Tuscany & the Amalfi Coast (2012)

You depart the U.S. this evening for your journey to Rome, Italy.

You’ll be greeted at the airport by a Grand Circle representative who will assist you to your hotel in nearby Ostia. Gather with your fellow travelers to meet your Program Director and enjoy a Welcome Drink.

After breakfast, you set off for Chianciano, arriving in the early afternoon. Here you will meet your fellow travelers who arrived from their pre-trip extension in Venice. Gather with your Program Director for a briefing and Welcome Drink. Join your Program Director for an Exclusive Discovery Series Italian With & Without Words lesson. You'll be able to use what you'll learn in the days ahead. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.

Join us this morning for an orientation walk in Chianciano. Famous since the times of the ancient Etruscans for its thermal mineral waters, Chianciano still draws visitors who benefit from its natural spa treatments.

When you travel to Radicofani, explore the Old Town, and visit the San Pietro Church, renowned for its splendid Della Robbia terra cotta sculptures. Radicofani lies in the shadow of a hilltop fortress first built in the tenth century. The town and its surroundings saw centuries of fierce political intrigue and conflict.

Then, you’ll drive to Montalcino, where you’ll visit a wonderful winery, Casato Prime Donne, famous for its Brunello di Montalcino wine. This winery is one of the first businesses in Italy to be operated entirely by women. As we sample local fare for a light lunch here, we’ll learn about two of Italy’s defining passions—wine and olive oil—during an exclusive Discovery Series Taste of Tuscany discussion.

Tonight, join us for a Discovery Series discussion on The Art of the Renaissance.

Enjoy dinner on your own this evening.

Explore legendary Florence on an included tour. Set on the banks of the Arno River, Florence came into its own as a commercial and cultural center during the 13th century, when merchants and tradesmen organized guilds that commissioned works of art to adorn their churches and palaces. It was this revival of interest in art and architecture that gave birth to the Italian Renaissance, an amazing outburst between the 14th and 16th centuries that completely changed the face of this Tuscan town. The names of the great artists of Florence define the Renaissance—Dante, Boccaccio, Fra Angelico, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo.

You'll begin your exploration of Florence with a walking tour of the city, stopping at the Duomo to view its remarkable octagonal Brunelleschi dome, one of the most magnificent structures in Florence. While there, you’ll also view the Gates of Paradise, impressive bronze doors that intricately depict scenes from the Bible.

Continue on to the Piazza Signoria, the political center of Renaissance Florence. After lunch on your own, make your own discoveries this afternoon. You may wish to visit one of the many fine Florentine leather showrooms. The art of Florentine leather tanning has been passed down through many generations to the tanners of today. Although machinery has changed with improvements in modern technology, many of the old dyeing techniques have remained virtually unchanged. Or you might decide to visit the Accademia Gallery, home to Michelangelo’s famous statue, David. You’ll return to Chianciano later this afternoon.

Dinner is at your hotel this evening.

The village of Pienza, a Renaissance jewel, is the first example of town planning executed after the fall of the ancient Roman Empire twelve centuries earlier. It is also the only example of a city actually made from a prototype—designed by Bernardo Rossellino, the early 15th-century sculptor, for Pope Pius II. The plan for Pienza was commissioned by the Pope to celebrate the ideas of the Renaissance. Here you’ll enjoy free time to explore on your own—and to discover the many food shops selling the excellent local export, pecorino cheese.

Pienza is a virtual standing museum. The focus of the town’s design is its piazza, which is closed on one side by the cathedral. On the other side of the piazza is Palazzo Piccolomini, which you can visit during your free time. Designed by Rossellino, the palazzo was the home to Pius’s descendants until 1968. The piazza here is one of the places in the Orcia Valley where many scenes in the motion picture The English Patient were filmed. During the visit, you’ll admire the vistas from the town overlooking the valley and a mountain peak that was once a volcano. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant in Pienza before we return to Chianciano.

Dinner is on your own this evening.

Today, explore Assisi, a gem of Umbria, perched on the side of Mount Subasio, with pink granite stone buildings that seem to glow as you approach. The town remains forever linked with St. Francis of Assisi. He was born here in 1182 and renounced his family's wealth to found an order of preaching monks who lived simply and relied on begging to survive. You'll visit the 13th-century Basilica of St. Francis, where the saint is buried and which houses his shoes and tunic. Decorated with magnificent frescoes by Early Renaissance masters Cimabue and Giotto, the unique basilica is one of the most important examples of medieval architecture in all of Italy. Afterward, enjoy some free time to further explore the quaint streets of Assisi before enjoying an included lunch in a local restaurant.

Enjoy the day exploring on your own. You may want to visit Montepulciano and discover the local wine cellars. Or discover your own “favorite” Tuscan town—ask your Program Director for suggestions and assistance.

Or, take advantage of our full-day optional tour to Siena. Discover this medieval walled city, built on three ridges and dominating the land between the valleys of Arbia and Elsa.

Siena was a rich and powerful city during the Middle Ages. From the twelfth century into the 16th century, its banking activities and trade in wool and textiles placed it in direct rivalry with Florence. Its influence decreased after that time, as it spent much of its energies in defense against foreign conquerors.

Today's Siena still retains the air of the Tuscan Middle Ages. The 334-foot slender Italianate tower of the Town Hall soars from the rim of the Piazza del Campo, an inclined, central square that is one of the most beautiful in all of Italy. Surrounding this square are numerous lovely palaces dating from the twelfth to 16th centuries. Here and throughout the city are some of the most splendid examples of Gothic architecture in Italy.

Automobiles are banned from the city center, and you'll enjoy a guided walk in town. You can view the beauty of the palaces, built in red brick with windows decorated by elegant Gothic frames in white marble. Our tour also takes you inside the cathedral, where you will also visit the Piccolomini Library, adorned with colorful frescoes by Perugino, the master of Raphael. You also have the opportunity to view the palace belonging to Monte di Paschi di Siena, a bank founded in 1472.

During our excursion, you'll have some free time to explore on your own before we enjoy an included light lunch. You'll return to Chianciano in time for dinner. Please note: This tour involves walking over difficult terrain for extended periods of time.

Dinner is on your own this evening.

After breakfast this morning, you’ll visit Chianciano’s Etruscan Museum, which has been supported by Grand Circle Foundation since 2006. Here you'll learn about the Etruscan origins of Chianciano, and discover more about this mysterious civilization that preceded the Romans in this area.

Then you’ll tour Cortona, one of Tuscany’s loveliest hillside villages. Serenely situated at an elevation of 1,800 feet on the crest of Mont Sant’Egidio, Cortona offers unforgettable views of the Valdichiana Plain, the mountains of Siena, and expansive Lake Trasimeno—one of the widest and most harmonious vistas in all of Italy. One of the twelve Etruscan cities, Cortona’s central neighborhoods look just as they did when it was a medieval city-state. The fortress overlooking the town was built by the Medicis in 1549, and it was home to noted artists Signorelli and Severini. Ancient tradition holds that the legendary Ulysses was buried here. Closer to our own forms of storytelling, it was here in Cortona that author Frances Mayes bought the home she restored in Under the Tuscan Sun, and the motion picture was filmed here, too, as was Academy Award-winner Life is Beautiful. You’ll have time to explore this town on your own before you return to your hotel in the early afternoon.

This evening, enjoy dinner at your hotel with your traveling companions.

After breakfast, you'll begin the ride to the cliffside town of Sorrento, stopping for a short visit to the hilltop town of Orvieto. Set upon the flat crown of a steep volcanic butte, Orvieto has been an impregnable town since the time of the ancient Etruscans. It was a major center of commerce and learning in the Middle Ages—Thomas Aquinas taught here—and its independent-minded leaders often squabbled with the Papacy. The construction of the 14th-century Orvieto Cathedral is distinctive in its use of basalt and travertine, a variety of limestone. Its three-gabled facade is exceptional, with vivid bas-reliefs, statuary, and mosaic. Also exceptional is the region's distinctive white wine.

You arrive in Sorrento early this evening. With its romantic location on the cliffs over the Bay of Naples, Sorrento has long been the subject of songs and legends. It was here that the mythical sirens, with the beauty of their sweet singing, lured sailors to shipwreck on the rocks.

After breakfast, set off on a walking tour of Sorrento. Sorrento was made for strolling, and you’ll enjoy your walking tour as you see the cathedral, Piazza Sant’Antonino, the Public Gardens, the town’s typical little alleys, and its main square, Piazza Tasso. We’ll take our time on Corso Italia, the town’s main street, and along Via San Cesario, lined with picturesque shops offering food and handcrafts.

Later, you’ll visit children at Santa Maria della Pieta School supported by Grand Circle Foundation. (Your visit depends on school scheduling, summer break, and national and local holidays.)

Enjoy the rest of the day making your own discoveries, with dinner on your own this evening.

Or join us this afternoon for an optional Sorrentine Adventure. Experience the magical time capsule left to us compliments of Mother Nature. Here the ancient Roman past comes alive. We’ll journey into the Sorrentine countryside to learn firsthand the secrets of local agriculture. Learn from a resident what goes into the production of olive oil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and limoncello liqueur. You’ll also learn how to prepare your own pizza in true Sorrentine fashion, topped with farm-fresh ingredients.

Explore Sorrento on your own today. Or, join an optional full-day tour of the beautiful Isle of Capri. Located only seven miles from Sorrento, Capri rises abruptly from the azure waters of the Mediterranean.

Set like a gem in the Bay of Naples, just opposite Mount Vesuvius, this fabled four-by-two-mile island has been a popular international destination since the times of the ancient Roman Emperors Augustus and Tiberius. Capri's natural and man-made attractions are unforgettable. The island abounds in hills, cliffs, olive groves, vineyards, and garden terraces overlooking the Amalfi Coast.

On today's optional tour, you'll be introduced to the charms of this miniature paradise and experience its unique way of life. After a short crossing by jetfoil, you'll ascend by minibus to the highest point of the island and visit the village of Anacapri, which has spectacular views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. After a light lunch, continue to the narrowest part of the island, where you'll visit the small town of Capri. Stroll through the chic shops and the picturesque whitewashed houses and reach the Gardens of Augustus, which overlook the bathing port of Marina Piccola, adorned by the famous Faraglioni rocks. After pausing to enjoy the expansive views of the Amalfi Coast, you'll be at leisure to explore further on your own or to indulge in some shopping or in a refreshing gelato. Return to the port of Marina Grande via the local funicular train in time for our return boat to Sorrento.

This evening, you'll enjoy a special dinner in the hotel. Gemelli, fusilli, orecchiette.... What does it all mean? Find out at our Festa della Pasta dinner. Your Program Director will demonstrate how to prepare different types of delicious pastas and their accompanying sauces—and you'll indulge in the delicious results.

Join us after breakfast for a full-day tour of the beautiful Costiera Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast), sure to be a highlight of your stay in Sorrento.

On this leisurely tour, you'll discover what is perhaps Italy's most beautiful coastline, a UNESCO World Heritage Site richly imbued with centuries-old charm. Ride along its ruggedly stunning shoreline, decorated by colorful fishing boats and wondrous rock formations. Make a photo stop above Positano, and then continue to the town of Amalfi, romantically situated at the mouth of a deep gorge.

You have lunch in nearby Scala before driving up the winding road to hilltop Ravello, where the German composer Richard Wagner found inspiration. This lovely town is set amid vast semi-tropical gardens and overlooks the Gulf of Salerno and the town of Amalfi nearly five miles directly below. We return to Sorrento in the late afternoon.

Join us on a half-day included tour of an ancient Roman villa today. Known as Stabiae, this area was a summer resort and spa for the elite of the ancient Roman Empire, where large and luxurious villas were built. We'll visit one of these spectacularly preserved villas, the Villa San Marco, which became a Grand Circle Foundation Site in 2005. Villa San Marco is one of at least six villas that survive here. By virtue of their size and decoration, these buildings were unique in the Roman world—and still stand today as testimonials to Roman art and culture.

Grand Circle Foundation has donated $26,000 to the restoration of this site and formed a partnership with the Restoring Ancient Stabiae Foundation, which is now in the midst of excavating the ancient settlement. Ultimately, 150 acres of land will be transformed into an archaeological park, featuring the best-preserved Roman villas ever discovered. Please note:This tour involves walking over difficult terrain.

In the afternoon, we’ll introduce you to some of Sorrento’s culinary charms during a Home-Hosted Lunch in the St. Agnello area. Throughout this exclusive Discovery Series event, you’ll become acquainted with Italian social life. You’ll break bread with a family in their home and enjoy the meal in their authentic Italian kitchen. Traditional cuisine here often incorporates the freshest ingredients from the markets. Typical fare includes locally grown poultry accompanied by such homegrown vegetables as eggplant, tomato, and sweet peppers, and, of course, homemade pasta. You’ll even sip wine from the family’s own vineyard.

In the early evening, join us for an exclusive discussion led by an American residing in Italy, My Home Away from Home.

Choose your own restaurant for dinner this evening.

Explore Sorrento on your own today. Or, join us on an optional excursion to Pompeii and Naples. This morning, we'll depart Sorrento for Pompeii. Totally buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 and not re-discovered until the 17th century, Pompeii's antiquities offer you an unparalleled view of Roman life. With your expert guide, you'll explore Pompeii's most significant sites and learn how its people lived, built homes, and conducted business. The World Monuments Fund, to which Grand Circle Foundation has contributed $150,000 for preservation efforts across Europe, cites Pompeii as one of the world's 100 most-endangered sites. After some free time, we'll enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.

Then it's on to Naples, one of the world's most beautiful seaports. Italy's third-largest city, Naples is dramatically situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the looming bulk of Mount Vesuvius. Originally named Neapolis (“new city”) by its Greek founders, Naples has been an important seaport since it was conquered by Rome in the fourth century BC. Colorful and vibrant, for centuries this beautiful city epitomized Italy's national character: chaotic but cheerful. Naples is a city of great contrasts, aware of a heritage that springs from diverse cultural influences: ancient Greek and Roman, Norman, French, Spanish, and, of course, Italian.

Our tour features an in-depth exploration of the National Archeological Museum, one of Europe's most valuable repositories, featuring the priceless Farnese collection of ancient Roman statuary and the many colorful treasures removed from long-buried Pompeii, Stabia, and Herculaneum. We’ll have a panoramic tour of Naples from the bus as we begin our ride back to Sorrento. The cost of this optional tour includes lunch. Please note: This tour involves walking over difficult terrain for extended periods of time.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at one of our Dine-Around restaurants.

Enjoy the day exploring on your own. Sorrento is known throughout Italy for its lemon production, and perhaps you'll shop for some of the fine goods created from local limoni: limoncello, a tasty lemon liqueur; lemon chocolate, colorful ceramics with lemon motifs, or lemon soap.

Gather tonight with your Program Director and fellow travelers for a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

Today, you’ll drive northward to Rome, stopping en route to visit the Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino for some free time and lunch on your own. Set atop a rocky hill, this monastery was established by St. Benedict of Nursia in AD 529. It's one of the last remaining abbeys within the Catholic Church.

Arriving in Rome, you’ll enjoy a panoramic tour of the "Eternal City" that gives you an overview of its main points of interest. You'll see and view the landmarks and monuments that are the signature attractions of this beautiful city.

Join your fellow travelers this evening for dinner at your hotel or a local restaurant.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.