Italy – a living museum where the past meets the future. This grand tour of Italy’s finest is the perfect Italian holiday like no other. You’ll thrill to the enchantment of Italy’s magnificent cities and unique countryside. Marvel at the splendor of the “Eternal City” of Rome, the jewel of the Renaissance – Florence, and the haunting magic of Venice where the first Jewish Ghetto was instituted in 1516. View breathtaking scenery from the northern Italian lakes. Visit Verona where Romeo and Juliet lived. ancient Siena. A special treat is Tivoli’s Villa d’Este and its dazzling water displays.
Arrival to the “Eternal City” of Rome, where your Tour Escort greets you and takes you to your hotel after a short orientation tour. Balance of the day at leisure. Overnight: Rome.
This morning enjoy a tour of Rome. The city was not built in a day and therefore cannot be seen in a day! Our tour includes monumental ruins of Rome’s former grandeur: the Roman Forum where the Arch of Titus stays, Circus Maximus, and the Pantheon, Rome’s best preserved ancient building.
READ MOREWe will see the Colisseum, Piazza Venezia dominated by the “wedding cake” – the huge Memorial to King Victor Emmanuelle II. From here we walk to the historical Ghetto of Rome where we pay a visit to the imposing Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum. Late afternoon drive on the Via Tiburtina to the small hill town –Tivoli. Admire the dazzling water displays at fantastic 16th century Villa d’Este. Its fountains represent the most intricate gravity water pipe system in the world.
The night tour of Rome we are invited to join, will unveil us the well-known piazzas of Rome: Piazza Navona with Bernini’s fountains, Piazza d’Espana with its captivating Spanish Steps – the symbol of romantic Rome and the hallmark of the Roman “Dolce Vita” – Fontana di Trevi. Overnight: Rome.
The entire day is at your disposal, to do as you please. You may enjoy further browsing the sites, window-shop on the fashionable shops along Via Condotti, Or take a scenic full-day trip to the famous Island of Capri known as the “Pearl of the Mediterranean” and if time permits stop in Pompeii (optional). Overnight: Rome.
Drive through Chianti Hills, to Siena, in the heart of Tuscany, may be the best-preserved medieval city in Italy; it still looks much as it did in the Middle Ages. A walking tour within the walled portion of the city gives us the opportunity to simply enjoy the unique atmosphere of this historic but lively town.
READ MOREWe stop in Piazza del Campo – an incredibly beautiful shell-shaped square, the site of the world-famous biannual Palio (a horse race around the Piazza del Campo., the neighborhoods of Siena compete in) and visit the ancient Jewish quarter with its old synagogue. From Siena, we continue to Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Overnight: Florence.
Close thisIn no other city did the arts flourish as they did in Florence between the 13th and 16th centuries. Recognizing there is so much to see, you will be provided with an in-depth briefing by your tour escort. Our comprehensive sightseeing of Florence begins at Piazzale Michelangelo for a splendid view of the city.
READ MOREDuring the walking tour of the historic center of the city we see some of the world’s greatest treasures: sculpture-studded Piazza della Signoria with its Palazzo Vecchio (the historic Town Hall) and Loggia dei Lanzi, Ponte Vecchio, the famous bronze doors of the Baptistery – Gates of Paradise as Michelangelo called them, Giotto’s belfry ,the birthplace of Dante Aligheri. Special reservations have been made for you to visit Galleria dell’Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s David, and the Uffizzi Gallery. Our visit will not be complete without seeing Florence’s magnificent Synagogue, a Synagogue “worthy of Florence”, one of the most beautiful in Europe; It was dedicated in 1882.
Evening services followed by Shabbat dinner. Overnight: Florence.
Following Shabbat Services and lunch enjoy a walking tour of the area around the hotel.
Early departure to Pisa. Here, in Campo dei Miracoli, we will find the most splendiferous assemblage of Romanesque architecture in Italy, we will see the famous Leaning Tower. Although it was designed to be perfectly vertical, it started to lean during construction, at the end of the 12th century.
READ MOREJoining Autostrada del Sol again, we drive to the floating city of Venice. For Jews, however, Venice is a place with a dark history; it is where the world’s first ghetto was instituted (1516), and the quality of Jewish life often shifted with the whims of the ruling power. Overnight in the Venice area.
Close thisToday we will absorb Venice’s unique atmosphere; its canals and streets remain the same as they were hundreds of years ago. Our walking tour starts with the ghetto neighborhood, where the German, Italian and Levantine (Sephardic) communities were independent, yet lived side by side to one another.
READ MOREWe first stop at Ghetto Vecchio – the “Old Ghetto” and visit its outstanding ornate Spanish Synagogue. This synagogue (along with Old-New Shul in Prague) may be the only one in the world that has held services continuously from its dedication in 1550 until the present day. In Ghetto Nuovo we visit the Jewish Museum. We continue along the Canal Grande to Ponte Rialto, a hallmark of the city to the heart of Venice: St Mark’s square. See the soaring Bell Tower, the incredibly rich Basilica of St Mark, the exquisite Palace of the Doges (the powerful and prosperous dukes of Venice), and the nearby legendary Bridge of Sights. Then time for your own Venetian adventures… just as you dreamed it would be. You can visit a traditional glassblowing factory on the island of Murano and enjoy a traditional Gondola ride (optional). Overnight, in the Venice area.
Close thisLeaving Venice, we drive west to Verona, the town where Romeo and Juliet lived and loved immortalized in Shakespeare’s tragedy. You’ll see bewitching plazas, medieval market squares, and buildings dating back to the 13th century. Stop to admire the Roman Arena and pay homage to Juliet’s balcony.
READ MORENext, driving across the plains of Lombardy we arrive at the magic, unique Sirmione, spa and resort on Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, with beautiful vistas of the Gardone Riviera and the distant Dolomites. Continue to Milan, by far the largest city in Italy, renowned as one of the world capitals of design and fashion. The afternoon orientation tour will show you Milan’s famous cathedral, the Duomo, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in the Piazza Duomo – reputed to be the world’s oldest shopping mall, Teatro Alla Scala, one of the world’s most famous opera houses. Overnight: Milan.
Close thisBefore us today is a delightful excursion to Italy’s Lake District. Driving through the charming and colorful small villages of Lormbardy, we reach Lago Maggiore. Traveling along the shores, we’ll have views of elegant 19th-century villas, small ports, and exquisite gardens surrounded by majestic mountains.
READ MOREWe stop in Stresa for a short relaxing cruise to Isola Bella (The Beautiful Island) for an exclusive visit to the monumental Baroque Borromean Palace and its impressive gardens. Return to Milan late in the afternoon; the remainder of the day is at your leisure to enjoy the city. Overnight: Milan.
Close thisTransfer to the Airport for your flight home.
* Price per person in USD double or twin room
** Supplement Price for single room
First-class hotels
A comfortable travel coach
Kosher half board + supplies for making sandwiches for lunch
Entrance fees as per the itinerary
Professional experienced travel guide
Tips for local service providers
International flights
Travel & Health Insurance
Personal expenses
Tip for our Tour Guide (Recommended: $5 per person per day)
Miscellaneous expenses such as departure fees, visas, security surcharges etc. where applicable.
There may be changes to the order of places visited. We will make every effort to visit every place mentioned in the itinerary.
The tour organizers have no control over airline services such as seating, special meal requests, changes in departure times or delays. These remain the sole responsibility of the airline company.
Kosher food is provided to our travelers on all our tours. We work with the local Rabbinate to provide Hashgacha for all local ingredients and fresh meat and poultry. In some cases, we fly in kosher food from Israel and other sources, depending on the destination of the tour.
We do not guarantee Pat Israel and Chalav Israel for all destinations. In many destinations, we have our own crockery and cutlery. Where we don’t, we provide disposables at the meals. When we cook in Hotel kitchens, we ensure proper Kashering and we use our own kitchenware on kashered and covered surfaces. All this is done under the strict supervision of our trained staff/guides that function as our Mashgichim. Our travelers enjoy satisfying meals prepared by our team including fresh local fish, fruit, and vegetables. This is an integral part of Jewish travel. We make great efforts to ensure that our travelers will experience local foods first-hand while maintaining stringent observance of Kashrut laws on all occasions.
It is our aim to provide the finest hotel possible in each area we visit. We require our hotels to allow us to work in the kitchen and to supervise the cooking and there are many hotels that are not willing to cooperate. They simply have no desire for us to be “meddling” in their cooking process nor are they happy about our bringing our equipment into their kitchens. We work very hard to find the best hotel in the area that will meet our requirements. Because we are not ready to compromise on kashrut, we may not always be able to use a five star hotel.
A $300 USD Deposit per person must be received at the time of booking in order to confirm your reservation. Payment in full is due 60 days before departure. A minimum number of participants are required to operate tour dates. If a minimum number has not been reached prior to tour departure and the tour is canceled you will receive a FULL refund.
• 60 days before departure bookings are refundable less a $100 administration fee
• 59-30 days prior to departure: 25% of the total.
• 29-15 days prior to departure: 50% of total
• Less than 14 working days prior to departure: 100% of the total – no refund
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