12-Nights Mediterranean Highlights

12 nights from: $4,775

Mediterranean Highlights
Ease into the local love of life and good food. Sun-kissed days and sizzling nights guide you along this Mediterranean trip through coastal Spain, France and Italy. Enjoy lunch with sisters Sandra and Antonella on their Tuscan agriturismo near Vinci.

Dining Summary

• 5 Dinner (D)
• 12 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Lunch (L)

• Explore Madrid, Barcelona, Cinque Terre, Florence and Rome
• Discover Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Monaco and Pisa
• Visit the French Riviera, Piazza della Signoria in Florence and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome 
• View La Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the Papal Palace in Avignon, the Palace and Cathedral in Monaco, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio in Florence and the Colosseum in Rome
• See Madrid's Royal Palace and Cibeles Fountain, the towns of Orvieto and Orte

• Madrid: Drive through central Madrid and see some of the city's famous features during an orientation with your Travel Director.
• Madrid: See the highlights of the city with your Local Specialist. Visit the Old Town, traveling along the elegant Paseo de la Castellana, past the Cibeles fountain and Royal Palace.
• Zaragoza: See the impressive historic landmarks of this thriving Spanish metropolis. 
• Barcelona: With your Local Specialist, see the elegant Passeig de Grcia to take in some of the city's finest Modernist architecture. Journey past the beautiful façades of the Eixample district to see the exterior of Gaudi's extraordinary masterpiece, the mesmerizing Sagrada Família.
• Avignon: View the Pont d'Avignon and walk the medieval narrow streets of the Old Town to the Palais des Papes.
• Monaco City: See the cathedral where Prince Rainier and Princess Grace were married.
• Aix-en-Provence: View the Fontaine de la Rotonde and walk along Cours Mirabeau, a central boulevard that captures the charm and character of Provence.
• Aix-en-Provence: Explore the Provencal town of Aix-en-Provence which contains produce and treasures from local regions.
• Cinque Terre: Led by your Local Specialist, visit this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site, tucked away on the mountainous Italian Riviera coastline. Admire the charming fishing villages and perhaps snap some memorable pictures.
• Pisa: In the Piazza dei Miracoli, see the baptistery, cathedral and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Florence: Join a Local Specialist to view the multi-colored marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. Visit the political heart of the city, Signoria Square.
• Tuscany: View the stunning landscape of Tuscany on your drive today. 
• Rome: In the Vatican City visit St Peter's Basilica with a Local Specialist. Witness the early genius of Michelangelo as you take in the Piet.

• Florence: Meet Sandra and Antonella on their historic family farm for an exclusive Be My Guest lunch at the Agriturismo Borgo Vigna Vecchia in the Tuscan hills.  

The Leaning Tower is, of course, Pisa's main attraction. Even before three of its eight stories were constructed (building began in 1173 and continued until 1350), it had begun to lean. In 1990, the instability of the tower made it necessary to close it to visitors. Fortunately, an extensive program to rebalance the tower was successful in slowly righting the structure to its original degree of "lean." Now, thanks to modern engineering, the tower and its 294 stairs are once again open for climbing.

Pisa Travel Agents

The tower is on the Campo dei Miracoli, a large, grassy square that's a pleasant place to relax. While you're there, visit the Baptistry, which contains a beautiful baptismal font and pulpit by Nicola Pisano; the Romanesque Cathedral di San Zeno, with its silver altar and figures by Brunelleschi; and the Camposanto Cemetery. All in white, the medieval buildings and the wall of the cemetery form a beautiful thematic whole. Stop at the 16th-century church and Palazzo dei Cavalieri, the piazza and the National Museum of San Matteo (excellent collection of 12th- through 15th-century art). And if you have time, visit Pisa's other leaning tower at the Church of San Michele degli Scalzi: Completed in the 13th century, this seldom-visited tower is worth a look, too.

It's also fun just to walk around Pisa. The city is very compact, with many narrow streets and a great ambience. We suggest seeing it on a day trip from Florence, perhaps in combination with Lucca, just 13 mi/20 km northeast. Another possible stop is Pistoia, which has a cathedral and baptistery in the Pisan-Romanesque style and the Ceppo Hospital (L'Ospedale de Ceppo), which has a brightly painted and enameled terra-cotta frieze by Giovanni della Robbia. If you want to see Pisa and another town all in one day, get up very early.