Rome, Florence, Venice Escorted Italy Tour with Greek Isles Cruise

Click here for Italy tour Greek Islands cruise tour daily itinerary.

Italy Tour with Greek Islands Cruise Trip Highlights

• Mouth of Truth, Rome
• Ancient Rome & Exterior of Colosseum, Rome
• St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome
• Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel, Rome
• Dinner with Opera Singers, Rome
• Tuscan Dinner, Tuscany
• Walking tour of Florence historic center, Florence
• Walking tour of Venice St. Mark’s Square, Venice
• Glassblowing demonstration, Venice
• Monasteries of Meteora, Kalambaka Greece
• Delphi City Tour Sacred Way, Delphi
• Athens City Tour, Athens
• Ephesus City Tour including Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and Amphitheater and visit the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus
• Mykonos free time
• Explore the Acropolis of Lindos in Rhodes, Rhodes
• Crete, free time
• Santorini, free time

Escorted Italy Tour with Greek Islands Cruise Includes

• Rome, Florence, Venice city hotel taxes
• Hotel & cruise porterage
• 13 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 9 Dinners
• Italy sightseeing per itinerary in luxury motor coach
• Services of English-speaking Italy tour manager
• Services of local guides in all major Italian cities
• Italy museum entrance fees per itinerary
• Whisper technology enhanced touring on motor coach tour

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Italy Tour and Greek Islands Cruise Accommodations:

• Rome 2 Nights: Midas Palace Hotel
• Florence 1 Night: Hotel Villa Neroli
• Venice Nestre 2 Nights: ovotel Venezia Mestre Castellana Venice
• Athens 1 Night: Crowne Plaza Athens City Center
• Kalambaka 1 Night: Amalia Hotel
• Delphi 1 Night: Amalia Hotel
• Athens 1 Night: Crowne Plaza Athens City Center
• Cruise 4 Nights: MV Celestyal Discovery

Click here for vacation itinerary.

Day 3 – Piazzas and Fountains of Rome

Discover the most charming areas in the city with a Local Specialist. Wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets and beautiful squares of Rome’s historic center, leading to highlights such as the Trevi Fountain, as well as hidden corners of the Eternal City.

Day 3 – Delights of Rome with Dinner

pend an evening getting to know Rome. We’ll take you via coach where you’ll have the chance to see some of the city’s much-loved sights. Afterwards, you’ll enjoy a delicious light dinner of Italian specialties, alongside local music and drinks.

Day 5 – Michelangelo’s David Accademia Museum

Enjoy an insight into the world of Michelangelo and his masterpiece, ‘David’. We’ll visit the Academy of Fine Arts and its Michelangelo collection, where you’ll learn all about the life and works of this immortal Renaissance genius through the expert commentary of our Local Specialist.

Day 5 – Discover Palazzo Vecchio

Marvel at the legacy of the Medici as you visit Palazzo Vecchio, the symbol of Florence’s political power for over seven centuries. With our Local Specialist we’ll visit the wonderful “Hall of the Five Hundred”, dedicated to the Medici popes. We’ll also visit rooms decorated with masterpieces by famous artists of the Renaissance like Michelangelo and Donatello.

Day 5 – Gondolas and Grand Canal

Join us for a breathtaking cruise by private water taxi along Venice’s Grand Canal. You’ll admire the magnificent palazzi, catching a glimpse of the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square. Later on, you’ll glide gracefully on a gondola along Venice’s dreamy, narrow waterways.

Day 6 – Venice Secrets

Explore the hidden maze of streets which make up this unique city as your Local Specialist gives you a fascinating insight into Venice’s past and present. You’ll discover tucked away squares and back streets local Venetians use to side-step the tourist throng and give you a sense of authentic life on the island of Venice.

Day 6 – Burano

This afternoon, discover the Venetian Lagoon by private boat. You’ll enjoy a delicious meal, with a selection of drinks, on the fisherman’s island of Burano, famous for its multi-colored houses – a photographer’s paradise.

Day 9 – Greek Culinary Experience

This evening enjoy a fun interactive Greek cooking lesson; try your hand at preparing various famous local dishes under the expert direction of your warm and hospitable chef and hosts.

Afterwards relax in the lovely surroundings and enjoy a scrumptious dinner including the dishes you have prepared!

Day 11 – Mykonos Countryside

Join our Local Specialist as we head south from Chora, stopping at the leeward beach of Ornos, a picturesque fishing harbor and popular anchorage. We’ll continue to the small beach of Agia Anna and Kalafatis beach. Then, we’ll visit the traditional village of Ano Mera and the monastery of Panagia Tourliani, founded in 1542. The pretty village square is a perfect spot for a short break. Returning to Chora, we’ll stop at Paraportiani where we’ll see the Mykonos Folklore Museum, housed in an old two-storied merchant baron’s house. Continuing, we’ll visit the “Little Venice” of Mykonos, Alefkandra, with its windmills and otherworldly sunsets that are a highlight of the island.

Day 12 – Patmos Countryside Tour with Hora and the Grotto of the Apocalypse

We’ll visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Patmos to enjoy a panoramic guided tour of the island, including a magical visit to the Grotto of the Apocalypse, where it is said St John the Apostle wrote the Book of Revelation. We’ll then reach the medieval town of Hora to enjoy a leisurely walk, marvel at the views of the Monastery of St John the Evangelist, and finish our tour at Scala, the port of Patmos, where we’ll enjoy a welcoming coffee, tea or refreshment.

Day 13 – Acropolis of Lindos and the Citadel of the Knights

Prepare for an encounter with one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World today. Walking along the path of religious knights who once conquered the island of Rhodes. These Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem ruled the island from 1310 to 1522 and you’ll hear all about the island which became a bastion for Christianity in the East, defying pirate raids and Turkish sieges for centuries. Subject to participation numbers.

Day 13 – Pottery Class

With its extraordinary, beautiful, distinctive, colorful and elaborate designs, pottery was considered to be a gift worthy of dedication to the Gods. Pottery represents an important record to help us understand the different periods of Ancient Greek life. This tour provides a fascinating insight into this key aspect of Greek history and learn about the four major styles. After a demonstration from one of the craftsmen, you will be invited to enhance your skills and gain hands-on understanding of the various techniques in order to help you make your own ceramic item. Subject to participation numbers.

Day 14 – Minoan Palace of Knossos – First European Civilization

Visit the Palace of Knossos in Heraklion, walk through its imposing northern entrance and admire the bright wall paintings that were restored at the turn of the 20th century, revealing insights into Minoan civilization several thousand years before Christ. Subject to participation numbers.

Day 14 – Experience Cretan Countryside & Lifestyle

Leaving the Venetian walls of Heraklion behind us, we drive deep into the beautiful countryside of Greece’s largest island. We pass through Episkopi and Sgourokefali before arriving at the traditional village of Stironas. Wine has been in Crete since the Minoans and after a little wine tasting, visit a raki distiller and sample the product straight from the barrels in his cellar. Enjoy a Cretan meze with pure local olive oil and traditional dancers performance. You will have imbibed the true flavor of countryside life for a few hours. Subject to participation numbers.

Day 14 – Spectacular Oia Village Perched on the Caldera Rim

We’ll travel first to Megalochori village, one of the most authentic, unspoiled villages of the island with its distinctive architecture and character. We’ll continue East, viewing distant settlements like Kamari and Monolithos, and pass through the island’s capital Fira. Then, it’s off to the small traditional villages of Firostefani and Imerovigli, with their delicate architecture, before eventually arriving at the settlement of Oia. You’ll have plenty of time to stroll through the village’s marble-paved alleys, gaze at the adorably cute shops, and take Instagram-worthy pictures of the characteristic buildings carved into the rocks, including the distinctive captains’ manors.

Day 14 – Akrotiri Village Excavations

Marvel at Santorini’s towering cliffs, as tender boats convey you to the port at Athinios, where a coach will take you to Santorini’s most significant archaeological site, the ancient village of Akrotiri. On the way we’ll stop at the ruins of the island’s famous windmill for photos and to enjoy the incredible panoramic view. You’ll then have a chance to go back in time to explore the amazing ruins of Akrotiri. These advanced people grew crops and built two- and three-story homes, shops and workshops surrounding the village square thousands of years ago. Akrotiri was a bustling town, but its inhabitants abandoned it before the Thera eruption, a mystery archaeologists and historians are still trying to solve. The ash from the volcano buried the city, preserving many of its structures and some of its incredible frescoes. Driving on to Fira, the capital of Santorini and its largest town, we’ll visit the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral famed for its elegant construction and its beautiful frescoes painted by Christoforos Assimis. Stay in Fira to shop and enjoy a coffee or a snack or take the Santorini Cable Car to the port below, an incredible descent of more than 200 meters toward the deep blue waters of the caldera. Our tender boats will be ready, once you disembark from the cable car, to bring you back to the ship.

Leaving the Venetian walls of Heraklion behind us, we drive deep into the beautiful countryside of Greece’s largest island. We pass through Episkopi and Sgourokefali before arriving at the traditional village of Stironas. Wine has been in Crete since the Minoans and after a little wine tasting, visit a raki distiller and sample the product straight from the barrels in his cellar. Enjoy a Cretan meze with pure local olive oil and traditional dancers performance. You will have imbibed the true flavor of countryside life for a few hours. Subject to participation numbers.