14 Day North Continental

Great Hotels. Centrally-located, First-Class & Deluxe hotels, exclusively.

Smaller Groups. 20 to 40 guests per tour.

More Legroom. Deluxe, state-of-the-art motorcoaches with EXTRA legroom.

Airport Transfers. Arrival and departure transfers in Italy.

Buffet Breakfast Daily. A very hearty start to each day!

Wine Tasting. Vineyard tour and wine tasting.

Wireless Headsets to hear your guide clearly and distinctly in public places.

1 Tote Bag Per Person, baggage tags and travel documents included.

Baggage Handling. Never touch your bag!(except at airports)

Hotel Taxes, Hotel Service Charges and All Tips for hotel and restaurant personnel.

Professional Tour Directors and licensed local guides.

Day 1 - Depart USA
Boarding our overnight flight, we’re off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Day 2 - Arrive in Milan, Afternoon at Leisure
Benvenuti in Italia! We are pleased to offer complimentary transfers from the Milan airport to your hotel at scheduled times. Your Perillo representative will be at the airport to greet you.

This afternoon you will meet your tour guide who will have some excellent dining suggestions for your first night in Italy.

Day 3 - Milan, Lugano, Switzerland, Como, Milan
From Milan we enjoy an exhilarating excursion to Lugano. Here we can fill our eyes with beauty and our bags with gifts. We continue to Como, loved by the rich & famous. Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron and George Clooney.

Back in Milan, one of the world’s trendiest cities, and one of the strongest bastions of traditional Italian cooking. Mangia!

Day 4 - Milan City Sightseeing, Verona, Venice
This morning we visit the mightiest Gothic building ever created – Milan’s Duomo, it’s capacity 40,000 people!

Next we stroll through the spectacular glass-topped galleria-the world’s first shopping mall. Continue to Piazza Della Scala, home of the famed La Scala Opera House.

Next, a short trip to Verona and Juliet’s balcony. Our arrival in Venice is by boat. Venice is breathtaking with its misty lagoon and palaces seemingly floating on water. Nothing beats dining in a cozy Venetian restaurant enjoying local specialties and fine local wines.

Day 5 - Venice, City Sightseeing, Murano Glass Factory
This morning we’ll meet our expert local guide for a walking tour of St. Mark’s Square, the great Byzantine Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs and an inside visit of the Doge’s Palace.

Next we’ll board our motoscafi to visit one of the world’s oldest glass-blowing factories on the island of Murano.

This afternoon you’ll have a chance to “get lost” in the city’s labyrinth of canals, bridges and tiny piazzas. Being a small island, it’s impossible to stray very far. But it won’t hurt to master the phrase “Dov’e’ Piazza San Marco?”

Maybe this would be the ideal evening for a traditional Venetian seafood feast!

Day 6 - Venice, Padua, Florence
We’re off to Florence today with an inspiring stop along the way. Visitors to Padua are often surprised by a sense of deep spirituality. St. Anthony (patron Saint of lost objects) is interred here in the serene Basilica which dates back to the 1200s.

Next to Florence! Home of Dante, Boccaccio, Botticelli, da Vinci, and some say, the best gelato in Italy!

Back at the hotel, our tour director is happy to offer this evening’s restaurant suggestions. Perhaps, world famous Florentine steak?

Day 7 - Florence, Sightseeing including ‘The David’
Florence, the fountainhead of the Renaissance, awaits our inspection.

Our day of sightseeing includes the majestic Duomo built in 1296, Giotto’s Bell Tower and the Baptistery with its renowned “Gates of Paradise” doors.

We follow the medieval streets to the most striking square in Florence, Piazza della Signoria, home of Santa Croce Church, Michelangelo’s final resting place.

“Breathtaking” is the only word to describe one’s first view of Michelangelo’s David. Yes, it’s quite large and detailed. But the real magic is in how Michelangelo transformed a lifeless rock into a man - full of pride, wary of his adversary, yet quietly confident. All with just a hammer and a chisel.

You’ll be sure to find a perfect Florentine dinner spot tonight.

Day 8 - Florence, Pisa, Wine Tasting in Tuscany, Florence
The bell tower of Pisa is among the most instantly recognizable structures on earth. Architects say it would be world famous even if it were perfectly straight. This morning we’ll see for ourselves, along with the beautiful Cathedral and Baptistery.

This afternoon we’ll visit a typical Tuscan winery to learn about the grape, the “nose,” food pairings and most importantly – which glass to use! Of course, we’ll sample the wines. Cin-Cin! Then back to Florence for free time.

Tonight, ask your tour director for a nearby spot to enjoy fresh Tuscan fare.

Day 9 - Florence, Sorrento
Our journey to Sorrento takes us through the rolling hills, scenic vineyards and post-card perfect vistas of Tuscany and Umbria. Soon, we are in Sorrento, high on a beautiful plateau, greeted by the sapphire blue Gulf of Naples and majestic Mount Vesuvius.

When most Americans think of Italian food, they’re usually thinking of the dishes of Naples and Sorrento - spaghetti with tomato and basil, mozzarella and pizza are all from this area. Here’s your chance to try the “real thing!”

Day 10 - Sorrento, Capri, Sorrento
This morning you’ll be taken to Capri, the world’s most enchanting island. You can explore to your hearts content on your own or your tour conductor may have other ideas. You’ll be as captivated by Capri as Emperor Tiberius who used the Blue Grotto as his personal swimming pool.

Tonight, still glowing from the sun, it’s time to enjoy another fine gastronomic experience.

Day 11 - Sorrento, Pompeii, Naples, Rome
Pompeii - an entire city perfectly preserved as it was on that fateful day almost 2,000 years ago, when ash and lava literally stopped it in its tracks. You’ll see the tragic fossils of people attempting to escape along with their children and dogs.

Late this morning, we continue on to Naples. We enjoy a brief panoramic tour of this beautiful city.

A few hours later, we enter the gates of Rome and settle into our hotel.

Day 12 - Rome, Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Afternoon at Leisure
This morning we visit Vatican City, “headquarters” for more than a billion Catholics worldwide. We begin at the Vatican Museum, a treasure trove of sculptures, paintings and tapestries. Our visit culminates in the Sistine Chapel, the room where the pope is elected. We enter in total silence, not wanting to disturb Michelangelo’s famed frescoes, depicting stories from the Bible and the “End of Times.” You’ll be fascinated by which of Michelangelo’s contemporaries he assigned to heaven and which to hell.

This afternoon, Rome is all yours! Tonight, may we suggest fettuccine alla romana; alla’amatriciana with bacon and paprika; spaghetti alla carbonara; roast lamb with garlic & rosemary; stuffed artichokes….. is your appetite whet yet?

Tonight, treat yourself to one of Rome’s fine restaurants for a fabulous dinner.

Day 13 - Rome Sightseeing, Afternoon at Leisure
Hail Caesar! All aboard our chariot for a panoramic tour of Imperial Rome including the Roman Forum, Largo Argentina, the Jewish Ghetto and the Circus Maximus.

Then we’ll enter the Colosseum, reliving the brutal entertainment of the gladiators and the lions, refereed by the Emperor himself.

This afternoon, Rome is all yours! Shop, fountain hop, explore to your heart’s content.

Tonight, treat yourself to one of Rome’s fine restaurants for a delizioso dinner!

Day 14 - Flight Home
This morning we board our flight home. No tears. You’ll exchange e-mails with your new friends and make plans for the future.

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
6/28/2013 - 7/11/2013	$3,890
7/12/2013 - 7/25/2013	$3,890
7/26/2013 - 8/8/2013	$3,890
8/9/2013 - 8/22/2013	$3,390
8/23/2013 - 9/5/2013	$3,390
8/30/2013 - 9/12/2013	$3,390
9/13/2013 - 9/26/2013	$3,990
9/20/2013 - 10/3/2013	$3,990
9/27/2013 - 10/10/2013	$3,990
10/11/2013 - 10/24/2013	$3,890
10/18/2013 - 10/31/2013	$3,890
10/25/2013 - 11/7/2013	$3,890
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

See Itinerary

Rates are per person double occupancy and include roundtrip airport transfers in Italy at scheduled times.

The days of dining out and city tours may change for operational reasons.

Please be advised that circumstances may change the day and/or sequence of scheduled activities, as well as the substitution of hotels, events, shows, sightseeing, itinerary, restaurants, hosts, etc.

Ratings & Reviews:

This tour has no reviews yet. Have you experienced this tour? Write a review.

Related Travel Articles

• See Europe :: Travel Safely and In Style, Escorted Tours
• Tours :: The Most Common Questions about Escorted Tours
• Things You Must Tell Your Travel Agent - Don't Ruin Your Vacation
• All About Paris France :: the world’s most romantic city
• Trafalgar Tours :: 8 ways to Travel in Style
• Travel Improves Your Health
• River Cruises :: A Popular Choice for Travelers
• Eastern Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf Vacations
• Adventures by Disney Invites Families to Experience the World in 2010
• Extreme Travel Destinations
• Avalon Scenery
• Royal Lotus
• Nile River Cruise
• Spotlight on Ireland
• Paula Deen Cruise
• Angkor Wat Temple Complex, Cambodia
• Touring Australia and New Zealand
• What's Included on A Tour
• Caribbean Cruises
• Shopping in the Caribbean
• Ireland Small Group Tours - New for 2011
• New Ships for 2011
• Insight Gold...New for 2011
• Travel the Romantic Cities of Europe
• Italy One Day Sale
• France River Cruises
• Introduction to London
• What to Expect on a River Cruise
• France River Cruises
• Kenya Off the Beaten Path
• 100 Royal Things to do in the U.K.
• Holland America Sunrise Fitness "Cocktail"
• Life Onboard A River Cruise
• Summer Vacation Ideas
• The Luxury of Silversea Cruises
• New Ships for 2012
• Best Places to Travel in August
• Explore the Magic of Kenya
• East vs. West African Safaris