MS. BROWN'S ITALY & GREECE
Tour Center ID: Brown-4082
Departing From: Charlotte
Departing: June 14, 2015
Returning: June 27, 2015
Tour Fee increases on
April 1, 2014
YOU CAN SIGN UP AT:
http://www.explorica.com/Brown-4082
TOUR ITINERARY
 Day 1 Start Tour
 Day 2 Ciao Florence
Meet your Tour Director, travel to Florence & check into hotel
Traditional Italian Pizza Dinner
 Day 3 Florence—Rome -- Florence Guided Walking Sightseeing Tour with Whisper headsets
Immerse yourself in the charms of old-world Firenze, a red-brick splendor set in the rolling green hills of
Tuscany. The birthplace and focal point of the Italian Renaissance, Florence still has the masterpieces to prove it.
Brunelleschi’s elegant Duomo (dome) dominates the skyline, and around every corner is an architectural
triumph filled with wall after wall of incomparable art. Your local licensed guide will take you to Giotto's Bell
Tower and the aptly named Gates of Paradise, the bronze east doors of the Baptistery that spurred the
burgeoning Renaissance. The boy guarding the Palazzo Vecchio with his slingshot is just a copy of Michelangelo’s
David; the real statue is over at the Accademia. Don’t overlook the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and
Machiavelli at the Chiesa di Santa Croce, and definitely don’t overlook Florence’s amazing leather goods. Check
them out when you visit one of the area’s famed workshops.
 Day 4 Rome Landmarks -- Rome Guided Walking Sightseeing Tour with Whisper headsets
Gods and gladiators, glory and gore. Ancient Rome lives on in its spectacular monuments, flavoring the frenetic
present with tastes of the past. Don a space-age Whisper headset to get the inside scoop on the most
spectacular, the Colosseum, a grisly battle arena that seated more than 45,000. An enormous retractable roof
awning system kept spectators cool on sunny days. The nearby Forum provides a glimpse into everyday ancient
life, with markets, meeting places, and temples all combined into one vast space. Move into Christian Rome at
St. Peter’s Basilica, the triumphal Renaissance church flanked by rows of columns radiating outward like
welcoming arms. Within the church Michelangelo’s masterpieces are on display, the “Pietà” in the main church
and the recently restored ceiling frescoes and “Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel. Continue your trek through
time at Piazza Venezia, site of the enormous monument to Victor Emmanuel II, Italy’s first king, and of the
Palazzo Venezia, where Mussolini set up his headquarters and from whose porch his mother was said to
eavesdrop on citizens below. (The Sistine Chapel is closed on most religious holidays and Sundays, except for the
last Sunday in each month).
Baroque-en hearted? Revive your spirits with a walk past Rome's most beautiful and unusual Baroque fountains.
At the foot of the Spanish Steps, elegant cafes once favored by visiting Brits and Americans surround the central
fountain. The water pressure here was so low that the artist had to sink the fountain into the ground to get any
water going through it, so he went ahead and designed the fountain to look like a sinking ship. There's no
shortage of water pressure at the nearby Trevi Fountain, a Baroque extravagance designed by master sculptor
Bernini. At the Pantheon you'll see the largest concrete dome ever constructed. An oculus, or hole, in the dome
lets sunlight into the beautiful temple, dedicated to all the gods.
 Day 5 Rome—Sorrento -- Capri & Blue Grotto Excursion
From the Bay of Naples the island of Capri is less than an hour away by boat. Weather permitting, you will take a
boat to the Blue Grotto, where sunlight reflected from beneath the water bathes the cave in a silver-blue light.
 Day 6 Sorrento--Patras
Travel to the port
Pompeii guided visit
Overnight ferry to Patras
 Day 7 Patras--Delphi
Travel to Delphi
 Day 8 Delphi—Athens -- Delphi Guided Sightseeing Tour and Plaka Treasure Hunt
Explore the impressive ruins at Delphi, which the Greeks considered the center of the world. Within the depths
of the Temple of Apollo, a priestess would inhale intoxicating vapors that used to rise from the earth and, thus
inspired, deliver the prophecies of Apollo. Modern visitors might find more inspiration in the view from Mount
Parnassus, over 8000 feet high.
Take interactive learning to another level with a Tour Director-led treasure hunt of Plaka, the old folk quarters of
Athens! Enjoy an after-dinner adventure, complete exciting activities and solve fun clues. Each clue and every
activity is built to maximize on-tour experiential learning.
 Day 9 – 12 Start Cruise Extension (Tour Must Depart North America on Sundays to do extension)
Head to six of the most beautiful coastal destinations in the world on this four-day Aegean cruise. Your first stop
is Mykonos, where bright white houses contrast with Crayola-colored boats and the international jet set relaxes
all day long on the beach. Continue on to Kusadasi, an ancient Turkish town that’s one of the Mediterranean’s
most popular resort destinations, and then continue to Patmos for gold-leafed Byzantine icons at the Monastery
of St. John. Rhodes is next, with whitewashed medieval buildings and spectacular views. Cruise on to Heraklion,
the capital of Crete and a former Minoan seaport, for an unparalleled collection of Minoan archaeological
artifacts. End your jaunt at Santorini, where villages cling to the edge of a volcano and exotic black sand beaches
stretch into the sea. Cruise excursions are provided by the liner and can be purchased during the voyage.
 Day 13 Athens Landmarks -- Athens Guided Sightseeing Tour
Not just another crowded dusty city, Athens has developed from the birthplace of democracy to a bustling
modern metropolis. With a local licensed guide, start your time travel at the ancient hot spots of the first
Olympic site and the sprawling Acropolis, classical Athens’ religious and civic center. The awe-inspiring
Parthenon -- a temple dedicated to Athens’ patron saint Athena -- is the obvious centerpiece, but take time to
examine the building next door, where sculpted women hold up the roof with their heads, and the amazing view
of modern Athens below. Jump back to the present in Syntagma Square, the center of the modern city, to see
the Parliament building and the British-style changing of the guards ceremony. (There’s a rather un-British flair
to it, however -- the Greek guards wear white skirts, head scarves, and shoes and knee bands adorned with
pom-poms.) Continue to Omonia Square, Athens' other main meeting point, to relax by the splashing central
fountain ringed with palm trees.
You’re never more than a few steps away from the past in Athens. Accompany your Tour Director to the Plaka,
the historic district that borders the Acropolis. In its twisting narrow streets you’ll catch glimpses of an older city,
from wrought-iron balconies bursting with geraniums to traditional Greek dancing in basement tavernas.
Continue on to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, begun in the 6th century B.C. and finished in A.D. 132 by the
emperor Hadrian. Its enormous columns provide a sense of the scale of the original temple. Nearby, the
elaborate Hadrian’s Arch separated the ancient and imperial sections of the city.
 Day 14 End Tour
Total Fee:* $4,416.00
Tour Quote Breakdown
The following fees apply to your full-paying participants:
Tour Fee*
$3,531.00
Airport fees, taxes,
815.00
and airline fuel
surcharges
Weekend Supplement
35.00
(Departing)
Weekend Supplement
35.00
(Returning)
Total Fee*
$4,416.00
OR 19 monthly payments of $227.21
After initial payment of
$99.00
* Tour Fee increases on Oct 1, 2013
Additional Adult Fees
The following additional fees apply only to full-paying participants 23 and older and are not included in the
total price listed above.
Adult Supplement
$130.00
Twin Room Upgrade
$630.00
Additional Adult Fee
$760.00
TOUR FEE INCLUDES:
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Round-trip airfare
7 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms
1 overnight stay in cabins on ferry
Aegean Cruise on extension
4 overnight stays in cabins on cruise ship on extension
Full European breakfast daily
Dinner daily
Lunch on cruise ship on extension
Full-time services of a professional Tour Director
Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
Guided sightseeing tours with high-tech headset as per itinerary
Tour Diary™
Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
Cruise excursions not included