to return to the hotel on foot or by taxi for an evening of leisure.  (B)

 

Wednesday, April 17 (Papal Audience and Classical & Christian Rome): If scheduling permits, we will participate this morning in the Papal Audience, which will be requested for our entire group.  After free time for lunch, we will transfer by motorcoach to the Basilica of St John in Lateran, the Mother Church of Rome. Later, we explore the enduring legacy of the Roman Empire by coach and on foot - we will see the Baths of Caracalla, the Circus Maximus, Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.  This evening we will enjoy our farewell dinner in a local restaurant.  (B, D)

 

Thursday, April 18 - Rome / Chicago: This morning we say ‘Arrivederci’ to Italy and to our tour manager as we transfer to Rome Airport to begin our journey home.  We arrive in Chicago in the late afternoon. Welcome Home!

 

Key:  B - Breakfast; D - Dinner