Over centuries, the Habsburgs channelled immense wealth into the fine arts and music, collecting palaces and castles the way others do stamps. You’ll still feel their cultural reverberations in Austria today – be it watching Lipizzaner stallions prance at the Spanish Riding School, or crossing the Hofburg to eyeball Rubens masterpieces in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, or Klimt and Schiele at the MuseumsQuartier. The work of classical pop stars such as Mozart, Strauss, Mahler, Haydn and Schubert echo as loudly as ever at lavishly gilded concert halls, and music festivals like Salzburg Festival and Bregenzer Festspiele are staged against uplifting lakeside or mountain backdrops.
Epicentre of the Roman Empire and birthplace of the Renaissance, this European virtuoso groans under the weight of its cultural cachet: it’s here that you’ll stand in the presence of Michelangelo’s David and Sistine Chapel frescoes, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera and da Vinci’s The Last Supper. In fact, Italy has more Unesco World Heritage cultural sites than any other country on Earth. Should you walk in the footsteps of ancient Romans in Pompeii, revel in Ravenna’s glittering Byzantine treasures or get breathless over Giotto’s revolutionary frescoes in Padua? It’s a cultural conundrum as thrilling as it is overwhelming.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT ROME
Arrive at Rome International Airport, come outside after clearing emigration process where you will be greeted by our representative who will then escort you to your hotel for overnight stay.
A heady mix of haunting ruins, awe-inspiring art and vibrant street life, Italy’s hot-blooded capital is one of the world’s most romantic and inspiring cities.
DAY 2: ROME (MONUMENTAL TOUR)
Breakfast at hotel, Today visit Rome Monumental Tour This tour begins by passing through the Via Veneto, made famous by Fellini’s Dolce Vita film. Before reaching Via Nazionale we cross Piazza della Republica with Najadi’s Fountain. Our walk through the historical centre starts with the Trevi Fountain and continues to Piazza Navona, built on the ancient Domitian Stadium with the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers, Bernini’s masterpiece. Along the way we admire Piazza Colonna so called due to the Column of Marco Aurelio. Visit the interior of the Pantheon which was built in the First Century B.C. with the biggest dome in the world as requested by Emperor Hadrian. Continue by coach to St. Peter’s Square passing Castel St. Angelo. We visit the Basilica of St. Peter’s to admire, among other treasures, the Pieta’ by Michelangelo.
DAY 3: ROME – FLORENCE (Approx time 1hr 20min)
Breakfast at hotel.A splendid excursion through the fertile and picturesque Tuscan countryside towards the historic university city of Pisa, famous for its architectural beauty. After a panoramic drive along the beautiful riversides, the tour proceeds with a guided tour to Piazza dei Miracoli to find the celebrated Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, an unequalled masterpiece of Romanesque art carried out between the 11th and 12th centuries, the Baptistery and other important monuments. You will then walk to Piazza dei Cavalieri, where the Scuola Normale, one of the most famous universities in the world, resides. Check out & board the train to Florence. Check in to the hotel. Day is at leisure. Overnight stay is at hotel.
DAY 4: FLORENCE – VENICE (Approx. time 2hrs 10min)
Breakfast at hotel, check out own transfer to Train station, board the train to Venice. Check in to the hotel Day is at leisure. Overnight stay is hotel.
DAY 5: VENICE (MURANO, BURANO & TORCELLO)
Breakfast at hotel. Murano, Burano & torcello Tour After sailing past the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the Public Gardens, the tip of Sant’Elena and the famous Lido beach resort, the boat arrives in Murano, known throughout the world for its glass manufacturing industry.The second stop is at the picturesque island of Burano, famous not only for its lace but also for the fishermen’s houses painted in bright colours. The stop will last about 30 minutes. Then after a short cruise, we reach Torcello, the earliest centre of civilization in the estuary. Only the Cathedral with its magnificent mosaics and the church of Santa Fosca remain as testimony of its former glory. The stop will be for about 30 minutes then we return to St.Mark’s Square.
DAY 6: VENICE– INNSBRUCK (SWAROVSKI WORLD CRYSTAL TOUR)
Have breakfast in hotel. Check out. board the train to Innsbruck. The city of Innsbruck is impressive with its medieval lanes adorned with Habsburg palaces and today’s sightseeing tour will introduce you to the fascinating world of Swarovski. Board a fast and comfortable coach from central Innsbruck for a 30 minutes drive, to the world famous Swarovski Crystal World, situated in Wattens.
Take a stroll around the The water spouting Giant, it is a remarkable huge face sculptured on top of a rock gushing waterfall. Enjoy going inside the Giant where a whole crystal world awaits you: the Chambers of Wonders containing the Planet of Crystals, the Crystal Dome, the Crystal Theater, the Ice passage and the Floating Poem will be highlights of your visit to the place. An eventful day then comes to an end and you will be escorted back to your hotel for a comfortable sleep.Upon arrival check in to the hotel by your own .
DAY 7: INNSBRUCK – SALZBURG(Approx. Time 2Hrs)
Check out & proceed by own to the train station to board the train to Innsbruck. At Innsbruck you will be accommodated in a hotel for your overnight stay.
DAY 8: SALZBURG (MOZART CITY TOUR)
Stroll through Mozart’s Salzburg and take a closer look at the main sights of this picturesque city. The tour begins by the Palace of Mirabell which was built in year 1606 and today home to the office of the local Mayor and city offices. Then pass the Mozarteum (University of Music) one of the world’s most prestigious music academies. You will arrive in Markart Square with the Landestheatre (The Regional Theatre), The Trinity Church and Mozart’s Wohnhaus (Mozart’s Residence), where the composer lived for many years. Crossing over the Salzach (Salt) river you will have a wonderful view of this magical city. You will pass by the Law Courts on the way to the Hellbrunn Palace where you will have a short photo stop. Hellbrunn Palace was built at the start of the 17th century to the design of the great architect Santino Solari and used as a hunting lodge and weekend residence by Salzburg’s Archbishops. On the way back to the city centre you will pass by the Palace of Frohnburg and the Nonnberg Abbey, situated beneath the impressive Hohensalzburg Fortress, before entering the heart of the city through the Siegmunds Gate. Once in the old city you will pass by the Festival Halls, Old University, Horse Pond, Getreidegasse and the Blasius Church. The tour finishes in Mozart Square where you will see the famous Mozart statue and the Cathedral. Come back to hotel for overnight stay.
DAY 9: SALZBURG -VIENNA(approx. journey time 2Hrs)
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed towards the train station to board the train to Salzburg. At Salzburg check-into your hotel room for overnight stay.
DAY 10: VIENNA (VIENNA CITY TOUR WITH SCHONBRUNN PALACE)
The day heralds a lifetime experience and you will be taken for a sightseeing tour of Austrian capital city, Vienna. The tour will take you around some of the most significant and attractive sights of the city. The drive around the famous Ringstrasse, Vienna’s main boulevard will bring an en-route visit to the the State Opera, the Museums of Fine Art and Natural History, the Parliament building, the Burgtheater (National Theater), the City Hall and the University. We then drive along the Danube Canal and pass by Hundertwasser’s ‘Kunsthaus’ and the Prater Park with its Giant Ferris Wheel. The highlight of this program will be the visit to Schonbrunn Palace, a former imperial summer residence, the palace is known for its magnificently decorated rooms and gardens which illustrate the taste of successive Habsburg monarchs. Passing by Belvedere Palace return to the city center where you will end the city tour, or else you can choose to continue to the State Opera House.
DAY 11: HOMEBOUND
Breakfast at hotel. Check out & own transfer to Airport for the Final Departure.
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