Italy 2027

244 Days until departure

May 22, 2027 - May 30, 2027

Trip ID: Rhodes-7346

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Day 1 Overnight flight to Venice (Italy

Day 2 Ciao Venice

Meet your tour director and check into hotel

Day 3 Venice

, St. Mark's Basilica, , Glass-blowing demonstration

Details: Venice guided sightseeing tour

Bubbling up on more than 100 islands in a lagoon off the Adriatic, Venice is an absolutely unique and unquestionably beautiful city. Step into Piazza San Marco, an airy expanse of arches, sunlight, and pigeons. The multi-domed Basilica on one end, completed in 1094 but decorated for centuries afterward, is the final resting place of the apostle St. Mark, Venice’s patron saint. The mosaics beneath the basilica’s outside arches depict the arrival of St. Mark’s body, stolen from Egypt in 828 by Venetian traders. The frothy Venetian Gothic Doge’s Palace stands next door. Continue on to a glass-blowing demonstration. Venetian glass has long been considered the best in the world, and its production was such a state secret that during the Middle Ages, any Venetian glassblower who attempted to ply his trade outside the city was immediately arrested.

Details: St. Mark’s Square

Stroll through St. Mark's Square. Bordered by Venice's greatest historic buildings, St. Mark's Square is the center of both the city and its water transportation system, as well as a popular tourist attraction.

Details: Doges’ Palace visit

Discover the Doge’s Palace, once the seat of government and justice in the Venetian Republic. Its lavish rooms, monumental artwork, and intricate architectural details reveal the wealth and influence that defined Venice at its height.

Details: Gondola ride

The ultimate indulgence. Slice through the dark waters of Venice's canals and see the city as it was meant to be seen. The gondola, constructed from 260 separate pieces of eight different types of wood, is perfectly designed for navigating the city -- its flat bottom allows it to glide through the shallow canals, and its tilting uneven shape allows the gondolier to row on only one side of the boat (so he doesn't tangle with oncoming traffic in the narrow lanes!) and still keep it moving in a straight line. The ferro, or iron "comb" on the front of the gondola, counterbalances the gondolier's weight.

Day 4 Venice--Florence

Travel to Florence

Duomo ascent

Watch the sunset from Piazzale Michealangelo

Details: LEAP Great Renaissance Debate

Greet six renaissance giants including Giotto, Galileo, and Isabella d’Este, and debate who made the greatest impact on civilization.

Day 5 Florence

Baptistery Doors, Chiesa di Santa Croce, Duomo,

Cooking class with dinner

Details: Florence guided sightseeing tour

Explore Florence’s rich history on a guided walking tour through its medieval and Renaissance heart. Learn about the Baptistery’s role in civic and religious life, the Church of Santa Croce as the burial site of Italian icons like Michelangelo and Galileo, and the Duomo’s architectural significance as a symbol of Florentine ingenuity. Cross the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge that has survived centuries of change, once home to butchers and now lined with goldsmiths.

Details: Ponte Vecchio

Stroll along the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest of Florence's six bridges and one of the best-loved sites of Florence. Lined with numerous shops, visitors often do not realize they are on a bridge until the reach the center arches that look out over the Arno.

Details: Accademia Gallery visit

Founded in 1563, the Accademia in Florence is one of Europe’s earliest institutions dedicated to training artists in drawing, painting, and sculpture. Today it’s best known as the home of Michelangelo’s David, the towering Renaissance masterpiece that captures the biblical hero at the moment of poised determination. The museum also showcases works by other Florentine masters, offering a deeper look into the city’s artistic legacy.

Details: LEAP Cucina Fiorentina!

Bring your appetite with you and cook up a traditional Florentine meal. With our chef as our guide, we will prepare some traditional Italian dishes and learn about Italian culture through the art of cooking.

Day 6 Florence--Rome

Spanish Steps, , Pantheon,

Details: Travel to Rome via Orvieto

Travel to Rome, stopping to see Orvieto's Cathedral on the way. This Gothic cathedral was started in 1263 to commemorate the "miracolo del sangue”, a miracle witnessed by a priest in nearby Bolsena. He was celebrating Mass when blood began to drip from the Host he was consecrating, and today the cathedral is one of the most celebrated in Italy. The façade is a riot of sharply carved marble, colorful mosaic, and bas-relief. Many of the carvings feature disturbing stories from the Bible, including a vivid image of the Inferno, where the sinners writhe and suffer in lifelike detail.

Details: LEAP Patron of the Renaissance

Imagine you’re a Medici. Suppose you’re a Sforza. Use this innovative activity to explore the motives of the patrons of the Renaissance.

Details: Rome city walk

Take a walk past Rome's most beautiful and unusual Baroque fountains. At the foot of the Spanish Steps, elegant cafes surround the central fountain. The water pressure here was so low that the artist had to sink the fountain into the ground to get any water going through it, so he went ahead and designed the fountain to look like a sinking ship. There's no shortage of water pressure at the nearby Trevi Fountain, a Baroque extravagance designed by master sculptor Bernini.

Details: Trevi Fountain

View the Trevi Fountain, where it is traditional to toss a coin into the fountain to ensure a safe return to the Eternal City.

Details: Piazza Navona

We will spend some time in the Piazza Navona area. Built on the foundations of Domitian's Circus, this magnificent square was designed by Borromini in 17th century. It is full of life and is highlighted by one of Rome's most spectacular fountains, the Four Rivers designed by Bernini. The square is often filled with local artists. The surrounding neighborhood is also one of the best places in Rome to get a tasty tartufo or gelato ice cream

Details: Pantheon visit

Discover the Panthéon, a Neoclassical building in the Latin Quarter. With its facade based on Rome’s Pantheon and a dome reminiscent of St. Peter’s, this beautiful work is a fitting resting place for some of France’s greatest minds, including Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Louis Pasteur.

Day 7 Rome

, Arch of Constantine,

Details: Rome guided sightseeing tour

Gods and gladiators, glory and gore. Ancient Rome lives on in its spectacular monuments, flavoring the frenetic present with tastes of the past. Don a space-age Whisper headset to get the inside scoop on the most spectacular, the Colosseum, a grisly battle arena that seated more than 45,000. An enormous retractable roof awning system kept spectators cool on sunny days. The nearby Forum provides a glimpse into everyday ancient life, with markets, meeting places, and temples all combined into one vast space.

Details: Colosseum visit with Whisper headset

The Colosseum, considered to be the greatest symbol of Ancient Rome's power and glory, was completed under Titus in 80 A.D. The Colosseum could hold 55,000 spectators, on a par with many of today's modern sports stadiums. Among the sights included is the Arch of Constantine, a triumphal arch finished in 315 A.D., commemorating the victory of Constantine I over Maxentius in the year 312 A.D.

Details: Forum Romanum visit

Tour the ruins and excavations of the Roman Forum, which features the remains of magnificent temples, basilicas, and triumphal arches that once formed the heart of the Empire.

Details: LEAP Caesar's Gladiators

Experience a day in the life of a gladiator in ancient Rome. Through demonstrations and workshops, you'll see how the gladiators lived, what they did, how they trained, and more.

Details: Gladiator school visit

Experience a day in the life of a gladiator in ancient Rome. Through demonstrations and workshops, you'll see how the gladiators lived, what they did, how they trained, and more.

Day 8 Rome

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel visit, St. Peter’s Basilica visit

Details: Catacombs visit

Visit the enormous church of St. Paul Outside the Walls, built over the original tomb of the saint, and then descend into the early Christian catacombs, dating from the first to fourth centuries. Thousands of Christians, including Saints Peter and Paul and several popes, were entombed here at one time. There are still signs of early Christianity, including frescoes of fish and doves and inscriptions on the tombs themselves. Overhead runs the Appian Way, the world’s first real highway, which stretched southeast over 350 miles from Rome.

Details: Vatican City guided sightseeing tour

Visit St. Peter’s Basilica, with its vast colonnades that seem to embrace the world. Inside, admire Michelangelo’s soaring dome, rising 452 feet above the ground, and his renowned Pietà. Then step into the Sistine Chapel, where the artist reluctantly painted frescoes that today stand among the world’s greatest masterpieces. Please note that the Sistine Chapel portion of the visit is unguided and will be explored independently.

Day 9 Flight home from Rome

Tour Includes

Round-trip airfare and other transportation described in the itinerary
Basic Medical, Dental, Emergency Evacuation Insurance during trip (U.S. travelers only)
Up to three college credits upon course completion (grades 9-12) or high school credit (grades 6-12) for U.S. travelers only.
Centrally located three- and four-star hotels
Plentiful daily breakfast to start the day energized and ready to go
Appetizing, culturally representative, three-course dinner daily
Full time, multilingual, WorldStrides tour director who is LEAP-trained in experiential education
Local guide at sites and on city tours as described in the itinerary
LEAP! Learning through Exploration and Active Participation; trademarked immersive approach of learning by doing
Entrances and transportation to sites and activities described in your itinerary
Local guide and local bus driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
24/7 On Tour Emergency Support
Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, any required passport or visa fees, optional excursions, or recommended Tips for the Tour Director or multi-day Bus Drivers. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid tips, or other individual/group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.

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Italy 2027

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