Your Man in Europe
Highlights of Italy - September 18 - October 1, 2025 $6929.00 per person
Travel with Your Man in Europe for a highly customized tour of some of Italy’s most stunning highlights. We’ll see much of the most beautiful scenery in the entire country while visiting fantastic destinations often overlooked by most organized tours, and never seen by Big Bus tours or cruise ship side trips. Stay in boutique hotels featuring truly breathtaking views – right from the rooms specially-selected just for our tour guests. Our group will enjoy traveling on high-speed trains between destinations, and in private luxury vans for local touring. It will be the trip of a lifetime!
Itinerary
Sept 18, Thursday - Departure from USA (overnight flight) to Rome (FCO)
Sept 19, Friday - Morning arrival at Rome Fiumicino – plan to arrive before 12:00 noon. We’ll have private transportation into central Rome. Arriving in the heart of Rome, we’ll check into our boutique hotel near the foot of the famous Spanish Steps. The charming olde-world hotel is ideally located for taking in this gloriously monumental city. If we’re too early to check in, we’ll drop our luggage, and have a casual lunch together followed by an easy-going “neighborhood orientation” walk.
Once called Caput Mundi (capital of the world), Rome is an epic, bubbling-over metropolis filled with echoes of lost empires. One visit and you’ll be sure to fall in love with the city that rewards visitors with a feast for the senses at every turn. It is a city that bombards you with images- where you can feel cool just strolling through the streets. Rome is a place that often encourages you to take things easy. So, if you don’t feel like going on a monument tour or to a museum, you may say “what’s the need when it’s all outside on the streets?”
In the afternoon, we’ll return to the hotel for check-in; and everyone will have some time to relax after the long overnight flight. We can also meet in the hotel lobby to go over general tour details. When everyone is a bit refreshed, we’ll go out for a lovely “Welcome to Rome” dinner together at a restaurant that’s very popular with the locals. After that we’ll all be more than ready for a good night’s sleep.
Sept 20, Saturday – We won’t have breakfast at our hotel today, because the day holds for us a truly unique event. Beginning at 7:30 AM we’ll enjoy a VIP experience at the Vatican with a special morning tour that includes breakfast in the famed Pinecone Courtyard, (or in the Vatican cafeteria depending on weather conditions). We’ll see the top Vatican sights like Raphael’s Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, and the Gallery of Tapestries with an expert guide. Enjoy a very special intimate tour experience when we enter the Sistine Chapel to see Michelangelo’s celebrated ceiling painting of epic Biblical scenes, and “The Last Judgment” before the huge crowds descend. Then we’ll finish with access to the awesome St Peter’s Basilica. Our guide will say goodbye at St. Peter’s.
After our Vatican tour, we’ll walk a bit more for a rollicking fun lunch together just outside the Vatican walls. This will be our opportunity to unwind and talk about our adventures so far. After lunch everyone will have free time. Take a taxi, or make your way to the Rome Metro to return to our hotel. For this afternoon, be sure to check into available tours that will cover your particular interests. Advance tickets are recommended and may be booked online well in advance of the trip. Ask Your Man in Europe about the best time slots and recommended tours before booking independently. Dinner this evening will be on your own (recommendations offered).
Sept 21, Sunday – After breakfast at our hotel, a great guide will pick us up to begin our custom golf-cart tour of the wonders of this great city. Our driver will whisk us into the most magnificent sights, including, of course, the Pantheon, The Angel Bridge, Piazza Navona, a drive by the famed Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain to toss your coin in to insure your return to Rome. There is simply no better way to reach the iconic sights of “The Eternal City”!
After the golf-cart tour, our guide will drop us off at a surprise restaurant with a spectacular view of the city for a nice lunch together. Afterward everyone will have a free afternoon to visit attractions of particular interest, but plan ahead to be sure what you’d like to see is open and available! One possibility is the Capitoline Museum, a great summation of Roman art and history. Dinner today will be on your own. There is a small rooftop terrace available for hotel guests. We may feel like taking advantage, and retreat there with some wine and savory local snacks. By this time everyone may start to feel at home in Rome, and decide that evening is for strolling around our delightful little neighborhood like a local. But don’t stay out too late because we have an early start tomorrow!
Sept 22, Monday – After breakfast at our hotel, well board a high-speed train to Florence. Our driver will meet us there, and we’ll be transported by private van deeper into Tuscany - to San Gimignano. This stunning little village is the very image of idyllic Tuscany, with its picturesque location right atop a commanding hill, and its absolutely breath-taking vistas of the surrounding countryside. Our enchanting hotel is in the old town center, and features incomparable vistas of the Tuscan landscape. This is quintessential Tuscany, surrounded by beautiful vineyards and rolling hills. Not only is San Gimignano an idyllic place to see, but it’s also a wonderful place just to be. Have plenty of storage on your phone or camera because virtually everywhere you look will be a “Kodak Moment”! The beauty of this dream-like place will be something you’ll never forget.
After checking into our hotel, we’ll have time to have a late lunch together and a brief orientation tour. Afterward take time to explore the quaint village, and enjoy some unscheduled time. Have a glass or two of the delicious local wine. Take the trek to the garden at the top of the village if you feel energetic. In the evening we’ve included a fabulous dinner of northern Italian cuisine and wine in the hotel’s atmospheric dining room before turning in (night life in San Gimignano is pretty slow.)
Sept 23, Tuesday – We’ll take our time enjoying breakfast at the hotel (with some of the most spectacular views you’ve ever seen - that is, except for the ones out your own room’s window), before taking a very short ride to a nearby villa, where we will all dive into a real Tuscan Cooking Lesson! A delightful local family will teach us how to prepare and properly taste the fabulous local cuisine. And afterward we will sit down to savor the meal we have prepared, along with some carefully selected Tuscan wines.
After our luncheon, woozy but still on our feet, we’ll spend some time in San Gimignano itself. It is probably the most picturesque hill village in all of Tuscany. And don’t pass up the shop voted “The Best Gelato in Italy” for dessert located right across the piazza from our hotel. When you’ve worked up an appetite, enjoy a dinner on your own at just the right spot in San Gimignano tonight.
Sept 24, Wednesday – After our last “breakfast with a view” we’ll get an early start on our private van adventure. Today’s destination will be Florence. There is simply no other place on earth like Firenze, the “Cradle of the Renaissance”! Locals declare that their city is so incredibly beautiful that many guests actually swoon and feel overwhelmed – suffering from “The Florence Disease”!
We will arrive before check-in time, so we’ll drop our luggage at our wonderfully located hotel very near Giotto’s magnificent bell tower and the Piazza del Duomo. We’ll then have a fantastic pizza lunch before embarking on a nice tour of the wonders of Florence, including the Duomo and Baptistry.
In the afternoon we will return to our hotel to check in and relax for a bit. Enjoy some free time until we assemble for a “Welcome to Florence” dinner together at a fabulous historic restaurant specializing in Florentine cuisine. After dinner enjoy some time on your own in this lively city before bedtime.
Sept 25, Thursday – After a nice breakfast at the hotel we will head for the incredible Bargello Museum, featuring some of the most important sculptures from the Golden Age of Florence. The Bargello is a small, manageable museum, but it really has a surprising number of world-class artworks. Afterward enjoy a “choose your own adventure” day. The group’s guide will be available to help plan a memorable day in the grandeur of Florence. There will be plenty of recommendations for taking in the best of Florence. Guests may be as independent and adventuresome as they wish, or decide on some highlights to visit together with the guidance of Your Man in Europe.
For art lovers who wish to visit the world-renowned Uffizi Art Museum, advance plans should be made to get “skip the line tickets. Get in touch with Your Man in Europe for details on this optional activity.
For those not planning a Uffizi visit, take advantage of world-class shopping – everything from gold jewelry to gorgeous leather apparel and high fashion. Or just take in the atmosphere of the place. At sunset take a memorable walk to Piazzale Michelangelo to be dazzled by a palette displaying every known shade of soft pink, orange, and fiery amber. Surprisingly, small as it is, Florence looms large on the world's 'must-sees' list – and not just for its unmatched treasure chest of art. Rich in culture, backdropped by history and anchored by family, faith and food, the Florentine lifestyle is enviably sweet. Enjoy a go-slow afternoon, indulge in an aperitivo at dusk, and just savor la dolce vita.
There is so much to experience in this truly unique city, no one will find a shortage of wonderful things to do. You’ll have time to enjoy lunch and dinner on your own today. Return to our wonderfully convenient hotel at your leisure.
Sept 26, Friday - Today we’ll get an early start. Right after breakfast, we’ll board a high-speed train to Milan. From the impressive train station there, we’ll be transported by deluxe van to Stresa, about two hours north of Milan. In route we will visit the stunning “Colossus” of San Carlo Borromeo, a massive copper statue, erected between 1614 and 1698. For many years it was the largest statue in the world, and, later, served as the inspiration and construction model for The Statue of Liberty.
The lake and the area around Stresa are like a tropical paradise, but nestled in the foothills of the Italian Alps! Stresa was once a tiny fishing village, recorded for the first time in 998 AD, occupying a narrow strip of land only accessible by a rugged old Roman road. This narrow strip of land on the lakeside is where Stresa got its name. Even today in Stresa dialect the word “strecia” means “narrow passage”.
Once we arrive in Stresa we will be met by a private boat to take guests to a unique hotel situated on a small island in the middle of beautiful Lago Maggiore. Our boutique hotel is situated on Isola Superiore dei Pescatori (Fishermen's Island), and boasts fantastic lake views and a quiet, relaxed atmosphere for travelers. After checking in and getting settled, we’ll have a light lunch together, and then we’ll enjoy a short boat ride to visit one of the other two main islands, Isola Madre (Mother Island). The island features rich and lush vegetation, beautiful peacocks, pheasants and other birds, and the fascinating “vacation home” of the powerful Borromeo family.
After returning to our island by boat, In the evening we’ll enjoy a wonderful dinner together in the hotel’s scenic restaurant, and then head for bed for a very welcome good night’s sleep.
Sept 27, Saturday – After a delightful breakfast with a stunning view, we’ll check out of our hotel, and take a private boat ride to the town of Stresa (with our luggage). We’ll be met by our driver, and load our luggage onboard the van. Then everyone will have some free time to explore the town, have a snack lunch on your own, and maybe do a little shopping before departing for the ride back to Milan. There we’ll board our high-speed train to Venice and glide through gorgeous northern Italy scenery in comfort.
On arrival in Venice, we’ll take a spectacular journey through the heart of the city by water taxi. Our deluxe boutique hotel is very likely “the most photographed hotel in Venice”. You will understand why when you arrive!
"Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go." --Truman Capote
We’ll take a break for a little relaxation before stretching our legs and walking to a cozy restaurant that’s very popular with the locals. We’ll enjoy a leisurely and delicious dinner together before heading back to our hotel. What a day! After a spirited day of Trains, Boats, and Automobiles, we’ll deserve a good night’s sleep.
Sept 28, Sunday – After an early breakfast at our hotel, we’ll set out to meet our guide for a fantastic “Venice in a Day” tour. Put on your walking shoes to explore the most important sites, as well as plenty of hidden corners cruise ship tourists just don’t have time to take in. We’ll see ancient churches, stunning art, and picturesque backstreets, canals, and bridges along the way. Included will be a fun gondola ride to see Venice as it was meant to be seen: from the water. We’ll see a side of Venice that most visitors miss – all with an expert, passionate guide. During the walk there will be a break for a light lunch on your own. The guide will offer good recommendations.
During the tour we’ll visit the fabulous Basilica on Piazza San Marco, the most famous of the many churches of Venice, and one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture in the whole world.
In 828, Venetian merchants stole the body and relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist from their original resting place in Alexandria, Egypt. It is said the Venetians hid the relics in a barrel under layers of pork to get them past Muslim guards. The adventure is depicted in the 13th-century mosaic above the door farthest left of the front entrance of the Basilica.
The relics were initially housed in a temporary chapel within the Doge's Palace, but a more substantial church was built to shelter the valuable relics in 829-32. This burned in a rebellion in 976, but was restored by Doge Domenico Contarini . The present basilica, which incorporates the earlier buildings, was completed around 1071.
That will be followed by a visit to the fabulous Doges’ Palace. Known as the Palazzo Ducale, it was the residence of the Doges, who were the elected leaders of the Venetian republic. This impressive structure, built around a courtyard and richly decorated, was the meeting place of all the governing councils and ministries of the republic.
The first palace was built in 814 and was burned by the populace in 976. It was reconstructed but was damaged by a second fire; it was begun in its present form in the early 14th century. In 1424 the completion of this Venetian Gothic-style palace was undertaken. The grand palace is a feast for the eyes. It is brimming with fabulous art commissioned from such artists as Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese.
Return to the hotel for a welcome rest before going out for a lovely dinner together, followed by a memorable surprise event! Afterward, we’ll return to our hotel for a very welcome sleep.
Sept 29, Monday – After a wonderful breakfast, we’ll go a bit off the beaten path for a cruise to visit the nearby islands of Murano and Burano to avoid the tourist crush. In Murano we’ll get an introduction to the famous glass works there. While there we’ll have a quick lunch together in one of the charming little canal-side trattorias in Murano.
From Murano we’ll continue by private boat to Burano. This quaint island, known for lace-making, is a photographer’s dream with its colorful buildings and reflecting canals. The pace is slower in Burano, and though it’s just a boat ride away, this little side tour will give us a nice view of “the other side of Venice”.
After our boat delivers us back to Venice proper, enjoy a bit of free time before meeting back at our hotel in the evening to go out for a very special “Farewell to Venice” dinner together in a most iconic location, which you will never forget!
Sept 30, Tuesday – After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll take a water taxi to the train station to board a high-speed train to Rome. We’ll be sorry to leave our water wonderland, but all good things must come to an end. Enroute we’ll have a fun “train picnic” featuring delicious local specialties.
After our arrival in Rome, we’ll have private van transportation to a wonderful Fiumicino Airport hotel,
one that seems more like a resort hotel than an airport stop-over. In the evening we’ll savor our last dinner together at the lovely hotel restaurant.
Oct 1, Wednesday – After a nice buffet breakfast, the hotel offers an airport shuttle to the terminals for return flights to the USA.
Total Tour Cost per Person $6929
What’s in store for us?
This escorted tour is custom-planned for a small group of no more than 6 guests. Even if you are a seasoned traveler, you have never experienced Europe like this. We’re sure the journey will captivate you. You’ll be part of a magical adventure - complete with music, and surprises that will delight you at every turn. There are no exhausting bus rides or inconveniently-located hotels.
We do our best to set the mood, to weave a spell, and to make yours a total experience. Hotels and most restaurants on the entire tour have been selected for their very specific location or high level of “atmosphere”. The small group size allows us to personalize the experience in a way large groups simply cannot do. We make it easy, comfortable and stress-free. No guest has to worry about the details of where we are going next. You will feel as if you are not a tourist, but a guest of your Italian friends
Your Tour Guide: Larry Ivy is the Tour Coordinator and guide for Your Man in Europe, and a long-time veteran of European travel and unique private tour-leading. Larry wants just one thing: for you to have “the best time of your life”!
Complete Prices for the September 18 – October 1, 2025 Tour
$ 6929.00 Per Person
*Price is based on Double Occupancy.
A $750 per guest deposit has reserved your places on the tour. The balance may be paid in increments on your own schedule, but the final payment is due by July 30, 2025. Make checks payable to “Your Man in Europe” - 2608 S University Drive - Fort Worth TX 76109 USA - Please inquire about other means of payment or visit our website "Tour Details" page for information about PayPal and credit card payments.
Tour Includes: Twelve (12) nights of overnight accommodation (based on double occupancy) in exceptional, very specially selected hotels, all twelve (12) breakfasts, nine (9) lunches, and eight (8) dinners; all ground transportation; Business class rail travel, admissions to all attractions described in the tour itinerary, knowledgeable guide services, and standard gratuities. Guests are encouraged to offer gratuities for outstanding service and for private tour guides. There will be no additional charges for the tours and events specifically included by Your Man in Europe. There may be extra charges for optional tours not included in the detailed itinerary.
Not Included: Airfare to Rome and returning from Rome; strongly recommended travel insurance; extra beverages (meals will include one beverage and will be budgeted accordingly); a la cart or premium menu selections beyond the established meal allowances; between meal snacks; gratuities for extra services such as baggage porters, or for superior service (basic gratuities are included in the trip cost); souvenirs; and privately arranged activities. Also: All overnight accommodations, as well as railroad and van/car travel will be NO-SMOKING.
This tour is strictly limited to a maximum of 6 guests travelling together