Tentative Activities Calendar

Day 1:
Arrive Rome 8:25 am.  Transter to Praiano by coach.  Praiano walkabout & orientation.

Day 2:
Praiano: 8:30 am, leave hotel for visit to Amalfi (the Cathedral & Crypt of St. Andrew, Via Genova & Via Capuano) & Ravello (steep ascent, alleys, villas, St John’s, & the site itself).

Day 3:
Praiano: 8:20 am, leave hotel for visit to Vesuvius & Pompeii.

Day 4:
Praiano: 8:00 am, leave hotel to catch boat for day-trip to Capri.

Day 5:
Praiano: 7:30 am, leave hotel with luggage for coach trip to Rome, via the Catacombs of San Callisto.   After hotel check-in, brief Rome walkabout – Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona, Piazza della Rotonda, the Pantheon.

Day 6:
Rome: 8:15 am, leave hotel for visit to the Pantheon, Sant’ Ignazio di Loyola, San Luigi dei Francesi, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Capuchin Crypt, Santa Maria della Vittoria (Bernini’s St. Theresa in Ecstasy), Sant’Andrea al Quirinale. Afternoon: EXPLORE ROME:  Select from these options – Etruscan Museum, National Roman Museum, Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona, St. Peter in Vincoli, Castel Sant'Angelo (where the Borgias lived and killed people), Ara Pacis, Santa Maria del Popolo (more Caravaggio paintings), the Keats Museum, Ostia Antica (Rome's ancient port with Pompeii-like ruins), or train trip to American Military Cemetery at Anzio-Nettuno. 

Day 7:
Rome: 8:40 am, leave hotel for visit to Capitoline Museums, Mamertine Prison, Forum. Afternoon:  Colosseum, Palatine Hill. Optional activities: San Pietro in Vincoli, Santa Maria Maggiore.

Day 8:
Rome: 8:00 am, leave hotel for Scala Santa, San Clemente, San Giovanni.  Afternoon: St. Peter's, the Vatican Museums, & Sistine Chapel.

Day 9:
Rome: 8:00 am, leave hotel for Borghese Museum.  Afternoon: EXPLORE ROME – ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES:  see list above. 

Day 10:
Rome: 8:00 am, leave hotel with luggage for coach trip to Florence with stopover in San Gimignano.  After hotel check-in, Florence walkabout & orientation via Mercato Centrale, San Lorenzo, Piazza San Giovanni (the Baptistery and Duomo), Orsanmichele, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, & Mercato Nuovo. 

Day 11:
Florence: 8:40 am, leave hotel for the Accademia (David) [Reservation at Accademia at 9:15 am] and the Bargello (Donatello’s David, Michelangelo's Brutus, etc).  Afternoon:  Santa Croce (tombs of Galileo, Machiavelli, & Michelangelo; monument to Dante; Pazzi Chapel).

Day 12:
Florence: 7:40 am, leave hotel for day-trip by coach to the Cinque Terre.

Day 13:
Florence: 8:35 am, leave hotel for the Museo dell'Opera dell Duomo, the Duomo and Baptistery.  Afternoon: Santa Maria del Carmine (the Brancacci Chapel Masaccio frescoes).

Day 14:
Florence: 8:05 am, leave hotel for the Uffizi Gallery.  Afternoon:  EXPLORE FLORENCE: Giotto's Campanile (414 steps to the top), Palazzo Medici Ricardi (Gozzoli's magnificent Three Magi fresco), San Lorenzo (Laurentian Library, Medici Chapels), Museo Firenze Com'era (large models, aerial views, scenes of the city through the ages), Museo di Storia della Scienza (awesome science stuff, Galileo's tools, etc.), Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, Badia (art treasures by Lippi, etc.), Museo della Chiesa di San Marco (convent cells, famous paintings, courtyard), Archeological Museum (great Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Egyptian artifacts & sculpture), Michelangelo’s Studio, Santa Maria Novella, Palazzo Strozzi (courtyard), Dante’s House

Day 15:
Florence: 8:45 am, leave hotel with luggage for coach trip to Venice (Alternibus) with stopover in Padua to visit the Scrovegni Cappella (the magnificent Giotto frescoes), the Basilica del Santo (with St. Anthony’s tomb & tongue), and Donatello's unique Gattamelata ("Honey Cat").  Late Afternoon: after hotel check-in, Venice walkabout & orientation.

Day 16:
Venice: 8:30 am, leave hotel for visit to Piazza San Marco, St. Mark's Basilica, & Doges' Palace.  Afternoon: EXPLORE VENICE:  Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge & adjacent market, Church of St. John & St. Paul, Verrocchio’s equestrian Monument to B. Colleoni, Accademia Gallery, Campo San Gregorio, the famous islands of Murano (glass blowing) and Burano (lace making), the Lido (beach), the Jewish Ghetto.  Wander & enjoy Venice!  Look for its leaning tower.

Day 17:
Venice: 8:30 am, leave hotel for visit to Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and Peggy Guggenheim Collection.  Afternoon: EXPLORE VENICE: select other activities from the list above.  Wander & enjoy Venice!

Day 18:
Venice:  8:00 AM SHARP!!  leave hotel with luggage for Venezia Marco Polo airport for return to Charlotte (arriving at 11:55 pm).