Italy…15 Days…Departing July 2013
Adult Double room……$4904 (Estimated trip price)

Tree fee includes Round-trip air*Bilingual Tour Director* Entrance fees to select sites
Guided tour of  Verona, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Pompeii, Vatican City and Rome

    13 nights accommodations*Baggage Handling*Buffet breakfast daily*6 Dinners* Private deluxe motorcoach
*Pre-departure preparation materials and on tour services of Donna to orient you and plan for free time.
.  *Insurance and Optional Excursions ARE NOT included in the trip fee. 
*Prices are based on Baton Rouge departure and include airline fees which are  subject to change.  Prices are current through the end of August.*

      After planning 27 domestic group trips and 12 international group trips, plans are underway for an exciting trip to Italy.  I hope you will consider joining me as I lead my 13th trip throughout Europe.  I will be there before and during your trip to prepare you with pre-departure information, materials, and to help fill your free time and help you while on your European adventure. 

Italy Southbound Itinerary BLD indicates included meals…Breakfast…Lunch… Dinner

Day 1 - Overnight Flight

Day 2 – Arrive Lake Como Region - Breakfast in flight/Welcome Dinner
Day 3 - Lake Como Region - Visit Villa Carlotta (seasonal), introduction to Lake Como area. Free evening, or opt for Lake Como Cruise & Bellagio excursion ($75). B 
Day 4 - Venice - Travel to Venice via Verona. Guided tour of Verona… Italy’s best-preserved medieval town centers. BD
Day 5 - Venice Guided tour Doge’s Palace, visit Basilica of St. Mark, opt for group gondola ride w/music ($65). B Gondola Ride couple $165 B
Day 6 – Florence – Travel to Florence, via Bologna.  Guided tour of Bologna.  Arrive in the Tuscan city of Florence.  BD
Day 7 – Florence – Guided Florence Opt for dinner in Fiesole ($65) B
Day 8 – Florence – Free time Florence or opt for excursion into the Tuscan villages of Siena and San Gimignano* ($105) B

Day 9 – Assisi Assisi via Umbria.  Visit the Lower and Upper Basilicas where Giotto frescoes depict the life of St. Francis.

Day 10 – Assisi - Free day in Assisi or opt for excursion to Perugia, known for its fine chocolate ($75). B  
Day 11 – Sorrento - To Sorrento via Pompeii and via Mount Vesuvius.  Guided tour of Pompeii ruins.

Day 12 – Sorrento – Free day Sorrento or opt for excursion to Capri & explore the island, ride to its peak by funicular or take a boat ride around the island (weather permitting) $105. Tonight, opt for Tarantella Dinner & Show $79 B
Day 13 – Rome - Travel to Rome. Guided tour & photo stops at the Colosseum & Roman Forum. Opt for Dinner with Tenors $79 B
Day 14 – Rome - Guided tour of Vatican City and visit of Sistine Chapel.  This afternoon opt for excursion into the catacombs & a visit to the Basilica of St. Paul ($65). D
Day 15 – Rome – Return Home

      
    There is no deadline for registering, but there are a minimal number of places on the trip.  Registrations will be accepted on a first come basis.  When the places are filled, the trip is closed.  Your $300 registration fee secures your place on the trip.  (Register now to avoid price increases.)

For additional information return the form below or contact:
Donna Kirkland…5213 Eudora Drive…Addis, LA 70710
Phone 225-803-6013     Email:  donnakirkland@gmail.com        Website:  www.donnakirkland.com

______  I am definitely making the trip.  I have enclosed my deposit.  (I would like to receive the deposit ASAP so that I can continue
              with trip preparations.)  After making the $300 deposit plus any insurance selection payment, you may pay as you like (as
              long as payment in full is made 70 days prior to departure).

______  I am interested but unsure as to whether or not I will travel.  (Please let me know how long before you decide.)

______  I cannot make this trip.  Maybe next time!

Name_______________________________________Address:____________________________________________

Email_______________________________________ Phone  (Home) _____________ (Cell) ___________________

Name of additional interested traveler:____________________________ Address:____________________________

Email_______________________________________ Phone  (Home) _____________ (Cell) ___________________

***For photos of previous trips, go to www.donnakirkland.smugmug.com***

Day 4 – Venice  Travel to Verona this morning. On a guided walking tour of Verona, discover the sites that served as the backdrop for one of the greatest love stories of all time. Situated by the River Adige, Verona boasts one of Italy’s best-preserved medieval town centers. Take a look at the Roman amphitheatre and Casa di Giulietta, where you’ll find Juliet’s storied balcony. Continue on to Venice where dinner is included.  Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 5 – Venice  Experience the romance of “La Serenissima” during this morning’s guided sightseeing tour. Visit the Doge’s Palace, once the political heart of this powerful maritime empire. Continue on to view the 900-year-old Basilica of St. Mark, a rich mosaic of Byzantine, Romanesque and Islamic influences entombing the remains of St. Mark the Evangelist. This afternoon, consider joining an optional gondola ride on the canals, complete with music.  Included meals: breakfast  Included entrances: Doges’ Palace

Day 6 – Florence  Make your way south to Florence, passing through Bologna, a hidden gem of Italy known for its pasta, mortadella sausage and for being the location of the oldest university in Europe. Take a sightseeing tour of Bologna with an expert local guide. Arrive later in the Tuscan city of Florence, center of the Renaissance. Dinner is included in Florence this evening.  Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 7 – Florence  Guided sightseeing of Florence introduces you to the city’s Renaissance splendor. Marvel at Brunelleschi’s masterpiece—Florence’s massive pink, white and green Duomo, with the adjacent Campanile by Giotto. You’ll also see the gold Baptistery doors of Ghiberti. Then discover the church of Santa Croce, where the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo, as well as the Dante Memorial are displayed. This evening, attend an optional dinner in the nearby Etruscan hill town of Fiesole. Enjoy a drive through the town and take in the lights and landscapes of this quintessential Italian village.  Included meals: breakfast  Included entrances: Chiesdli di Santa Croce

Day 8 – Florence  During free time in Florence, choose to admire the world’s finest collection of Renaissance art at the Uffizi Gallery. Stroll through parks along the romantic Arno River. Take time to view Michelangelo’s early masterpiece, the sublime statue of David, sculpted when the artist was 26 years old. You could also join an optional excursion into the Tuscan countryside villages of Siena and San Gimignano. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to sample some of the region’s finest wines. Admire Siena’s cathedral and famed Campo before continuing on to San Gimignano, where you might choose to visit the Palazzo del Popolo or the Citadel.   Included meals: breakfast

Day 9 – Assisi  Drive through spectacular Umbria to hillside Assisi, birthplace of both St. Francis and St. Clare. Visit Assisi’s Lower and Upper Basilicas, whose most magnificent feature is the Giotto frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. Dinner is included tonight in Assisi.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner  Included entrances: Upper and Lower Basilicas

Day 10 – Assisi  Spend the day at your leisure in the town of Assisi or join an optional excursion to the city of Perugia, located in the heart of the Umbrian region and known for its fine chocolate.  Included meals: breakfast

Day 11 – Sorrento  Travel to Pompeii, one of the world’s best archaeological sites, for a guided tour of the ruins. Discover how Roman citizens lived 2,000 years ago, before Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, preserving the town of Pompeii in a flood of volcanic ash. View the excavated ruins of theaters, villas, temples and baths. Pompeii is located near the idyllic Bay of Naples, known for its expansive views of the area’s islands, capes and nearby Mount Vesuvius. Then continue on to Sorrento, an enchanting resort town. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner   Included entrances: Pompeii ruins

Day 12 – Sorrento  Exult in the sun-kissed seabreezes of Sorrento with a free day today. Meander the charming streets and find a cafe to sip cappucino or limoncello as you watch the world go by. Alternatively, join an optional excursion to Capri, the “Island of Dreams,” where both Roman emperors and Hollywood starlets once vacationed. Here, you can explore the island, ride to its peak by funicular or indulge in a boat ride around the island (weather permitting). Tonight, opt for an evening of mouth-watering cuisine and traditional dancing at our Tarantella Dinner & Show. Included meals: breakfast
Day 13 – Rome  Travel to Rome this morning and check in to your hotel. Then follow in the footsteps of Caesar during your guided tour of Rome. Highlights include photo stops outside the Colosseum, where 50,000 spectators cheered gladiators to victory, and the ruins of the Forum Romanum, from which the Caesars ruled their vast empire. Tonight, join one of our most popular optional excursions, Dinner with Tenors.  Included meals: breakfast  Included entrances: Colosseum

Day 14 – Rome  Today’s guided tour takes you into the world’s smallest state, Vatican City. Visit the Vatican Museums and the enormous St. Peter’s Basilica, the same cathedral in which the pope celebrates Mass. Treasures loom at every turn from Bernini’s magnificent staircase (ceremonial entrance to the Vatican Palace) to Michelangelo’s Pietà. Next, visit another timeless Roman classic: the Sistine Chapel, painted with Michelangelo’s captivating frescoes depicting the history of humankind. This afternoon, you might join an optional excursion into the ancient catacombs, where persecuted Christians once buried their popes and saints, and a visit to the Basilica of St. Paul. Dinner is included tonight in Rome.  Included meals: breakfast, dinner   Included entrances: Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel

Day 15 – Rome  Return Home

Italy 2013 Optional Excursions:  Do not be overwhelmed by the choices.   Although all of the optional offer great activities, many times walking around a city and  taking in the atmosphere is the best choice.  I usually meet with travelers to discuss the excursions before booking them.

Three Ways to Safeguard Your Travel Investment
Gold $359*….Travel Safe Plus $299* double…Travel Safe Basic $215* *estimated
Insurance Costs are for double occupancy travelers. 

Additional fees are charged for travelers requesting single occupancy.

***Insurance prices are based on Tour Prices.  See chart above.

What’s unique about these protection plans?
     *Most primary travel protection companies don’t cover international travel.
     *Under the AnyTime Travel Protection Plan, you can cancel for any reason and your investment is   
      protected in the form of a credit voucher.
     *Efekta travel protection covers lost or stolen cash while on tour.
     *Efekta travel protection covers the cost towards replacement of valuable documents— such as 

      passports, airline tickets and visas while on tour.
     *In the event that your roommate cancels for a reason covered under the policy, you will be 
      reimbursed for the single supplement fee, should you still choose to travel.
    *The following policies are also available to be purchased separately:
                          Medical & Accident: $70 USD
                          Baggage & Property: $60 USD

Extended Protection Plan

     The Extended Protection Plan allows you to purchase extended coverage for any travel you do before or after meeting up with your Go Ahead Tours tour group (with flights arranged by Go Ahead Tours).  For more detailed descriptions of the benefits available under Efekta Insurance International LTD's Travel Protection Plans please call 1-800-597-0350.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Overnight Flight

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Milan aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 - Lake Como Region

Benvenuto! Welcome to Italy. A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and then escorts you to your hotel in the Lake Como region. The rest of the day is free to relax or acquaint yourself with your lake district retreat. At an included dinner this evening, meet your fellow travelers.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Lake Como Region

Admire spectacular lake views from the elaborate gardens of an 18th-century Italian villa on our morning visit to Villa Carlotta (seasonal; in the off-season, a funicular ride to Brunate may be offered instead). The most popular attraction by Lake Como, the villa contains a copy of Canova’s Cupid and Psyche. Then your Tour Director introduces you to the sights and main square of Como before a free afternoon for shopping and discovering this scenic area. This evening, opt for our Lake Como Cruise & Bellagio excursion.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Villa Carlotta (seasonal)

Day 4 - Venice

Travel to Verona this morning. On a guided walking tour of Verona, discover the sites that served as the backdrop for one of the greatest love stories of all time. Situated by the River Adige, Verona boasts one of Italy’s best-preserved medieval town centers. Take a look at the Roman amphitheatre and Casa di Giulietta, where you’ll find Juliet’s storied balcony. Continue on to Venice where dinner is included.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 5 - Venice

Experience the romance of “La Serenissima” during this morning’s guided sightseeing tour. Visit the Doge’s Palace, once the political heart of this powerful maritime empire. Continue on to view the 900-year-old Basilica of St. Mark, a rich mosaic of Byzantine, Romanesque and Islamic influences entombing the remains of St. Mark the Evangelist. This afternoon, consider joining an optional gondola ride on the canals, complete with music.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Doges’ Palace

Day 6 - Florence

Make your way south to Florence, passing through Bologna, a hidden gem of Italy known for its pasta, mortadella sausage and for being the location of the oldest university in Europe. Take a sightseeing tour of Bologna with an expert local guide. Arrive later in the Tuscan city of Florence, center of the Renaissance. Dinner is included in Florence this evening.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 7 - Florence

Guided sightseeing of Florence introduces you to the city’s Renaissance splendor. Marvel at Brunelleschi’s masterpiece—Florence’s massive pink, white and green Duomo, with the adjacent Campanile by Giotto. You’ll also see the gold Baptistery doors of Ghiberti. Then discover the church of Santa Croce, where the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo, as well as the Dante Memorial are displayed. This evening, attend an optional dinner in the nearby Etruscan hill town of Fiesole. Enjoy a drive through the town and take in the lights and landscapes of this quintessential Italian village.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Chiesdli di Santa Croce

Day 8 - Florence

During free time in Florence, choose to admire the world’s finest collection of Renaissance art at the Uffizi Gallery. Stroll through parks along the romantic Arno River. Take time to view Michelangelo’s early masterpiece, the sublime statue of David, sculpted when the artist was 26 years old. You could also join an optional excursion into the Tuscan countryside villages of Siena and San Gimignano. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to sample some of the region’s finest wines. Admire Siena’s cathedral and famed Campo before continuing on to San Gimignano, where you might choose to visit the Palazzo del Popolo or the Citadel.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 9 - Assisi

Drive through spectacular Umbria to hillside Assisi, birthplace of both St. Francis and St. Clare. Visit Assisi’s Lower and Upper Basilicas, whose most magnificent feature is the Giotto frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. Dinner is included tonight in Assisi.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Upper and Lower Basilicas

Day 10 - Assisi

Spend the day at your leisure in the town of Assisi or join an optional excursion to the city of Perugia, located in the heart of the Umbrian region and known for its fine chocolate.  
Included meals: breakfast

Day 11 - Sorrento

Travel to Pompeii, one of the world’s best archaeological sites, for a guided tour of the ruins. Discover how Roman citizens lived 2,000 years ago, before Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, preserving the town of Pompeii in a flood of volcanic ash. View the excavated ruins of theaters, villas, temples and baths. Pompeii is located near the idyllic Bay of Naples, known for its expansive views of the area’s islands, capes and nearby Mount Vesuvius. Then continue on to Sorrento, an enchanting resort town. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Pompeii ruins

Day 12 - Sorrento

Exult in the sun-kissed seabreezes of Sorrento with a free day today. Meander the charming streets and find a cafe to sip cappucino or limoncello as you watch the world go by. Alternatively, join an optional excursion to Capri, the “Island of Dreams,” where both Roman emperors and Hollywood starlets once vacationed. Here, you can explore the island, ride to its peak by funicular or indulge in a boat ride around the island (weather permitting). Tonight, opt for an evening of mouth-watering cuisine and traditional dancing at our Tarantella Dinner & Show.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 13 - Rome

Travel to Rome this morning and check in to your hotel. Then follow in the footsteps of Caesar during your guided tour of Rome. Highlights include photo stops outside the Colosseum, where 50,000 spectators cheered gladiators to victory, and the ruins of the Forum Romanum, from which the Caesars ruled their vast empire. Tonight, join one of our most popular optional excursions, Dinner with Tenors.
Included meals: breakfast
Included entrances: Colosseum

Day 14 - Rome

Today’s guided tour takes you into the world’s smallest state, Vatican City. Visit the Vatican Museums and the enormous St. Peter’s Basilica, the same cathedral in which the pope celebrates Mass. Treasures loom at every turn from Bernini’s magnificent staircase (ceremonial entrance to the Vatican Palace) to Michelangelo’s Pietà. Next, visit another timeless Roman classic: the Sistine Chapel, painted with Michelangelo’s captivating frescoes depicting the history of humankind. This afternoon, you might join an optional excursion into the ancient catacombs, where persecuted Christians once buried their popes and saints, and a visit to the Basilica of St. Paul. Dinner is included tonight in Rome.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel

Day 15 - Rome

Prolong your stay in Rome on our tour extension. Otherwise, a Go Ahead representative escorts you to the airport for your return flight home.
Included meals: breakfast
(In the case of early morning departures, breakfast may not be provided.)