Italy's Best by Cosmos Vacations

Italy's Best

1-877-510-4653

COSMOS Vacations

Affordable Escorted Vacations!

Italy's Best

Duration: 14 Days

Land Tour w/deluxe motorcoach

ROME, PISA, MILAN,LAKE MAGGIORE, LUGANO, VERONA, RAVENNA, ASSISI, SORRENTO and CAPRI

Specially-priced Air Rates Available: YES

With its magnificent architecture, beautiful landscapes, sumptuous cuisine, ancient ruins, and brilliant art, Italy is a country like no other. On this affordable Italy’s Best tour, you’ll experience all of this and more. One of the tour’s highlights is the excursion to the Cinque Terre—five medieval seaside villages. The area is noted for its natural beauty with terraces built into the mountainside on cliffs that drop down into the sea. Delight in the unique charm of the area and take in the breathtaking views. On your journey through Tuscany, watch the undulating hills, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages. More stunning scenery awaits at Lake Maggiore, one of Italy’s largest lakes. Located on the edge of the Swiss Alps, it’s the perfect place to relax and soak in the beauty. Briefly cross the border into Switzerland to Lugano, a lakeside town with a Mediterranean flair. In southern Italy, witness magnificent views of the crystal-clear, blue sea in the vibrant town of Sorrento, and enjoy a day trip to Capri where the crashing sea has formed awe-inspiring caves. On this comprehensive Italy tour, history comes alive. Visit Pompeii, buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. This amazingly preserved archaeological site gives you a detailed insight into ordinary life at the peak of the Roman Empire. In Rome, during the city sightseeing tour with a local guide, see the main sights, as well as Vatican City with St Peter’s Basilica. In Genoa, boasting Europe’s largest medieval historical district, view the remains of the city’s 17th-century fortifications. Visit St Francis’ Basilica in Assisi, a medieval town set in the Umbrian hills. Guided city sightseeing tours are planned in Rome, Florence, Assisi, and Genoa. Your visit to Venice includes a boat trip to St Mark’s square to see the maze of canals forming this unique romantic city. These are just some of the many highlights of this affordable tour of Italy!

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

ROME Guided sightseeing, see St. Peter’s Square
PISA See the Leaning Tower
FLORENCE Guided walking tour
CINQUE TERRE Excursion
GENOA Guided sightseeing
MILAN See the gothic Duomo
LUGANO, SWITZERLAND Visit
VERONA Visit
VENICE Boat ride to St. Mark’s Square, visit glassblowing workshop
RAVENNA Visit
ASSISI Guided tour including St. Francis Basilica
POMPEII Guided walking tour of the excavations
CAPRI Excursion by boat

Inside visits and special features:
Shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description including admission charges where applicable.

NOTES:
December 24 Departure – Christmas in Rome and New Year’s Eve in Venice, including festive dinner

OPTIONALS:
Choice of optional excursions at reasonable prices to customize your own experience. Please find a detailed list in your travel documents

HEADSETS throughout the tour

ROME BV Oly Hotel (F) or Grand Fleming Hotel (F)
MONTECATINI Ambasciatori Palace (F)
GENOA Starhotels President (F)
LAKE MAGGIORE Simplon (SF)
VENICE Poppi (ST)
ASSISI AREA City Hotel & Suites (ST)
SORRENTO AREA Central Park (ST)

HOTELS - (SF) Superior First-Class (F) First-Class (ST) Superior Tourist Class (T) Tourist Class

DINING HIGHLIGHTS

Buffet breakfasts; 4 dinners

TRANSPORTATION
Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi; mini-train to Pisa; canal transfer boat in Venice; boat transfer to Capri; train La Spezia-Levanto

GUIDES
Local Guides for city sightseeing in Rome, Florence, Genoa, Assisi, Pompeii archaeological site; professional Tour Director while touring

AIRPORT TRANSFERS
Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements.

Day 1 Arrive in ROME, Italy

Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this ancient capital. This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions.

Day 2 ROME

The “Eternal City” is steeped in history, vibrantly alive and exciting, and absolutely unique! Start the included introduction to Rome’s landmarks from St. Peter’s Square with a Local Guide. Enjoy a drive along the iconic landmarks of the city: the Tiber River, the Caius Cestius Pyramid, the Aurelian Walls, and the Caracalla Baths. Complete the experience with a walk back in time from the Circus Maximus to the Arch of Constantine and to the fascinating Colosseum, symbol of the Roman Empire. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to visit the treasures of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel on our optional excursion.

Breakfast

Day 3 ROME–PISA–MONTECATINI

Vistas of rolling hills, rows of cypress trees, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages form the backdrop of your journey through beautiful Tuscany. Stop in Pisa and take a mini-train ride to see the Square of Miracles with the amazing Leaning Tower. Arrive in Montecatini.

Today’s Distance: 273 mi/ 440 km

Breakfast

Day 4 MONTECATINI. EXCURSION TO FLORENCE

Today, enjoy an included excursion to Florence. Your Local Guide will show you the city highlights on the walking tour. You will see Piazza Santa Croce; beautiful Piazza Signoria; Palazzo Vecchio and its courtyard and Loggia dei Lanzi. To top it all, see Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral with the Giotto Campanile, and the magnificent East Doors of the Baptistry, known as the “Gates of Paradise".

Today’s Distance: 81 mi/ 130 km

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 5 MONTECATINI–LA SPEZIA–CINQUE TERRE–GENOA

Travel towards La Spezia, where you’ll hop aboard the train to discover some of the five spectacular Cinque Terre villages. The beauty of the rugged cliffs and romantic fishing villages once inspired poet Lord Byron. From Levanto, re-join the coach and head towards Genoa, birthplace of explorer Christopher Columbus.

Today’s Distance: 149 mi/ 240 km

Breakfast

Day 6 GENOA–MILAN–LAKE MAGGIORE

Today’s included guided tour is an excellent introduction to Genoa. A maze of squares and alleys, the city grew around the port, a natural inlet, and boasts the largest medieval historical district in Europe. Next, head north into the plains of Lombardy, and stop in Milan to marvel at its magnificent Gothic Duomo. Then, continue to Baveno on Lake Maggiore.

Today’s Distance: 155 mi/ 250 km

Breakfast

Day 7 LAKE MAGGIORE. EXCURSION TO LUGANO, SWITZERLAND

Time to relax and get to know Lake Maggiore, one of Italy’s largest lakes, located on the very edge of Alpine Switzerland. On clear days, you can see the peaks of the Alps. Take advantage of the included excursion to visit Lugano in Italian-speaking Swiss Canton Ticino.

Today’s Distance: 124 mi/ 200 km

Breakfast

Day 8 LAKE MAGGIORE–VERONA–VENICE AREA

Travel across the fertile Po River plain. Stop in the romantic city of Verona for some time at leisure being awed by the Roman Arena, perfectly preserved and still hosting concerts and festivals during the summer, shopping, or tasting some of the excellent local wines. Continue to the Venice area.

Today’s Distance: 236 mi/ 380 km

Breakfast

Day 9 VENICE

Venice is more like a romantic film set than a real-life city, with its crisscrossing canals, gondolas and water buses, arched bridges, palaces, and piazzas. The included orientation starts with a BOAT RIDE to St. Mark’s Square, and is followed by time at leisure and a chance to watch Venetian GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects as they did centuries ago. Don’t miss out on the optional gondola trip, gliding along the picturesque canals with a local troubadour to serenade you.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 10 VENICE AREA–ASSISI–FOLIGNO

Enjoy an interesting drive southward right across the Po Delta, through the Emilia-Romagna region to Assisi, enclosed by ramparts and little changed since the Middle Ages. This is the town of the deeply mystical and poetic St. Francis. See the Basilica of St. Francis with its famous frescoes by Giotto, with history brought to life by a Local Guide. Overnight in Foligno, a town in the green heart of the Umbria region.

Today’s Distance: 249 mi/ 400 km

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 11 ASSISI AREA–POMPEII–SORRENTO COAST

Travel to Pompeii, where time stopped for the rich, aristocratic town with the terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. On the included guided visit of the archaeological site, see the remains of luxurious villas, temples, theatre, and forum. Carry on to Sorrento, set on a plateau above the waters of the Bay of Naples. Wander the winding streets lined with shops and stalls, and sit with a glass of wine, absorbing the easy-going lifestyle of this charming resort.

Today’s Distance: 273 mi/ 440 km

Breakfast

Day 12 SORRENTO AREA. BOAT TRIP TO CAPRI

Enjoy a day trip to the legendary island, surrounded by a rocky coastline where the crashing sea has formed awe-inspiring caves. The town with its pretty piazzetta, maze of streets, fashionable boutiques, and inviting restaurants, is a mecca for the jet set. Explore on your own or take an optional island tour.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 13 SORRENTO COAST–ROME

Today, enjoy time at leisure or visit Positano on our exciting optional excursion, before returning to Rome.
Today’s Distance: 168 mi/ 270 km

Today’s Distance: 168 mi/ 270 km

Breakfast

Day 14 ROME

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Breakfast

Italy's Best

14 Day Tour

From $2799USD
(Less applicable COSMOS PROMO(S) and Gardner Travel Discounts)

CLICK HERE to Request our LOW UNPUBLISHED RATE and availability for this tour below:

Click/Tap here for RATES and AVAILABILITY!

You may REQUEST information for this tour via our email response here and we will return a complete and detailed quote

OR
CALL US at
1-877-510-4653
and we will be happy to personally assist you at every turn.

Exceptional Vacations

Celebrating over 90 Years of Touring!

YOUR TOUR DIRECTOR

FRANCESCO NARDIN

Escorting tours for more than 5 years

Born in the South of Italy, I grew up surrounded by nature, along with, historical and archaeological sites. From a young age, I always dreamed of being an ambassador of my country so that I could make everyone aware of its outstanding beauty. Today, I am proud to take people from North to South and introduce them to the wonders of Italy. Come to visit us: Italy is always a good choice!

Prices are per person based on double occupancy and are land only. We also offer competitive group-based airfares from your home city airport that fit with this particular touring program.

Toll Free Call
1-877-510-4653
USA and Canada

We provide an additional agency point-of-sale discount for all Globus, Cosmos and Avalon Waterways tour programs. Offer subject to availability and change without notice.

TALK TO AN EXPERIENCED

As a full-service travel provider, we can help you in finding your perfect tour at the best price available, today. We've been representing the GLOBUS Family of Brands for over 40 years as a Premier Agency Partner - a designation only awarded to the top tier agencies that are authorized to represent the full Globus Family of Brands. We can take you all the way from your own hometown to some of the most beautiful touring experiences in Europe and then back again - all with the expertise of a seasoned COSMOS professional representative. When it is important to get it right, you can trust the services of our own professional COSMOS Certified travel specialists.

REQUESTING AVAILABILITY

We will check your requested tour program and accommodations for the date range that you may specify in the questionnaire above and reply back to you as soon as possible. Of course the more information that you can provide us, the closer we will be in matching your needs and preferences. We will not knowingly sell or pass along your information that you provide to any third party for any reason (see Liabilities and Privacy Policy). And we use SSL Technology to safeguard your information on our tour request forms that we have posted throughout our website.

We are available to answer your inquiries in person Monday - Friday (except holidays) from 8:30am until 5:30pm CST (1-877-510-4653 | 817-788-5210). We are available from time to time on the weekends via email to answer your questions. Our typical response time for your email request ranges from 3 hours to as many as 72 depending upon the availability of onsite resources and those of the tour companies and resorts/lodging establishments, as well as any variations you may request from our listed programs. We will respond to your requests as quickly as possible and as soon as we have all components of your package confirmable. All tour program rates are based upon double occupancy unless otherwise specified.

Thank you for your interest in this quality Cosmos Tour by The GLOBUS Family of Brands!

Randy C. Gardner
President
Gardner Travel Service, Inc.

More than three decades ago Cosmos pioneered the idea of quality value travel to Europe. Since then we've developed and refined the concept of vacation packages. Over a million people have come back to us for a second or third vacation...or more!

Our clients' repeat business is the best testimony to the incredible value and experience we offer.

If you've never taken a package vacation, consider this: Traveling with Cosmos is less expensive, more comfortable, and far easier than going it alone. Our volume contracting for hotels and services provides you with travel at wholesale prices. A Cosmos package is carefully planned to make the best possible use of your time.

Our team of experts has refined our itineraries to combine the must-see sights with significant time on your own, offering more choice and flexibility. You can travel relaxed and hassle-free, knowing that we've taken care of all the details.

Arthur Fromer Europe on a Budget

Once you've discovered the special advantages of traveling with Cosmos, you'll never want to travel any other way again. Cosmos is "A Smart Way To Go."

Guidance

At the heart of every great Cosmos tour are the friendly, knowledgeable folks who show you around and help you maximize your free time. We go to incredible lengths to find the most professional Tour Directors and Local Guides. They deliver commentary in English, but are multilingual so they can navigate Europe with ease and give you the richest experience possible.

Headsets
For all guided visits and included sightseeing in Europe, Cosmos will provide personal audio headsets. See tour itinerary for details.

The Right Balance
No one enjoys a vacation where every second is spent on a schedule. We build free time into every Cosmos vacation, so you can eat, shop, and explore the way you want. Your Tour Director and Local Guides can offer suggestions for things to see and do-or you can join one of our many intriguing optional excursions.

Sightseeing
Our packages include guided sightseeing and scenic highlights that reveal the best of Europe, North America, and South America. Enjoy inside visits of the must-see sites with knowledgeable Local Guides who will bring each destination to life. Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description. See individual itinerary pages to learn what is included in your vacation.

Personalize Your Vacation with MyCosmos
Cosmos lets you enhance your tour with optional excursions that are meaningful to you. Whether you enjoy art, music, food, wine, history, or whatever, we give you the freedom to truly personalize your trip. Best of all, you can make your selections-and even pre-pay-in advance online at Cosmos.com/MyCosmos.

Cosmos Takes Care of Your Hotels

Where you stay makes all the difference
After a day's traveling you want to relax at a comfortable, clean, and attractive hotel. We have chosen hotels with the best rooms, service, and food for the money. Of course, they vary as different countries have different standards. However, we ensure that everywhere you get the best available in cleanliness and comfort.

Cosmos hotels are always located in good neighborhoods, some more centrally and others in residential areas. Especially in large cities we sometimes prefer good hotels in residential areas on the outskirts to less desirable or overpriced downtown hotels.

Rooms at all our hotels include private facilities: private bath or shower and a toilet.

Triple rooms are usually no larger than twin rooms and the third bed is often a roll-away bed put into a twin-bedded room just for the night.

Cosmos specifies your hotels
Our hotels are mainly superior tourist-class (ST) and tourist-class (T) establishments, but we also feature some first-class (F) hotels. Cosmos hotel ratings follow standards set by the independent Official Hotel Guide (OHG) or by national tourist boards. The specific rating for each contract hotel is determined by our quality controllers.

We reserve the right to substitute hotels listed on the tour pages with hotels of equivalent standard. With your Cosmos travel documents you'll receive a list of hotel addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers for your tour.

Stretch Your Vacation Dollars

Value-packed vacations at bargain prices.
With Cosmos, a company that specializes in package travel arrangements, you'll visit the world without spending a fortune. Because all our buying power is devoted to package travel, our clout with suppliers is powerfully concentrated -- and we pass the savings on to you with affordable vacation packages for every budget.

Singles save with "guaranteed share" rates
More than one-third of all people traveling with Cosmos are traveling independently. We therefore accept reservations on a "guaranteed share" basis. We charge singles the basic price and match up singles of the same gender in twin-bedded rooms. For mutual comfort we adopt a no-smoking rule in shared rooms. "Guaranteed shares" are not available for extra nights before or after your tour, on tours with overnight trains, or on train or cruise extensions.
If we cannot find a roommate for a traveler who has booked on a "guaranteed share" basis, we'll absorb the single room supplement, and that traveler will be accommodated in a single room at no extra charge.
Of course we do offer single rooms when available to those who prefer to travel solo and pay the single supplement.

Triple room reduction
Cosmos grants a reduction to three people who travel together and share the same accommodation. Triple room reductions, when available, are listed in the Dates and Prices box on the tour page.

A word of caution: Triple rooms usually are no larger than twin rooms, and the third bed, if there is one, is often a rollaway bed put in a twin-bedded room for the night.

Discount for young tour members
Cosmos grants a 10 percent discount on the land tour price to travelers who are under 18 years old on the tour departure date, provided they are accompanied by an adult. We do not accept children under eight on our tours because we have found that they are too young to enjoy these vacations.

Cosmos Vacations Offer Flexibility

Joining late and leaving early*
Many Cosmos land arrangements start and end in London. If you have already spent time in the British capital, you may want to skip one or more of the included London nights or even join at the first overnight hotel on the Continent. Call your Travel Agent for any reductions that apply to your vacation for joining late or leaving early. Vacations with these reductions are sold on a land-only basis.

A professional team takes care of you in London
For any help or information you might require during your London stay, please contact the Cosmos hospitality desk at your hotel. Our knowledgeable staff will serve you with a smile; give you guidance on what to do and where to go; and arrange excursions, evening entertainment, and theater outings for you.

Extra nights*
If you'd like more hotel nights than we've provided at the start or end of your tour, we can make reservations for you at the rates quoted below, provided you request them at the time you book your vacation. Rates are per person, per night, and include room with private bath, breakfast, service charges, and taxes.

Extra nights are only available immediately prior to or after your tour. Extra pre-tour nights in London are not available if you join your tour later than Day 2.

Every effort is made to reserve extra nights at the hotel where your tour stays. If space at the tour hotel is not available, alternative accommodation will be reserved at a hotel of equivalent standard. When this is the case, the transfer to and from the tour hotel is at our expense.

As hotel space is limited, we cannot reserve more than two extra nights before and/or after a tour, unless they are needed to bridge the gap between two Cosmos vacations. During particularly busy periods, hotel space in certain cities can become so tight that we may be unable to sell extra nights.

Trust & Travel Insurance

For generations, Globus has worked hard to provide the best on-trip experiences, world-class customer service, and the best consumer protection plans available in the travel industry.

DETAILS OF THIS INSURANCE PROGRAM WILL BE INCLUDED IN ALL OF OUR QUOTES.

and The Globus Family of Brands

More than 90 years ago, Antonio Mantegazza bought a rowboat to transport commercial goods across Lake Lugano in Switzerland. Who could know that rowboat would launch the world's leading escorted travel company? Today Globus is a global, family-owned company reaching every corner of the world. Globus is now the first choice among individuals looking for vacations with both domestic and international travel in a variety of styles to six continents and hundreds of itineraries to choose from (see Globus History video right).

Antonio's frequent trips across the scenic lake led him to consider opportunities in a different market - tourism. His entrepreneurial instinct pushed him to gradually acquire some motorcoaches to transport tourists around the Lake Lugano area. In 1928, Antonio opened a company specializing in motorcoach touring called Globus Viaggi. The company began with a fleet of 12 coaches which operated local excursions for European tourists in Switzerland.

By 1950, Globus Viaggi had grown to a fleet of 33 coaches and featured overnight excursions to Rome, Venice, the Dolomites and the French Riviera. Gradually, these became regularly scheduled tours and grew longer to cover more ground. Later that decade, under the leadership of Werner Albek, Antonio's business partner, Globus pioneered the concept of Grand European Touring by offering first-class European tours to North Americans. By 1961, the company launched its Cosmos arm, which featured affordable, value-priced European touring for the cost-conscious British traveler.

The coach tours were so successful that Cosmos soon introduced another form of travel for the British market: air holiday packages to the sunny destinations of southern Europe. By 1968, Cosmos air holidays became so popular the company formed its own airline, Monarch Airlines. Monarch Airlines started out modestly with two used Britannia aircraft and eventually blossomed into one of the most successful European charter companies with a large fleet of modern jets and its own engineering division.

Under the flagship of Sergio Mantegazza, current president and son of Antonio, Globus began expanding its markets beyond Great Britain and North America. Since 1974, travel packages have been sold in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and most recently in Southeast Asia. Starting in the 70s, the company also aggressively expanded its offerings, introducing travelers to more countries than any other tour operator with packages to Africa, South and North America, Europe, the South Pacific and Asia.

Today, the Globus family of brands is marketed and operated by a network of more than 32 independent tourism and aviation businesses, serviced by a group of more than 5,000 professionals worldwide. Combined, Globus, Cosmos, and Monograms carry over 500,000 passengers a year, making the organization the leading operator of guided vacations worldwide. Globus attributes its success to the ideals of founder Antonio Mantegazza. For three generations, his vision, hard work, love for travel, and commitment have guided the company. These values are the cornerstone on which Globus was built and will continue to grow.