Day 1 – Sept 6: Arrival in Rome (Optional Pre-Tour – Day 1)

• Arrival at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)

• Group pickup around 11:00 AM (final time may vary to accommodate arrivals)

• 4-hour “Best of Rome” chauffeured tour time 12:00 or 1:00 pm depending on arrival times

• Check-in at centrally located hotel (Hotel Casa dei Cappuccini in Via Veneto, one of the best locations in Rome).

• 6:00 pm Welcome orientation + evening stroll with Alessandra, ending at a traditional Roman trattoria (Optional – dinner cost not included; estimated at €25–€40. Together, we’ll discover a cozy Roman trattoria where Alessandra will introduce you to the rich world of Roman food culture — what to order, how to pronounce it, and how locals truly enjoy it!)

VATICAN 

If you arrive on the 6th there will be no time to visit any part of the Vatican inside. The chauffeured tour will take you there for an outside visiy. Entering the vatican requires long standing time and is not suggested on arrival day.

• Basilica Of St Peter (in my opinion the most beautiful part of the vatican), can be visited the morning of the 6th (for those arriving a day earlier), or Sunday afternoons (as of now on Sunday entrance times are available at 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 pm). Note that  tickets may run out. They cost EUR 7 and they include an audio guide. See here to purchase Basilica and cupola tickets.

  • When to visit the Basilica

    • For those arriving a day early (the 5th) it would be possible to visit in the morning of the 6th or the 7th in the afternoon.  For those arriving on the 6th, you can reserve an entrance on the 7th in the afternoon. See the link above for reservations.

    • I do not advise visiting the Basilica on arrival day. If you have enough stamina and would like to arrange that please let me know.

  • Going to the Papal Mass:  Papal Masses require free tickets, which can be requested by emailing the Vatican’s Prefecture at prefettura@pontificalisdomus.va. Please note that attending a Papal Mass or General Audience is not a way to visit St. Peter’s Basilica. In fact, it can make visiting much more difficult due to the large crowds. Entry to the Basilica is limited and would require arriving several hours in advance.

• Sistine Chapel: surprisingly  it is impossible to visit just the Sistine Chapel, as it is located inside the Vatican Museums. Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays. To visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine chapel skip the lines tickets are absolutely necessary. For those that absolutely wish to enter them, you would have to arrive a day earlyesr. Official tickets are already sold-out, but resellers still have them. Let me know if you need to arrange for such visit.

Palazzo Colonna

Only available on Friday and Saturday morning (9:15 to 1:15). See here

Day 2 – Sept 7: Rome at Leisure (Optional Pre-Tour – Day 2)

• Breakfast at hotel

• Free day with curated suggestions from Alessandra. Please contact me directly so that I can help you define the best possible day for your preferences.

• Optional skip-the-line tickets or guided experiences (not included see below for various options).

• Evening neighborhood stroll to see Illuminated Rome with Alessandra

• Introduction to the Italian traditional aperitivo (cost of food and drinks is not included estimated at €10–€15)

• 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast (included), Optional Aperitivo Add on not included'

Sites That Require Entrance Tickets

• 1. Vatican: see above

  2. Colosseum: Official we site (often unavailable there). Trusted reseller see here.

  3. Pantheon: requires EUR 5 per person entrance tickets. It appears that this year it is faster to go through the entrance with cash. For advance purchase see official site here.

  4. Palazzo Colonna not available on Sundays.

  5. Galleria Borghese: official site here (look at the buy tickets button), additional information here

  6. Altare della Patria or Il Vittoriano: From Monday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm (last entry at 6:45 pm). Free fist Sunday of the month

Unusual Rome:

Alessandra will be available for discovering the less known Rome. Coordinate with her and refer to the videos posted in the "Italy with Ale" messanger community chat

Day 3 – Sept 8: Transfer from Rome - Civita di Bagnoregio & Villa Arrival

• 10:00 am Depart Rome for Tuscany with your professional Chauffeur/guide

• Stop to visit Civita di Bagnoregio

• Arrive at private villa in Val d’Orcia

• Settle in with a welcome aperitivo around our private pool

• Dinner at a local tuscan trattoria

• 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast (included), Typical Italian snacks and finger food while at the Villa (included), Dinner (included with the Free Early Booking Meals add on - limited availability)

⚠️ Note: Days 4–7 may occur in a different order depending on local weather and conditions. All activities listed are included.

Day 4 – Sept 9: Florence Day Trip

• Train to Florence

• Introductory walk with Alessandra

• We’ll stop for lunch at a typical Florentine location — everyone is welcome to join, and for guests with the Free Early Booking Meals Add-On, the meal is included.

• Afternoon free to explore museums, shops, or cafés

• Return to the villa for a peaceful evening with aperitivo by the pool.

• 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast (included), Lunch in Florence (included with the Free Early Booking Meals add on - limited availability),  typical Italian snacks and finger food while at the Villa (included

Day 5 – Sept 10: ADLER Spa & Bagno Vignoni

• Full day at 5 Star ADLER Spa Resort

• Access to geothermal pools, saunas, and optional treatments

• Visit Bagno Vignoni at walking distance for coffee or lunch in the charming thermal water pool square.

• 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast (included), typical Italian snacks and finger food while at the Villa (included), Dinner or Lunch (included with the Free Early Booking Meals add on - limited availability)

Day 6 – Sept 11: Siena & San Gimignano

• Introductory walks with Alessandra in both towns (Siena and San Gimignano)

• Enjoy world-famous gelato in San Gimignano and free time in both towns

• Explore wine country scenery 

• 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast (included), Lunch (included with the Free Early Booking Meals add on - limited availability), Aperitivo with typical Italian snacks and finger food while at the Villa (included)

Day 7 – Sept 12: Val d’Orcia Towns & Cooking Class

• Visit charming towns in Val D’orcia like Pienza or Montepulciano

• Hands-on Tuscan cooking class at a traditional farmhouse

• Enjoy the meal you create with the group

• Relaxed evening at the villa

• 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast (included), Cooking Class with traditional tuscan meal included,  Aperitivo with typical Italian snacks and finger food while at the Villa (included)

Day 8 – Sept 13: Transfer from Villa - Orvieto & Return to Rome

• 9:30 am - Depart villa after breakfast with your professional chauffeur/guide

• Drive to Orvieto (1 hour)

• Scenic stop to explore the stunning hill town of Orvieto (about 3.5 hours)

• Drive to Rome (1.5 hours)

• 3:30 to 4:00 pm Drop-off at Rome Termini Station for onward travel (optional group drop-off at a different central Rome location)

• 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast (included),  Lunch in Orvieto (included with the Free Early Booking Meals add on - limited availability)

****** TOUR ENDS HERE ******

Additional night in Rome and Transfer to Airport

For those of you that will have their flight back on Sept 14, arrangements could be made to book shared stay in Rome and shared transfer to the Airport the next morning.

Overnight Possibilities (availability is limited, I suggest booking asap)

• Hotel Milani near Termini station, has twin rooms as well as single rooms.

• Hotel Contilia near Termini station, has twin rooms as well as single rooms.

• Hotel Casa dei Cappuccini  (not available)

Transfer to Airport

To go from Rome to the FCO airport you have the following options:

• Direct Train from Termini Station to FCO airport - travel time 30 min. cost EUR 14 per person

• Taxi from Hotel to FCO airport - travel time about 40 min. Cost EUR 55 fixed price per taxi (can take 3 people, possibly 4). 

• Limo chauffeur service from Hotel to FCO cost varies from number of people: from EUR 130 (3 people) to EUR 190 (8 people)