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Road to Rome

12 Days
From $4,813 Was $5,348

Best Rate
Guarantee

Trip Type
Group Tour

Activity Level
Easy

Rating

(20 reviews)

Experience Overview

Take the road to Rome through the cobbled streets of Paris and across the Alps of Innsbruck. Journey through the vineyards of Burgundy and slip across the Swiss border for an indulgent Dine Around meal in Lucerne. Enjoy a feast of local delicacies at a selection of hand-picked restaurants, set along the beautiful lakeside vistas. Voyage across the Dolomites to Venice and bear witness to the ancient skill of glassblowing. Practiced by precious few, this almost extinct artform is led by local craftsmen, intent on keeping the 15th-century tradition alive. In ancient Rome, enjoy fast-track access to the Vatican Museums and see Michelangelo��s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel.

Highlights

Dining Summary

4 Dinner with Wine (DW)
11 Breakfast (B)
1 Lunch with Wine (LW)

Additional Included Highlights

Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

Authentic Dining

Paris: Join your Travel Director and fellow guests at a local restaurant in the heart of the city for a delightful dinner served with wine.
Paris: Join an avid local food lover on a walk through the streets of Paris. Visit a variety of patisseries, boulangeries and chocolatiers and sample local treats and delicacies along the way.
Lucerne: Choose from a selection of restaurants on your Dine-Around Evening and hand-pick your preferred ambience, cuisine and drinks for an intimate culinary experience.
Veneto: Visit a local winery and delight in a tasting of their magnificent prosecco. Meet the vignerons and learn how this local drink has come to rival its well-known counterpart in France.
Tuscany: Visit Il Poggio to learn about organic olive and grape farming. Then enjoy a tasting as you sit down to a fabulous lunch of Tuscan specialties, complimented by stunning views.
Rome: Savor a four-course Celebration Dinner complete with wine, to the rich tremolo of some of Italy's best loved opera.

Insight Experiences

Rome: Enjoy exclusive access to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes during an after-hours visit. This 9th-century basilica’s simple facade guards the world's best-preserved Byzantine mosaics. The history of the church springs to life as you admire the interior’s treasured collection, including Bernini's first sculpture and the renowned mosaics, illuminated for your visit. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is a rare and unforgettable insight into Rome and its religious history.

Make Travel Matter

Stanserhorn: Journey to the top of Mount Stanserhorn on a panoramic, open-top cable car powered by solar energy, and enjoy spectacular views from the summit. Walk along beautiful scenic pathways, keeping an eye out for marmots and other native animals, with the chance to hear a conservation talk by a Swiss ranger, to learn about local wildlife and flora. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 7 & 15: Affordable and Clean Energy & Life on Land.
Venice: Witness the ancient skill of glassblowing, now practised by precious few masters. Watch artisans create delicate works of art using rare traditional practices. The workshop's master craftsmen teach visitors about the traditional craft of glassblowing and its history which dates back to the 15th century. Every visit helps to support the workshop and the survival of this traditional craft. This workshop directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Summary

Visit the Basilica of St. Francis with a Local Expert in Assisi.

Top Rated Highlights

Stanserhorn: Journey to the top of Mount Stanserhorn on a panoramic, open-top cable car powered by solar energy, and enjoy spectacular views from the summit.
Lucerne: See the emotive Lion Monument, Jesuit Church and Chapel Bridge.
Vaduz: Admire the Royal family's residence, Vaduz Castle, which overlooks the capital and is surrounded by year-round snow peaked mountains.
Innsbruck: Nestled amidst majestic mountains, Innsbruck is a beautiful city offering a unique combination of nature, history, and culture. Stroll the streets of the picturesque Old Town, with your Travel Director, learn about its history and admire the Baroque and Gothic architecture.
Venice: With your Travel Director cruise to St. Mark's Square and see the Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark's Basilica.
Pisa: Your Local Expert will show you the baptistery bristling with marble spines, and the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the 11th-century cathedral - the famous Leaning Tower in the Square of Miracles.
Florence: Join a Local Expert to view the multi-colored marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. Visit the political heart of the city, Signoria Square. See the area around Santa Croce Basilica, famous for the quality of its luxury goods.
Assisi: With a Local Expert, find out why the Basilica of St. Francis is considered one of the crowning achievements of Europe.
Rome: During your orientation with your Travel Director see the medieval buildings, including Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches, scattered throughout the city.

Well-being

Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

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Trip Details

Product Code: 1386

Tour Type: Group Tour

Accommodation: Deluxe

Transport: Private

Guide Language: English

Travel Styles: Family, 55+, Luxury

Supplier Code: 141.907A

Starts: Paris, France

Finishes: Rome, Italy

Duration: 12 days

Departures: Not Guaranteed

Physical rating: Easy

Includes

Price

Price per person: (Double Occupancy) $4,813 ($401 /day)

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Paris

Welcome to Paris, enjoy time at leisure to settle into your hotel. During your time here you will see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysées and Arc de Triomphe. Later, join your Travel Director at a local brasserie in the heart of Paris for a fabulous dinner.

Accommodation: Le Méridien Etoile, Paris
Meals: Dinner with Wine

Day 2: Paris, the 'City of Light'

Join an avid foodie, as you head into areas where Parisians go about their daily lives to explore small shops and sample local treats and delicacies. With the rest of the afternoon free, there are countless opportunities to enjoy the lively atmosphere of this glittering city, perhaps join an Optional Experience to see the Paris cabaret?

Accommodation: Le Méridien Etoile, Paris
Meals: Breakfast

Day 3: Burgundy and Lucerne

Journey through the rural French countryside of Burgundy, famous for its vineyards and wines, pass the Jura Mountains crossing into Switzerland. Arrive in glorious lakeside Lucerne. A range of enticing options are available for your Dine-Around Evening. Choose from a selection of hand-picked local restaurants.

Accommodation: Astoria, Lucerne
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 4: Lucerne & Mount Stanserhorn

Explore Mount Stanserhorn on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, as an open-top cable car powered by solar panels take you up the summit. Walk along beautiful scenic pathways, keeping an eye out for marmots and other native animals, with the chance to hear a conservation talk by a Swiss ranger, to learn about local wildlife and flora. Take in the pristine mountain air and, on a clear day, witness views as far as Alsace and the Black Forest in Germany. Upon return to Lucerne, see the town's proud Lion Monument, carved into a limestone cliff and dedicated to the heroic Swiss Guards who died defending King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Then, take some time to stroll across the covered Chapel Bridge to the baroque Jesuit Church. The rest of the day is at leisure to shop for delectable chocolate and glamorous Swiss watches in the traffic-free Old Town.

Accommodation: Astoria, Lucerne
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5: Lucerne to Innsbruck Relaxed Start

Start the day with a journey to the heart of the Alps passing through the Principality of Liechtenstein. See its tiny capital, Vaduz, with its castle located on a hillside overlooking the city. Drive into Austria and continue to mountain-ringed Innsbruck. Your Travel Director will show you the 14th century houses of the old town, the impressive Imperial Palace and the delightful Golden Roof.

Accommodation: AC, Innsbruck
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6: The Dolomites to Venice

Leave Innsbruck to travel across the impressive Europa Bridge and through the Dolomites. Cross into Italy and stop at a local family winery in Veneto to discover the art of prosecco production. Savor a tasting of these luxurious sparkling wines and discover how to make the perfect Bellini. Continue to the romantic city of Venice, Queen of the Adriatic. Long after the day-trippers have returned to their mainland hotels, enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the islands with dinner at a local restaurant.

Accommodation: BW Premier Collection CHC Continental, Venice
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 7: The Magic of 'La Serenissima' Relaxed Start

In the morning, prepare to embrace this most romantic city. See the immense Campanile and Doge's Palace on St. Mark's Square, connected to the ancient prisons by the Bridge of Sighs. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you witness the skill of glassblowers on a visit to a traditional arts center. The rest of the day is at leisure. Perhaps shop in the small arcades or why not cruise the Venetian lagoon to the island of Burano for a meal of local specialties and wine?

Accommodation: BW Premier Collection CHC Continental, Venice
Meals: Breakfast

Day 8: Tuscany, Pisa and Florence

Visit Il Poggio organic farm for a guided walk and learn about organic food and wine production. On the veranda, take in beautiful views of the rolling Tuscan hills, as you taste the farm's wines and freshly produced olive oil. Enjoy an authentic Italian meal prepared with locally sourced ingredients. Explore the nearby town of Pisa with a Local Expert and see the baptistery with its intricate marble facade, the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the cathedral and of course the famous Leaning Tower. Afterwards, travel to Florence.

Accommodation: Indigo, Florence
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine

Day 9: Florence Sightseeing Relaxed Start

Walk with your Local Expert to the marble-clad cathedral and baptistery, where Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory. The next stop is Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces. Spend time gazing at statues such as Neptune and David along the front of the Palazzo Vecchio. The area around Santa Croce Basilica is famous for the quality of its luxury goods of gold and leather and there's free time to shop or continue exploring.

Accommodation: Indigo, Florence
Meals: Breakfast

Day 10: Chianti Country to Assisi and onto Rome

Journey through the vineyards of the Chianti region passing Lake Trasimeno, one of the Italian Peninsula’s largest lakes and site of a great battle in ancient times against Hannibal and his war elephants. Continue up the foothills of the Apennine Mountains to reach delightful Assisi, a stone-built town spilling over the steep hillside. With a Local Expert, visit the tomb of St. Francis and see the beautiful frescoes by Giotto in the great basilica, before continuing along the valley of the River Tiber towards the Eternal City of Rome. In the evening, why not throw your coin into the Trevi Fountain to ensure your return to the city?

Accommodation: Kolbe, Rome
Meals: Breakfast

Day 11: Papal and Imperial Rome

Visit the Vatican Museums, full of priceless treasures collected by the Popes. Insight provides special priority entry to avoid the crowds and admire the Papal art collection. Next, visit the Sistine Chapel to admire Michelangelo’s famous ceiling. Next door in St. Peter’s Basilica, view another masterpiece by Michelangelo, the Pietà, as well as the splendid dome, completed after his death. Cross the River Tiber to see the Colosseum, still echoing with the ghostly cries of gladiatorial combat and see Circus Maximus, the ancient chariot-racing stadium. Gain historic insights from a Carmelite friar as you admire the Farmacia and explore the adjoining 16th-century church. Take in the vibrant atmosphere of this charming neighborhood as you indulge in dinner with wine at a local restaurant.

Accommodation: Kolbe, Rome
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

Day 12: Arrivederci Roma

Bid farewell to the glories of Italy, savoring the memories of its enchanting cities, historic landmarks and stunning landscapes. Italy's unique allure will linger in your heart long after you leave.

Meals: Breakfast

Tour Operator

Insight Vacations (US)

As a global leader in premium escorted travel, Insight Vacations® has been crafting magical journeys for 40 years that embody The Art of Traveling in Style. Through meticulous planning, detailed preparation and boundless passion, Insight’s collection of award-winning itineraries showcases the most outstanding destinations in Europe and North America. Guided by a highly-skilled Travel Director, guests can look forward to traveling in smaller groups, savoring authentic dining and enjoying a range of immersive Insight Experiences.

In Business Since 1978

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Reviews

Joanne Harton - Traveled, July 2024

Customer Experience I had this tour booked in 2020 and then Covid happened. Insight took care of us with vouchering the entire tour so that once the borders were open we were able to book the tour again and there was no hassle whatsoever! Tour Rating This was an action packed vacation and we loved it ! We had enough free time to do the things we wanted to do that weren't included in the itinerary so it worked out perfectly! We loved meeting all the others on the tour and had a lot of laughs with them! What a fabulous vacation!!! It was the trip of a lifetime! We got to Paris 3 days early as there were a few tours we wanted to take that weren't on the Insight itinerary and we stayed in Rome for 2 extra days to do the same. I would highly recommend this as we wanted to go up the Eiffle Tower, visit the Louvre and take a cooking class in Rome. Our tour director, John, was amazing ! He was very helpful with anything we needed and had endless energy and patience ! We couldn't have asked for a better tour director! Our bus driver, Simone, was absolutely THE best!! He was not only a lot of fun and accommodating but he got our huge motorcoach in and out of the tightest spots! We knew we were in good hands with him behind the wheel! John and Simone were always on time and so very helpful!! Thank you Insight for your fabulous employees who treated us like friends!

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/22/2024

Bradley Armstrong - Traveled, June 2024

Tour Rating All of the important spots to see were included and a few surprise tours. I liked getting up early and going! I know some might like to sleep in, but the more we could see and experience, the better

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/12/2024

Anonymous - Traveled, June 2024

Customer Experience The tour guide was excellent as was our bus driver they both made a good team Tour Rating It was a good itinerary and we had an exccelent tour guide and driver. some of the walking tour guides need to slow down for the slow walkers it is very easy to loose them amongst a lot of people

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/05/2024

Angel Stephens - Traveled, June 2024

Tour Rating It was absolutely incredible! We saw everything we wanted to see from Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, Leaning tower of Pisa, the Coliseum & so much more!!

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/05/2024

Anonymous - Traveled, June 2024

Tour Rating This trip was incredible. This journey gives you the ability to see and experience a lifetime of sights, sounds, dreams, and experiences all in 12 days. I can't recommend this itinerary highly enough.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/05/2024

Timothy Schwartz - Traveled, May 2024

Customer Experience Our bus driver did an excellent job and was always friendly. He greeted each us in the mornings with a smile. Lorenzo our tour guide as very relatable and kind. He had great knowledge of all the countries we visited and told some funny stories. Tour Rating The itinerary was full of activities and traveling each day. We did have some free time in the evenings, but you need to wake up about 6:00 am each day to get ready, have breakfast and ready for the days excursions. We walked between 10,000 and 19,000 steps a day, so bring comfortable walking shoes.