Italy Family Journey: Venice to Rome
8 days, Venice to Rome
Itinerary Notes
Prices are based on double occupancy; all other room configurations are on request and cannot be guaranteed. We will accommodate triples/quads whenever possible. Please call for further details.
Family Journeys are designed for groups traveling with children between the ages of 7 and 17. Your group must include a child in order to book, and anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Itinerary
Day 1Venice
Welcome to Venice–your arrival transfer to the hotel is included. Check in and get excited to meet your fellow travelers during a welcome meeting this evening where all families can bond before the Journey ahead.
Shuttle
Travel from the airport to your hotel and get ready for an unforgettable journey.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your CEO will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Savoia & Jolanda Spa (or similar)
Day 2Venice
Take a walking tour of Venice, discovering winding lanes, marble palaces, and cobblestoned squares aflutter with pigeons. Then visit a glass-blowing workshop to watch a master craftsman at work. We’ll learn about the ancient technique of glass production while watching the creation of a unique piece. Afterwards, opt to hop aboard the city’s preferred mode of transportation: the gondola. This afternoon, try your hand at the centuries-old art of Venetian mask making. Watch how the mask mold is constructed and wrapped with papier-mâché, then use the tools of the trade to create your very own masterpiece.
Venice Guided Tour
Explore the city's off-the-beaten-path hotspots and hidden gems with your guide who knows all the insider tips. Immerse yourself in the city's vibrant culture and see Venice from a unique perspective. Get ready for a memorable, energetic experience in one of the world's most romantic cities!
Glass-Blowing Demonstration
Learn about the fascinating art of Venetian glassmaking from skilled local artisans. Watch a master craftsman in his factory as he turns something rather ordinary into an exquisite work of art. Visit the gift shop on your way out to take a piece of Venice home with you.
Your Family Journeys Moment: Venetian Mask Making For Kids
Dive into the atmosphere of the legendary Venetian Carnival and its traditional papier-mâché masks. What were the most popular masks? How were they made? This is a highly creative activity where kids get to choose their favourite mask shape and then decorate with colourful paints, elegant pearls, bright feathers, and much more!
Optional Activities - Day 2 HideShow
Gondola Ride
80EUR per groupSit back and enjoy a different point of view as you glide through the historic canals of Venice on a gondola.
Accommodation
Savoia & Jolanda Spa (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 3Venice to Florence
Catch a train to Florence—celebrated as the birthplace of the Renaissance. In Piazza della Repubblica—site of the city’s forum during ancient Roman times—take a spin on an antique wooden carousel, riding atop galloping horses and gilded carriages. Channel your inner inventor with a visit to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, dedicated to the famed Italian artist and engineer. Explore da Vinci’s creativity and genius as you interact with an astonishing array of machines, brought to life from drawings the artist created hundreds of years ago. Cap off the day with a gelato treat!
Please note that the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum will be closed on Christmas day.
Train
Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Piazza della Repubblica Visit
Join your CEO for a walk to the Piazza della Repubblica - site of the city's ancient Roman forum - then ride on a unique wooden carousel maintained by the same family for five generations.
Leonardo Da Vinci Museum Visit
With over 40 working machines recreated from da Vinci's notebooks, interacting is definitely encouraged at this museum - go ahead, spin those wheels, knobs and levers! Discover the genius of his highly engineered bridges, hydraulic machines, and artillery designs. See a life-size "ornithopter" - da Vinci's dream flying machine.
Accommodation
Grand Hotel Mediterraneo (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 4Florence
Begin the morning with a walking tour of Florence’s historic center, an enchanting warren of stone lanes bursting with treasures. Later, take part in a hands-on cooking class, where you’ll learn how to make fresh pasta—then enjoy it for dinner!
Please note, same-day access to many museums and galleries in Florence may not be possible due to their popularity. We recommend purchasing tickets as far in advance as possible.
Guided Walking Tour of Florence
Head out for a walk through the heart of Florence with your CEO, passing magnificent structures that truly bring the Italian Renaissance to life. Take a new approach to sightseeing by learning more about the artists behind the monuments than the monuments themselves.
Free Time
Enjoy some free time to explore this historic city, home to many Renaissance treasures.
Your Foodie Moment: Florence Pasta Cooking Class
Take part in the tradition of making fresh pasta in a real Italian kitchen, then enjoy your creations for dinner. Preparing delicious foods with simple ingredients and the right technique - it's a skill you can bring back home!
Optional Activities - Day 4 HideShow
Galleria dell'Accademia Visit
20EUR per personAdmire beautiful sculptures by the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, including the famous statue of David, at this beautiful art gallery. Check out rare musical instruments made by Stradivari (who made string instruments) and Bartolomeo Cristofori, the inventor of the piano, at Accademia Gallery's Museum of Musical Instruments.
Medici Chapels Visit
9-32EUR per personAdmire the opulence of the two Medici Chapels. The Sagrestia Nuova was designed by Michelangelo and built as a mausoleum for the powerful Medici family.
Il Duomo di Firenze Visit
Free-30EUR per personThis green, pink, and white marbled 13th century basilica is one of Italy’s largest churches and its brick dome is the largest ever constructed. Wander through the cathedral or choose to climb the 463 steps to the top of the dome and be rewarded with extraordinary views of the city!
Uffizi Gallery Visit
25EUR per personHead to the Uffizi Gallery to see spectacular Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci paintings in person.
Accommodation
Grand Hotel Mediterraneo (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 5Florence
Today is free to explore on your own or take part in optional activities. Choose to join an excursion by train to the city of Pisa and see just how far the tower leans. Those spending the day in Florence can visit the city’s enormous, red-tiled cathedral—known as the Duomo—which took more than 140 years to complete; or marvel at Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia Gallery; experience Medici court life at the Palazzo Vecchio; and more.
Please note that if you wish to visit the Galleria dell'Accademia, the Duomo or Medici Chapels, we highly recommend booking admission tickets online, prior to your departure. Many popular attractions in Europe have a timed ticketing system (i.e. morning & afternoon admission) so please keep this in mind while you are deciding on activities for this free day. Without reserved tickets, there is the risk of waiting in long queues - a little planning goes a long way!
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Florence, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like a visit to the Uffizi Gallery to see the works of the Renaissance masters, marvel at the Duomo and take in the panoramic view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 5 HideShow
Pisa Excursion
15-20EUR per personTake the train to Pisa and check out its famous leaning tower. Wander the area and take photos to your heart's content. Opt to enter the Pisa Cathedral, or enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Medici Chapels Admission
8-10EUR per personAdmire the opulence of the two Medici Chapels. The Sagrestia Nuova was designed by Michelangelo and built as a mausoleum for the powerful Medici family.
Galleria dell'Accademia Admission
9-12EUR per personAdmire beautiful sculptures by the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, including the famous statue of David, at this beautiful art gallery. Check out rare musical instruments made by Stradivari (who made string instruments) and Bartolomeo Cristofori, the inventor of the piano, at Accademia Gallery's Museum of Musical Instruments.
Il Duomo di Firenze Admission
FreeThis green-pink-white marbled 13th century basilica is one of Italy’s largest churches and its brick dome is the largest ever constructed.
Accommodation
Grand Hotel Mediterraneo (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 6Florence/Rome
Ride the rails to Rome, home to one of history’s greatest empires. Enjoy a CEO-led orientation walk of Piazza del Popolo—which features twin churches and a towering obelisk— Then head to a local gladiator school and learn how to become a Roman warrior! Delve into gladiatorial history and examine authentic artifacts including shields, swords, and armour. With the guidance of an instructor, venture into an arena to safely train and fight other new centurions—and feel the thrill of handling your own wooden sword and shield.
Train
Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Spanish Steps
Built to connect the hilltop Trinità dei Monti church with the Piazza di Spagna (or Spanish Square) below, the Spanish Steps are a colourful example of Baroque architecture from 18th century Rome. Opt to climb its 136 steps, or simply watch the crowds weave through this popular tourist attraction.
Piazza del Popolo Walk
Take a walk in the "peoples square" or Piazza del Popolo. Explore the oval "square" admiring the churches and gaze up at the ancient obelisk. This is a perfect place to people watch!
Your Family Journeys Moment: Gladiator School Lesson
Go back 2,000 years in time at the Gladiator School of Rome. First, visit the museum to see and touch authentic weapons and gear used by gladiators and Roman legionaries. Then, learn the basic techniques of gladiatorial sword fighting from a skilled instructor and challenge other new centurions, either in the outdoor arena (weather permitting) or indoors, using play-safe materials.
Accommodation
Bettoja Atlantico Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 7Rome
Step inside the ancient Colosseum, where gladiatorial contests took place before cheering crowds and fierce animals were once set loose. Later, join an optional walk to St. Peter’s Square or choose to visit the Vatican or the Roman Forum. This evening, gather for a festive pizza dinner to celebrate our Italian adventure.
Please note if you would like to visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, you must purchase tickets as far in advance as possible.
Colosseum Visit
Enjoy a guided tour of this famous spot, the scene of many bloody gladiator fights for the entertainment of ancient Rome's aristocracy. Learn from your expert guide and you wander the old venue—a UNESCO World Heritage site—and feel free to walk around on your own. No battles, please!
Optional Activities - Day 7 HideShow
St. Peter's Square Walk
3-5EUR per personWith your CEO, explore St. Peter's Square, located in Vatican City. Created in the 17th century by Bernini, the square has an elliptic shape, surrounded on two sides by colonnades before St. Peter's Basilica. Statues sit atop the colonnades. At the center of the ellipse stands an Egyptian obelisk that was transported from Egypt to Rome during the reign of Emperor Augustus.
Roman Forum Visit
24EUR per personEven with the bustle of modern day Rome whizzing past on Vespas, you can still lose yourself in the fragmented columns and ancient ruins of this plaza, conjuring images of the rich Romans sauntering by in togas. Please note, this must be booked in combination with the Colosseum Visit and will include a visit to Palatine Hill.
Vatican Museum Visit
20-25EUR per personThe Vatican Museums near St Peter's Basilica contain priceless works of art from ancient to modern times. There are many different museums to choose from, but two of the most well known are the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael rooms.
Accommodation
Bettoja Atlantico Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 8Rome
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.