8D/7N The Best of Italy and the Arena Opera

Pick up at the Rome airport and private transfer to the hotel.

Visit the Vatican Museums & the Sistine Chapel (with a Chinese audioguide)

• THE VATICAN MUSEUMS

The Vatican Museums are Christian and art museums located within the city boundaries of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by popes throughout the centuries including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world.

• THE SISTINE CHAPEL​

The Sistine Chapel is one of the greatest treasures of the Vatican City, of Rome and of the world in general. It is known as much for its decoration, as for being the temple in which popes are chosen and crowned.

The construction of the building was carried out between 1473 and 1481 during the mandate of Pope Sixtus IV, to whom it owes its current name. The architect responsible for the construction was Giovanni of Dolci and it is the only work that he is remembered for.

What grabs the attention in the Sistine Chapel is not its architecture, but the frescoes that completely cover the walls and the ceiling. Some of the most important artists who worked in the chapel are Botticelli, Perugino, Luca and Michelangelo.

Overnight in Rome.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meet with your Chinese-speaking guide and visit Rome.

• ROME

​Rome, Italy's capital, is a sprawling, cosmopolitan city with nearly 3,000 years of globally influential art, architecture and culture on display. Ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum evoke the power of the former Roman Empire. 

Dinner in Rome.

Overnight in Rome.

Breakfast at the hotel in Rome.

After breakfast, train transfer from Rome to Florence by fast train.

Check in at Florence hotel.

Watch the final match of Calcio Storico, the fireworks and celebration for the renowned S. Giovanni Feast.

• CALCIO STORICO AND SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST CELEBRATION

Calcio Storico is a variation of football which is a combination of soccer, rugby, and wrestling. It is also named Calcio in Costume as the footballers must wear medieval costumes for the game, according to the tradition that was established back in the 16th century. The tournament brings together four teams that represent the four historic districts of Florence, each defined by a particular colour, namely green, red, white, and blue. The teams of 27 players each fight for a victory using both hands and feet for passing and controlling the ball.

The final game takes place on June 24th, the day of St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of Florence. On that day, at around 4 p.m. you can watch the parade in historical costumes, and then at 5 p.m., the final match starts. The winner is rewarded with a calf that symbolizes physical victory.

On June 24, Florence celebrates the feast day for its patron saint, St. John the Baptist, considered the "symbol of moral rectitude and political correctness"* on whom medieval Florence aspired to build its economic fortune and good government of the Republic. The image of the saint was even stamped on the city's currency, the florin.

The day has thus been a day of celebration for the city through the centuries. Every year, for St. John, the city organizes several cultural and folkloric events that end with the magnificent fireworks show, called i fochi di San Giovanni by Florentines.

Overnight in Florence.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meet with your Chinese-speaking guide and visit Florence.

• FLORENCE

​Florence, capital of Italy's Tuscany region, is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. The Galleria dell'Accademia displays Michelangelo's “David” sculpture. The Uffizi Gallery exhibits Botticelli's “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci's “Annunciation.”

Typical dinner in Florence.

Overnight in Florence.

Breakfast at the hotel in Florence.

After breakfast, train transfer from Florence to Venice by fast train.

Check in at the hotel.

Meet with your Chinese-speaking guide and visit Venice.

• VENICE

Venice, the capital of northern Italy's Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark's Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the city's red roofs.

Aperitivo in Venice.

Overnight in Venice.

Breakfast at the hotel in Venice.

After breakfast, train transfer from Venice to Verona.

Check in at the hotel and free time at disposal.

• VERONA

​Verona is a city in northern Italy's Veneto region, with a medieval old town built between the meandering Adige River. It's famous for being the setting of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." A 14th-century residence with a tiny balcony overlooking a courtyard is said be “Juliet's House." The Verona Arena is a huge 1st-century Roman amphitheater, which currently hosts concerts and large-scale opera performances.

In the evening, watch Aida opera at the Verona Arena, part of the Arena Opera Festival.

• VERDI'S AIDA AT THE ARENA OPERA FESTIVAL

Take part in a unique opera tradition in Italy: Experience a performance at the Arena di Verona Festival. The location for this famous annual summer opera festival is the Verona Arena, a Roman amphitheater built in 30 AD. Performances traditionally begin at sundown, and the audience lights up the night with small candles when the opera begins. 

Set in Ancient Egypt, Aida is a timeless story of love and betrayal against the backdrop of war. The story is a roller coaster of emotions told through Verdi's powerful music. Aida is an Ethiopian princess held captive in Egypt, in love with a General, Radames, and he with her.

Overnight in Verona.

Breakfast at the hotel in Verona.

After breakfast, train transfer from Verona to Milan.

Check in at the hotel.

Meet with your Chinese-speaking guide and visit Milan.

• MILAN

​Milan, a metropolis in Italy's northern Lombardy region, is a global capital of fashion and design. Home to the national stock exchange, it's a financial hub also known for its high-end restaurants and shops. The Gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, housing Leonardo da Vinci's mural “The Last Supper,” testify to centuries of art and culture.

Dinner in Milan.

Overnight in Milan.

Breakfast at the hotel in Milan.

Private transfer from hotel to Milan airport.