Tour Details - Best of Italy and Greece Plus 3 Day Aegean Cruise Superior 2012

Welcome to Rome, the Eternal City! Join your fellow travellers and your Travel Director this evening at a Welcome Reception. It’s the ideal opportunity to get to know everyone! Later you will enjoy an orientation drive through the city and see sights such as St. Peter’s Basilica – a perfect start to your holiday!(Welcome Reception)

Hear the fascinating history of the Vatican Museums during your sightseeing tour with your expert Local Guide this morning. Visit the Sistine Chapel and see Michelangelo’s famous painted ceiling. View the Pieta inside St. Peter’s Basilica. Across the Tiber in ancient Rome, view the Forum and the Circus Maximus, where chariot racing was held. Visit the mighty Colosseum, site of gladiatorial battles! Spend the rest of the day seeing the sights of your choice or experience ‘la dolce vita’ on the Via Veneto.(Buffet Breakfast)

Visit the Commonwealth Cemetery near Monte Cassino. Travel via Campania to Pompeii, where your expert Local Guide shows you the famous excavations. Arrive later in Sorrento for a two-night stay. Tonight, savour a delicious Be My Guest home-cooked dinner in a restaurant surrounded by lemon groves!(Buffet Breakfast / Be My Guest dinner)

See a demonstration of the art of inlaid woodwork in Sorrento, for which the area is renowned. Cruise to the Isle of Capri, and ascend by funicular railway to Capri town for a wonderful walking tour with your Local Guide. Spend the evening relaxing in Sorrento.(Buffet Breakfast)

Drive north to the beautiful town of Assisi on the picturesque slopes of Mount Subasio. Visit the Basilica of St. Francis featuring Giotto's saintly frescoes during your guided walking tour. See Santa Maria degli Angeli where St. Francis established the Franciscan fraternity of monks.(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Florence is a treasure trove of Renaissance art and architecture and your expert Local Guide shows you all the main sights. See the statues and palazzi on Piazza Signoria and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. View Ponte Vecchio, one of the city’s most famous landmarks! Join your companions later for a memorable Highlight Dinner at a local restaurant.(Buffet Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)

Enjoy a scenic drive through mountains, across the Veneto Plains, along the Brenta Canal − lined with Palladian villas − to the magical city of Venice!(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Cruise by private launch to St. Mark's Square. View the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark's Basilica. Watch a demonstration of Murano glass-blowing at one of the island’s oldest workshops. Spend free time exploring on your own or shopping for souvenirs.(Buffet Breakfast)

In the port of Ancona, board an overnight ferry and sail to Patras in Greece.(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Drive from Patras to Olympia. Your expert Local Guide takes you on a visit of the museum and the world's oldest Olympic Stadium, dating back to 776 BC.(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Consult the famous Oracle of Delphi on your walking tour with an expert Local Guide! Walk along the Sacred Way to the Sanctuary of Apollo and visit the museum of this famed archaeological site. Dine tonight at your hotel.(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Experience a walking tour of the ancient Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens with your expert Local Guide. Then rejoin your coach and see the Agora, Parliament, the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Arch. At the Olympic stadium, hear the history of how the games started! Join your companions and your Travel Director this evening for a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.(Buffet Breakfast / Farewell Dinner)

Transfer to Piraeus and cruise to stunning Mykonos. Spend a few hours discovering this island paradise made famous in the film ‘Shirley Valentine’ before rejoining your ship.(Buffet Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)

Arrive early in Kusadasi in Turkey and consider an optional excursion to fascinating Ephesus, site of the famous Temple of Artemis. Continue your cruise to Patmos, where there is time to shop, relax on the beach or take an optional excursion to the Monastery of St. John.(Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)

Wake up in Santorini, a spectacular volcanic island featuring beautiful clifftop villages with incredible views of the caldera.(Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)

Your fantastic cruise ends with an early morning arrival at Piraeus which includes a transfer to your hotel in Athens for the final night of your trip.(Breakfast)

Say farewell to Athens at the end of your fascinating holiday in Italy and Greece. Airport transfers are available, conditions apply.(Buffet breakfast)