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Italy

The Hidden Treasures of Florence

Program No. 18647RJ
See a side of Florence rarely shown to outsiders as you enjoy inside access to the Museo del Duomo, explore palaces and aristocratic mansions and attend lectures at private galleries.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Filling Fast!
Feb 19 - Feb 28, 2024
Starting at
2,999
Mar 18 - Mar 27, 2024
Starting at
3,299
Apr 8 - Apr 17, 2024
Starting at
3,299
Apr 22 - May 1, 2024
Starting at
3,899
May 6 - May 15, 2024
Starting at
3,899
Sep 2 - Sep 11, 2024
Starting at
3,899
Sep 16 - Sep 25, 2024
Starting at
3,899
Sep 30 - Oct 9, 2024
Starting at
3,899
Oct 14 - Oct 23, 2024
Starting at
3,899
Oct 21 - Oct 30, 2024
Starting at
3,299
Nov 4 - Nov 13, 2024
Starting at
2,999
Dec 2 - Dec 11, 2024
Starting at
2,999
Feb 3 - Feb 12, 2025
Starting at
3,199
Mar 24 - Apr 2, 2025
Starting at
3,449
Apr 7 - Apr 16, 2025
Starting at
4,149
Apr 21 - Apr 30, 2025
Starting at
4,149
May 5 - May 14, 2025
Starting at
4,149
Sep 1 - Sep 10, 2025
Starting at
4,149
Sep 15 - Sep 24, 2025
Starting at
4,149
Sep 22 - Oct 1, 2025
Starting at
4,149
Oct 6 - Oct 15, 2025
Starting at
4,149
Oct 20 - Oct 29, 2025
Starting at
4,149
Nov 3 - Nov 12, 2025
Starting at
3,449
Dec 1 - Dec 10, 2025
Starting at
3,199
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Filling Fast!
Feb 19 - Feb 28, 2024
Starting at
3,689
Mar 18 - Mar 27, 2024
Starting at
4,129
Apr 8 - Apr 17, 2024
Starting at
4,129
Apr 22 - May 1, 2024
Starting at
4,999
May 6 - May 15, 2024
Starting at
4,999
Sep 2 - Sep 11, 2024
Starting at
4,999
Sep 16 - Sep 25, 2024
Starting at
4,999
Sep 30 - Oct 9, 2024
Starting at
4,999
Oct 14 - Oct 23, 2024
Starting at
4,999
Oct 21 - Oct 30, 2024
Starting at
4,129
Nov 4 - Nov 13, 2024
Starting at
3,689
Dec 2 - Dec 11, 2024
Starting at
3,689
Feb 3 - Feb 12, 2025
Starting at
3,929
Mar 24 - Apr 2, 2025
Starting at
4,319
Apr 7 - Apr 16, 2025
Starting at
5,339
Apr 21 - Apr 30, 2025
Starting at
5,339
May 5 - May 14, 2025
Starting at
5,339
Sep 1 - Sep 10, 2025
Starting at
5,339
Sep 15 - Sep 24, 2025
Starting at
5,339
Sep 22 - Oct 1, 2025
Starting at
5,339
Oct 6 - Oct 15, 2025
Starting at
5,339
Oct 20 - Oct 29, 2025
Starting at
5,339
Nov 3 - Nov 12, 2025
Starting at
4,319
Dec 1 - Dec 10, 2025
Starting at
3,929

At a Glance

This is a special opportunity to experience Florence at its absolute best — beyond the throngs of tourists in quiet neighborhoods where artisans and patricians live side by side amid colorful window boxes, cobblestone streets and churches with many hidden stories waiting to be told. View works by Michelangelo, Donatello and the great Renaissance masters.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 3 miles over the course of a day, uneven terrain; standing up to one hour at a time during on-site lectures.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Learn from top historians about lesser-known works of art in galleries and private collections not open to the public.
  • Visit the Scuola del Restauro and discover what it takes to preserve and repair invaluable masterpieces.
  • Enjoy Roman, Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic architecture over cocktails and aperitifs.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Mario Carniani
A native of Fiesole, Italy, Mario Carniani graduated with honors from the University of Florence with a focus on foreign languages and literature. After pursuing studies on Elizabethan drama in England, he moved on to teach Italian at the British Institute of Florence and English in Italian State schools. He has conducted courses on Italian literature and history for numerous international institutes based in Florence, including Georgetown University and Dartmouth University.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Mario Carniani
Mario Carniani View biography
A native of Fiesole, Italy, Mario Carniani graduated with honors from the University of Florence with a focus on foreign languages and literature. After pursuing studies on Elizabethan drama in England, he moved on to teach Italian at the British Institute of Florence and English in Italian State schools. He has conducted courses on Italian literature and history for numerous international institutes based in Florence, including Georgetown University and Dartmouth University.
Profile Image of Giovanni Guidetti
Giovanni Guidetti View biography
Giovanni Guidetti is an expert in travel with decades of experience. He specializes in Renaissance and Baroque Florentine art as an art historian with a Master’s in Art History from the University of Florence. Giovanni loves to share the beauty of the Tuscan landscape as a professional leader in Florence, Fiesole, and Prato. Currently, he is the Scientific Director at the Museum of Sacred Art of San Donnino. Giovanni has also led lectures and presentations on Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical artists and monuments.
Profile Image of Mick Plewman
Mick Plewman View biography
Mick Plewman is an exploration leader with more than 20 years of experience working all over the world, from Central America to Sri Lanka. He is also a qualified teacher and educational psychologist who worked in the British school system and for the British Army. Mick has lived in Central Italy for more than two decades, where he is renovating an old farmhouse in Umbria. He enjoys traveling, reading, and studying the art and history of the many places he visits.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Companion Guide to Florence
by Eve Borsook
The House of Medici: its rise and fall
by Christopher Hibbert
Palaces of Florence
by Francesco Guerrieri
Florence: The biography of a City
by Christopher Hibbert
Santa Maria del Carmine and the Brancacci Chapel
by Mario Carniani
The Palazzi of Florence: their history and art
by Leonardo Ginori
Magnifico: The brilliant life and violent times of Lorenzo de Medici
by Miles J. Unger
Renaissance Florence
by Gene Brucker
Daily life in Florence in the time of the Medici
by Jean Lucas-Dubreton





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.