ROME – FLORENCE – VATICAN MARCH 2025

ROME tour Meeting at the airport and departure for Rome. Arrival, meeting with your tour guide and transfer to the "Eternal City" where you will be guided on foot. We will start with the most representative monument of the Roman Empire, the imposing Colosseum. There we will be able to photograph the Arch of Constantine, built to celebrate the victory of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great over the Emperor Maxentius. Then, walking through the Roman markets under the Capitoline Hill, today the city's City Hall, we will find ourselves in Piazza Venezia with the imposing Palazzo Vittoriano, today the monument to the unknown soldier. Then, passing through via del Corso, which is the most important shopping street in the city, we will end up at the famous Trevi Fountain with its impressive fountain, a magnet for millions of tourists from all over the world. Next, we visit the famous Piazza di Spagna, which is one of the most popular meeting points and at the same time one of the most beautiful places in the city. Elegance is undoubtedly the main characteristic of the square, which in combination with Bernini's fountain, the magnificent Spanish Steps, an obelisk and the beautiful church truly create a frame. From here begins the famous Via Condotti with the most luxurious stores of Italian and French fashion houses and the famous historic café "Greco" which has been operating continuously since 1760. Climbing the famous steps we will photograph Rome from above, we will arrive at the fullest point that we are allowed to board our bus. Transfer to the hotel and check into the rooms.

Early in the morning, transfer to one of the top museums & the smallest state in the world, the Vatican. Guided tour of the Vatican Museums (if & as long as a reservation has been made in advance, based on availability. You will admire huge collections of priceless works of art & sculpture, culminating in the famous Sistine Chapel. This is the chapel of the Apostolic Palace, where its decoration is a reference to the Temple of the Old Testament and is a huge exhibit with masterpieces, as its murals, architecture, frescoes, and ceilings are crafted by the greatest "masters" of the Renaissance. Anyone who wishes can visit St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world [without a guided tour]. Inside are hundreds of statues, culminating in Michelangelo's Pieta. Free time for personal activities in the city's rich market.

Free day at your disposal! Those who wish (minimum participation required) can choose a full-day excursion to the city synonymous with Renaissance art, Florence. We will explore the historic city that is rightfully under the protection of UNESCO. We will see the magnificent Duomo with Giotto's famous bell tower, the Baptistery - of Roman architecture with bronze doors and mosaics - the church of Santa Croce, Piazza de la Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio, which are some of the works of art of Florence. In the afternoon we suggest you visit Trastevere, which is the "square" of Rome.

Free time to say goodbye to the city of Rome, walking through its shopping streets which are full of chic shops and fashion boutiques of top designers, the main ones being Via Sistina and Via Condotti (the Fifth Avenue of Rome) and Via del Babuino where the mix of high fashion products and antiques makes it one of the most elegant streets in Rome. Transfer to the airport for the return flight to Athens.