Day 1: Venice, Evening Jewish Ghetto tour with Local Food & Wine Tasting
Arrival in Venice and accommodation in hotel 3* centrally located (optional transfer on request). Enjoy some free time to discover Venice by your own.
H 18.00 Meet you guide at Ponte delle Guglie and start your walking tour with an expert guide in groups of just 12 people or fewer. Discover the authentic side of Venice of the famous Jewish Ghetto followed by the surrounding neighborhood of Cannaregio, where you will sample local cicchetti appetizers and wines.
Get a true taste of Venice on a relaxing evening adventure through the streets and canals of the city’s most historic and atmospheric neighborhoods, the Jewish Ghetto and the surrounding Cannaregio district. In the company of an expert local guide and intimate groups of only 12 people or fewer, you’ll explore these amazing areas enjoying Venetian culture and cicchetti, Venice’s famous appetizers, with wine.
A little like the Spanish tradition of tapas, cicchetti involve a number of small local dishes consumed with friends over a glass of wine. After your Jewish Ghetto tour, we’ll visit three local bars for food and wine in Cannaregio, combining some of the liveliest and most picturesque areas.
Away from the main tourist attractions, the Jewish Ghetto offers better value and higher quality than much of the rest of Venice, making it a favorite among locals. You’ll see this in a more relaxed atmosphere as you explore with your expert local guide (the perfect host for your evening adventure), visiting the bustling outdoor market and spotting specialty stores along the way.
Dinner at leisure. Return to the hotel and overnight.
Day 2: Venice walking tour: Rialto Bridge , St Marks Basilica & Gondola Ride
Breakfast.
H 09.00 You will meet your local guide for a walking tour of Venice. You will get a comprehensive view of the city, from top sights to hidden palaces. Led by an expert local guide you’ll see , St Mark’s square and Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, drop by the Rialto Fish Market to hear about the city’s fishermen before veering off the beaten path into Cannaregio; one of the loveliest, most authentic areas of Venice. We’ve carefully chosen the stops on this tour to give you a real insight into the city. Sure, you’ll see the Rialto Bridge, but you’ll also delve into quiet streets, pass peaceful canals and go beyond the areas that visitors usually see.
At the conclusion of your tour, your local insider will leave you in the expert hands of a professional gondolier. Climb onboard a traditional Venice gondola for a half-hour excursion through the city’s canals. Sit back and enjoy exploring the city as it was meant to be seen – from the water!
This is your time to relax, unwind, and enjoy Venice at its best. And with no more than 5 other people on your boat (max group size of 6) it’s sure to be every bit as romantic as you had dreamed.
In the evening enjoy some free time. Overnight.
Day 3: Florence, Evening stroll & Gelato
Breakfast, enjoy some free time in Venice and departure by high-speed train to Florence. Arrival and accommodation in hotel 3* centrally located.
Enjoy some free time at disposal to get acquainted and explore the city centre by your own. Our first evening in a new city can be as intimidating as it is exciting. Make sure you get off on the right foot with Florence on our intimate city stroll. Meeting in the late afternoon, you’ll spend 2.5 hours with a local guide seeing the top attractions of the city, walking its most important streets and exploring those quieter neighborhoods that hold the best restaurants and bars.
Armed with a plethora of local tips you’ll know how to navigate the city and track down the most authentic food from day one.
Your tour starts at an easy-to-find spot: Piazza del Duomo, the Square of the Dome. Your guide will give you a brief introduction before leading you into the quieter streets of the Santa Croce neighborhood. This is where Dante used to hang out and where Michelangelo both lived and was buried. Few visitors venture into this part of town but, as you’ll see, that’s their loss.
Along the way, your guide will point out Sant’Ambrogio Market which will be a definite must-visit for foodies but is also a good focal point for authentic and reasonably-priced restaurants on this side of the river.
Together you’ll see Piazza della Signoria, Florence’s most impressive outdoor sculpture gallery and the old home of Michelangelo’s David. Eventually, he proved too beautiful to sit outside but you’ll see a replica in its original position in front of Palazzo Vecchio.
Make your way towards the river and across the famed Ponte Vecchio bridge to the quiet neighborhood of Oltrarno. Again, few visitors ever see this part of the city and again, they’re really missing out. You’ll see the foreboding Pitti Palace and get recommendations for some of the most authentic restaurants and bars in the city (with the most affordable prices).
During your ramblings you’ll enjoy a gelato break to sample the city’s famous dessert and get some tips on how to tell a good gelateria from a bad one (hint, it’s all about the pistachios). In just 2.5 hours you’ll get to know Florence through a local’s eyes, guaranteeing a better vacation all around.
Piazza Santo Spirito is a great area for eating, so this is where your guide will leave you at around 7.30PM. That’s dinner time in Florence, so what better time to test out their recommendations?
Dinner at leisure and overnight.
Day 4: Uffizi Gallery
After breakfast, explore the incredible Uffizi Gallery – one of the world’s oldest museums and one of the most important art collections anywhere. With works by Raphael, da Vinci, Botticelli and Caravaggio.
Your expert guide will walk you through this incredible museum, teaching you to distinguish different styles in different ages, so you can see how techniques developed over the centuries – and how the Renaissance changed everything.
Discover masterpieces by greats like Cimabue, Duccio and Giotto. Gaze at the real Renaissance classics, including, perhaps most famous of all, Botticelli’s ‘Primavera’ and ‘Birth of Venus’. Learn about the legacy the painters of this particular era left by exploring later pieces by Titian and Caravaggio. It all adds up to more than just an Uffizi tour – it’s a voyage through time!
Securing Uffizi tickets can be difficult, and lines into the gallery are notorious. With pre-reserved tickets, we minimize the wait.
Time at disposal to continue discovering Florence by your own. Dinner at leisure. Overnight.
Day 5: Departure
After breakfast, check out and transfer to Venice airport for departure.
Price per person: from 695 euro in dbl room
Sgl room supplement on request
