Jet Vacations City Rhythm Italy Tour

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Day 1: May 18th - Departure from the USA 

Direct overnight flight from Philadelphia to Milan on American Airlines

Day 2: May 19th - Arrive in Italy, Visit Milan

Arrive at Milan airport, collect luggage and meet your Jet Vacations Tour Escort – Oliviero Olivieri. Transfer to your hotel in central Milan, Italy's great capital of art, fashion, design and commerce. Enjoy a relaxed orientation walk through Milan's historic neighborhoods. See the imposing Castello Sforzesco, the great fortress-palace of the Sforza dynasty.

Continue to the fashionable Brera district, with its narrow streets, galleries, cafés and boutiques with time for lunch on your own at one of the cafes. After settling in at the hotel, you will meet for a traditional Milanese dinner, perhaps risotto alla Milanese, cotoletta alla Milanese or ossobuco.

Includes: Private Coach Transfer to Hotel, Orientation Guide, Welcome Dinner

Day 3: May 20th - Guided Tour of Milan

After breakfast at the hotel, immerse yourself in Milan with a guided tour of the city. You’ll walk through the historic center toward La Scala, Milan's legendary opera house, then see Piazza del Duomo, the spectacular heart of Milan. Visit the Duomo di Milano, one of Europe's great Gothic cathedrals, taking time to admire its extraordinary façade, stained glass and forest of pinnacles and statues. Continue into the elegant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy's historic glassroofed shopping arcade. You’ll have plenty of free time following the tour for personal activities such as shopping or visiting a museum such as Pinacoteca di Brera – Milan’s world-renowned art gallery. The evening will be at your leisure.

Please note that in order to see Leonardo De Vinci’s Last Supper you must book a ticket in advance privately. It is not possible to arrange a large group visit. The masterpiece is located in the former Dominican convent of Santa Maria delleGrazie. Tickets are only €15.00 but must be booked on-line when they become available. Since this afternoon and evening is at your leisure, you can consider booking a visit from 1:00 to 7:00 PM. The website will soon post information on when tickets for May 2027 will be made available: https://cenacolovinciano.vivaticket.it/

Includes: Breakfast, Guided City Tour

Day 4: May 21st - Lake Como and Bellagio

Today is a trip to one of Italy's most famous landscapes: Lake Como. Travel from Milan and then take a motor boat across the lake, making the journey itself part of the sightseeing experience. The views of the villas, mountains and villages from the water are one of the day's highlights. Arrive in Bellagio, spectacularly situated where the lake's branches meet. Spend the morning exploring Bellagio on foot. Walk through the steep cobbled lanes, small piazzas and waterfront promenade. The town is ideal for slowing down and enjoying the lake scenery. We will have a group lunch overlooking the lake, on a waterfront setting. Return to Milan for an evening at your leisure.

Includes: Breakfast, Boat Tour in Lake Como, Bellagio Visit, Lunch

Day 5: May 22nd - Cremoma-Stradivari and the Po Valley

Check out from Milan and head south into Lombardy's countryside to Cremona, a town famous throughout the world for violin making. Your tour begins in Piazza del Comune, one of the most impressive medieval squares in northern Italy. Visit the Cremona Cathedral, see the Torrzzo and the Baptistery. Continue to the Museo del Violino, the essential Cremona experience! The museum tells the story of Cremonese violin making and includes historic instruments associated with the great masters, including Andrea Amati and of course Stradivari. Cremona's tradition of violin making is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage, making this more than simply a museum visit. Lunch at a local restaurant will feature city specialties such as their stuffed pasta. In the afternoon you’ll have free time to explore the streets around the historic center, taste of Cremona's famous torrone, and stop in a traditional liutaio violin workshop. We will then proceed to our hotel in Mantua and have an evening at leisure.

Includes: Breakfast, Cremona Visit, Cremona Cathedral, Violin Museum and Workshop, Lunch

Day 6: May 23rd - Mantua & Gonzaga Renaissance Palace

Today is devoted to Mantua - one of the great Renaissance cities of northern Italy. Walk through Mantua's historic centre and see Piazza Sordello, the Mantua Cathedral, Piazza delle Erbe, Rotonda di San Lorenzo, and Palazzo Te. We will visit Palazzo Ducale, the enormous Gonzaga palace complex. It contains more than 1,000 rooms and extensive courtyards, galleries and gardens. Most importantly for your itinerary, it contains Mantegna's Camera degli Sposi, one of the defining achievements of Renaissance illusionistic painting. The official museum describes it as one of the great Renaissance masterpieces. Enjoy the afternoon on your own in the historic center and the beautiful lake front. In the evening you rejoin the group for a local dinner of Mantuan specialties.

Includes: Breakfast, Mantua Visit, Palazzo Ducale Tour, Dinner

Day 7: May 24th - Brescia & Franciacorta

Today’s excursion combines an important historic city and the vineyards of Franciacorta, the famous sparkling wine of Lomardi. First you will visit the charming town of Brescia. You begin in the historic center and explore the Roman Brixia archaeological area. Then you continue through Piazza Paolo VI, where the Old and New Cathedrals stand together, then walk toward Piazza della Loggia. Brescia's historic heritage is substantial and the city is part of the UNESCO “Longobards in Italy - Places of Power” (568–774 A.D.) World Heritage site, showcasing the art and architectural legacy of the Lombards (Longobards), a Germanic people who ruled a vast kingdom in Italy in the 6th century. You will depart Brescia and head into the Franciacorta wine region. The landscape changes dramatically from urban Brescia to rolling hills covered with vineyards. Visit a Franciacorta winery for a guided cellar tour followed by a tasting and lunch. The area is particularly associated with this traditional-method sparkling wine. You will return to Mantua for an evening at your leisure.

Includes: Breakfast, Brescia Visit, World Heritage Site, Franciacorta Winery, Wine Tasting, Lunch

Day 8: May 25th - Sabbioneta & Mincio River Cruise

Your final full day combines Renaissance urban planning with the natural landscape of the Mincio river. Travel to Sabbioneta, the remarkable Renaissance "ideal city" created by Vespasiano Gonzaga. Sabbioneta is particularly interesting because it was not simply an old medieval town that evolved over centuries—it was conceived as a planned city. Enjoy lunch in Sabbioneta, then in the afternoon return to the Mantua area for a boat cruise on the Mincio River and the lakes surrounding the city. This gives you a completely different perspective on the town and the countryside after several days focused on architecture and museums. The river landscape is particularly peaceful, with wetlands, reeds, birds and views toward Mantua's historic skyline.

Includes: Breakfast, Sabbioneta Visit, River Cruise, Lunch

Day 9: May 26th - Departure to USA

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to the Milan Airport for your flight back home.

(Includes: Breakfast, Transport to Airport)

Your Hotels

Milan Hotel UNA Cusani

Mantova Ca’ Uberti Palace Hotel

Your Entertainment and Hosts

Music by The City Rhythm Orchestra

Tour Guide Oliviero Olivieri