Forum, Fresco, Lagoon

The journey.

Day 1 · Rome · Land, and do nothing

An overnight flight lands in the morning. Rome will still be there tomorrow, and the first espresso costs one euro ten and is drunk standing up.

Day 2 · Rome · Ancient Rome, before the heat

The Forum and the Colosseum at opening, including the arena floor where they actually stood, with the afternoon left free.

Day 3 · Rome · The Vatican, then the city

The museums and the Sistine Chapel before general admission, then Trastevere in the evening, which is the Rome people fall for.

Day 4 · Florence · North, by fast train

Ninety minutes at three hundred kilometres an hour, city centre to city centre. Flying between these cities makes no sense at all.

Day 5 · Florence · The Renaissance, in one day

The Uffizi and the Accademia with an art historian who takes you to twenty works rather than two hundred. The David is far larger than the photographs suggest.

Day 6 · Florence · Tuscany, or the city

Chianti for the day with a driver so both of you can taste, or Florence at your own pace. Both are right.

Day 7 · Venice · East, to the water

The moment the train crosses the lagoon and the city appears. No cars, no bicycles, no wheels at all.

Day 8 · Venice · The city, on foot and by boat

St Mark's in the half hour before the day trippers land, then getting deliberately lost, which is the correct way to use Venice.

Day 9 · Venice · The islands, or nothing

The glass furnaces at Murano and the coloured houses at Burano by private boat, or a last free day.

Day 10 · Venice · Home

A private water taxi to the airport, which is the only civilised way to leave this city.

What a journey like this includes

• Hotel de Russie, Portrait Firenze and The Gritti Palace among the choices

• Both fast train legs with reserved seats

• The Vatican and Sistine with early entry, and the Uffizi with an art historian

• A private water taxi to Venice airport

• City taxes at all three hotels, included rather than collected at check out

• Schengen visas prepared end to end and breakfast every morning

Build this journey your way

Every day and every hotel here has alternatives, with live pricing as you choose: https://packages.tripn.in/italy-forum-fresco-lagoon