Your Italian adventure begins as you depart on your international flight.

Our representatives will meet you at the airport in Milan. Begin your time in Italy with a stop overlooking Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake. Continue to Verona, home to Roman ruins and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, whose story was set in Verona. Finish the day at your hotel in Verona. (BD)

Travel by boat to the magical city of Venice. Rising between sea and sky, this fascinating city boasts waterways and boats instead of roads and cars, encompassing 118 islands separated by more than 150 canals. Stand in the Piazza San Marco, bordered on three sides by palatial arcades in two tiers and faced on the other by the Basilica of St. Mark, one of the world’s most magnificent churches. Tour the Basilica with its treasure of marble and gold background mosaics. From the square, you can see the famous Bell Tower and the Clock Tower, as well as the charming pink and white Doges’ Palace. After seeing the romantic Bridge of Sighs, enjoy free time to explore on your own. You can shop, stroll along the bridges and canals or even indulge in a gondola ride along the Grand Canal. Return to your hotel in Verona for dinner and overnight. (BD)

Travel to Pisa and snap your photo in front of the famous Leaning Tower. This 180- foot-tall round tower is over 10 degrees out of perpendicular. Originally designed to stand straight, it began to lean during its construction in 1173 and corrective efforts failed. Even without its tilt, the building would still be one of the most remarkable bell towers in all of Europe. Wander the medieval walled city of Lucca, the birthplace of Puccini. Each of the walls is lined with a different species of tree, and together they encompass a town full of medieval churches. Check into your hotel in Montecatini Terme for three nights. (BD)

The elegant city of Florence is nestled between a line of hills and the banks of the Arno River. During your visit to Florence, enjoy the beautiful gardens and a leisurely stroll through the open-air markets. Every street, square and winding alley is a showcase for Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance grandeur. Among Florence’s masterpieces, you’ll see the Piazza della Signoria with its Neptune Fountain and Vecchio Palace, the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral which houses Michelangelo’s unfinished Pietá, the Baptistry which features Ghiberti’s famous Gates of Paradis, and the Academy where you can view some of Michelangelo’s finished and unfinished work, including the awe-inspiring David. (BD)

This morning travel to one of the most charming and picturesque of all the Tuscan hill towns, San Gimignano. Magical medieval towers dominate the town, once numbering more than 70, only 14 towers remain today. Beautiful Siena is built across several hills and valleys. The focal point of the city is the shell-shaped town square which is both a meeting place and marketplace. It is also the venue for the town’s famous horse race known as the "Palio. (BD)

Your journey continues as you travel to Assisi, the charming medieval town once home to Saint Francis. Just two years after his death, the large Basilica was started in his memory. At one time, the land on which the church now stands was an execution ground for condemned criminals. In his humility, Saint Francis asked to be buried there, and it became known as the Hill of Paradise. The church contains his tomb and many great works of art. Finish you day by checking in to your hotel in Rome for your three-night stay. (BD)

After breakfast, enjoy the opportunity to join in prayer with Pope Francis and receive his greeting, blessing, and prayers (when the pope is in Rome). Begin your afternoon with a visit to the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. Six popes are entombed here. Next stop is the Holy Staircase (Scala Santa), brought from Pilate’s Palace in Jerusalem by Saint Helena in the fourth century. Climbing the stairs on your knees is a devotion that many pilgrims perform, and a plenary indulgence is granted for completing this feat. Continue your pilgrim journey to the Basilica of Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls (San Lorenzo). Saint Lawrence was one of the first seven deacons of Rome who were martyred in 258. The church is built next to catacombs that lead down to his grave. Then proceed to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Maria Maggiore), the largest Marian church in Rome. End the day with a visit to the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem (Santa Croce in Gerusalemme). Saint Helena brought Passion relics here, and the floor was covered with soil from Jerusalem. Celebrate Mass in one of the churches. (B, D)

Enjoy a guided tour of the Vatican’s Museums and Sistine Chapel. Built by connecting portions of the old Papal residence with newer structures, the museum houses a world-renowned collection of art and antiquities. The primary function of the chapel is the Papal Conclave, where the College of Cardinals gathers to elect a new pope. Then walk through St. Peter’s Basilica and celebrate Mass here. In the afternoon, explore Baroque Rome; Visit the Pantheon, built by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC to 14 AD) and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD. Enjoy a stop at the Trevi Fountain, where legend says that tossing a coin ensures one’s return to Rome. Return to your hotel for overnight. (B, D)

Begin the morning at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The church features a portrait of every pope who has served the Church, with the face of Pope Francis I illuminated as the present pontiff. Step beneath the surface into the Catacombs of Callixtus, built along the Appian Way. The Mass will be celebrated here, in one of the ancient crypts, a profoundly spiritual setting where many early Christians were buried. Continue to San Sebastian Outside the Walls, another of the seven pilgrimage churches, built over the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian. The remains of Peter and Paul were temporarily protected here during the Valerian Persecution of 258. Proceed to the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem (Santa Croce in Gerusalemme), where Saint Helena brought Passion relics and covered the floor with soil from Jerusalem. In the afternoon, enjoy a visit to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, once the heart of life in ancient Rome. At the Colosseum, you will see the structure that hosted gladiatorial games and public spectacles, while the nearby Forum offers a walk through the ruins of temples and civic buildings that formed the center of Roman political and social activity. Enjoy a farewell dinner and opera performance this evening.

Return home with memories of the people and places of Italy.