Lake Como, Venice, Florence & Rome

Tour begins: 6:30 PM, Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa. A transfer is included from Milan's Malpensa Airport to Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa in Menaggio, on Lake Como.

Upon arrival, travel through the beautiful northern Italian countryside from Milan to your 5* 19th-century grand hotel in beautiful Menaggio on the shores of bejeweled Lake Como. Meet your fellow traveling companions at a welcome cocktail reception and dinner at your hotel. Stay Two Nights: Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa (D)

Your travels take you by private boat to visit Villa del Balbianello; set on a wooded peninsula that juts into the lake, it was built in the late 18th century on the site of a Franciscan monastery. Noted for its exquisite landscaping and sculpture, the villa features spectacular terraced gardens ablaze with magnolias, cypresses, azaleas and more against dramatic views of the distant Alps and the famous shore of Lake Como, and appeared as a location in the James Bond film Casino Royale and in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones.

Cruise to the lovely village of Bellagio for lunch, and some free time to explore, before returning to Menaggio late afternoon; spend the evening as you wish. (B/L)

En route to Venice, stop in the Veneto region for a lunch at a wine relais in the countryside, paired with a wine pairing from the Veneto region. Continue on to Venice, uniquely designed along an intricate system of canals within a lagoon. A private boat transfer on the iconic canals brings you to the heart of Venice; enjoy an iconic Venetian experience – a gondola cruise through the city's historic canals as local musicians serenade you with traditional Italian songs.

Transfer by private boat to your home for the next two nights in Venice – Splendid Venice; this evening, join us for a Tauck Exclusive – an after-hours visit to St. Mark's Basilica, one of Europe's architectural masterpieces with its exquisite mosaics and detailed carvings. Stay Two Nights: Splendid Venice (B/L/D)

Start the day in Venice with guided visits to Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) and the Doge's Palace, an extraordinary palace that was once the seat of Venetian government.

Spend the rest of the day and evening experiencing more of Venice at your leisure – perhaps exploring the small islands of the Venetian Lagoon; viewing one of the world's largest collections of Venetian art at the Galleria dell'Accademia; or visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a head-turning display of modern art housed in Guggenheim's former home on the Grand Canal, the 18th-century Palazzo Venier dei Leoni; your Tauck Director can offer recommendations. (B)

Travel Italy by high-speed rail today from Venice to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Get an introduction to the city's architectural landmarks and great artists from a local art historian; view Lorenzo Ghiberti's bronze doors with detailed panels at the Baptistry, part of the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiori complex. Your art lecture is a fitting prelude to today's visit to Galleria dell'Accademia, Europe's oldest art school and home to many of the world's most beloved paintings and sculpture, including Michelangelo's famed statue of David.

Later, a walking tour explores the historical center of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Have dinner this evening at a Florentine osteria, known for Tuscan specialties. Stay Two Nights: The St. Regis Florence (B/L/D)

The day is free to explore Florence as you please; perhaps you may want to visit the Pitti Palace, the Medici Chapels or stroll across the Ponte Vecchio to the lovely Boboli Gardens.

Tonight, we invite you to join us for a Tauck Exclusive – an after-hours visit to Florence's extraordinary Uffizi Gallery, Italy's largest art museum and one of the first art galleries in the world (subject to availability and day of the tour may vary), where you'll gaze at some of the world's greatest art masterpieces on a guided tour with a local expert. You'll be introduced to masterpiece works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Lippi, Leonardo da Vinci, and many more Renaissance masters; you have time to study, and contemplate, without the day crowds. (B)

Travel Italy through lush Tuscan landscapes this morning, featuring olive groves, cypress trees, and vineyards, including the region that produces Chianti wine. Stop in the medieval hill town of Siena, and wander through its narrow centuries-old streets. See the Piazza del Campo where the Palio bareback horse race is held, and visit the Duomo, one of Italy's great cathedrals, with scenes inlaid in the marble floors and sculpture by Michelangelo.

Continue through scenic Umbria and Lazio to your final destination – Rome, the Eternal City that was the center of the once-powerful Roman Empire, and is today the capital of modern Italy – for a three-night stay at one of Europe's finest hotels. Indulge this evening with dinner at a Roman neighborhood restaurant known for its regional cuisine. Stay: Fonteverde (B/D)

Enjoy a tour and wine tasting at a local vineyard in Val D'Orcia, a UNESCO Heritage Site, where you'll have the opportunity to immerse in the production process, from the grape to the bottle to the glass, amidst picturesque views. The remainder of the day is free. Stay Three Nights: The St. Regis Rome (B/L)

Your first full day in Rome begins with a visit to one of the world's most famous houses of worship, immense St. Peter's Basilica, and St. Peter's Square. The remainder of the day is free to explore Rome as you please before this evening's Tauck Exclusive!

An after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel (subject to availability; day and time of the visit may vary) gives you privileged access to the treasures of the Vatican, without the day's crowds. See the Candelabra Gallery, Map Gallery and the Tapestries; it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of the world's great masterpieces, including Michelangelo's famous Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes, without the usual crowds. Up close and unhurried, you'll have a chance to see firsthand why the chapel's floor is as famous as its celebrated ceiling! (B/L)

Get an insider's view of Imperial Rome from a local guide on a city sightseeing tour – view such can't-miss sights as the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus and more. Spend some more time this afternoon exploring the "Eternal City" as you wish prior to this evening's farewell cocktail party and dinner at your hotel in Rome – a fitting finale to your extraordinary adventure to three of Italy's greatest cities. (B/D)

Tour ends: Rome. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The St. Regis Rome to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino; allow 3 hours for check-in. (B)