ROME TO VENICE. Italy, Slovenia

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1 ROME TO VENICE Italy, Slovenia ROME FLORENCE PISA VERONA VENICE PADOVA POSTOJNA PREDJAMA PIRAN PORTOROŽ BLED LJUBLJANA 9 days / 8 nights Highlights: Keep your eyes open for the Pope The pearl of Slovenia: one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world, lake Bled The best shopping and clubbing experience in this part of Europe Feel the love where Romeo and Juliet fell in love in Verona Itinerary: DAY 1 Rome DAY 2 Rome DAY 3 Rome, Florence, Pisa DAY 4 Pisa, Milan DAY 5 Milan, Verona, Venice, Padova DAY 6 Padova, Postojna, Predjama, Ljubljana DAY 7 Ljubljana, Piran, Portorož, Ljubljana DAY 8 Ljubljana, Bled, Ljubljana DAY 9 Ljubljana, Venice, departure from Venice

2 DAY 1: ROME /Rome airport Rome 30km, 1h/ Arrival at Rome Airport, after immigration transfer to Rome. A heady mix of haunting sights, awe-inspiring art and vibrant street life, Italy's Eternal City is one of the world's most beautiful and inspiring capitals. But there s more to Rome than history, fine art and great food. Rome is Italy s capital and largest city, and while history reverberates all around, modern life is lived to the full. Rome is Italy s political and religious heartbeat and the twin presence of government and Church dominates the city. Many citycentre palazzi house government offices while over in the Vatican the dome of St Peter s Basilica serves to remind everyone of the pope s presence. Check-in at hotel in Rome. Leisure time for the rest of the day. Overnight in Rome. DAY 2: ROME After breakfast, you will go on a guided tour of Rome. You will visit the obligatory landmarks of Italy and of all Europe, the Colosseum and the Pantheon. You will also visit the Spanish Steps and the place all tourists must go to toss in their coin, the Trevi Fountain. You will walk by St. Peter s Basilica, St. Peter s Square, Sistine Chapel, the Temple of Castor and Pollux, Piazza Navona, and more. Lunch. Afternoon free for shopping. Whether you are seeking designer dresses or cheap chic, Rome has some of the best places to shop in Italy. The names of Italy s finest designers sit alongside independent boutiques and market stalls as shopping in Rome caters to every budget. Via Condotti is the home of Rome s designer shopping area and where you will find Prada next to Armani with a sprinkling of Gucci. The shops that line the street entice your credit card out of hiding with their glittering window displays. Take time also for people watching, as this is the haunt of any celebrity in town worth their Hermes bag. There are surely loads of bars & pubs, clubs & disco spread all over the city but the best way to enjoy the culture, vibe and spirit of the city is outdoors. As the weather is mild here for most part of the year, every square turns into a big outdoor bar. The locals love their

3 evening passeggiata (slow walk through the old town) and to stroll around the cobblestoned streets, sipping a beer while chatting with friends just outside a pub or sitting at a table outside a cafe. Take a walk at Campo De Fiori right before midnight and you can entertain yourself observing bunches of sleeked young man coming down from the suburbs to show themselves off and to try to chat up girls. Overnight in Rome. DAY 3: ROME, FLORENCE, PISA /Rome Florence 290km, 4h/ /Florence Pisa 90km, 2h/ After breakfast, departure towards Florence. The tour begins at the majestic Piazza del Duomo to see the Cathedral crowned by Brunelleschi's Dome, the Giotto's Bell Tower, and the Baptistery with Ghiberti's bronze "Gate of Paradise". Then, visit the Academy of Fine Arts, where Michelangelo's David is displayed. Tour ends at the Piazzale Michelangelo with the most spectacular view over Florence. After lunch, the tour will continue in the world-famous city of Pisa. It is most well-known because of its Leaning Tower of Pisa. You will visit the Tower and the amazing carved marble Cathedral and Baptistery in the Square of Miracles.. The rest of the afternoon will be free for shopping. The two historical quarters of the city centre are divided by a very lively street: Corso Italia, the High Street of Pisa. Corso Italia is, and the Borgo Stretto are the two main shopping streets in Pisa. Here you will find all kinds of Italian fashion shops. Clothing, jewelry, comestibles, and artisan crafts are available along this arcade. Musicians and collectors should consider visiting one of the stringed instrument shops which build violins, violas, and cellos. Overnight in Pisa. DAY 4: PISA, MILAN /Pisa Milan 300km, 4h/ After breakfast, check-out and proceed to Milan. Milan is the second-most populous city in Italy and serves as the capital of Lombardy. The Milan metropolitan region is part of the socalled Blue Banana, the area of Europe with the highest population and industrial density. Its business district hosts the Borsa Italiana (Italy s main stock exchange) and the headquarters of the largest national banks and companies. After lunch, you will go on a guided tour of Milan. Milan s museums, theatres and landmarks (including the Milan Cathedral, the fifth-largest cathedral in the world, and Santa Maria delle Grazie, decorated with Leonardo da Vinci paintings, such as The Last Supper) attract over 8 million visitors annually. You will visit all of the major sights, including da Vinci s Last Supper,

4 the Duomo (Milan s cathedral), La Scala Opera House, the charming canal area, and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade. Spend the afternoon shopping in the fashion capital of the world. Purveying hot-off-thecatwalk clothes by the likes of Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Versace, it s little wonder that Milan s upscale fashion shopping district is known as the Quadrilatero della Moda the Rectangle of Gold. Overnight in Milan. DAY 5: MILAN, VERONA, VENICE, PADOVA /Milan Verona 180km, 3h/ /Verona Venice 130km, 2h/ /Venice Padova 50km, 1h/ After breakfast, departure towards Verona. Verona is the city of love as it is famous for being the place where William Shakespeare set three of his plays: Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Taming of the Shrew. Shakespeare placed star-crossed lovers Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in Verona for good reason: romance, drama and fatal family feuding have been the city's hallmark for centuries. From the 3rd century BC Verona was a Roman trade centre with ancient gates, a forum (now Piazza delle Erbe) and a grand Roman arena, which still serves as one of the world's great opera venues. In the Middle Ages the city flourished under the wrathful della Scala clan, who were as much energetic patrons of the arts as they were murderous tyrants. Their elaborate Gothic tombs, the Arche Scaligere, are just off Piazza dei Signori. Take a walking tour around all of the major sights, and don t forget to touch Juliet s statue for good luck. After lunch, proceed to the romantic city of Venice. Venice is a cluster of over one hundred small islands with its marble palaces built on water and it has numerous souvenir shopping opportunities. Board your chartered boat to the traditional centre of the city - Piazza San Marco. This city of 117 islands in the Venetian Lagoon is sure to leave you mystified. After lunch, see the St. Mark's Basilica, Bridge of Sighs, the Doges Palace, the Campanile and many more sights. Visit a Murano Glass Factory and see the skills of these master craftsmen. Departure towards Padova in the evening. Overnight in Padova.

5 DAY 6: PADOVA, POSTOJNA, PREDJAMA, LJUBLJANA /Padova Postojna 230km, 3h/ /Postojna Predjama 15km, 30min/ /Predjama Ljubljana 70km, 1h30min/ After breakfast departure to Postojna, which at the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire constituted the only exit to the Adriatic Sea. You will visit Postojna cave, which is a network of 23 kilometres of tunnels, galleries and halls, in which experienced guides have accompanied more than 30 million visitors in over 200 years. This is the biggest classical karst cave and the most visited tourist cave in Europe. The cave train will take you into the depths where, thanks to the electric lighting, you can appreciate all the dimensions and nuances of the underground karst, where the geological past is written in a unique way. After lunch and a wine tasting at a wine cellar in the karst region, you will visit Predjama castle, a castle built directly into a cliff edge, with an underground tunnel through the mountain. Photostop. Departure towards Ljubljana. An evening of shopping in the largest shopping centre in Slovenia will follow. BTC City is the largest shopping center in Slovenia with specialized shops, supermarkets, and more than 450 stores. Free time. In addition to shopping, you will have the opportunity to visit the entertainment center Arena, where under one roof you have low endurance sports activities and programs for relaxation, shopping and film entertainment with educational and playful content. The amusement center covers an area of 9,000 m 2. The center includes a billiards and bowling center with its central entertainment center serving as the XPAND cinema with 3D stereoscopic projection, representing the most innovative technology in the field cinematography in this part of Europe. This is the most modernly equipped cinema for digital projection in 3D and its dynamic seats enable a new and unique experience on screen. Atlantis Water Park is also at your disposal for pampering you. This is a water park with a wide variety of facilities with dynamic architecture including a 15,000 m 2 room for entertainment, relaxation, gathering new strength and recreation. It also includes 16 swimming pools, three of which are outdoor, and offers visitors plenty of fun, adventure, and 15 thematic saunas. Overnight in Ljubljana. DAY 7: LJUBLJANA, PIRAN, PORTOROŽ, LJUBLJANA /Ljubljana Piran 130km, 2h/ /Piran Portorož 5km, 15min/ /Portorož Ljubljana 130km, 2h/ After breakfast, departure for a day trip on the Slovenian coast. First stop will be Piran. Piran is characterized by medieval architecture, with narrow streets and compact houses. It is the

6 birthplace of composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini, who played an important role in shaping its cultural heritage. The town s main square, Tartini Square, is named after him. The next stop will be the popular tourist resort city of Portorož. The beach is well-maintained and you can go swimming in the beautiful, warm Mediterranean sea where the temperatures, warmed by the summer sun can get up to 31 C. Also, there are several bars on the beach that offer a lively atmosphere year round. There you can treat yourself to a cup of fresh coffee after a long walk on the beach. Numerous restaurants by the sea invite you to a tasty lunch. Enjoy a tasty wine tasting in the karst region a region well known for its vineyards. Return to Ljubljana and dinner. Overnight in Ljubljana. DAY 8: LJUBLJANA, BLED, LJUBLJANA /Ljubljana Bled 60km, 1h/ /Bled Ljubljana 60km, 1h/ After breakfast, departure towards Bled. Bled is one of the most prestigious Slovenian resorts with its glacier-formed Alpine lake, the famous island of the Slavic goddess of life, Živa, and the oldest castle in Slovenia. In the 19th century, the Swiss doctor Arnold Rikli discovered the beneficial natural resources here and established a spa centre, making Bled one of the most popular touristic places in Austria-Hungary. You will traverse the lake in a traditional boat called pletna towards Bled Island, which was visited by pilgrims as early as the ancient times. From Bled castle, you will admire the fairy-tale lake and the high limestone peaks of the Julian Alps. Lunch. Return to Ljubljana with a sightseeing walking tour. Ljubljana has everything that modern capitals have to offer, and on top of that, it has managed to keep the pleasant and relaxing atmosphere of a smaller city. You will visit the old part of town along the Ljubljanica River and you will see the most important cultural and historical monuments including the Three Bridges and the New and Old Markets where you will be delighted with boutique shops and nice restaurants. We will also stop at the famous bridge and learn a few secrets of the medieval city before the path continues to the town square with the Town Hall and the city icon - a fountain symbolizing the three rivers of Carniola. We will also visit the nearby baroque church of St. Nicholas, the food market and the Dragon Bridge with its four dragons that protect the city while also serving as its trademark. With the funicular railway you will climb to the castle which rises above the town. You will finally climb the castle s tower and enjoy the view over the city and its green surroundings.

7 You will party the night away in one of Ljubljana s classy nightclubs as Cirkus. The club Cirkus offers a unique and exclusive nightclub experience for enthusiastic groups of partygoers during the week and especially on weekends and is able to cater to the needs of up to 1000 guests. The club was designed in an old enchanting cinema-theatre and it stretches across 2 stories of lavishing galleries, including an intimate and cosy VIP area. The focal point is an elevated DJ booth, showcasing top international and regional DJs, singers, musicians and other artists as they spin and perform a blend of various urban genres, topped with colourful entertainers, such as dancers and live acts. Overnight in Ljubljana. DAY 9: LJUBLJANA, VENICE, departure from Venice /Ljubljana Venice airport 240km, 3h/ Drop-off at Venice airport.