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Italy 2022 ItineraryClick below to see our plans for each day!
(subject to change or rearrangement based on site availability) Day 0: Depart from your home airport and fly to Italy!
Jan 2: If you are interested in having Leaping Hound Travel book your airfare for you, click here! Otherwise, you can book your own flight and meet us in Florence! Day 1: Arrival in Florence and Welcome Reception
Jan 3: Guests arrive in Florence and check in at our centrally located, four-star hotel. Fight the jetlag -- resist the temptation to take a nap as soon as you’ve checked in! Instead, come to our casual welcome reception in the hotel, where we can begin getting to know one another. Will Liz have cute gift bags waiting for you? Oh yes she will. Day 2: Getting to Know Galileo
Jan 4: Today we’ll begin exploring the city of Florence with a walking tour that steps through the life of scientific great Galileo. We’ll also visit the Galileo Museum, a fabulous history of science museum that showcases some amazing artifacts (and a few rather grisly ones!). Still have more energy to burn? Take an optional climb up to the Piazzale Michelangelo to get the best views of the city. The day will finish with a traditional Italian dinner. Day 3: Brunelleschi’s Dome and Italian Wine Tasting
Jan 5: In the 1400s, Filippo Brunelleschi won a contest to construct the biggest dome in the world. Learn stories about this quirky, hot-tempered man, and climb to the top of his dome sitting atop Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (aka “the Duomo”) for a thrilling ascent through Renaissance architecture. Then further explore the cathedral’s baptistery (including its famous golden doors) and bell tower. After that busy morning, spend a more relaxing afternoon learning about important Italian history of another sort with a wine tasting at a local winery. Day 4: The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Jan 6: Today a short train ride will lead us to a day trip to the city of Pisa, where we’ll meander through the city to learn its important place in scientific history. After a delicious lunch, it will be time to visit the world-famous Leaning Tower. Why does it lean? Why doesn’t it fall over? We’ll tour it, including a climb to the top, and find out! And don’t forget to take the traditional “I’m holding up the tower!” tourist photos on the lawn below! Day 5: Historic Fashion and Free Time in Florence
Jan 7: Do you prefer the style of a 16th-century wedding dress, or a mod skirt suit from 1965? Find out when we visit Prato, a beautiful city just outside Florence that has been a center of clothing and textile production for over 600 years. In the city’s Textile Museum, we’ll learn about the design, production, and historical importance of the many fabrics and garments produced there. Then we’ll return to Florence for our final afternoon there. You’ll have free time to spend as you like--maybe shopping, or taking in a fancy dessert in the city’s oldest cafe, or even napping in your hotel room (no judgment!). Day 6: Travel to Rome and Visit Another Country: Vatican City!
Jan 8: Rome is a smooth, easy 1.5-hour train ride south of Florence, and we’ll arrive there by midday. Our four-star hotel is located in the Prati neighborhood, just outside Vatican City. After we check in, we’ll take a short walk over to the Vatican to see St. Peter’s Basilica, then make our way to the beautiful Piazza Navona for a group happy hour. Day 7: The Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and More!
Jan 9: In the morning, we’ll visit the History of Medicine Museum, a hidden gem of a museum that will transport you to an alchemist’s laboratory, a 17th-century pharmacy, and more. In the afternoon, we will explore more of Rome on foot, learning about Galileo’s clashes with the Catholic Church. We'll make stops along the way at some of Rome’s most legendary landmarks, including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. Plus, learn the answer to the age-old question of what Julius Caesar has to do with hundreds of cats! Day 8: Naples and Herculaneum
Jan 10: Take a high-speed train into the ancient past, as we travel from Rome to the ruins of Herculaneum. Like Pompeii, Herculaneum was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 CE. While Pompeii was, and is, the more well-known name (as it was a larger and better-known city than others destroyed by Vesuvius), Herculaneum is significantly better preserved. On our tour through the remains of the city, we’ll learn about daily life in ancient times as we walk through homes, villas, and temples, some of them decorated with still-vivid artwork. After a lunch of authentic Neapolitan pizza, we’ll move on to nearby Naples to tour its excellent National Archeological Museum. In addition to more artifacts from Herculaneum and Pompeii, it also has an extensive Egyptian collection, plus a “secret cabinet” consisting of adults-only materials from thousands of years ago! Day 9: When in Rome...
Jan 11: Enjoy free time to do what you like in Rome with an unstructured day. Want to take it easy and just explore the small shops, restaurants, and cafes of Rome’s historic neighborhoods? Or perhaps pack your day with activity--a trip to the Colosseum, a tour of the Castel Sant’Angelo, or a bus ride to a quaint neighboring village? The choices are yours, but of course, we can help! Feel free to reach out to us beforehand, and we'll be happy to help you navigate the logistics of planning your day, making reservations, or purchasing any tickets you may need. Day 10: Hidden Gems
Jan 12: We’ll spend our day touring some of Rome’s “hidden” gems. Beneath a church near the Piazza Barberini, a series of rooms provide elaborate displays so impressive that you might momentarily forget that they are composed of … the centuries-old skeletal remains of more than 3000 Capuchin monks. After this subterranean adventure, we’ll see something equally memorable above ground: the longest remaining intact stretches of ancient aqueducts in Italy. We’ll view them up close, learn about their ingenious construction, and, if we’re fortunate, we may even get to climb through one of the maintenance passages built for workers! And try not to cry--it’s our last night in Europe! We’ll end the day with a farewell dinner. We’re going to miss you! Day 11: Heading Home (or Elsewhere!)
Jan 13: All good things must come to an end. It’s time to leave Rome. Liz and Adam will be on hand to help you as you check out from the hotel and get ready for your flight or train to your next destination! |
The registration deadline for this trip has passed, but don't worry, we have other great group tours planned that you can still join!
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