ITALY with Ms. Heidi Rose - June 2025

Florence Duomo

20-2 Palazzo Vecchio

Florence Piazza de Signoria

Ponte Vecchio - Florence

Orvieto Duomo

Orvieto

Aperitivi in Italy

Colosseo

Rome Colosseum

stPeters

Saint Peter's Baslicia

Rome - Vatican Museum

Rome - St. Peter's Basilica

The Pantheon in Rome illuminated at night with a crowd gathered.

Rome- Pantheon

Colosseo

JUNE 3-10, 2025

Join your friends and teachers on a travel adventure exploring Florence, Rome, and Orvieto ITALY.  This is a custom and private tour for students and friends of Ms. Heidi Rose.

Scan to Enroll and Sign Up

Florence – 2 nights

Orvieto – 2 nights

Rome – 2 nights

——————————-

$4550 = Double Occupancy

$5325 = Single room

ITINERARY

Tuesday, June 3: OVERNIGHT FLIGHT TO ROME – Join your group at the airport for your overnight flight to Rome.

Wednesday, June 4: BUON GIORNO A ITALIA! – After airport formalities, we will take the local train to Rome’s downtown Termini train station. You’ll have time to shop and get a snack for your trip to Florence. Then, we will hop on the bullet train to Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Settling into your hotel, enjoy getting to know the neighborhood and the nearby Arno River. Later, join your Exploring Europe guide for an orientation walk around Florence, a visit to the San Lorenzo Leather Market, and a walk around the famous Renaissance town. Tonight, enjoy dinner in a traditional restaurant serving authentic Tuscan delights. Sleep for 2 nights in Florence. Train: 3 hours. Dinner.

Thursday, June 5: THE MUSEO ACCADEMIA & DAVID – Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your hotel this morning. Join a local expert to visit the Accademia Gallery and experience Michelangelo’s magnificent “David” statue and other Renaissance masterpieces. Then, take an informative stroll through the streets and alleys of Firenze to learn about its art, history, and architecture. You’ll have the afternoon and evening to explore more of Florence with your friends, teacher, and family.

Friday, June 6: RENAISSANCE ART & ORVIETO – The Uffizi once were the offices of the powerful Medici government. Today, these buildings contain the best Renaissance art collection in the world. A local expert guide will introduce you to magnificent works by Botticelli, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and more! Later, you’ll have a few hours for shopping, dining, and visiting the Duomo. Then, we will take the train to Umbria and charming Orvieto. Situated on an extinct volcanic tufa stone hill, it affords commanding views of the valley below. There are no museums or must-see sites here. Enjoy the small town, cafes, shops, and ceramic artisans. After exploring a bit on your own, we’ll meet for dinner at a favorite ristorante.  Sleep for 2 nights in Orvieto. Train: 2 hours. Dinner.

Saturday, June 7: ORVIETO – You will have the entire day to enjoy Orvieto with your friends and teacher. Orvieto is famous for its handmade ceramics, Etruscan ruins, subterranean caves, and the beautiful Cathedral

Sunday, June 8: HISTORIC ROME – Another short train ride will take us back to Rome’s Termini Train Station. After checking into our hotel, visit the Roman Colosseum and Forum with David’s Audio Guided Tour App. You’ll get an insider’s perspective on daily life dating back over 2,000 years. Then, let’s explore the historic city center looking at the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain. Sleep for 2 nights in Rome. Train: 1 hour. 

Monday, June 9: VATICAN CITY – Join our local expert guide at the Vatican Museum and enjoy an in-depth tour of this vast treasure trove of the world’s finest works of art, capped off with an awe-inspiring look at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Then, visit the massive St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest Christian church. You’ll have some free time today to experience more of Rome with your teacher and friends. Then, let’s meet for a grand farewell dinner to cap off your experiences in Italy. Dinner.

Tuesday, June 10: HEADING HOME –  Return to the Rome Airport for your flight home. You will fly during the day and arrive back home later tonight.

Itinerary specifics are subject to change. Entrances to the Colosseum, Forum, and Vatican Museum in Rome are subject to avilability. The 2025 Jubilee Year and subsequent tourist crowd restrictions may limit access to many popular tourist sites. Exploring Europe will make every effort possible to obtain entry tickets, but note some entrances may not be possible.

 

INCLUSIONS

-Round Trip airfare from Florida to Europe.

-Train travel, as mentioned in the itinerary.

-6 nights’ hotel accommodation (2 Florence, 2 Orvieto, 2 Rome).

-Breakfast daily.

-Group Dinners, as mentioned in the itinerary (3 dinners).

-Entrances and tours, as mentioned in the itinerary. Entrances to the Colosseum, Forum, and Vatican Museum in Rome are subject to availability. The 2025 Jubilee Year and subsequent tourist crowd restrictions may limit access to many popular tourist sites. Exploring Europe will make every effort possible to obtain entry tickets, but some entrances may not be possible.

-Taxes and service charges for all included items.

-Tips and gratuities to local drivers and guides.

-Traditional dining experiences at some of David’s favorite restaurants. Eating well is a priority, and you’ll enjoy fine regional fare featuring the best each locale offers.

-Water is included with all group meals. Sodas, wine, beer, and other drinks are your responsibility.

-A full-time Exploring Europe guide and local experts dedicated to bringing to life the tour destinations’ art, history, and culture.

-David’s tour handouts are delivered electronically and detail each day’s historical and cultural experiences.

-Free luggage tags and David’s custom-designed drawstring backpacks.

-Our Unconditional Tour Price Guarantee, once locked in, will never change.

EXCLUSIONS

-Comprehensive travel insurance is highly recommended and discounted at tour enrollment if you choose. Please note insurance is not included in the cost of your tour, but we strongly encourage participants to purchase a policy during tour enrollment. 

-Credit Card Payments come with a 3% convenience fee. This may be avoided by enrolling in ACH bank payments or paying with a check or money order. 

-Anything not listed in the “inclusions” area is not included in the cost of your tour.

CANCELLATION POLICY

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS:

Deposit- Your Deposit ($400) is fully refundable until December 10, 2024. If you book your tour after 12/10/2024, your deposit ($400) is refundable for seven days. If you book your tour less than 90 days before its departure date, full payment is due immediately, and the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after seven days. After these dates, deposits are not refundable and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation.

Payments- Tour payments are due on the 4th of each month, beginning December 2024, and ending with the final payment on May 4, 2025. Prices are subject to change until group airfare is confirmed.

Due Date

Amount

at sign up/tour enrollment – before 11/25/24

$400

December 4, 2024

$691

January 4, 2025

$691

February 4, 2025

$691

March 4, 2025

$691

April 4, 2025

$691

May 4, 2025

outstanding balance based on final price

See our complete tour Term, Conditions, and Cancellation policy here.

TOUR RESOURCES and Information

Now that you’ve decided to join this tour, we are sure you’ll have some questions.  Don’t worry; we are here to help you through each aspect of your tour from start to finish.

DAVID’S AUDIO & E-PRINT PDF DESTINATION GUIDES

David has a complete PDF and Printable Guidebook for all destinations on his Essence and Best of Italy tours.  You’ll also find downloadable AUDIO WALKING TOURS for Rome’s Colosseum and the Roman Forum.  https://davidmcguffin.com/dg-italy/

DAVID’S VIDEO SERIES: THE BEST OF ITALY

David and his team have produced an episodic video series detailing many of the destinations on this tour itinerary.  They are all neatly organized on his YouTube channel.  Watch the complete series or view one episode at a time on his Best of Italy Playlist.

DAVID’S 60 SECONDS  DESTINATION VIDEOS

Join David as he shares impromptu moments from his travels in Italy.  Watching these short 60-second segments are a great way to experience David’s travel style and adventures. Watch David’s Explore Italy.

DAVID’S TRAVEL TALK TUESDAY ALMOST-WEEKLY BROADCAST AND VIDEO SERIES BLOG.

Every week, when David is not traveling in Europe, he presents a LIVE broadcast on Zoom and Facebook.  Check it out on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.

Each Travel Talk Tuesday session is recorded.  Watch them here.

DAVID’S BLOG ARTICLES

David and his team have answered many travel-related questions, and they are all tucked away on his blog.  But, no need to go there. Just type in a keyword in the search box at the top or bottom of this page (it’s the gray rectangle with a small magnifying glass icon), and you will get results for your query.

PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL OR GIVE US A CALL.

We are happy to answer your travel questions and give advice and suggestions.  tours@davidmcguffin.com   or 800-570-1351.

Testimonials & Reviews of our Tours to Europe

 by Lavon from Colorado on David McGuffin's Tours to Scotland and Wales
Loved Scotland and Wales

The Scotland /Wales trip was wonderful. Scotland is so beautiful, and we loved the small towns where we stayed. Dave was a great guide and so willing to help us in whatever we needed. Ian was a great driver and so nice. His van was super comfortable. We really enjoyed getting to meet Jan and Bobby on the trip and finding out that they had known you for years. They are special people, and we hope they had an enjoyable time in London.
Thanks for doing the trip for such a small group, and I know we all felt that we were very blessed because of it.

 by Julio and Lily on David McGuffin's Tours to Italy
Bucket List Experience!

We participated in the Best of Italy tour in June of 2026. This was our first David McGuffin tour, and certainly not our last. We were blessed to have an exceptional tour manager throughout our trip. Ilaria Mercuri was a gem! Not only did she provided insightful information about the places we visited, but she was also very flexible and accommodating to our needs and preferences. She became family! We can't imagine having this unique experience without her. Transportation between and within the cities was flawlessly arranged. We had two drivers in particular that really stood out (Angelo and Enzo). They were very personable and courteous. Each destination we visited was unique and had its own charm. Our accommodations were excellent! The dining experiences were carefully curated to showcase the local cuisine of each region. It took the pressure of "guessing" off, and enriched our experience. Our experience with the local guides began with Giulia, who was truly a wealth of knowledge, as she showed us around the Vatican. This was followed by Annie in Volterra who gave us an unbelievable historical presentation of this unique Tuscan city, culminating in a delightful wine tasting in a local tavern. Our final interaction with local guides was with Paola in Florence, who introduced us to so many incredible facts and nuances of the culture, including our first "wine window" experience. These local experts enriched our visits to this beautiful country. Every time we encountered a new location, it was definitely a "wow" moment for us. David gave us valuable information prior to and throughout our trip. This helped us prepare for what to expect on our trip. It also included important reminders to include when packing. We couldn't have asked for a better experience to commemorate our 32 wedding anniversary! Bucket list... CHECKED!!

 by Libby on David McGuffin's Tours to London and Paris
London,Paris and Rome on 6/22/26

We had an amazing time on this tour of London, Paris, and Rome! My husband, our grown daughter, and I loved the combination of guided sightseeing and free time to explore on our own.

The walking tours covered all of the must-see sites in each city, and we learned so much from the guides. A special thank you to our tour directors, Jamie and Leslie, who were absolutely wonderful. They were organized, knowledgeable, friendly, and always attentive to everyone in the group. They made the trip run smoothly and helped create such a fun, welcoming atmosphere. The local guides in each city were also excellent and shared fascinating history and stories that made every stop more meaningful.

We enjoyed delicious meals throughout the trip and appreciated having enough free time to wander, shop, and discover places on our own. We also had the pleasure of traveling with two other families, and getting to know them made the experience even more enjoyable.

The only minor disappointment was that our hotel in Paris wasn’t quite as nice as the accommodations in London and Rome. Even so, it was a small part of an otherwise fantastic experience.

This tour exceeded our expectations, and we came home with wonderful memories of three incredible cities. We would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a well-organized, enjoyable, and memorable European vacation. Thank you, Jamie and Leslie, for making our trip so special!

 by Sue, McKinney, Texas on David McGuffin's Tours to Italy
Islands & Amalfi coast

I can't thank David enough for an amazing trip! His knowledge of everywhere we went was terrific. He also had locals to do various tours and driving either around the island or Pompeii and Amalfi coast. The group was fun and easy going. I think that was my favorite part, we had a schedule, but we weren't over scheduled. It was a great mix of planned activities and time to explore, rest or whatever on our own. David helped to make this a fantastic trip! The best part was I didn't have to plan it or figure out how to get around. Will I use David's company, absolutely!

 by Phil & Geny, Garland Tx on David McGuffin's Tours to Italy
A different side of Italy

We took the Sicily and Amalfi/Islands tours back-to-back. Both were outstanding. Every time we saw a line of visitors with headphones following a guide with a flag on a stick we were reminded just how different the experience with David McGuffin's Exploring Europe (DMEE) is from other tours. Our travels with DMEE were very personal. The pace was comfortable and we were able to pause where we wanted to linger, plus we had plenty of time to wander about on our own.

Sicily was Italian, yet different. It seemed each city or area we visited had its own charm. The architecture, customs, people, and cuisine were so lovely. From the backstreet ristorante David knew about in Palermo to the views from Erice, the Dorian Temples in Agrigento, the passiggiata in Taormina, our Sicilian experience was outstanding!

Amalfi/Islands was very interesting too! Ischia has a beautiful castle and gardens to explore. Our group enjoyed a stunning view from the rooftop terrace, where we gathered for some relaxation time together. Procida was packed with stunning vistas, cultural uniqueness, and incredibly talented drivers, navigating the insanely narrow streets. Our favorite memory of Capri was boat ride that circled the island. Just beautiful.

The time in Sorrento included a drive along the world-famous Amalfi Coast Road…which was a great experience. But the best experience we had on the entire trip was our pizza cooking class.

Thank you DMEE for making this a truly once in a lifetime experience. If you’re thinking about a trip to Europe, you must contact DMEE! They treat you like family every step of the way! Ciao!

Page 1 of 38:
«
 
 
1
2
3
 
»
 
Submit your review
1
2
3
4
5
Submit
     
Cancel

Create your own review

David McGuffin Exploring Europe: Tour Operator & Travel Information
Average rating:  
 0 reviews