Luxury Italy Family Vacation

You land this morning in Malpensa Airport, where a personal driver will be waiting to take you into the heart of incredible Milan, right to the door of the hotel. This afternoon, explore the many attractions of Milan, from the city’s amazing Duomo, a Gothic marvel that is one of the largest churches in Europe, to the boutiques of the world’s greatest designers that line the streets of this world fashion capital. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is one of the most upscale malls on the planet, and more astounding boutiques can be found at the well-known Quadrilatero. Dinner this evening can be at one of the city’s fine restaurants, but be sure to save some room because there's gelato around nearly every corner.

You can stop at the Zucchi collection of antique hand blocks in the morning and learn more about Milan’s well-known Alessi products before touring the museum at the world-famous La Scala. You’ll be amazed by all the exhibits at this fascinating facility, from period costumes to original scores to a noted sculpture collection, and truly awed by the interior of this stupendous structure.

The afternoon sees you boarding a train across the beautiful landscape of northern Italy to the shores of the Adriatic Sea at Venice. Spend some time this afternoon making your way through the labyrinthine streets of the city, enjoying the scene at the Piazza San Marco, or gazing across the lagoon to the monuments and edifices that are found on the nearby islands.

A short jaunt to Piazza San Marco begins your engaging and informative tour of the Floating City, led by an expert guide who will show you places that others can only dream of. Explore the sumptuous St. Mark’s Basilica, its gilded domes rising gracefully into the air, its gold-laced mosaics brilliant in their vision and execution, and tour the halls of the Doge’s Palace, where Venetian affairs were run for centuries.

This afternoon, set out for the islands around the Venetian lagoon, where you can find some of the finest handcrafts in the country, like beautiful glass work from Murano and delicate, gorgeous lace offerings from the artisans in Burano.

Today, you leave the canals of Venice and venture out into the bosom of the Mediterranean Sea and the ancient island of Sardinia. A private water taxi will take you to the airport, where you’ll board a plane that will take you to Olbia, where a private minivan will be waiting to take you to the hotel. This quaint and delightful accommodation is set in the heart of the Tavolara-Capo Coda Cavallo Protected Sea-Area, where the wildlife is varied and the scenery awe-inspiring, where the history of the people mix provocatively with the natural environment. Dinner this evening is at the superb hotel restaurant.

Today is yours to explore the island of Sardinia as you see fit. Cagliari is the island’s capital, and offers a wide array of amazing attractions, like the opulent Royal Palace of Cagliari – a former seat of the House of Savoy – and the neo-Gothic Cagliari City Hall, an intricate, elegant building cast in white and reflecting the rich tradition of the region. The city also boasts a beautiful cemetery, filled with some notable names and stunning statuary, as well as nice views of the city surrounding it.

Sardinia is one of the oldest – and longest continually inhabited – spots in Italy, and today is dedicated to exploring this ancient and august past. You can visit Sassari near Porto Torres to visit Mone’dAccoddi, a megalithic structure that is thought to be the oldest building in Italy, or stop by one of the Giant’s Graves, a megalithic gallery grace built in the Bronze Age. For slightly more recent history, there are the remains of the Phoenician and Roman town of Tharros, as well as a well-preserved hot bath of the Forum Traiani in the commune of Fordongianus.

After two incredible days of relaxation and discovery, you’ll leave the shores of Sardinia, bound for Bologna in the heart of Italy’s culinary heartlands. This afternoon, spend some time to reconnoiter this scenic village, a UNESCO City of Music, a European capital of culture, and one of the most darling cities in the area. You can walk the campus of the University of Bologna, generally considered to be the oldest university in the world, inspect the wares of the antiques market that fills Piazza Santo Stefano, or gaze upwards at the famed Due Torri, a pair of medieval towers that have become city landmarks.

An experience unlike any other awaits you today, as you set out to discover the places where the finest cars in the world are produced, grand tourers, sporting coupes, and supercars that have come to symbolize wealth, power, speed and class. Visit Maranello and the world-renowned factory of Ferrari, one of the first Italian supercar automakers and one of the most successful racing brands in the world, or stop by Sant’Agata Bolognese to see how they make the famous Lamborghini. You can also visit Ducati – makers of some of the best sport motorcycles in the world – or the incredible vintage cars of Stanguellini, before returning to Bologna for a delicious dinner.

In a country known for its incredible food, there is perhaps no city, town, or village with quite the history and tradition as Bologna. It is home to some of the best and best-known Italian dishes, fare that has made the country a premier foodie destination. Perambulate past the stalls and the scrumptious offerings at the medieval-era market before making the acquaintance of a baker and pasta maker at Beccari’s Salsamenteria. After learning about the noteworthy pasta of Bologna – like tagliatelle and tortellini – you’ll stop by a chocolate maker before visiting a fun and casual osteria right on the fringes of the University of Bologna.

Don your apron, make ready your cooking minds, and step into the kitchen as today is dedicated to giving you an in-depth look at the labor and love that goes into making some of Italian cuisine’s favorite dishes. You’ll watch these skilled cooks painstakingly prepare pasta and their accompanying sauces, hearty and warming Bolognese with wide tagliatelle ribbons, stuffed tortellini resting in cream sauce, and the best lasagna you’ve ever tasted. You’ll learn all the stories and customs of this sacred part of the Italian home, the one room that has the ability to bring everyone together with laughter, love and – of course – some really good food.

Turn to Tuscany, one of the most beautiful regions in all of Italy, to discover the incredible history of this vibrant area. You’ll get the pleasure of a unique and unforgettable pit-stop as you make a brief detour at Modena. Your final destination today is fascinating Florence, one of the great art cities on the planet and the center of the Italian Renaissance.

Spend the rest of the afternoon in a precursory exploration of Florence, where you’ll feel the presence of genius on every street corner, from the sonnets of Petrarch to the sculptures of Michelangelo to the puissance and influence of the Medici Family.

You’ll get the full introduction to this magical metropolis as a local expert guide chauffeurs you to and through some of the best spots in Florence. Begin at Santa Croce, a beautiful Franciscan church with elegant cloisters and the remains of some of the great minds in Italian – and world – history: people like Michelangelo and Machiavelli, Rossini and Galileo.

The late morning sees you dropped off at the Piazza della Signoria to enjoy a Florentine lunch and some excellent people-watching, after which you’ll set out to enjoy the amazing collection at the Uffizi, one of the best art galleries in Europe and one of the most visited museums on Earth.

Turn south from Florence as you take a first-class train along the coastlands of the Mediterranean, past the fertile fields that have fed the peninsula for centuries, until you reach the splendid streets of resplendent Rome, the capital of Italy and once the centers of the Western world.

This evening, your private guide will show you the monuments of Rome. Make your way from the Piazza Venezia to the Michelangelo-designed Piazza del Campidoglio, home of a beautiful terrace that overlooks the Roman Forum. Wind past some of the city’s great attractions, like the enthralling Colosseum and the immaculate Piazza San Pietro.

Continue south today into the transfixing Campania region as you prepare yourself for a trip unlike any other: a trip back in time, far into the annals of history, when a sleepy Roman town called Pompeii was submerged in the ash and detritus of forbidding Mt. Vesuvius. An expert guide will show you the best sites of this inspiring city, like the House of the Faun and the Garden of the Fugitives, as well as regale with you stories of the city’s flourishing days, its destruction, and its unbelievable rediscovery.

Your final day in Italy is spent at two of the country’s most amazing destinations, as today takes you deep into the glories of Rome, to the incredible stretch of the Circus Maximus, the soaring reaches of the Colosseum, and the divine gifts of human creativity that fill the halls of the enormous Vatican Museums.

View the miles of galleries of the Vatican Museum where you’re sure to enjoy the Raphael Room and the impressive Gallery of Maps, and end in the world’s most famous chapel, casting your eyes to the sky to take in the sensation ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

This afternoon, you’ll be taken from the hotel to the airport outside of Rome in plenty of time to board the flight that will take you home. From the marvels of Milan to the glories of Rome, from fascinating Florence to brilliant Bologna to the undeniable allure of Venice, this is sure to be a vacation that you talk about for years to come.