ROME, FLORENCE & VENICE (RFV)

Tour Features:

• 6 day Escorted Tour
• First Class Hotel (4 star Rome - 2 star Venice) with private bath
• Welcome cocktail at arrival
• 3 Buffet-style breakfasts
• English speaking professional Tour Director
• Deluxe air-conditioned motor coaches
• Group transfer from/to Rome airport and RR station

Stay and Visit ® Italy - Orofino Tours presents an unforgettable tour of Rome, Florence and Venice. Let us whisk you away on this classic tour. All you have to do is unpack your luggage, unwind from your journey, and begin enjoying “La Dolce Vita “while in our beautiful, hospitable first class hotels. Breakfast (B) will be continental style.

Day 1 - Thu - Depart from your city to Rome, Italy.

Day 2 - Fri - Rome - Arrive at Rome's Fiumicino airport or Termini train station. Our tour bus will depart from the airport and train station at approximately 10:00 AM. The exact time will be communicated with the final documents. (Transfer for different dates and times will be at your expense). A welcome cocktail will be served upon arrival to our four star Grand Hotel Olympic (your home away from home). This beautiful Papal palace in the heart of Rome, between the Vatican City and Piazza del Popolo, is a short distance to all the essential points of the city, 5 minute walk from Vatican City and St. Peter cathedral. Rome, Capital City and crown jewel of Italy, “The Eternal”, “Caput Mundi” (center of the world), is an open air museum where, throughout history, each period has left an indelible mark and still there for you to admire. Rome is definitively unique with its rich history and fervent vitality of its citizens. We encourage you to savor your first Roman dinner at nearby typical and well known restaurants and enjoy your meal with a glass or two of “er vino de‘Castelli“, typical regional wine.

Day 3 - Sat - Rome – Vatican City & Imperial Rome – Optional tours 1 & 2 - This morning a professional guide will narrate the tour of Vatican City (approximately 3 hours). The story of the “Vatican” started about two thousand years ago when the Apostle Peter was buried across the Tiber River in 67 A.D. The Basilica of Saint Peter is one of the four major basilicas of Rome. It is the most prominent building inside the Vatican City and built on the ruins of Old Saint Peter's Basilica. As you enter, to your right, Michelangelo’s “Pieta” is displayed. The “Colonnade” was built by Bernini (1656-1666). The Vatican Museums display works from the extensive collection of the Roman Catholic Church. The Sistine Chapel is in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope. Its fame rests in its decoration, frescoed throughout by the greatest Renaissance artists including Michelangelo. The ceiling is legendary and it is in the Sistine Chapel that every new Pope is selected.

This afternoon we will have a tour of Imperial Rome (approximately 3 hours). We will visit the Coliseum, the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire and the most representative symbol of Rome. You will appreciate the magnificence and glory of what was Rome 2000 years ago. We will continue down via dei Fori Imperiali and, along the Via Sacra, we will follow in the footsteps of Julius Caesar, Marc Anthony and Nero. At the altar where Julius Caesar was cremated, visitors from around the world still leave flowers and candles at this site to this day. Then you will visit the Capitol Hill with its square by Michelangelo and Piazza Venezia considered the Centre of Italy. (B)

Day 4 – Sun – Florence & Venice – Pack a small bag for one night stay in Venice. Your main luggage will remain at your hotel front desk in Rome. This morning you will be on your way to Florence on board a fast and comfortable train. The heart of the world’s Renaissance, Florence is an open-air exhibition of art and culture where culture is a way of life rather than a matter of prestige. Today you will visit the Uffizi Art Gallery (admission not included), the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio. Florence is famous worldwide and is the home of fine arts and literature. It has powerful symbols of Italian and European culture in every nook and cranny, to the extent that it is hard to identify this city with just one symbol. It may be the sculpture of David or, perhaps, the romantic Ponte Vecchio or Giotto's bell tower. Florence could also be represented by famous people such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo or Dante Alighieri, to name but a few. In late afternoon we will continue to Venice by train and we will check in at our 2 star hotel in Venice Lido. Train tickets, water taxis and admissions not included. (B)

Day 5 - Mon – Venice & Rome - Venice or “La Serenissima” is world-famous for its canals, built on an archipelago of 122 islands with about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon and all connected by 400 bridges. Venice is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world and, certainly, one of the most unique for its appearance, history and urban structure. The grandiose St. Mark’s Basilica and Square is definitively the civic and religious heart of Venice and, perhaps, one of the most beautiful in the world with famous cafes, elegant shops, and orchestras entertaining the international crowds competing for their applause. The Doge’s Palace houses many works of art by Bellini, Tintoretto, Titian, and Veronese. The Bridge of Sighs, adjacent to the Palace was named not for sighs of love but for sighs of the condemned as they cast a last glance at Venice through the windows along the way. The Rialto Bridge is the oldest and most famous of the bridges spanning the Grand Canal. You are encouraged to explore the magic and flavor of Venice either by ‘gondola’, water taxis or by venturing yourselves on foot through the back alleys and canals, before returning in late evening by train to our four star Grand Hotel Olympic in Rome. Train tickets, water taxis and admissions not included.

Day 6 - Tue - Rome – 7:00 AM group transfer to Fiumicino airport. (Transfer will be at your expenses for different dates and times). Have a safe return home, treasure the memories...grazie and arrivederci a presto! (B)

We reserve the right to change the itinerary and schedule times for logistic reasons. 

Departures from North America

Departures (Thursday)	Returns (Tuesday)	2011 Prices (taxes included*)
January 20	January 25	US$ 499
February 17	February 22	US$ 499
March 3	March 8	US$ 599
March 24	March 29	US$ 599
April 14	April 19	US$ 599
May 12	May 17	US$ 699
May 19	May 24	US$ 699
June 2	June 7	US$ 799
June 9	June 14	US$ 799
June 23	June 28	US$ 799
June 30	July 5	US$ 799
July 14	July 19	US$ 899
July 21	July 26	US$ 899
August 4	August 9	US$ 899
September 1	September 6	US$ 899
September 8	September 13	US$ 799
September 22	September 27	US$ 799
September 29	October 4	US$ 799
October 13	October 18	US$ 699
October 20	October 25	US$ 699
November 17	November 22	US$ 599
December 15	December 20	US$ 499

*As of 1/1/2011 the City of Rome has introduced and will collect a new "Tourist Tax" of 3 Euros per night per person (12 and older).
This tax is not included in our rates and must be paid at the hotel. The "Grand Hotel Olympic" will collect the tax in the name of each traveler.

This rate is not commissionable (except for our official travel representatives) and no discounts are applicable.

Airfares are not included and are your responsibilty .

Departure dates and rates are guaranteed and confirmed at the time of reservation.

Prices are per person based on double/triple/quadruple occupancy. An additional 50% premium will be applied for single occupancy. Children under 12 staying in the room with 2 parents receive a 50% discount.

Optional tours as described, admission fees to museums, galleries, mini-cruises etc. are not included.

The package price of the 2 optional tours in Rome (day 3) is US$ 199.

Stay and Visit Orofino Tours is not responsible for any third party arrangements, tours or excursions organized independently by the client.

For Hotel Extra Nights please check our Italy Hotels.

We strongly recommend a travel protection plan with Travelex for trip cancellation, interruption, loss of luggage or getting sick.

In addition to the travel protection we recommend purchasing an adequate amount of Euros using Travelex Wallet.