Club ABC Tours Presents
The Best of Italy 2013
History
RESERVATIONS & INFORMATION: Call: 888-TOURS -ABC (868-7722) • Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-6:00 PM Sat-Sun 9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Capri
Visit Italy and fall in love for the first time or all over again. Each city boasts diversity and unique attractions. You will experience some of the most romantic cities on earth, offering a wealth of memories. Discover the ancient ruins and roam the same grounds as the Gladiators did while visiting the Coliseum in Rome. Experience a gondola ride through the romantic canals of Venice. Discover the medieval city of Siena and sun drenched Sorrento. At Club ABC Tours we’ve put together lots of fascinating, awe-inspiring vacations for you to choose from.
Pack your bags and come along with us!
Unbelievable Italy Italy’s Favorite Cities
Rome
Member Favorite!
BOOK & PAY BY OCT 15, 2012 FOR A SAVINGS OF UP TO 9/10 DAYS from
$3374 AIR/LAND ESCORTED
ROME
3
FLORENCE 3 VENICE
2
QUIRINALE HOTEL
★ ★ ★★
BAGLIONI HOTEL
★ ★ ★★
BAUER HOTEL
★ ★ ★★ ★
LAND ONLY PRICING AVAILABLE FROM $2559
s Plu Early Bird 2-day Special!
Book & Pay September 21-23, 2012 only To take an additional $200 off per
couple on this Italy air-inclusive package. Hurry, Call to Book & Pay Now!
PER PERSON/Double Occupancy. For single occupancy add $529 (Apr; Jun 25-Jul) or $679 (May-Jun 11; Sep-Oct).
We’re Slicing up the Savings!
What’s Included • Round-trip transfers included if air and land packages are purchased. Transfers are included with land only packages if booked on designated flights. • Hotel accommodations for eight nights, including hotel taxes and service charges. • Daily breakfast, two lunches and one dinner with wine and bottled water. • Services of a professional tour director throughout. • Full-day guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and Imperial Tour of Rome with entrance to Colosseum. • Three half-day excursions, including a walking tour of Florence with a visit to the Academy of Fine Arts, a guided walking tour of Venice and a Siena excursion. 5
For Terms & Conditions visit www.clubabc.com
$750
Book & Pay by Oct. 15, 2012 & receive an instant credit of $500 per couple. PLUS, if you book any April or May 2013 departure, take an additional savings of $250 per couple! Valid for Air-Inclusive packages only.
Quirinale Hel
Baglioni Hel
Bauer Hel
Palio di Siena
®
Florence
MENTION CODE: “ITALYBEST2013” Itinerary Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Tonight, dinner is in the countryside immersed in the olive groves and vineyards of an ancient farm. Depart for Italy Overnight in Florence. Arrive in Rome Day 8 Venice Clear customs, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel. After breakfast travel to Venice, one of Europe’s most Explore on your own. Overnight in Rome. romantic cities. Transfer by boat to your hotel. After Rome check in, you have the chance to take an optional Morning guided tour. Visit Roman Forum and the Colosseum. Gondola ride. In the evening we start exploring the city Afterwards enjoy lunch in a local family trattoria. After lunch with a guided walking tour. Meet your local guide and continue to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. visit Piazza San Marco to see the majestic Doge’s Peters Basilica. Overnight in Rome. Palace and the Bell Tower, the Grand Rialto Bridge and Rome the Bridge of Sighs. Our tour includes the visit of St. Full-day at leisure to take an optional tour or to discover the Mark’s Basilica. Overnight in Venice. ancient and modern aspects of this cosmopolitan city. Day 9 Venice Overnight in Rome. Spend the morning at leisure, to explore “La SerenisDepart for Florence sima”. You may join us on an optional half-day tour to After breakfast, depart for Florence. Prior to reaching the Lagoon Islands. Overnight in Venice. Florence stop in Siena and enjoy a guided tour. Arrive in Day 10 After breakfast, depart for the Venice Airport for your Florence and spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure. return flight home. Overnight in Florence. Florence This morning enjoy a half-day walking tour of Florence. See the Duomo, Giotto’s Bell Tower and the Baptistery. Stop in Piazza della Signoria known for its Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery. Visit the Galleria dell ‘Accademia to see Michaelangelo’s masterpiece “David.” Afterward enjoy lunch at a typical Florentine restaurant. The afternoon is at leisure or take an optional tour. Overnight in Florence. Florence Relax or take an optional tour to Pisa famous for its incredible Leaning Tower and Campo dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles, to see the Baptistery and Duomo; all fine examples of the Pisan-Romanesque architectural style.
Venice
Super Tuscany The Best of Tuscany with A Day Trip to Cinque Terre
Montatini
OPTIONAL TOUR TO LUCCA, COMPLIMENTS OF CLUB ABC TOURS! s Plu Early Bird 2-day Special!
8/9 DAYS from
$2899
MONTECATINI 7
GRAND HOTEL VITTORIA
★ ★ ★★
AIR/LAND ESCORTED
PER PERSON/Double Occupancy. For single occupancy add $199 (Apr-Oct 2013).
LAND ONLY PRICING AVAILABLE FROM $1899
What’s Included • Round-trip transfers included if air and land packages are purchased. Transfers are included with land only packages if booked on designated flights. • Hotel accommodations for seven nights, including hotel taxes and service charges. • Daily breakfast, one lunch with wine tasting, and seven dinners with wine and bottled water. • Guided tours of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and the Chianti region, including entrance fees as listed in the itinerary. • Full-day guided tour of Cinque Terre in Liguria. • Services of a professional tour director and local guides. • Last day in Tuscany - A special farewell. 7
For Terms & Conditions visit www.clubabc.com
Book & Pay September 21-23, 2012 only To take an additional $200 off per
couple on this Italy air-inclusive package. Hurry, Call to Book & Pay Now! We’re Slicing up the Savings! Book & Pay by Oct. 15, 2012 & receive an instant credit of $500 per couple. PLUS, if you book any April or May 2013 departure, take an additional savings of $250 per couple! Valid for Air-Inclusive packages only.
Grand Hel Vioria
Florence
MENTION CODE: “ITALYBEST2013” Itinerary Day 1 Depart for Italy Day 2 Arrive in Montecatini Enjoy a walking tour, afterwards stop for ice-cream. Dinner at hotel. Lucca Day 3 Chianti Region Visit Greve in Chianti, the leading town of the Gallo Nero’s region, with innumerable vineyards that produce the worldwide well-known Chianti and “Super Tuscan” wines. Enjoy a wine tasting followed by a light lunch at the Castle of Verrazzano. Continue to San Gimignano, a town of Etruscan origin. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. Day 4 Siena After breakfast, depart for your full-day excursion to Siena, the city of Gothic par excellence. Siena offers much to see; from the fine palaces that line the narrow cobbled streets and the superb Duomo (entrance fee included), to the celebrated Piazza del Campo where the famed Palio horserace is run yearly. Afternoon at leisure for shopping and exploring the city on your own. Dinner is at the hotel. Day 5 Optional Lucca Tour Today is at leisure. After lunch, depart for an optional excursion to Lucca. Day 6 Florence This morning depart for a full-day excursion to Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance. See the Cathedral, the Baptistery and Piazza della Signoria. Visit the San Lorenzo market, the jewelry laboratories
on the famed Ponte Vecchio and enter the Accademia Gallery (entrance fee included), particularly famous for its sculptures by Michelangelo and especially the statue of David. Dinner is at the hotel tonight Day 7 La Spezia Depart early in the morning for La Spezia, a coastal town along the Mediterranean Sea. Take a ferryboat to the Cinque Terre and Portovenere (weather permitting), one of the most beautiful areas of the Liguria Region. Here, five small villages are suspended between sea and earth. Return to the hotel for dinner. Day 8 Montecatini Spend the day at leisure or, if you wish, join us in a Montecatini Alto Tour with light lunch in the medieval square. Dinner is at the hotel tonight. Day 9 Return Home Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
Montatini
Amal Coast
BOOK & PAY BY OCT 15, 2012 FOR A SAVINGS OF UP TO
s Plu Early Bird 2-day Special!
8/9 DAYS from
$2899
$750
AMALFI COAST 7 (VIETRI SUL MARE)
HOTEL RAITO *
★ ★ ★★ ★
AIR/LAND ESCORTED
PER PERSON/Double Occupancy. For single occupancy add $599.
Book & Pay September 21-23, 2012 only To take an additional $200 off per
couple on this Italy air-inclusive package. Hurry, Call to Book & Pay Now!
*Seaview room upgrades may be available for an additional $199/$598 double/single.
LAND ONLY PRICING AVAILABLE FROM $1899
What’s Included • Round-trip transfers included if air and land packages are purchased. Transfers are included with land only packages if booked on designated flights. • Hotel accommodations for seven nights, including hotel taxes and service charges. • Daily breakfast, three lunches, three dinners with wine and bottled water. • Excursions to Pompeii, Naples, Paestum (including entrance fees where applicable). • Full-day excursion to Amalfi & Positano by boat. • Excursion to Sorrento with a visit to a farmhouse. • Half day visit of Ravello. • Services of a professional tour director throughout. 9
For Terms & Conditions visit www.clubabc.com
We’re Slicing up the Savings! Book & Pay by Oct. 15, 2012 & receive an instant credit of $500 per couple. PLUS, if you book any April or May 2013 departure, take an additional savings of $250 per couple! Valid for Air-Inclusive packages only.
Hel Raito
MENTION CODE: “ITALYBEST2013” Book Your Optional Tours With Us! Depart the hotel and transfer to Salerno’s harbor and journey to Capri by high-speed boat. Upon arrival to the port, transfer by minibus to Anacapri. Free time to visit Villa San Michele, located on the north-eastern side of Anacapri. Return to Capri for lunch (not included). In the early afternoon, take a walk to Augustus' Gardens. Free time to see the Blue Grotto if you wish before returning to the hotel. $140 per person includes coach transfers, high speed boat, guide and entrances.
Itinerary Day 1 Depart for Italy Day 2 Arrive in Amalfi Coast Transfer to Vietri and spend the remainder of the day at leisure. Later, enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel. Day 3 Amalfi-Positano Full-day excursion by boat (weather & schedule permitting) exploring the Amalfi Coast. Stop in Amalfi, which was once a seafaring Republic rivalling Genoa, Venice and Pisa. Visit Positano, the pearl of the Amalfi Coast. Dinner at a local restaurant tonight. Day 4 Sorrento After breakfast, depart for Sorrento, a lovely resort situated on the Sorrento Peninsula. Admire the beauty of the old palaces and the Durazzo Portals, evidence of the wealth of the many noble families living in the area. Later we transfer to a local farmhouse overlooking the bay for a delightful lunch to taste regional cuisine.
Day 5 Naples Today we visit Pompeii, Italy’s most famous and unique archeological site. Pompeii is now, a World Heritage site. We will drive to Naples, the capital of the Campania region. Enjoy a Pizza lunch in a typical pizzeria. Afterwards, visit the historical center of Naples. Highlights of the tour include Old Town, Posillipo, Piazza del Plebiscito, San Carlo Theatre, and its castles. Day 6 Day at Leisure Optional Tour to Capri Available. Day 7 Paestum Visit Paestum, where you’ll see its Greek temples, the impressive and solemn churches and the splendidly preserved walls, one of the most famous and important archaeological sites in Italy.Before visiting the excavations we will stop at an authentic Mozzerella cheese factory for a demonstration and lunch. Day 8 Ravello Half-day excursion to Ravello Ravello. A renowned musical festival is held in Ravello every year, with classical music concerts taking place in gardens with breathtaking views. Visit Rufolo and the medieval cathedral. Spend the afternoon at leisure to relax at the hotel or for some last minute shopping. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner in a local restaurant. Day 9 Return Home After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight. 10
Discover Sicily A Special Place in the Mediterranean
Palermo
BOOK & PAY BY OCT 15, 2012 FOR A SAVINGS OF UP TO
8/9 DAYS
PALERMO
3
WAGNER HOTEL
★★★★★
$2899
AGRIGENTO
1
BAIA DI ULISSE
★★★★
NAXOS (Taormina)
3
SANT’ ALPHIO
★★★★
from
AIR/LAND ESCORTED
PER PERSON/Double Occupancy. For single occupancy add $299.
s Plu Early Bird 2-day Special!
Book & Pay September 21-23, 2012 only To take an additional $200 off per
couple on this Italy air-inclusive package. Hurry, Call to Book & Pay Now!
LAND ONLY PRICING AVAILABLE FROM $1799
We’re Slicing up the Savings! Book & Pay by Oct. 15, 2012 & receive an instant credit of $500 per couple. PLUS, if you book any April or May 2013 departure, take an additional savings of $250 per couple!
What’s Included • Round-trip transfers included if air and land packages are purchased. Transfers are included with land only packages if booked on designated flights. • Hotel accommodations for seven nights, including hotel taxes and service charges. • Daily breakfast, two lunches, five dinners with wine and bottled water. • Services of a professional tour director throughout. • Four half-day excursions to Palermo, Monreale, Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples, Caltagirone and Taormina (including all entrance fees). 11 For Terms & Conditions visit www.clubabc.com
$750
Valid for Air-Inclusive packages only.
Wagner Hel
Baia Di Ulie
Naxos
Taormina
Agrigento
MENTION CODE: “ITALYBEST2013” Book Your Optional Tours With Us! Erice & the Salt Road Visit Erice, drive along saltpans and Sicilian windmills. Visit an Oil Mill and Farmhouse, have a country style lunch. Approx 6 hours. Includes coach and guide. $84 per person.
Mount Etna Visit the largest active volcano in Europe. Approx 3 hours. Includes coach and guide, $55 per person.
Siracusa Enjoy a guided visit of the archaeological park of Neapolis, the Latomie Paradise and the Dionysius “Ear.” Visit the small baroque island of Ortigia. Approx 8 hours. Includes coach, guide and entrance. $90 per person.
Itinerary Day 1 Depart for Italy Day 2 Arrive in Palermo Meet your guide and transfer to your hotel. Spend the afternoon at leisure. You are in Sicily, land of art, culture, history, natural beauty and great food. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening at a local restaurant. Overnight in Palermo. Day 3 Palermo Start your half-day guided tour of Palermo with a visit to the Palatine Chapel inside the Norman Palace. Visit Monreale, with its spectacular Duomo famed for its 12th and 13th century mosaics. Continue across the countryside to the Valle dello Jato, a miracle of colors, perfumes and sceneries. Enjoy a country style lunch at a local farm. Return to Palermo for overnight.
Day 4 Palermo Today is at leisure or take an optional tour to Erice and the Salt Road. Return to Palermo for overnight. Day 5 Palermo-Agrigento After breakfast, transfer to Agrigento. Along the way, we stop at the Regaleali Estate of the Tasca d’Almerita family, which has been a thriving enterprise for more than 150 years, appreciated throughout the world for award-winning wines. After visiting the Estate and the winery, we are welcomed in the country house of the Tasca family for a traditional Sicilian lunch. Our lunch includes a wine tasting. Return to the hotel in Agrigento for dinner and overnight. Note: In August, Regaleali is closed and we will visit a similar estate. Day 6 Agrigento-Naxos/Taorminas After breakfast, depart for a guided visit to the “Valley of the Temples,” a UNESCO World Heritage site. Continue on to Naxos/Taormina with a stop in Caltagirone, a small charming town known as the city of the ceramics. Visit one of the most prestigious Sicilian pottery factories to learn the secrets and see the phases of the production. Arrive at the hotel in Naxos/ Taormina in time to settle-in for dinner and overnight. Day 7 Naxos/Taormina Enjoy the morning at leisure or take an optional tour to Mount Etna. Late in the morning transfer to Taormina and enjoy your half-day tour with your local guide. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Day 8 Naxos/Taormina Today is at leisure to relax or take an optional tour to Siracusa. Dinner is at the hotel this evening. Day 9 Return Home Transfer to the airport for your return flight home. 12
Montatini A Touch of Tuscany
Phenominal Value!
Montatini Alto
Book by Oct 15, 2012 and Get The Car Rental for FREE! s Plu Early Bird 2-day Special!
9 DAYS from
$1899
MONTECATINI
7
GRAND HOTEL VITTORIA
★ ★★ ★
AIR/LAND HOSTED
Book & Pay September 21-23, 2012 only To take an additional $200 off per
couple on this Italy air-inclusive package. Hurry, Call to Book & Pay Now!
PER PERSON/Double Occupancy. Single occupancy add $399.
What’s Included • Round-trip flights from New York (JFK) or Newark including government fees, taxes and fuel surcharges (see Terms & Conditions under Pricing for details). Other gateways available at an additional cost. • Round-trip airport/hotel transfers. • Hotel accommodations for seven nights, including hotel taxes and service charge. • Daily breakfast, seven dinners with wine and bottled water. • Services of a local host. • Free parking at the hotel.
13
ONE WEEK CAR RENTAL FROM ONLY $29!
Personalize your itinerary in Tuscany by renting a car and enjoy day-trips to the hidden treasures of this beautiful and fascinating region: Pisa, Lucca, Siena, Volterra, San Gimignano and Montepulciano. Visit the Chianti area and enjoy some of the world’s best wines. Stop at the many trattorias along the way and savor wholesome and genuine regional dishes. Book your Montecatini – A Touch of Tuscany program and we will offer you a car rental, Category B, FIAT Panda 1.2 manual transmission or similar for one week for only $29 per person when two people share a car. Valid for pick-up and drop-off at the airport at time of your flight arrival and departure in Tuscany. Upgrades and single use are available on request. Rates include: Unlimited mileage third party liability insurance (RCA), collision damage waiver reduction (TRP), airport charges, road tax, VAT tax and 24-hour road assistance.
Sienna
MENTION CODE: “ITALYBEST2013” Itinerary Day 1 Depart for Italy Days 2-8 Arrive in Italy and transfer to your hotel in Montecatini. For centuries, Montecatini has been an exclusive world-renowned spa resort, famed for its spring waters, thermal baths and spa treatments. Enjoy time exploring Tuscany on your own. Spend the day in Florence, where its striking buildings and galleries attest to the Florentine love of display. Visit Siena, the medieval walled city and center of the Tuscany region. You can enjoy the day in the Chianti region, considered by many visitors as “the most beautiful countryside in the world.” Famous for its wine, Tuscany enchants every visitor with the beautiful architecture of its medieval small towns, castles, and stone farm houses. Optional tours are available during your stay. Breakfast and dinner are included daily at your hotel. Day 9 Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
Grand Hel Vioria
Optional Extension Relax and rejuvenate Dolce far Niente (the art of doing nothing). Extend your stay at the Vittoria Hotel for one week. Add double/single $599/$759 per person. Includes: Seven nights accommodations, with seven breakfasts and seven dinners. An airfare deviation surcharge may apply.
Tuscany
Soento, Rome, Florence And a Day Trip to Venice!
Soento
BOOK & PAY BY OCT 15, 2012 FOR A SAVINGS OF UP TO
10/11 DAYS
SORRENTO
3
VESUVIO HOTEL HILTON HOTEL
ROME
3
QUIRINALE HOTEL ★ ★ ★★ BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL ★ ★ ★★
FLORENCE
3
BAGLIONI HOTEL
★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★
from
$3399 AIR/LAND ESCORTED
★ ★ ★★
$750
s Plu Early Bird 2-day Special!
Book & Pay September 21-23, 2012 only To take an additional $200 off per
couple on this Italy air-inclusive package. Hurry, Call to Book & Pay Now!
PER PERSON/Double Occupancy. For single occupancy add $1099 (Apr-Jun; Sep-Oct) or $999 (Jul & Aug).
LAND ONLY PRICING AVAILABLE FROM $2299
What’s Included • Round-trip transfers included if air and land packages are purchased. Transfers are included with land only packages if booked on designated flights. • Hotel accommodations for nine nights including hotel taxes and service charges. • Daily breakfast, one lunch and three dinners with wine and bottled water. • Services of a professional tour director throughout. • Full-day excursion along the picturesque Amalfi Coast. • Full-day excursion to Venice.
15
We’re Slicing up the Savings! Book & Pay by Oct. 15, 2012 & receive an instant credit of $500 per couple. PLUS, if you book any April or May 2013 departure, take an additional savings of $250 per couple! Valid for Air-Inclusive packages only.
Hilton Hel
Beverly Hills
Baglioni Hel
Florence
Rome
MENTION CODE: “ITALYBEST2013”
Book Your Optional Tours With Us!
Pompeii & Capri - Includes coach, boat transfer, guide and entrance. $175 per person.
Day 6
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel We avoid lines by pre-assigned reservations. $90 per person. Imperial Rome - Includes coach, guide and entrance. $81 per person. Uffizi Gallery - Includes entrance fee. $45 per person. Gondola Ride in Venice - $50 per person.
Day 7
Itinerary Day 1 Depart for Italy Day 2 Arrive in Sorrento Meet your Tour Escort and transfer to your hotel. Spend the afternoon at leisure. Dinner this evening at the hotel. Day 3 Sorrento After breakfast, enjoy a full-day excursion by boat (weather & schedule permitting) exploring the Amalfi Coast. If the excursion is by boat we will visit Positano, if by bus then we will visit Ravello. Return to Sorrento in the afternoon for overnight. Day 4 Sorrento Today is a full-day at leisure, optional tours available. Enjoy dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Sorrento. Day 5 Sorrento-Rome
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10 Day 10
After breakfast, depart for Rome. We will visit the Roman countryside. Stop for a taste of local wine, typical products and to absorb the flavor of village life.Arrive in Rome in the afternoon and enjoy the evening at leisure. Rome After breakfast, depart for a walking tour of Rome. Stroll along the historical quarters, locally called “Rioni.” Visit the Pantheon, Navona Square, Bernini’s masterpiece and Campo dei Fiori. Afternoon at leisure; we recommend taking the optional tour to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Overnight in Rome. Rome Enjoy the day at leisure or take an optional tour to discover ancient Imperial Rome. Overnight in Rome. Rome-Florence After breakfast at the hotel, depart for Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance. Marvel at the Duomo. Stop in Piazza della Signoria and see Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery (entrance not included). End the tour visiting a renowned artistic laboratory to learn the secrets of mosaics production from the masters. Florence Today, take a full-day trip to visit one of Europe’s most romantic cities, Venice. Return to Florence for overnight. Florence Enjoy this day at leisure to or take an optional tour. Return Home After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight home. 16
Cooking in Noble Tuscany
Includes visits to noble homes, wine cellars, olive presses and more!
Phenominal Value!
9 DAYS from
$2199 AIR/LAND ESCORTED
MONTECATINI
7
GRAND HOTEL VITTORIA
★ ★★ ★
PER PERSON/Double Occupancy. For single occupancy add $200.
LAND ONLY PRICING AVAILABLE FROM $1699
What’s Included
Early Bird 2-day Special! Book & Pay September 21-23, 2012 only To take an additional $200 off per couple on this Italy air-inclusive package. Hurry, Call to Book & Pay Now!
Grand Hel Vioria
• Round-trip transfers included if air and land packages are purchased. Transfers are included with land only packages if booked on designated flights. • Hotel accommodations for seven nights, including hotel taxes and service charges. • Daily breakfast, seven dinners and three lunches with wine and bottled water. • Three hands-on cooking lessons with your host Gianfranco in three different Tuscan settings. • Visit to noble homes, wine cellars, olive press, bakery and pastry shops, coffee torrefaction, cheese preparation, and more…with tasting of course! • Services of a professional tour director throughout. 17
Giananco, Tour Host
MENTION CODE: “ITALYBEST2013”
Tuscany
Itinerary Day 1 Day 2
Depart for Italy Arrive in Montecatini Arrive in Italy, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel in Montecatini. Enjoy a welcome aperitif with your host Gianfranco and discuss the itinerary for the week. The easy-going Italian way of life, La dolce vita, reflects the Italian custom of gathering friends and family together for good wine, delicious food and great conversations. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. Days 3-4 Cooking Classes After breakfast, visit the chocolate laboratory of the doyen of Tuscan chocolatiers, Andrea Slitti. Continue to a local olive press to follow all the different production stages of extra virgin olive oil and to taste the newly pressed olive oil. Travel to a local farmhouse, where your hands-on cooking class “from farm to table” begins. Gianfranco, along with Daniela, the owner of the farmhouse, will show how only the finest and freshest ingredients are chosen. The meals will be prepared using the local products of the farm and served with local wines. After your cooking class and lunch, visit a pastry shop where the delicious Brigidini wafers are made…an absolute must! Dinner is at the hotel this evening.Enjoy your second Tuscan “hands-on” cooking experience at the “Tenuta di Capezzana.” Located in the region of Carmignano, Capezzana estate is one of the authentic jewels of this region. You will visit the olive press, the underground wine cellars and the
Day 5 Day 6
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
ancient "Vinsantaia" (holy wine cellar). Experience with Gianfranco the transformation of grapes into wine and taste local wines. The chef of the Contini-Bonacossi family will assist participants in the preparation of traditional recipes passed down through generations. After your cooking class, lunch and local wine tasting, return to the hotel. Dinner is at the hotel. San Gimignano Full-day tour of San Gimignano. Dinner is at the hotel. Buggiano Enjoy this morning at your leisure. In the afternoon, Gianfranco will take you to a local “Torrefazione” to taste a real true Italian espresso. Continue to the ancient medieval village of Buggiano and enjoy a pizza dinner in a local trattoria. Cooking Class Visit a Tuscan bakery to taste typical Tuscan bread and focaccia. Continue to a local farmhouse for your third cooking experience. Continue to Volterra and enjoy the afternoon at leisure to explore this magnificent Etruscan town. Dinner this evening at the hotel. Montecatini Spend this morning at your leisure exploring Montecatini. In the afternoon enjoy a farewell aperitif followed by Cooking School graduation and dinner. Return Home After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight. 18
Italy’s Northern Splendors Speacular Italian Lak, Fashionable Milan, Da Vinci’s Last Suer, Violin Mini-Concerto in Cremona, Verdi’s Parma, Bologna - the Epicurean Capital, Romeo and Juli in Verona and the Serene Queen the Adriatic - Venice, all await you…
Stra
BOOK & PAY BY OCT 15, 2012 FOR A SAVINGS OF UP TO 9/10 DAYS
STRESA
4
GRAND HOTEL BRISTOL
$3699
PARMA
2
HOTEL PALACE MARIA LUIGIA ★ ★ ★★
AIR/LAND ESCORTED
VENICE
2
HILTON MOLINO STUCKY
from
★ ★ ★★
★ ★ ★★ ★
PER PERSON/Double Occupancy. For single occupancy add $759.
LAND ONLY PRICING AVAILABLE FROM $2759
What’s Included • Round-trip transfers included if air and land packages are purchased. Transfers are included with land only packages if booked on designated flights. • Hotel accommodations for eight nights, including hotel taxes and service charges. • Daily breakfast, one lunch and four dinners with wine and bottled water. • Visit of Isolabella and Pescatori Island of Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano and Lake Como. • Visit Cremona, home of the Stradivarius violin, Parma, Lugano, Bologna, Verona and Venice. • Visit Milan’s fashionable center with a visit to view da Vinci’s Last Supper. • Services of a professional tour director throughout. • Entrance fees where indicated. 19
$750
s Plu Early Bird 2-day Special!
Book & Pay September 21-23, 2012 only To take an additional $200 off per
couple on this Italy air-inclusive package. Hurry, Call to Book & Pay Now! We’re Slicing up the Savings! Book & Pay by Oct. 15, 2012 & receive an instant credit of $500 per couple. PLUS, if you book any April or May 2013 departure, take an additional savings of $250 per couple! Valid for Air-Inclusive packages only.
Grand Hel Bristol
Maria Luigia
Hilton Molino Stucky
Venice
MENTION CODE: “ITALYBEST2013”
Parma
Itinerary Day 1 Depart for Italy catessens) for a journey into the culinary traditions. Day 2 Arrive in Stresa In the afternoon visit Modena to experience how Italy’s Arrive in Italy. Meet your Tour Escort and transfer to “liquid gold” or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale is made. your hotel in Stresa. Welcome dinner is at the hotel. Dinner is at the vinegar plant “Acetaia.” Overnight in Day 3 Stresa-Isola Bella/Isola Pescatori-Stresa Parma. After breakfast, enjoy a cruise to the Borromean Day 8 Parma-Venice Islands and stop at Isola Bella to visit the Borromean After breakfast, transfer to Venice for two nights. Stop Palace with its splendid paintings and its botanical in Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to see Romeo gardens. Later we reach Isola Pescatori. Lunch is at a & Juliet’s balcony. Arrive in Venice. The afternoon is at local restaurant. Return to Stresa, rest of the afterleisure to explore noon at leisure. Day 9 Venice Day 4 Stresa-Lake Maggiore/Lugano Today, enjoy a guided walking tour starting from Depart for a full-day excursion to the Italian lakes, Piazza San Marco. See the majestic Doge’s Palace, Maggiore, Lugano and Como. Return to Stresa for visit St. Mark’s Basilica. Afternoon at leisure or join us overnight. on an optional tour to the Lagoon Islands. Overnight in Day 5 Stresa-Milan Venice. Enjoy a full-day excursion to Milan and discover the Day 10 Return Home legacy that da Vinci and Michelangelo left behind. Transfer to the Venice airport. Depart for your flight Visit the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, to take home. in Leonardo da Vinci’s mural “The Last Supper” (schedule permitting). See the magnificent Castello Sforzesco with its many museums. Continue for a walking tour. Free time for shopping. Return to Stresa. Enjoy dinner at hotel. Day 6 Stresa-Parma Book Your Optional Tours With Us! Depart for Parma, with a stop in Cremona. Enjoy an Gondola Ride in Venice - See the sights of this magnificent orientation tour and visit the Violin Museum followed city. $45 per person. by a violin mini-concert. Proceed to Parma, home to Verdi. Enjoy a walking tour. Dinner is at a local restauThe Lagoon Islands - Visit Venice’s Murano, Burano & rant. Torcello. Includes boat transfer and guide. $33 per person. Day 7 Parma-Bologna After breakfast, depart for Bologna. After the city tour experience one of the oldest Gastronomias (deli20