Day 1 – Thursday, March 27
HONOLULU
/ MAINLAND
U.S.A.
Leave
Honolulu
via air on an overnight flight to the mainland.
Day 2 – Friday, March 28 MAINLAND
U.S.A.
Upon arriving on the Mainland, we transfer to an airport hotel for accommodations.
Day 3 – Saturday, March 29 MAINLAND
U.S.A.
/
ROME
We depart for our flight to
Rome
. This is the time to check out the Duty Free store.
Day 4 – Sunday, March 30
ROME
,
ITALY
Upon arrival in
Rome
, time to rest or start exploring the
Eternal
City
. Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine in one of
Rome
’s lively restaurants. The adventure and fun begins here…the music, the food, the sites-spectacular. (D)
Day 5 – Monday, March 31
ROME
Today your sightseeing starts with a visit to the
Vatican
Museums
and Sistine Chapel, world famous fo 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. Then time for independent activities and exciting optional excursions. Perhaps an optional tour to the side streets of
Rome
including the Pantheon and Plaza Navona. (BB)
Day 6 – Tuesday, April 1
ROME
Another day to savor la dolce vita. If you feel like traveling, you may want to join an optional excursion to
Pompeii
, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by a volcanic eruption in 79 A.D. Tonight, why not join an optional dinner with local specialities and wine? (BB)
Day 7 – Wednesday, April 2
ROME
/
PISA
/
FLORENCE
Follow the
Aurelian Way
along the Tyrrhenian coast to
Pisa
. Here take your pictures of the amazing
Leaning
Tower
, 180 feet high and no less than 12 feet out of the perpendicular. Then on to
Florence
, the splendid capital of
Tuscany
and the birthplace of the Renaissance. (BB, D)
Day 8 – Thursday, April 3
FLORENCE
Follow your 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 free to relax or to find out more about
Florence
’s artistic wealth. An optional dinner at a typical Tuscan restaurant can be arranged. (BB)
Day 9 – Friday, April 4
FLORENCE
/
PADUA
/
VENICE
A beautiful drive across the wooded
Etruscan
Apennine
Mountains
into the lush plains of the Po River will bring you 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
. (BB)
Day 10 – Saturday, April 5
VENICE
Enter in style by private boat to meet your 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 Venetian Glassblowers fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then enjoy
Venice
at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (BB, D)
Day 11 – Sunday, April 6
VENICE
/
PERUGIA
/
ASSISI
A comfortable drive to the capital of
Umbria
,
Perugia
, for an orientation of this famous town. Then drive on to peaceful
Assisi
. Your guide will show you the main sights. From St. Clare’s Church enjoy pleasant walk via pretty Piazza del Comune down to 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 view the priceless frescoes adorning the walls of the church. (BB, D)
Day 12 – Monday, April 7
ASSISI
/
ANCONA
/ OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO
PATRAS
,
GREECE
Leisurely departure for
Ancona
where you will board your high-speed ferry for your overnight cruise to
Greece
. (BB, D)
Day 13 – Tuesday, April 8 PATRAS /
OLYMPIA
Dock at Patras and continue by coach to
Olympia
. (BB, D)
Day 14 – Wednesday, April 9
OLYMPIA
/
DELPHI
Focus on
Olympia
, where the athletes of antiquity performed in honor of the King of Deities. Learn about the history of those original Olympic Games as you walk with your 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 return to Patras and proceed through the picturesque fishing villages along the southern cost to mythical
Delphi
. (BB, D)
Day 15 – Thursday, April 10
DELPHI
/
ATHENS
Morning visit with a 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, an extraordinary 5th century B.C. bronze statue. On your way to
Athens
your tour director will tell you about the history of
Thebes
, the setting of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, and
Marathon
, where in 490 B.C. 10,000 Athenians defeated more than twice that number of Persian invaders. Exciting possibilities for your first night in
Athens
include Plaka’s outdoor tavernas with their succulent local food and cool Retsina wines, and folk dancing reminiscent of Zorba the Greek! (BB)
Day 16 – Friday, April 11
ATHENS
Tour the capital’s classical sights with a guide: the Parthenon’s crowning beauty atop the Acropolis, the Erechtheum with its Porch of Maidens, the beautifully preserved Theseum, Roman Temple of Zeus, Theater of Dionysus, and the Agora where Socrates taught. Vistaas of the
Royal
Palace
, government buildings, and elegant homes in the modern city provide a striking contrast to the remains of a glorious past. Afternoon free for shopping and other independent activities. Later you may wish to join an optional orientation drive and dinner at a fine restaurant overlooking the Acropolis and the
Temple
of
Zeus
. (BB)
Day 17 – Saturday, April 12
ATHENS
A full day at leisure. How about an optional day cruise to the islands of
Aegina
, Hydra, and Poros? (BB)
Day 18 – Sunday, April 13
ATHENS
/ CONTINENTAL
U.S.A.
After a buffet breakfast, we leave
Athens
via air for the continental
USA
and overnight on the West Coast.
Day 19 – Monday, April 14 CONTINENTAL
U.S.A.
/
HONOLULU
Have a leisurely breakfast, then transfer back to the airport and continue home to
Honolulu
.