DAY 0: OVERNIGHT FLIGHT – Meet your friends and teachers at your home airport.  Fly overnight to Milan.

DAY 1: MILAN – After airport arrival and formalities, join your Exploring Europe tour guide in Milan. This city, the fashion and finance capital of Italy, has a lot to offer. Enjoy an orientation walk through the historic city center, seeing the Duomo, the opera house, and the fashion district. Later, we will get together for a “welcome to Italy” dinner and experience the unique cuisine of Northern Italy. Sleep in Milan for 2 nights. Dinner.

DAY 2: MILAN – Breakfast at your hotel. Enjoy Milan at a leisurely pace today, and according to your interests. Here are some suggestions: Explore the Duomo (cathedral) interior and visit the rooftop terraces, too. Visit the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II for window shopping and enjoying its architecture. Take a spin on the bull’s testicles. The Pinacoteca di Brera has some wonderful masterpieces by Caravaggio and Raphael. It’s a short and scenic walk to Parco Semione and nearby Castle Sforzesco. If you plan months in advance, a visit to Santa Maria delle Grazie church and Da Vinci’s Last Supper fresco is unforgettable.

If you are into Milan’s fashion scene, visit the Quadrilatero della Moda, a historic district packed with boutiques from Prada, Gucci, Versace, Fendi, Chanel, and more. The Brera district has a multitude of vintage shops, boutiques, artisanal artisans, and local markets.

Later, let’s go out to the canal-laced Navigli district for evening ambiance and aperitivi. Enjoy dinner on your own along the scenic canals.

DAY 3: MILAN to FLORENCE – Breakfast at your hotel. We’ll hop on the high-speed train and in about two hours, be knee-deep in the cradle of the Renaissance. Join a walking tour linking together Florence’s famous historical sights, followed by a visit to the Galleria dell’Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the statue of David. Enjoy dinner tonight at a traditional restaurant serving authentic Tuscan cuisine. Sleep in Florence for 2 nights. Dinner.

DAY 4: FLORENCE – Breakfast at your hotel. Visit the Galleria Uffizi with a local expert to experience the world’s best collection of Renaissance paintings. Then, you’ll have the entire day and evening to explore more of Florence on your own. We will include an entry inside the Duomo to see Brunelleschi’s famous dome. Visit another of the city’s museums, check out the Pitti Palace, get in some shopping, or soak up the local ambiance.

For the fashion-conscious folks, why not visit the Gucci Garden, a unique space blending a fashion museum, boutique, and creative exhibitions all inspired by the legacy of Gucci. The Pitti Palace also has a museum dedicated to fashion trends from the last 300 years.

DAY 5: FLORENCE and TUSCANY – Breakfast at your hotel. Take the morning and early afternoon to enjoy more of Florence. A visit to the San Lorenzo leather market for souvenirs and fashion? Lunch and culinary sightseeing at the historic Mercato Centrale? The possibilities are almost endless.

Later, our bus and driver will take us from the big city into the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany. Volterra, one of Tuscany’s oldest Etruscian towns, is loaded with charm, cobbled lanes, fashion shops, and locals… not a tourist in sight. You’ll enjoy setting up here and chilling out for two nights. A local guide, a friend, and an American will show you around her hometown. Then we will have dinner together in a favorite trattoria. Sleep for 2 nights in Volterra. Dinner.

DAY 6: VOLTERRA – Breakfast at your hotel. If you are interested in art and history, join a local expert for a tour of the Etruscan Museum, showcasing one of the best collections of artifacts from the pre-Roman civilization. The remainder of the day is all for you to slow down and fall in love with Volterra, our favorite hilltown in Tuscany.

DAY 7: TUSCANY to SEASIDE – After breakfast, we will hop on our bus and travel to Pisa. Explore the Field of Miracles, the Duomo, the Baptistry, and the famous leaning tower. The town of Pisa is delightful, and you’ll have some time to explore the fashion street, Borgo Stresso, and get lunch. Later, we will take the train along the coast and the Carrara Mountains to the Cinque Terre. We will set up in a small village and have dinner together. Sleep for 2 nights in the Cinque Terre. Dinner.

DAY 8: THE CINQUE TERRE – Breakfast at your hotel. You’ll have the entire day on your own to explore the Cinque Terre. Traveling to and from the “five villages” in the region is easy by train, boat, or foot. The National Park is loaded with scenic trails providing endless opportunities to get out and explore the outdoors. You may wish to stake your claim on one of the many beaches to catch some sun. Each village has its own character, decor, and ambiance, along with plenty of shopping and dining options.

DAY 9: ROME – Breakfast at your hotel. It’s about four by train from the Cinque Terre to Rome. Arriving in the city center, let’s drop our luggage at the hotel and head on over to the Roman Colosseum. Enjoy a walk through the Colosseum and Forum, assisted by David’s audio-guided walking tour. Then, we’ll begin our walking tour of Rome’s historic central core, seeing the Pantheon and several other sights in the area. You’ll have the remainder of the afternoon and evening to do a little exploring on your own. Sleep for 3 nights in Rome.

DAY 10: ROME or POMPEII – Breakfast at your hotel. The next two days, we will split into two groups: Fashion and History. Those with an art and history focus will take the high-speed train to Naples and on to the historic ruins of Pompeii. Here, a local expert will share the history and culture of those living around Mount Vesuvius before its fatal eruption on August 24, 79 A.D. For those with a fashion focus, enjoy a relaxed day visiting more of historic Rome. While not as fashion-focused as Milan, the streets around the Spanish Steps are full of high-end designer shops. In contrast, the Monti neighborhood is home to vintage shops, independent designers, and artisan workshops.

DAY 11: ROME, THE BEACH, OR ETRUSCIAN TOMBS – Breakfast at your hotel. Today, some may wish to take the optional full-day tour, visiting the Tomb of Triclinium and the nearby museum with original frescoes dating from 470 B.C. Others may prefer to remain in Rome and visit the Vatican, St. Peter’s, and other historical sites in the city. Or, perhaps, a beach day? Rome’s beaches are just a short Metro ride from the city center. This evening, we will all get together and cap off our travels with a progressive food feast in Trastevere, a quaint neighborhood across the river. Dinner is included tonight.

DAY 12: HEADING HOME – Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to the airport for your flight home to SLO. 

Itinerary specifics are subject to change.