11-Nights Italy & Greece from $2,999

Cosmos

OFFER ID 1549330

Italy and Greece are steeped in history with a treasure trove of ancient sites and scenic beauty. On this affordable Italy and Greece tour, you’ll see the exceptional features these countries have to offer, starting in Venice and ending in Athens. In Italy, you’ll stay in the Venice area, Rome, and Florence; in Greece, you’ll stay in Delphi, Olympia, Nauplia, and Athens. Your flight from Rome to Athens is included in your package. In Venice, take a boat ride to St. Mark’s Square and watch glassblowers create works of art as they have done for centuries – or discover the lagoon at your own pace. Enjoy must-see sights, including Piazza Signoria, in the middle of Florence; see the Roman arena in Verona, and Pisa’s famous Leaning Tower…Visit Rome with a local guide who brings ancient Imperial Rome back to life. Step back in time on your visit to Athens’ Acropolis and the Parthenon, dating back to the 5th century BC, and the most accurate indication of the influence and wealth of Athens at its greatest peak. You’ll also visit Mycenae, dating back to 1350 BC, where you’ll marvel at the arches, fountains, ramparts, and amazing masonry still standing, and Delphi, known in antiquity as the "navel of the earth". All these elements come together perfectly to create a value-minded Italy and Greece tour like no other!

11 nights from $2,999 per person

Itinerary

Italy & Greece

Day 1 ARRIVE IN VENICE AREA, ITALY Welcome to Italy! Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Italy’s romantic city using your CosmosGO app. This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions at the welcome dinner at the hotel. (D)

Day 2 VENICE Venice is a place of unmatched beauty and a feast of fantastic sights. View the delightful crisscrossing canals, the gondolas, arched bridges, palaces, and piazzas. Your included orientation features a boat ride to St. Mark’s Square and a visit to a Venetian glassblowing workshop. You’ll have time to explore at leisure on your own, perhaps sipping a cappuccino or the typical Venetian drink called "spritz" at one of the many bars or cafés. Do you believe in magic? An optional evening boat ride on Giudecca Canal, dinner in a local restaurant, and St. Mark’s square at night will remove all doubt! (B)

Day 3 VENICE AREA–VERONA–MONTECATINI Travel to Verona, setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Marvel at the ancient Roman Arena, built for gladiator fights but now still used as a popular venue for festivals and concerts; shop in Via Mazzini, or just wander the cobblestone streets of the city center. Tonight, experience the harmony of rural life in Tuscany with an optional farmhouse dinner in the Tuscan countryside. On the menu? Good food, better wine, and the best company! Overnight in the Tuscan spa town of Montecatini.
Today’s Distance: 224 mi/ 360 km (B)

Day 4 MONTECATINI–FLORENCE–MONTECATINI Today, enjoy a full day discovering the wonders of Florence, starting with a guided walking tour, featuring some of the city’s greatest attractions. See Piazza Santa Croce; world-famous Signoria Square; 13th-century Palazzo Vecchio with its collection of artistic masterpieces; Loggia dei Lanzi; the unique Duomo with Giotto’s Gothic Bell Tower and the Baptistry’s ornate bronze door known as the “Gate of Paradise.” Return to Montecatini.
Today’s distance: 79 mi /127km (B)

Day 5 MONTECATINI–PISA–ROME Vistas of rolling hills, cypress trees, vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages form the backdrop of your journey through beautiful Tuscany. Stop in Pisa and enjoy a mini-train ride to the Square of Miracles and the amazing Leaning Tower, then on to Rome.
Today’s Distance: 255 mi/ 410 km (B)

Day 6 ROME The “Eternal City” is steeped in history, vibrantly alive and exciting, and absolutely unique! Start the included introduction to Rome’s landmarks from St. Peter’s Square with a Local Guide. Enjoy a drive along the iconic landmarks of the city: the Tiber River, the Caius Cestius Pyramid, the Aurelian Walls, and the Caracalla Baths. Complete the experience with a walk back in time from the Circus Maximus to the Arch of Constantine and to the fascinating Colosseum, symbol of the Roman Empire.* (B)

* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.

Day 7 ROME–ATHENS, GREECE Transfer to the airport for your included flight to Athens. From the capital of Italy to the capital of Greece, absorb the Mediterranean flair and discover the influence of ancient Roman and Greek civilizations on modern life and arts. (B)

Day 8 ATHENS–MYCENAE–NAUPLIA AREA Join the included sightseeing tour of Athens, featuring the highlights of the city and a visit to the Acropolis. Travel to the Corinth Canal, built between 1881 and 1893 and stop here for a picture. Continue to visit the Mycenae archaeological site with a Local Guide to learn about the ancient city of Homer’s epics. Enjoy views of the rugged Peloponnese scenery on the way to Nauplia. This evening, enjoy an included dinner at a local restaurant.
Today’s Distance: 90 mi/ 145 km (B,D)

Day 9 NAUPLIA AREA–OLYMPIA Drive south through the Peloponnese to Olympia. Take advantage of some time at leisure or score the perfect 10 with a guided optional tour of ancient Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games, featuring the ruins of the Temple of Zeus.
Today’s Distance: 118 mi/ 190 km (B)

Day 10 OLYMPIA–DELPHI Cross the Rion-Antirion bridge and skirt the Gulf or Corinth to continue inland to Delphi. Built at the foot of Mt. Parnassus, Delphi was considered by ancient Greeks to be the center of the world where the oracles of Apollo predicted the fate of many a man. We see your future on an optional visit with a Local Guide sharing history and mythology of the past as well.
Today’s distance: 150 mi/ 240 km (B,D)

Day 11 DELPHI–ATHENS Enjoy free time in Athens to explore with the help of the CosmosGO app, visit the museums or take the tram to the coast. In the evening, enjoy the lively atmosphere of the tavernas in the old Plaka district with its narrow streets and sound of bouzouki music. (B)

Day 12 ATHENS Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Featured Destinations

Olympia, Greece

Venice

With a great historic past and incomparable art treasures, Venice is renowned as one of the world’s great cities. Its 118 islands are separated by more than 150 canals and spanned by 400 bridges. During Venice's artistic golden age many magnificent structures were erected to create world-famous masterpieces. One of the best sightseeing routes is along Grand Canal, with many palaces lining the famous waterway. St. Mark’s Square offers access to some of Venice’s most famed attractions - St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. From Piazza San Marco, a maze of narrow streets are lined with shops, cafés and restaurants. A popular pastime is sitting at an outdoor café facing the square while people-watching and letting the whole marvelous scenario unfold. Venice’s Murano, Burano and Torcello Islands comprise an area famous as home of Venice’s glass-blowing industry and known for their charm, skilled lace-making and medieval monuments. Relax on a gondola ride, see art treasures in museums, churches and palaces, and have a sumptuous meal - all in this incomparable city.

Excursions

Venice: Splendours of Venice Walking Tour - 4 hours

Venice: Venice for Art Lovers Walking Tour - 4 hours

Venice: The Roman City of Verona - 7 hours

Venice: Lagoon Islands - 7 hours

The story of Murano and Burano

The Canal Grande cruise followed by a walking tour of Venice

Nauplia

Athens

Even though you've probably come here to see the "glory that was Greece," perhaps best symbolized by the Parthenon and the superb statues and vases in the National Archaeological Museum, allow some time to make haste slowly in Athens. Your best moments may come sitting at a small cafe, sipping a tiny cup of the sweet sludge that the Greeks call coffee, or getting hopelessly lost in the Plaka -- only to find yourself in the shady courtyard of an old church, or suddenly face to face with an ancient monument you never knew existed. With only a little advance planning, you can find a good hotel here, eat well in convivial restaurants, enjoy local customs such as the refreshing afternoon siesta and the leisurely evening volta (promenade or stroll) -- and leave Athens planning to return, as the Greeks say, tou chronou (next year).

Excursions

Argolis – Mycenean & Epidavros Adventure w/lunch - 9 hours

Athens at a Glance - 3 hours

Athens - Enlightening Classical Athens Tour w/ lunch - 6 hours

Athens - Enchanting Cape Sounion at Sunset with dinner - 6 hours

Athens - The Athenian Riviera & the Temple of Poseidon - 4 hours

Delphi – History & the Oracle w/lunch - Full Day Tour

Athens - Ancient Corinth Tour - 4.5 hours

Athens - Jewish History Tour - Half Day Tour approx 4 hours

Athens - The Acropolis & a walking tour of the Plaka w/lunch - Full Day tour

Athens the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum approx 4 hours

Bits & Bites Athens street food walking tour approx 3 hours

Acropolis & Plaka walking tour approx 3 hours

Flavors of Athens - 5 hours

Jewish Tour in Athens - 5 hours

Athens Scavenger Hunt - 4 hours

Montecatini

Rome

Sprawled across seven legendary hills, romantic and beautiful Rome was one
of the great centers of the ancient world. Although its beginning is shrouded
in legend and its development is full of intrigue and struggle, Rome has always
been and remains the Eternal City.

Rome enjoyed its greatest splendor during the 1st and 2nd centuries when art
flourished, monumental works of architecture were erected, and the mighty Roman
legions swept outward, conquering all of Italy. These victorious armies then
swept across the Mediterranean and beyond to conquer most of the known world.
With Rome's establishment as capital of the western world, a new ascent to glory
began.

Today's Rome, with its splendid churches, ancient monuments and palaces, spacious
parks, tree-lined boulevards, fountains, outdoor cafes and elegant shops, is
one of the world’s most attractive and exciting cities. Among the most famous
monuments is the Colosseum. As you walk its cool, dark passageways, imagine
the voices that once filled the arena as 50,000 spectators watched combats between
muscled gladiators and ferocious animals.

Stop to see the remains of the Forum, once the city's political and commercial
center. In later times, Rome's squares were enhanced with such imposing structures
as the Vittorio Emanuele Monument and grandiose fountains like the Fontana di
Trevi. Join the millions who stand in awe of Christendom’s most magnificent
church and admire the timeless masterpieces of Michelangelo's frescoes in the
Sistine Chapel.

Rome jars the senses and captures the soul. Grasp all you can during the short,
precious time you have available in the Eternal City. With so much to see and
do, a day or two will only allow you a sampling of the city's marvelous treasures.

Caution: As in many big cities and tourist destinations purse snatching
and pickpocketing is common. Valuable jewelry and excess cash are best left
in a safety deposit box in your hotel.

Shopping For most visitors shopping for beautiful Italian leather articles,
designer shoes, fashions for men and women, linens, knitwear, silk scarves and
ties is a favorite pastime. Except for tourist-oriented shops, the majority
of stores are closed on Sundays. Some of the department stores, such as Rinascente,
open in the late afternoon on Sundays.

Cuisine Rome's choice of restaurants is mindboggling as is the variety
of cuisine. Whether your meal is at a top-rated restaurant or a rustic trattoria,
you can be sure that you will enjoy your food, especially when accompanied by
wines from the hill towns surrounding Rome.

Other Sights Rome's attractions are endless, and depending on how much
time you have at your disposal a careful selection has to be made about what
to see. Be aware of horrendous traffic conditions and major construction work
all around the city in preparation of Jubilee 2000, the Holy Year. Some of the
sights not to be missed:

Piazza Venezia - This busy square is easily recognized by its imposing Vittorio
Emanuele II Monument. The white marble structure was inaugurated in 1911 as
a symbol of Italy’s unification.

The Forum - Once the civic heart of ancient Rome, today the remains include
a series of ruins, marble fragments, isolated columns and some worn arches.

Colosseum - No visit to Rome is complete without a stop at this awe-inspiring
theater, which is among the world’s most celebrated buildings. Here ancient
Rome flocked to see gladiatorial contests and numerous other spectacles.

Trevi Fountain - Take a stroll to Rome's famous fountain. A spectacular fantasy
of mythical sea creatures and cascades of splashing water, the fountain is one
of the city's foremost attractions. Legend has it that visitors must toss a
coin into the fountain to ensure their return to Rome.

St. Peter's Square - Part of Vatican City, this square created by Bernini
is considered one of the loveliest squares in the world. Twin Doric colonnades
topped with statues of various saints and martyrs flank either side of the square.
In the center stands an 84-foot obelisk, brought from Egypt in 37 A.D.

St. Peter's Basilica - At the head of the square stands Christendom's most
magnificent church, which was begun in 1452 on the site where St. Peter was
buried. Throughout the following 200 years, such Renaissance masters as Bramante,
Michelangelo, Raphael and Bernini worked on its design and created an unparalleled
masterpiece. Of special note are Michelangelo's Pieta and the bronze canopy
over the high altar by Bernini. The immense dome was designed by Michelangelo.

Vatican Museum - To see this museum's immense collection would take days.
As you enter, there are special posters that plot a choice of four color-coded
itineraries. They are repeated throughout the museum and are easy to follow.
It is a good idea to pickup a leaflet at the main entrance and concentrate on
exhibits of major interest. Of course, the Sistine Chapel is a must. Most likely
you may have to wait in line to enter.

Delphi

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges

04/28/2025 - 05/09/2025

from $3,249 per person *

05/12/2025 - 05/23/2025

from $3,149 per person *

05/19/2025 - 05/30/2025

from $3,249 per person

05/26/2025 - 06/06/2025

from $3,249 per person

06/02/2025 - 06/13/2025

from $3,199 per person

06/09/2025 - 06/20/2025

from $3,099 per person *

06/23/2025 - 07/04/2025

from $3,199 per person

07/14/2025 - 07/25/2025

from $3,199 per person

08/11/2025 - 08/22/2025

from $2,999 per person

08/18/2025 - 08/29/2025

from $3,149 per person

08/25/2025 - 09/05/2025

from $3,149 per person

09/01/2025 - 09/12/2025

from $3,199 per person *

09/08/2025 - 09/19/2025

from $3,199 per person

09/15/2025 - 09/26/2025

from $3,199 per person

09/29/2025 - 10/10/2025

from $3,099 per person

* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.

Prices Start At

from $2,999 per person

Length

11 Nights

Air City

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Vacation Rating

Moderate
Moderate facilities have modest enhancements to amenities and décor. These hotels or resorts are dependable, comfortable and some may offer standard features, such as select business services, Continental breakfast or coffee service and may have a swimming pool or small fitness center on-site. Guestrooms are comfortable, moderately spacious, in-room telephones, televisions and limited amenities. Moderate establishments provide suitable accommodations and service for budget-minded travelers.

Remarks

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID

1549330

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