THE BEST OF ITALY and GREECE (ZA2010)

Hotels


Rome
NH Villa Carpegna (F),

Florence
Athenaeum (F),

Venice
Boscolo Bellini (F),

Perugia
Sangallo Palace (F),

Olympia
Amalia (F),

Delphi
Amalia (F),

Athens
Zafolia (F)

Meals
Full buffet breakfast (B); 6 three-course dinners (D), including a welcome dinner with wine in Rome.

Day 1:
(Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2:
Arrive in Rome, Italy. (Sun.) Time to rest or start exploring the “Eternal City.” At 6 pm, meet 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 3:
Rome. (Mon.) Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for 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. Time for independent activities and exciting optional excursions. (B)

Day 4:
At Leisure in Rome. (Tue.) 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 AD. Tonight, why not join an optional dinner with local specialties and wine? (B)

Day 5:
Rome–Pisa–Florence. (Wed.) Follow the Aurelian Way along the Tyrrhenian coast to Pisa. Take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 12 feet out of the perpendicular. Next is Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany and the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Tonight an optional dinner at a typical Tuscan restaurant can be arranged. (B)

Day 6:
Florence. (Thu.) Follow your Local 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 is at leisure. (B,D)

Day 7:
Florence–Padua–Venice. (Fri.) Across the wooded Etruscan Apennine Mountains into the lush plains of the Po River 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. (B)

Day 8:
Venice. (Sat.) Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local 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 skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then, enjoy Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (B)

Day 9:
Venice–Assisi–Perugia. (Sun.) A comfortable drive to peaceful Assisi. A walking tour with a Local Guide features ST. CLARE’S CHURCH and 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 see the priceless frescoes adorning the walls of the church. Then continue to Umbria’s capital, Perugia, and enjoy a walk through its pretty center. (B,D)

Day 10:
Perugia–Ancona–Overnight Cruise to Patras, Greece. (Mon.) In Ancona, board your high-speed FERRY for your overnight cruise to Greece. (B,D)

Day 11:
Patras–Olympia. (Tue.) Dock at Patras and continue by motorcoach to Olympia. (B,D)

Day 12:
Olympia–Delphi. (Wed.) 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 Local 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, proceed to mythical Delphi. (B,D)

Day 13:
Delphi–Athens. (Thu.) Morning visit with a Local 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 of Delphi, an extraordinary 5th-century BC bronze statue. On your way to Athens, your Tour Director will tell you about Thebes, the setting of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, and Marathon, where in 490 BC, 10,000 Athenians defeated more than twice that number of Persian invaders. You may wish to join an optional dinner outing to one of Plaka’s tavernas with cool Retsina wines and folk dancing reminiscent of Zorba the Greek. (B)

Day 14:
Athens. (Fri.) Tour the capital’s classical sights with a Local 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. Vistas of the Royal Palace, government buildings, and elegant homes in the modern city provide a striking contrast to the remains of a glorious past. Exciting optional evening excursions are available. (B)

Day 15:
At Leisure in Athens. (Sat.) A full day at leisure. How about an optional day cruise to the islands of Aegina, Hydra, and Poros? (B)

Day 16:
(Sun.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B)

Don't miss our current specials: Save up to $1,100 per couple on 2010 Greece Cruise & Tour Vacations Save up to $1,100 per couple on 2010 Greece Cruise & Tour Vacation booked by August 31, 2010 It might be easier to list things that can’t trace their origin to Greece. When you travel to Greece, the cradle of western civilization, you will come to understand how these lands could have inspired humanity’s greatest strides. Today, the energy of Athens stands in sharp contrast with the pristine tranquility of the Greek islands. With one foot in the past and another in the future, Greece Cruise & Tour Vacations are sure to capture your heart and engage your mind. - Save $1,100 per couple on Splendors of Greece & Turkey Cruise & Tour - Save $1,100 per couple on Three Continents Cruise & Tour - Save $800 per couple on Jewels of the Aegean Cruise & Tour - Save $580 per couple on Aegean Legends Cruise & Tour *Book a select Globus Greece cruise & tour vacation to receive the discount. Book Footsteps of Apostle Paul for the $40 pp discount, Aegean Legends for $290 pp discount, Jewels of the Aegean for $400 pp discount and Splendors of Greece & Turkey or Three Continents for $550 pp discount. Must be made, under deposit, and discount applied between October 14, 2009 and November 1, 2010 for travel through November 6, 2010. Offer is combinable with other consumer offers. Applies to new 2010 bookings only, and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply. Standard Offers and Specials provided by Globus Tours Discount for young travelers Share the pleasure of a Globus vacation with your children and grandchildren and take advantage of a 10-percent discount on the land-only price. For eligibility, children must be under 18 years of age on the departure date and must be accompanied by an adult. On escorted vacations we don’t accept children under eight years old because we have found that they are too young to enjoy these vacations. Pay less for your second vacation We charge you vacation price for your first vacation in 2008, but for every additional Globus vacation you take in the same year, you pay US$35 under list. Our vacations are designed and scheduled so you can combine them almost any way you want. It’s fun to play the add-a-vacation game yourself or talk to your travel agent. Triple room reduction On most Globus vacations you receive a reduction when three people travel together and share the same accommodations. Triple room reductions, when available, are listed on the itinerary pages. A word of caution: Triple rooms usually are no larger than twin rooms and the third bed, if there is one, is often a rollaway put in a twin-bedded room. Avoid the single room supplement We do not take reservations on a “share” basis because we have found that strangers rarely enjoy sharing a room for the duration of their vacation. Avoid the single room supplement by traveling with a friend. It’s less expensive and much more fun!
YOU CAN BOOK THIS TOUR ONLINE. Click here to check rates and availability online, 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Or, to speak to one of our live, experienced travel consultants, Call us now at 1-800-942-3301.
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
8/7/2010 - 8/22/2010	$2,979
8/21/2010 - 9/5/2010	$2,999
9/4/2010 - 9/19/2010	$3,019
9/11/2010 - 9/26/2010	$3,019
9/18/2010 - 10/3/2010	$2,999
9/25/2010 - 10/10/2010	$2,999
10/2/2010 - 10/17/2010	$2,999
10/9/2010 - 10/24/2010	$2,999
10/16/2010 - 10/31/2010	$2,989
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

City Highlights
Headsets throughout the tour

Rome:
Welcome dinner; guided sightseeing, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum and Roman Forum

Pisa:
Take pictures of the Leaning Tower

Florence:
Guided walking tour, visit Michelangelo’s David, the cathedral, and Signoria Square

Padua:
Visit St. Anthony’s Basilica

Venice:
Private boat ride; guided walking tour, visit St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; glassblowers’ demonstration

Assisi:
Guided walking tour, visit St. Clare’s Church and St. Francis’ Basilica

Perugia:
Walking tour

Ancona-Patras:
Overnight crossing in two-berth cabins with private facilities

Olympia:
Guided walking tour of the archaeological site including the Gymnasium and the Museum

Delphi:
Guided walking tour of the excavations and the Archaeological Museum

Athens:
Guided sightseeing, visit the Acropolis

Price Details US
Single room supplement: $764Triple room reduction per person: $107Extra nights per person in Rome:in single room $228, in twin room $165, in triple room $135Extra nights per person in Athens:in single room $186, in twin room $108, in triple room $90

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RL|Add a 7-night Sea Cruise to Your Vacation

Save up to $1,100 per couple on 2010 Greece Cruise & Tour Vacations

Standard Offers and Specials provided by Globus Tours

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