Description:

ITINERARY

Day 1 ROME, ITALY.
After arrival check into your hotel. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travelling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome's lively restaurants. (D)

Day 2 ROME.
Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo's ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER'S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman legions marched in triumph. Time for independent activities and exciting optional excursions. (B)

Day 3 AT LEISURE IN ROME.
Another day to savour la dolce vita. If you feel like travelling, you may want to join an optional excursion to Pompeii, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Tonight, why not join an optional dinner with local specialties and wine? (B)

Day 4 ROME - PISA - FLORENCE.
Follow the Aurelian Way along the Tyrrhenian coast to Pisa. Take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, 55 metres (180 feet) high and no less than 3.6 metres (12 feet) out of the perpendicular. Next is Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany and the birthplace of the Renaissance. Tonight an optional dinner at a typical Tuscan restaurant can be arranged. (B)

Day 5 FLORENCE.
Follow your Local Guide to the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo's David and the magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's "Gate of Paradise", and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afternoon is at leisure. (B,D)

Day 6 FLORENCE - PADUA - VENICE.
Across the wooded Etruscan Apennine Mountains into the lush plains of the Po River to Padua, city of St. Anthony, for a visit to the majestic six-domed BASILICA. Time for lunch and independent exploration before continuing to Venice. (B)

Day 7 VENICE.
Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK'S SQUARE and the byzantine BASILICA, lavish DOGES' PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age old traditional manner. Then, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (B)

Day 8 VENICE - ASSISI - PERUGIA.
A comfortable drive to peaceful Assisi. A walking tour with a Local Guide features ST. CLARE'S CHURCH and ST. FRANCIS' BASILICA, the hub of a religious order devoted to ideals of humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and love for God's creatures. Hear about monastic life and see the priceless frescoes adorning the walls of the church. Then continue to Umbria's capital, Perugia, and enjoy a walk through its pretty centre. (B,D)

Day 9 PERUGIA - ANCONA - OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO PATRAS, GREECE.
In Ancona, board your high-speed FERRY for your overnight cruise to Greece. (B,D)

Day 10 PATRAS - OLYMPIA.
Dock at Patras and continue by motorcoach to Olympia. (B,D)

Day 11 OLYMPIA - DELPHI.
Focus on Olympia, where the athletes of antiquity performed in honour of the King of Deities. Learn about the history of those original Olympic Games as you walk with your Local Guide among the impressive remains of the GYMNASIUM and the Temples of Hera and Zeus. Visit the MUSEUM, which displays a magnificent statue of Hermes. In the afternoon, proceed to mythical Delphi. (B,D)

Day 12 DELPHI - ATHENS.
Morning visit with a Local Guide to the ancient sanctuary of the god Apollo in its dramatic setting on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Hear about the Oracle and tour the EXCAVATIONS. Also visit the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM to admire the Charioteer of Delphi, an extraordinary 5th-century BC bronze statue. On your way to Athens, your Tour Director will tell you about Thebes, the setting of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, and Marathon, where in 490 BC, 10,000 Athenians defeated more than twice that number of Persian invaders. You may wish to join an optional dinner outing to one of Plaka's tavernas with cool Retsina wines and folk dancing reminiscent of Zorba the Greek. (B)

Day 13 ATHENS.
Tour the capital's classical sights with a Local Guide: the Parthenon's crowning beauty atop the ACROPOLIS, the Erechtheum with its Porch of Maidens, the beautifully preserved Theseum, Roman Temple of Zeus, Theatre of Dionysus, and the Agora where Socrates taught. Vistas of the Royal Palace, government buildings, and elegant homes in the modern city provide a striking contrast to the remains of a glorious past. Exciting optional evening excursions are available. (B)

Day 14 AT LEISURE IN ATHENS.
A full day at leisure. How about an optional day cruise to the islands of Aegina, Hydra, and Poros? (B)

Day 15 ATHENS.
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

• Coach tour as shown in above itinerary
• Sightseeing as shown in itinerary
• Meals (if applicable) are shown in itinerary

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About Globus

The international Globus group began as a small family company, led by the father of current President, Sergio Mantegazza, in 1928. The company originally offered scenic motorcoach rides around Lake Lugano, in the southern part of Switzerland. Following the success of this operation, Mantegazza quickly expanded the business by purchasing a fleet of motorcoaches, and soon pioneered the concept of escorted 'first class' touring around Europe.

Globus continued to introduce successful touring packages to new markets in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada and in 1981 Globus launched its 'first class' packages of the United States and Canada. The combination of popular and innovative destinations, flawless service, and integrity, have earned Globus an enviable record in the travel industry. Customer loyalty is such that seven out of ten Globus customers have travelled with Globus before or have been recommended by past travellers - a notable achievement in a highly competitive industry. When it comes to escorted touring, 'no one opens more doors to the world' than Globus

AIRFARES

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EARLYBIRD COACH TOUR DISCOUNTS-2010

Save up to 10 %

EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNT

2.5% If paid in full 4 Months prior to departure.

HOLIDAYPLANET ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT

Yes Holidayplanet will give you an even bigger discount if you book/pay before 26th February 2010

Tour duration

Over 25 Days-6% EXTRA Discount
15-24 Days-4% extra Discount
10-14 Days-2% extra Discount

TRAVEL INSURANCE

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SECOND TOUR DISCOUNT

$75pp off second and subsequent tours (must be taken in the same calender year)

TRIPLE ROOM

Great Discounts-please call for details

CHILD DISCOUNTS

10% discount with 2 adults (children under 8 not accepted)

SINGLE ROOM

Can offer share accommodation at no extra cost