İSTANBUL – BOLOGNA – (Evening Dinner Lucca Tour) – FLORENCE
After arriving at Sabiha Gökçen Airport’s International Terminal 3 hours before the flight and completing ticketing, baggage drop-off and passport procedures, we fly to Bologna at 11:35 with Pegasus Airlines scheduled flight PC1217. After arriving in Bologna at 12:20 local time, we head to Bologna city center with our private bus waiting for us to organize our panoramic city tour. Located in the Emilia-Romagna region, the homeland of Parmesan and balsamic vinegar, Bologna is home to Europe’s oldest and most established university. After our tour, where you will also have the chance to experience Bologna’s local street flavors, which are unique to the city and include some of Italy’s best deli products, and which stands out with its architecture reaching from the Middle Ages to the present, long colonnaded walkways and lively squares, we head to our hotel in the Florence region. On the way, guests who wish may join our extra Evening Dinner Lucca Tour program (45 Euro). In our tour, we first start with dinner at a local restaurant featuring Tordelli Lucchesi, Lucca’s most famous ravioli/pasta of Tuscany, served with dinner. After dinner, in Lucca, one of Tuscany’s best-preserved medieval towns, which captivates visitors with its historic walls surrounding the city, narrow stone streets and elegant squares, we take a walking tour and then transfer to our hotel in the Florence region after free time around Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, which has become the city’s symbol with its pleasant Tuscan evening lifestyle and distinctive oval structure.
FLORANCE – (Florence Masterpieces Tour with Lunch) – ROME – (Rome Night Tour)
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Rome. On the way, guests who wish may join our extra Florence Masterpieces Tour with Lunch program (65 Euro). In Florence, the great center of the Renaissance, the birthplace of art, aesthetics and world-famous artists (Michelangelo, Da Vinci), and an artistic city that feels like an open-air museum, we first see from the outside the Santa Maria Del Fiore Cathedral, Europe’s 4th largest church, which immediately attracts attention with its orange dome. One of the most striking features of the cathedral is the bronze door called the “Gate of Paradise,” where some of the prophetic stories mentioned in the Holy Quran are also depicted symbolically. Later, Giotto’s Bell Tower, once used to summon the people to parliament, Piazza della Signoria, which was the political and social center of Florence for centuries and where Michelangelo’s famous Statue of David is also located, and Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s oldest bridge famous for its antique and jeweler shops, are among the places to see. Afterwards, after lunch at a local restaurant with Tuscan-style Roast Beef (oven-baked beef), we complete our tour and continue our journey to our hotel in the Rome region. On the way, guests who wish may join our extra Rome Night Tour program (35 Euro). In our panoramic tour, where we will explore the streets of Rome at any time of day with the aesthetic beauty added by evening lights, we will offer free time at the world-famous Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. During this free time, in many nearby cafés, you can taste the finest examples of traditional Italian pasta, especially Cacio e Pepe, considered a symbol of Rome (the famous Roman pasta prepared with Pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground black pepper). For guests who prefer a light snack, we recommend trying Supplì filled with mozzarella, and for dessert lovers, we recommend tasting Rome’s Maritozzo, a creamy local specialty that Romans traditionally present proposals by placing a ring inside. At the end of the tour, we arrive at our hotel in the Rome region.
ROME – (Rome Icons & Nemi Strawberry Village Tour) – (Vatican and Evening Dinner Rome Local Neighborhoods Tour)
After breakfast, we offer a full day of free time. Guests who wish may join our extra Rome Icons & Nemi Strawberry Village Tour program (85 Euro). Our first stop is Nemi, a favorite filming location in Italy for Turkish and world cinema. Known for its wild strawberries and called the “Strawberry Village” for this reason, Nemi hosts an annual strawberry festival. During our sightseeing and free time in Nemi, where its narrow streets opening onto squares and the enchanting lake and valley views blend with the scent of strawberries in the air, you can try strawberry tart/ice cream made with Italy’s most famous mountain strawberry at many small local shops in the area. After our Nemi Strawberry Village visit, we take you on a historical journey through Rome and its icons, the city described as Urbs caput mundi, meaning “the city at the center of the world,” offering art, history, music, shopping, sun and cuisine, with buildings in various styles ranging from antiquity to the Renaissance. While the works created by architects competing with one another attract thousands of tourists to the city every season, Rome can carry even these crowds without overwhelming people, with all its beauty and aesthetics. On our tour, in the imperial city of Rome, which has shaped European civilization and witnessed 23 centuries of history, the Colosseum, the city’s symbol and the largest ancient theater that hosted gladiator fights throughout the Roman Empire, the Roman Forum, the center of ceremonies during imperial times, the Trevi Fountain, where legend says those who throw a coin into it will return to Rome, the Spanish Steps famous for street artists, Piazza Pietra, and Piazza Popolo will be among the panoramic sights. At the end of the tour, we offer free time in Rome city center. Within the free time offered for guests joining the Rome Icons and Nemi Strawberry Village Tour, those who wish may join our extra Vatican and Evening Dinner Rome Local Neighborhoods Tour program (75 Euro). In our tour, which begins by seeing Castel Sant’Angelo, we visit Vatican / San Pietro, the center of the Catholic branch of Christianity and the world’s smallest country by area. We offer free time at San Pietro Square (St. Peter’s Square), where thousands of Catholics gather for worship every year and where, on special occasions, the Pope comes out from his office to greet the public, and where St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest cathedral with 140 statues of saints, is located. After the free time offered, we begin our Evening Dinner Rome Local Neighborhoods tour. We will experience Pizza Romana Tonda, the traditional Roman pizza with thin crispy dough and crunchy edges, unique to Rome. After dinner, in our excursion where we blend in with the people of Rome and feel like residents of the city, Trastevere, Piazza Trilussa, Ponte Sisto and the Ghetto areas, as well as the Ancient Tiber Island connected to the city by 2 bridges, will be among the panoramic sights where we will experience the true Italian atmosphere with its cafés, small family-run eateries, boutiques, greengrocers, butchers and many other small and charming shops, in addition to its naturalness and simplicity. After our walking tour through the narrow backstreets resembling a labyrinth, with small tables set out, we complete our tour and return to our hotel in the Rome region.
ROME – (Orvieto Tour) – (Siena & San Gimignano Tour) – FLORENCE
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we set off for our hotel in the Florence region, where we will stay. On the way, guests who wish may join our extra Orvieto Tour program (50 Euro). In our tour, we first visit the medieval town of Orvieto, famous for its Gothic and Baroque works, cathedral and wine cellars. We go up to Orvieto, also called “Falcon Hill,” and enjoy the view. During the free time offered, you can taste or buy the region’s special Tozzetti cookies, black truffle mushrooms and handmade pasta in the small and large cafés and shops in the city center. At the end of the Orvieto tour, we continue our journey to Florence. On the way, guests who wish may join our extra Siena & San Gimignano Tour program (80 Euro). Our first stop will be Siena. Siena is famous for its narrow streets dating from the Middle Ages, small avenues and Campo Square, considered the largest square in Europe. In Siena, after a pleasant tour through Campo Square and the narrow, historic streets leading to it, during the short free time offered, you can taste truffle cheeses and Ricciarelli, Italy’s best hard almond biscuit, and Panforte dessert at nearby cafés and restaurants. After our Siena visit, we arrive at San Gimignano, the second stop of our tour. San Gimignano, which has earned its place on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List because it has preserved its medieval architecture and appearance to this day, is also known as the “Town of Beautiful Towers” thanks to 14 architectural marvel towers that survived out of 76 towers as a result of wars and natural disasters. In San Gimignano’s narrow streets, where time seems to have stood still and makes visitors feel as though they have traveled back to the Middle Ages, and in its squares where each street opens onto the town square, we will carry out a sightseeing tour where we can see the 14 magnificent towers panoramically; during the free time offered, we will take an ice cream break at the award-winning Gelateria Dondoli, which holds the title of the world’s best ice cream maker (its saffron and pine nut varieties are especially famous). At the end of the tour, transfer to our hotel in the Florence region.
FLORENCE – (Pisa Tour) – (Portofino Tour by Boat) – MILAN OUTLET – MILAN
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Milan. On the way, guests who wish may join our extra Pisa Tour program (50 Euro). In our tour, which we will carry out upon arrival in Pisa, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Cathedral, Baptistery and Miracles Square are among the places to visit. After the short free time offered for a photo break, we continue our journey to Milan. On the way, guests who wish may join our extra Portofino Tour by Boat program (65 Euro). Surrounded by colorful houses, Portofino, which has inspired songs with all its beauty, captivates its visitors with its narrow streets, colorful houses, green hills and its scenery worthy of seeing with the turquoise Mediterranean Sea. During the free time offered, you may have the chance to taste the region’s famous “Focaccia Genovese,” a bread prepared with plenty of olive oil and sea salt. After our Portofino visit, we continue our journey to Milan. On the way, we will visit Milan outlet center, one of Europe’s largest outlet centers, home to the stylish stores of world-famous prestigious brands, cafés and restaurants, and personal activity areas. After the free time we will offer for affordable and quality shopping, transfer to our hotel in the Milan region.
MILAN – (Como Tour) – VENICE
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart to organize our Milan city tour. On the way, guests who wish may join our extra Como Tour program (50 Euro). Upon arrival in Como, in our tour, we will visit Lake Como, famous for its luxury life and natural beauty, home to summer residences of Hollywood celebrities, European elites, and the world jet set, and we will take a photo break with the lake’s unique view. During the free time offered in Como, you can enjoy the scenery at many cafés around the lake and in the city center while being served Espresso and Cappuccino. After the tour, we continue our journey to Milan city center. Milan, one of Europe’s fashion capitals, also stands out with its cuisine, opera and churches. Although known as Italy’s business and financial capital, Milan is also the right place for shopping and dining experiences. During our tour in Milan, the famous opera house La Scala, Duomo Square and Cathedral, and Porta Romano are among the main places to see. During the free time offered at the end of the tour, you can spend time in Italy’s oldest shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: Milan’s historic passage, where the heart of fashion beats, with its huge glass-domed architecture and the world’s most luxurious and stylish storefronts, or visit Via Montenapoleone and Della Spiga for brand shopping. In many local cafés and restaurants in the city center, you can taste the region’s famous Risotto alla Milanese (risotto prepared with saffron and symbolized by its golden-yellow color), Panettone (the region’s famous sweet bread) and Panzerotto (a pastry fried on the outside and filled with mozzarella and tomato on the inside), and enjoy Milan, which has become a gastronomic paradise. After the Milan city tour, transfer to our hotel in the Venice region.
VENICE – (Venice & Verona Masterpieces and Grand Canal Tour by Private Boat)
After breakfast, we offer a full day of free time. During this free time, guests who wish may join our extra Venice & Verona Masterpieces and Grand Canal Tour by Private Boat (125 Euro – Vaporetto transportation fees included) program. Verona, which is on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, also hosts Italy’s second largest amphitheater after the Colosseum, as well as the home of the famous work Romeo and Juliet by the renowned English writer Shakespeare, which tells the world’s largest love story known today. Our panoramic sightseeing tour, which we will carry out on foot along Via Mazzini (main square) and Erbe Square, surrounded by many shops, cafés and stores, and where we can also see Verona Cathedral, will be followed by free time where you can experience Baci di Giulietta dessert inspired by the love of Romeo and Juliet. We then head towards Venice, the world’s most unique city of waters. Upon arrival, we reach the center of the island by vaporetto. We will see major iconic structures such as St. Mark’s Square, built of stone and marble and whose columns were brought from Istanbul, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace designed and used as a symbol of splendor and power, the Clock Tower, the Bridge of Sighs, and the historic Campanile Bell Tower, and then we will take a pleasant walk through the streets of Venice connected by bridges and stretching along narrow canals. During the free time offered, you can visit the famous handcrafted Venetian Carnival masks and Murano glass art workshops. In the many cafés and restaurants around, you can experience Cichetti, local snacks served on small slices of bread with cheese and dairy products (tapas), the dessert Tiramisu, whose origin is based in the Veneto region and whose fame has spread worldwide, or Risotto al Nero di Seppia, the most special seafood dish of the Venetian islands. After this free time offered, in the final part of our tour we will take an unforgettable ride with private boats through Venice’s side waterways to reach the Grand Canal. At the end of the tour, we return to our hotel in the Venice region and offer free time to rest.
VENICE – BOLOGNA – ISTANBUL
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we head to Bologna Airport for our flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival at the airport, after completing baggage drop-off, ticket and passport control procedures, we fly to Istanbul at 13:30 on Pegasus Airlines scheduled flight PC1218. Arrival at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport at 18:00 local time and the end of our tour.