All address fields should be selected!
Full name should be provided!
The information you entered is not valid. Please try again.
The information you entered is not valid. Please try again.
No Results
Invalid email value
Invalid password value
Please enter a valid email address
Please provide a password
Your password must be at least 5 characters long
Missing password
Password short (5 chars min required)
Special Offer
Remove from Wishlist
Program No.
Ages
Length
days
New
Not yet reviewed
Starts at
Close
See More
Activity Level — Varies
Activity Level
Details
We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check-in from 12:00 p.m. Transfer from Rome Fiumicino Airport to hotel is 20 miles (50-minute ride). Walking approximately 1 mile.
Afternoon: Check in and settle in. At 4:30 p.m. we gather in the meeting room for an Orientation session. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and requirements throughout the program. Breakfasts will be buffets. Other included meals will be plated and served from a set menu unless indicated otherwise; water is included, other beverages will be available for purchase. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, attending performances or other events, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Group Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions. Transportation will be provided primarily by motorcoach and high-speed train. Periods in the schedule designated as "Free time" and "At leisure" offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Next, we will join our Group Leader in a welcome cocktail (or fruit juice).
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach or van; 6 miles, 20-minute ride. Walking up to 4 miles throughout the day. Extended standing during museum visit. Unavoidable steps/stairs.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will be joined in the hotel meeting room by a history professor who will begin to unravel the multiple layers of Roman history we observe during our explorations.
Lunch: On your own to enjoy the local fare of your choice. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner: On your own to sample the local fare.
Evening: Next, we will enjoy one of the most exciting highlights of our program. We will board vans or a coach and to the Vatican Museums for a privileged private visit after regular closing hours to view selected collections of the museum and the Sistine Chapel, one of the foremost artistic achievements in human history. Michelangelo’s struggles with the pope who commissioned him, Paul III, have been told and re-told in numerous books and movies. Through his exceptional talent and sheer stamina, Michelangelo created what has been called a "shrine of the theology of the human body." Note: Our allotted time is two hours along a specified route that includes the Gallery of Maps, Hall of Tapestries, and the Stanze di Raffaello (Raphael Rooms) adorned with impressive frescoes. At 9:15 p.m., we will ride back to the hotel by motorcoach. There are 26 sections of the Vatican Museums. If you wish to see more, please plan to attend during free time while we are in Rome. Note that the visit does not include St. Peter's Basilica.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking up to 5 miles throughout the day with extended periods of standing during site visits; uneven paths, cobblestones, loose gravel, and dirt paths. Elevator available in the Colosseum. Unavoidable stairs at sites.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Coach or vans to the closest drop off point near the Roman Forum where a local expert will spur our imagination to envision the buildings now in ruin. The field trip will continue to the Colosseum where we will hear some interesting anecdotes about Roman entertainment so many centuries ago. Built in the year 80 CE and officially known as the Flavian Amphitheater, the Colosseum was the greatest in the Roman Empire. It measured 620 by 513 feet and could hold more than 50,000 spectators. Architects and researchers are still not sure how the many wonders that have been described were managed. Historical records as well as popular culture in our time have made it an iconic symbol of gladiatorial combat and the sacrifice of untold numbers of slaves, prisoners of war, condemned criminals, and animals from throughout the empire. Those with the energy and stamina are welcome to climb the 10-foot high steps to the upper level.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner: On your own to sample the local fare.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach or van. Walking up to 3 miles throughout the day; 500 feet from drop-off point at Borghese Gallery to museum entrance; gravel paths, steps down to ticket office, up to entrance; marble tile flooring. Stairs to second floor picture gallery; small elevator (3-person capacity) for disabled visitors.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon: From the hotel, we will board a motorcoach or van and ride to the Borghese Gallery where we have a reserved entrance time. A local expert will lead our exploration. The Borghese Gallery is one of the finest art museums in Europe, distinguished by its collection of ancient sculpture and paintings from the Italian Baroque era. The Villa Borghese that houses the collection was built from 1613-1616 and remained in the hands of the Borghese family until it was acquired by the Italian government in 1902. The art collection was gathered primarily by Pope Paul V, formerly Camillo Borghese, and his nephew, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, in the 17th century. The family were not only collectors, but patrons of the arts who commissioned many works. Among the artists represented are Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Titian, to name but a few. Note: The Borghese strictly limits the number of attendees each day; groups are allotted no more than two hours. The museum does not permit taking any kinds of photos or videos.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Steps getting on/off a train. Walking up to 3 miles throughout the day with standing while waiting for the train; cobblestones, marble flooring, and urban stone sidewalks. Unavoidable stairs getting on/off the train. High-speed train to Florence takes 1.5 hours (175 miles). Hotel check-in from 2:00 p.m.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Bags will be picked up early morning outside rooms for delivery to hotel in Florence. We'll take a motorcoach Roma Termini, the main train station, where we will board a high-speed train with reserved seats and set out for our next program site. Upon arrival in Florence, we will walk from the train station to our lunch destination.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Continuing our walk to the hotel we'll check in and have some time to freshen up and relax before our next activity. We will gather in the hotel meeting room for a presentation by an art historian on medieval and Renaissance art in preparation for our self-directed field trip to the Uffizi Gallery.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 4 miles total throughout the day with extended periods of standing during site visits; marble flooring, cobblestones and some uneven urban stone sidewalks and streets. Unavoidable steps in the museums.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will walk to the Accademia for a lecture on one of the most famous statues in the world, Michelangelo's David. In addition to admiring this extraordinary figure, will also see the unfinished statues known as the Prisoners. It has been suggested that Michelangelo left them in their incomplete state to symbolize the struggle of humankind to free spirit from matter. We will then have time for independent exploration in the Accademia that includes works by other great sculptors and artists — many of which were collected by the Medici and donated to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany — and a Museum of Musical Instruments.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We will walk to the reserved entrance of the Uffizi Gallery for our self-directed field trip. You are free to see what interests you most and spend as much time as you wish. This is the most extensive collection of Renaissance art in the world, tracing the development from Gothic to medieval to Renaissance to Mannerist paintings as well as architecture and sculpture. You will find many recognizable masterpieces, including Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation, Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, some Titians, Michelangelo's Holy Family, and a few Caravaggios as well as Artemisia Gentileschi. There is a suggested guide to seeing some of the most famous masterpieces at www.uffizi.org. There is a coffee bar at the end of the second corridor, on top of the Loggia, with a wonderful view of the watch tower and Duomo where you can get a refreshment and rest.
Dinner: On your own to sample the local fare.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach. 7 miles, 20 minutes ride. Walking up to 4 miles, extended periods of standing; uneven stone streets and sidewalks. Gravel and dirt paths at the agriturismo. Unavoidable steps/stairs.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We'll set out on foot for our expert-led field trip to the Palazzo Pitti on the other side of the Arno. This former palace was inhabited by members of the Medici family from 1589 until the last, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, died in 1743. The palace was home to Napoleon when Tuscany was under French control and later was a residence of the House of Savoy under the period of Italian Unification. Today, the palace is home to works by Antonio Canova, Artemisia Gentileschi, Raphael, Tiziano, and Rubens.
Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon: We'll meet at the appointed time in the nearby Piazza Trinita to board a motorcoach and head for the hills above the city to a medieval village and farm in Fiesole. Weather permitting we can explore the olive groves and enjoy the view of the city below.
Dinner: At the agriturismo.
Evening: We will transfer back to our hotel by motorcoach or van. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off a high-speed train, approximately 2 hours. Getting on/off a vaporetto (public transportation vessel); expect some wave movement. Walking up to 3 miles throughout the day; uneven stone paved pedestrian only streets and alleys. The city of canals is all pedestrian; bridges spanning minor canals have ramps or stairs.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will check out of the hotel, depositing bags in the lobby where the Group Leader will supervise loading onto a van headed directly to Venice where they will be delivered to our hotel. Walking to the Florence train station we will take the high-speed train to Venice that departs mid-morning, arriving just in time for lunch at the hotel after a short walk.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We will check in to our rooms and have some time to freshen up and relax. We will gather in the lobby around 4:00 p.m. and proceed to the hotel meeting room where a local historian will share insights into Venice's legacy. Then, setting out on foot with our Group Leader, we will go for a neighborhood walk to see the location of ATMs, pharmacies, stores, and vaporetto stops in the area around the hotel. We will have passes for the vaporetto, Venice’s public transportation system by boat, valid for unlimited rides on the major routes during our stay. You can reach all six of the city’s sestieri — districts — by vaporetto.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: We will set out to attend a musical performance — concert or recital — from current offerings. Our program was planned far in advance when details of performances were not available. When confirmed, the information will be included in the final schedule provided onsite.
Activity note: Getting on/off a vaporetto and gondola; assistance offered getting on/off gondola Walking up to 4 miles throughout the day, extended standing during field trips. Bridges to cross; some with ramps, some with steps. No elevators in historic buildings.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: With our Group Leader, we will hop on a vaporetto to reach St. Mark’s Square where a local expert will lead our exploration of the Piazza San Marco and Palazzo Ducale. Doges were the leaders of Venice, elected for life from among an aristocratic elite, with substantial temporal power as chief magistrates. What became known as "La Serenissima" — the most Serene Republic of Venice — was in reality anything but unless one was among the aristocratic elite. Even then, people were not safe from the network of official spies, the CIA of their day. The Doge’s official residence was the Palazzo Ducale, which included not only grand living quarters but also government offices, opulent ceremonial chambers for the Great Council, courtrooms, and a jail. Those convicted of crimes walked from the courtroom to prison across the Bridge of Sighs, so called because prisoners sighed knowing it was their last glimpse of light and air. Next, weather permitting, we will take a gondola ride through back canals to see Venice from a different point of view.
Lunch: On your own to sample local fare.
Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off a vaporetto. Walking up to 4 miles throughout the day; narrow crowded alleys, bridges, uneven pavement. Bridges to cross; some with ramps, some with steps. No elevators in historic buildings; unavoidable stairs/steps.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will walk from the hotel and take the vaporetto to the Accademia stop for an expert-led visit of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, one of Europe’s premier small museums devoted to modern art. Peggy Guggenheim was the daughter of multi-millionaire Benjamin Guggenheim, who perished on the Titanic. After becoming part of American expatriate society in Europe, she met and mingled with artists and intellectuals of the day, first in Paris and then London before returning to the United States. She was an active art dealer as well as a collector, giving some artists the support they needed to gain public recognition. One of her protégés was Jackson Pollock. She eventually returned to Europe and settled in Venice in a palazzo on the Grand Canal where she held exhibitions of her exceptional collection. The museum displays some of the best examples of works by artists such as Braque, Calder, Giacometti, Kandinsky, Magritte, Miro, Mondrian, Picasso, Pollock, Rothko, and many other pioneers of modern art.
Lunch: On your own to sample the local fare.
Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner: At a local restaurant. Recap your adventures and share your favorite memories.
Evening: We will enjoy a special night visit to St. Mark’s Basilica. Our Study Leader will take us through the mosaic-clad symbol of Venice that points to its Byzantine origins. The Basilica is named for the evangelist St. Mark to house his supposed relics, taken from Egypt by Venetian merchants in 828 CE. Our local expert will point out the amazing features in this symbol of Venetian wealth and power such as 43,000 square feet covered in brilliant, gilded, glass mosaics and adorned with extraordinary images by great artists from the history of Christianity. The Basilica will be open exclusively for our Road Scholar group. We’ll also visit the crypt that sits under sea level. Special lights create a magical atmosphere and bring alive the shimmering mosaics laid in 1071 by artists from Constantinople. We will then take the vaporetto from San Marco to the stop nearest the hotel. Those who wish to walk back are welcome to do so. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity note: Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers. Roll bags to the taxi dock close to the hotel. At the dock, bags will be loaded onto the boat. Ride is 1/2 hour. Bags will be unloaded at the airport dock. Airport water transportation wing is a few steps from boat to dock. Follow signs the main terminal. Carts available or use moving walkway.
Breakfast: At the hotel (depending on departure times). For those with an early departure, a boxed continental breakfast will be provided. This concludes our program.
Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!