Tour France & Italy

France and Italy—two of the most beautiful countries in the world—are waiting for you on this Best of Italy & France tour.

Paris, the cosmopolitan capital of France, is one of the largest agglomerations in Europe, with 2.2 million people living in the dense, central city and almost 12 million people living in the whole metropolitan area. Located in the north of France on the river Seine, Paris has the well deserved reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities, brimming with historic associations and remaining vastly influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, food and design. Dubbed the City of Light (la Ville Lumière) and Capital of Fashion, it is home to the world’s finest and most luxurious fashion designers and cosmetics, such as Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Guerlain, Lancôme, L’Oréal, Clarins, etc. A large part of the city, including the River Seine, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has the second highest number of Michelin restaurants in the world (after Tokyo) and contains numerous iconic landmarks, such as the world’s most visited tourist site the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, and Lido, making it the most popular tourist destination in the world with 45 million tourists annually.

Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called “the Athens of the Middle Ages“The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and the Historic Centre of Florence was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics Due to Florence’s artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Positioned in the very center of the Italian peninsula, Rome has been the hub of the Lazio Region and the entirety of Italy since Ancient Times; as the saying goes, “all roads lead to Rome”. Today Rome is the vibrant capital of Italy and the country’s largest city. It is situated along the Tiber River and the original city rests upon its famed seven hills: the Capitoline, Palatine, Aventine, Esquiline, Quirinal, Viminal, and Caelian Hills

Once the capital of the entire Roman Empire, today the Eternal City is a captivating blend of the ancient world and modern life as demonstrated by the thousands of cars that speed by its centuries-old monuments daily. Admiring the cityscape, from the iconic Colosseum to elaborate Renaissance buildings, is a way to travel back in time and live the city’s storied past The Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, Piazza Navona, and Campo de’ Fiori are just a handful of Rome’s most distinguishing monuments that offer those glimpses into the city’s past. Each of these sights is located within the historical city center, which is rather compact and completely walkable, allowing curious travelers to admire these wonders.

LENGHT

13 Days/11 nihts

THEME

History and culture, City of Art,

Cod. Tour

0803

PACKAGE INCLUDES

Train Tgv Paris – Avignon	Deluxe motor coach during the entire trip (France – Italy)
Accomodation in quality Hotels 3 or 4 stars, in a standard room	Half board basis + 1 soft drink (menu 3 courses)
English speaking guide, Visits to select attractions as per itinerary	Full-time services of a professional Tour Director

PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Round-trip airfare	Travel insurance.
Personal expenses and optional activities.	snack, Lunches,unless otherwise mentioned.

For more information, please contact us

Day 1: Usa - France

Fly overnight to Paris

Day 2: Paris

Bienvenue en France! Upon arrival in Paris, your Forum tour manager will greet you at the airport and remain with you throughout your tour. Transfer by private motorcoach to your hotel and drop off your bags.

This afternoon, stroll down the most famous avenue of the capital, the Champs-Elysées. Climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to admire the view then see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier You will walk through le Trocadéro and view “la Ville Lumière” from the third floor of the Eiffel Tower. Afterwards, board a glass-topped Bateau Mouche and enjoy a refreshing cruise on the Seine RiverHave dinner at a local restaurant.
Enjoy a night stroll of the illuminated Paris before night accomodation at your hotel

Day 3: Paris

This morning, discover the Musée du Louvre. It is the second largest museum in the world and welcomes millions of visitors annually. Its famous collection includes nearly 35,000 works of art, including the exemplary Mona Lisa. Later, visit the gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame. Climb the towers to experience the view as well as to catch a glimpse of the famous gargoyles. • Free time for lunch.• Next see Sainte Chapelle, a masterpiece of Flamboyant Gothic architecture that boasts one of the most extensive 13th-century stainedglass collections in the world

Your tour manager will take you to the Latin Quater to visit the Sorbonne University, the most famous French university. Discover the Palais du Luxembourg, home to the Senate, the upper
house of the French Parliament.
Dinner in the Latin Quarter before returning to your hotel for night accommodation.

Day 4: Paris

Enter the Celestin’s district and come discover the training area of the cavalrymen of the French Republican Guard that was constructed in1895 and still in use today.

Visit the Musée d´Orsay to see its extensive collection of 19th and 20th century art.

Later in the afternoon, head up to the highest point in Paris, Montmartre (known locally as La Butte). Climb the steps to reach the Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre’s hilltop church and most famous landmark

Enjoy dinner in Montmartre and overnight accommodation in Paris.

Day 5: Paris, Avignon

After breakfast, a coach will transfer the group to the train station to board a high speed TGV train to Avignon. Transfer to your hotel in Avignon and drop off your bags.

Get ready for an city stroll with your tour manager. Old Avignon is a walled medieval city shaped like a rhombus and bordered on two sides by the mighty Rhône. Its fortified ramparts run unbroken for 4.5km. You will see the “Pont Saint Benezet”, an 800 year old bridge.

Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Night accommodation in Avignon

Day 6: Avignon

Visit the impressive Palais de Papes, a Gothic masterpiece that is a former Papal residence, then the Petit Palais, a vast cobbled square that now contains a world class collection of Italian Renaissance painting.
Next, visit the Parc Rocher des Doms, where on a clear day you should be able to see as far as Mont Ventoux (1,909m), the tallest mountain in Provence.

Finally you will enter the Musée Angladon. Occupying the former home of the heir to the Parisian couturier and collector Jacques Doucet, this museum exhibits paintings by Picasso, Degas, Derain, Modigliani, Van Gogh, Manet, Cezanne and Sisley

Dinner and night accommodation in Avignon

Day 7: Avignon, Aix En Provence, Nice

After breakfast, head to Aix-en-Provence.

Open the doors of Cézanne’s studio and enter the artist’s private world. Discover the house where he began painting. See some of his works in thespace dedicated to him in the Granet Museum. Have some free time for lunch and to do a bit more exploring in the pedestrian historical center of Aix.

Drive to Nice on the French Riviera.
Dinner and overnight accommodation in Nice.

Day 8: Nice

This morning after breakfast, discover the Parc de la Colline du Château. The city’s original site, the Castle Hill, once boasted a reputedly
impregnable citadel. Next visit the central square of Place Rossetti and the Baroque Cathédrale de Sainte-Réparate. See how the famous “bonbons niçois” are made at the Confiserie Florian.

Visit the National Marc Chagall Museum, desgined in part by the artist himself where you can see a beautiful exhibit of his iconic work and the stained glass installation he made.

Dinner and overnight accommodation in Nice.

Day 9: Nice, Pisa

Your private motorcoach will drive you to Pisa (Italy). The impressive leaning bell tower is just one of the many monuments you can find in this charming city. Follow your Italian tour manager for an introduction to the city.

The Cathedral Square contains the principal religious monuments of the city – the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the cemetary. Enter the leaning tower of Pisa, emblem of the city. Built between the XII and the XIV century, this tower leans because the ground gave way during its construction.

Dinner and night accommodation in Pisa.

Day 10: Pisa, Florence

After breakfast, drive to Florence, in the heart of Tuscany. Upon arrival, meet your local guide for a visit of the Galleria Degli Uffizi, one of the finest art mueums in the world. Walk to il Ponte Vecchio and browse the jewellery shops along this famous bridge.

After lunch, see Florence’s famous Cathedral: Il Duomo and Ghiberti’s, famous bronze doors of the Baptistery, next, enter the Galleria Dell’Accademia, containing Michelangelo’s
monumental figure of David. Visit the Loggia del Mercato Nuovo, famous for leather goods.
Enjoy dinner with your group in a local restaurant.

Night accommodation in Florence

Day 11: Florence, Rome

Board your motorcoach and continue on to Rome.
Upon arrival, stretch your legs during a walking tour. Your first stop will be the Panteon on Piazza della Rotonda, an ancient building perfectly preserved and converted into a church in the 7th century. Wander through some of the main streets and squares of Rome, and discover La Piazza Navona, la Fontana di Trevi, la Piazza di Spagna, Campo di Fiori and la Bocca della Verita

Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Night accommodation in Rome

Day 12: Rome

After breakfast at your hotel, you will meet your local guide and head to the Colosseum – a masterpiece of classical architecture where fights between men and beasts, gladiatorial contests, races and mock naval battles took place. Next, visit the remains of the Foro Romano (Roman Forum), the focal point of the Roman world and one of the greatest archeological sites in the world today.

This afternoon, take a guided tour of the Vatican City. Visit the Musei Vaticani and view Raffael’s amazing murals and see the Gallery of Tapestries. Finish off your tour with the Sistine Chapel. Wander under the newly renovated ceiling and feast your eyes on Michelangelo’s aweinspiring mural of the Last Judgement. Next, enter Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Renaissance church in the Vatican City.
Tonight, enjoy an entertaining dinner show at Restaurant Papa Rex.
Overnight accommodation in Rome