Italy
Italy is one of the most popular destinations for students and adults alike. People daydream about traveling to Italy to explore ancient Rome, timeless Venice, Renaissance Florence, medieval Siena, and modern Milan.
Italy will throw your students into a new way of life…lovable chaos as so many people refer to the Italian lifestyle. On our customized tours we try to create the perfect blend of all the unique characteristics that make up Italy from Venice to Lake Como, Florence to Siena and Rome to Pompeii. All these cities (and so many more) will off your performance groups to interact with locals not just perform for them!
Day 1 – Depart
Our journey begins today with our trans-Atlantic flight to Italy. In flight meals/D
Day 2 – Venice/Mestre
Upon arrival at the Venice airport, we meet our guide and coach driver. We drive to fabulous Venice, La Serenissima, (the "Serene One.") Built on 117 islands, it is a mosaic of canals, plazas, fascinating markets, and chaos! Taking the water taxis along the canals, we proceed to St. Mark's Square where we meet our local guides for a tour of Venice. Here we see the bell tower and the impressive St. Mark's Cathedral. We will see Doges Palace and enjoy a glass blowing demonstration. Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner. B/D
Day 3 – Verona/La Garda Area
After breakfast we drive to Lake Garda where we enjoy a cruise on the lake and have free time in the village before an evening performance along the lake. B/D
Day 4 – Montecatini Terme
After breakfast we drive south to Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance. Florence is home to the Duomo with its famed Baptistry, Giotto's Tower, the Pitti Palace, the Accademia with Michelangelo's incomparable "David," and the Uffizi Gallery with the finest collection of paintings in all of Italy. We meet our local guides at Torre del Zecca. Our local guides explain the history of the city to us as we drive to Piazzale Michelangelo for a wonderful panoramic view of the city and a great photo opportunity. We return to the city center for a walking tour of the city center and a visit to Accademia with Michelangelo's incomparable "David." After some time to explore the local leather markets for which Florence is famous we drive to our hotel in Montecatini Terme. B/D
Day 5 – Montecatini Terme
Today, we drive first to the hill top town of Vinci that celebrates Leonardo da Vinci’s genius with a museum. The museum is housed in a 13th century castle and includes displays of wooden models of Leonardo’s machines and inventions. It also includes a notebook with his drawings of a bicycle, his conception of a car, an armored tank and more. Then we stop for lunch and to explore on our own Lucca, a Roman-style city surrounded by massive red brick walls. We also make a photo stop to at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Tonight we perform again. B/D
Day 6 – Assisi
After breakfast, we depart Tuscany stopping to visit San Gimignano with its thirteen towers. The next item on our agenda today will be the lovely city of Siena. A locally guided tour of this fabulous Gothic city will acquaint us with its sunken "Piazza del Campo" and the Duomo, perhaps the finest Gothic cathedral in Italy! Then it is on to Assisi where we have a chance to walk in the footsteps of St. Francis. This beautiful medieval town is the heir to the legacy of the Saint who is buried in the Basilica di San Francesco. There may be an opportunity to perform again today in Siena or Assisi is possible. B/D
Day 7 – Rome
We have some time this morning to explore Assisi before departing for Rome, the "Eternal City," one of the world's most-visited places. Travelers flock to Rome to see the glories of the Caesars, to experience the awe that is St. Peter's, and to become acquainted with the city that was the birthplace for much of our civilization. This afternoon, we visit the area known as "Ancient Rome," where we see the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, once the center of the entire known world! B/D
Day 8 – Rome
This morning we visit the Vatican City and St. Peter's Cathedral, home of the Roman Catholic Church and the world's largest Christian building. Also included is a visit to the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel. We have free time to visit in the center of the city in the afternoon. Today we perform again. B/D
Day 9 – Rome
This morning we take an excursion out of Rome, and travel south to Pompeii, one of the world’s great archeological finds. A local guide(s) will take us through this incredible time capsule, showing us a once thriving and advanced city, tragically lost to the massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius. B/D
Day 10 – Return
Unfortunately, it’s time to transfer to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport and our return flight to Chicago. We return with memories of rustic towns, walled cities, the grandeur of Rome, (as well as wonderful ice cream and pasta), and a wealth of new friends! Welcome home! B/In flight meals
BRT will plan World Class performance opportunities for you!
This tour offers a performance group the opportunity to experience a variety of performing opportunities and venues. From historic venues such as the square in front of the Pantheon to beautiful amphitheatres along an Italian Lake to performances in a Tuscan Villages with a local Italian group your students will have an experience of a lifetime as they perform in Italy. Performances in beautiful Cathedrals are also possibility. Performing with an Italian group or in small villages is sure to provide a cultural experience and captive audience.
Note that Americans’ ideas about time and deadlines are sometimes more demanding and precise as other cultures. To set up concerts in some of the public squares in Rome can take some time as many approvals are needed to obtain a permit to perform in them. Therefore it is important to plan early to provide your students memories of a lifetime!!
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Itinerary and tour planning co-sponsored with Ed-Ventures, Inc.
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