Umbria Treasures

2012 Season
Departs From: Rome

From 1,162EUR

Length:  8 days from Rome to Rome, or 9 days incl. travel

Overview

On this delightful vacation to Italy, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the fascinating Umbria region, which is characterized by its beautiful cities, warm hills, and extensive history. Your home base will be Assisi, so you can explore the region and its many towns without the hassles of packing and unpacking. Assisi is a small medieval town and the birthplace of St. Francis, who founded the Franciscan order. It is an important pilgrimage sight, and on this tour, you’ll see the Basilica of St. Francis, where St. Francis is buried, as well as the site where St. Francis came to meditate and pray.

From Assisi, take excursions to Gubbio, the town where St. Francis tamed the wolf, where you will take a cable-car ride to the San Ubaldo Basilica; Perugia, the capital of Umbria and an important university town; Spoleto, where you will visit the Piazza del Duomo; and Todi, a prosperous town in the Middle Ages with one of the most picturesque piazzas in Italy. History buffs will find it interesting that Todi is surrounded by three sets of concentric walls corresponding to different times in the town’s history—the medieval, Roman, and Etruscan.

In addition to history, this area of Italy also offers delicious food. The Umbrian cuisine reflects the rural nature of the area—with simple, yet flavorful ingredients, fresh fruits and vegetables, and high quality olive oil. Perugia has become famous for its chocolate, so be sure to sample some.

All of this and much more—including time in Rome—are waiting for you on this wonderful vacation through Italy’s Umbria region.

Duration:  8 Days

Schedule:

Start Date	End Date
03 June, 2012	10 June, 2012
17 June, 2012	24 June, 2012
01 July, 2012	08 July, 2012
23 September, 2012	30 September, 2012

City Highlights

Rome
Welcome and farewell dinners at a local restaurant; guided sightseeing, visit St. Peter’s Square and Basilica

Orvieto
Ride a funicular through the ramparts and visit the cathedral

Assisi
Guided walking tour, visit St. Clare’s Church and St. Francis’ Basilica, the Carceri Hermitage, and St. Mary of the Angels Basilica

Gubbio
Guided walking tour; ride the cable car to the San Ubaldo Basilica for a panoramic view

Perugia
Guided walking tour, visit Piazza IV Novembre

Todi
Orientation, enjoy a panoramic view from the terrace of Piazza Garibaldi

Spoleto
Guided walking tour, visit Piazza del Duomo

Headsets throughout the tour

Day 1   Arrive in Rome, Italy. Time to rest or start exploring the “Eternal City.” At 5 pm, join your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (D)

Day 2   Rome–Orvieto–Assisi. Sightseeing with your Local Guide in Rome this morning features a visit to ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Enter Umbria, the “Green Heart of Italy” and land of the Etruscans. Stop in Orvieto, perched high atop a volcanic rock, and ride a FUNICULAR right through the forbidding ramparts. Time to browse through tempting shops in the lanes off Piazza del Duomo and to take pictures of the fabulous gothic CATHEDRAL with its San Brizio Chapel. Continue to Assisi, where you will stay for the next five nights. (B,D)

Day 3   Assisi. Your walking tour with a Local Guide starts with visits to ST. CLARE’S CHURCH and ST. FRANCIS’ BASILICA, the hub of a religious order devoted to the ideals of humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and love for all God’s creatures. Also visit the CARCERI HERMITAGE, where St. Francis came to meditate and pray; and ST. MARY OF THE ANGELS BASILICA, where St. Francis consecrated St. Clare as the “Bride of Christ.” An exciting excursion to Spello is available. (B)

Day 4   Assisi. Excursion to Gubbio. Today, visit Gubbio, the town where St. Francis tamed the wolf. Follow your Local Guide and admire the impressive Palazzo dei Consoli overlooking Piazza Grande, the 13th-century cathedral, and magnificent Palazzo Ducale with its elegant courtyard. For a panoramic view, ride a CABLE CAR to the San Ubaldo Basilica, which is famous as the end station for the Race of the Ceri, held in May. Tonight, you may wish to join an optional dinner outing with typical Umbrian specialties at a local taverna. (B)

Day 5   At Leisure in Assisi. Full day at leisure to relax or to further explore the city. An interesting optional outing is available to Pienza, renowned for pecorino cheese, and to the Montepulciano wine area in Tuscany. Return to Assisi in the afternoon. (B,D)

Day 6   Assisi. Excursion to Perugia & Todi. Start your day in Perugia, capital of Umbria, and an important university town. A guided walking tour features the PIAZZA IV NOVEMBRE, one of the grandest squares in Italy, graced by the Fontana Maggiore. Admire the gothic cathedral, the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, and Perugia’s stunning medieval municipal palace. Time to explore on your own—don’t forget to shop for chocolates and other specialties, for which the town is famous, on Corso Vannucci. Next, visit hilltop Todi, originally an Etruscan frontier settlement and a prosperous town during the Middle Ages. It still has its three sets of walls: Etruscan, Roman, and medieval. On Piazza del Popolo, marvel at the 13th-century palaces, and from the terrace of PIAZZA GARIBALDI, enjoy a panoramic view of the valley and hills of Umbria before returning to Assisi. (B)

Day 7   Assisi–Spoleto–Rome. Leave Assisi and stop in Spoleto, a former Roman municipium and capital of an important Lombard duchy from the 6th to the 8th centuries. Spoleto is famous for the annual Festival dei Due Mondi, held each summer since 1958. During your walking tour with a Local Guide, take pictures of La Rocca, the former Papal fortress that was used as a high-security prison until 1982; admire the Ponte delle Torri, erected on the foundations of a Roman aqueduct; and visit PIAZZA DEL DUOMO. This evening, back in Rome, enjoy a farewell dinner with wine at a local restaurant to celebrate the success of your vacation. (B,D)

Day 8   Rome. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Meals:  Full buffet breakfast daily (B); 4 three-course dinners (D), including special welcome and farewell dinners with wine in Rome

Hotel Information:  ROME Grand Hotel Beverly Hills (F), ASSISI Giotto (F), ROME Holiday Inn Rome Aurelia (F)


Terms and Conditions

Note: Flights are NOT included with the Tour and unless otherwise stated above transfers are also NOT included.

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