Classic Italy Express with Turkish Airlines, 4 nights, midday Bologna departure – evening Venice return

ISTANBUL – BOLOGNA – FLORENCE – ROME
After arriving at Istanbul Airport International Terminal 3 hours before departure and completing ticketing, baggage check-in, and passport procedures, we fly to Bologna at 13:15 with Turkish Airlines scheduled flight TK1323. Following our arrival in Bologna at 13:50 local time, we depart for Florence with our private bus waiting for us. Upon arrival in Florence, we arrange our city tour. On our city tour in Florence, the capital of the Renaissance and the hometown of Pinocchio, we will first see from the outside the Santa Maria Del Fiore Cathedral, which immediately catches the eye with its orange-colored dome and is the 4th largest church in Europe. One of the most striking features of the cathedral is the bronze door called the “Gate of Paradise,” where scenes from the stories of prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran are also represented. Later, Giotto’s Bell Tower, which was once used to summon the people to parliament, Signoria Square, which was the political and social center of Florence for centuries and where Michelangelo’s famous Statue of David is also located, and the Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio), famous for its antique and jewelry shops, are among the places to be seen. After the Florence city tour, we set off for our hotel in the Rome region. Upon arrival at the hotel, room check-in and free time to rest.
ROME – (Rome Icons & Nemi Strawberry Village Tour) – (Vatican and Rome Local Neighborhoods Tour)
After breakfast, we offer a full day of free time. Guests who wish may join our extra Rome Icons & Nemi Strawberry Village Tour (85 Euro) program. Our first stop on the tour will be Nemi. Known for its wild strawberries and therefore called the “Strawberry Village,” Nemi hosts an annual strawberry festival. After our sightseeing walk in Nemi, where narrow streets open onto squares and the enchanting lake and valley view combine with the scent of strawberries in the air, we take you on a historical journey through Rome and its icons, a city described as Urbs caput mundi, meaning “the city at the center of the world,” offering art, history, music, shopping, sunshine, and cuisine, with buildings in different styles ranging from antiquity to the Renaissance. While the works created by architects competing with one another attract thousands of tourists to the city in every season, Rome is able to host even these crowds with all its beauty and aesthetics without overwhelming people. In our tour, in the imperial city of Rome, which shaped European civilization and has witnessed 23 centuries of history, we will first see the Colosseum, the symbol of the city and an ancient theater that hosted gladiator fights throughout the Roman Empire, the Roman Forum, the ceremonial center of the city during imperial times, the Fountain of Love, where, according to legend, those who throw a coin into it will return to Rome, the Spanish Steps, famous for street artists, Piazza Pietra, and Piazza Popolo as panoramic sights. At the end of the tour, we offer free time in Rome city center at the Pantheon. Within this free time, guests who wish may join our extra Vatican and Rome Local Neighborhoods Tour (65 Euro) program. On our tour, which we will begin by seeing Castel Sant’Angelo – the Castle of the Angels and Navona Square, we visit Vatican / San Pietro, the center of the Catholic branch of Christianity and the smallest country in the world by area. We offer free time in San Pietro Square (St. Peter’s Square), where thousands of Catholics come and gather every year for worship, and where on special days the Pope comes out from his office to greet the people, and where St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest cathedral in the world with 140 statues of saints, is located. After the free time, we start our Rome Local Neighborhoods tour. In this tour, where we mingle with the people of Rome and feel like residents of the city, Trastevere, Piazza Trilussa, Ponte Sisto, and the Ghetto areas, where we will experience the true Italian atmosphere with their naturalness and simplicity as well as cafés, small family restaurants, boutiques, greengrocers, butchers, and many other small and charming shops, and the Ancient Tiber Island connected to the city by 2 bridges, are among the places to be seen panoramically. After the walking tour through the narrow back streets with small tables set out, resembling a labyrinth, we complete our tour and return to our hotel in the Rome region.
ROME – (Siena Tour) – BOLOGNA – VENICE
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Bologna. En route, guests who wish may join our extra Siena Tour (50 Euro) program. Siena is famous for its narrow streets and small avenues dating back to the Middle Ages, as well as Campo Square, regarded as the largest square in Europe. After our enjoyable tour in Siena, where we will see Campo Square and the narrow, historic streets leading to it, we complete our tour and continue our journey to Bologna. As the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna has stood out throughout history as a center of education, culture, and gastronomy. Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is considered the oldest university in Europe. The city is also known as “La Rossa” (The Red City) because of its red-roofed buildings. On our panoramic city tour, the following will be among the places to see: Piazza Maggiore, the heart of the city, the impressive San Petronio Basilica, the Neptune Fountain, a Renaissance-era work, the Asinelli and Garisenda Towers, which have become symbols of Bologna, the historic Archiginnasio Palace, and the famous porticoed passages of Portico di San Luca. During our tour, we will also have the opportunity to observe the city’s daily life and architectural texture on our panoramic drive along Via Rizzoli and Via dell’Indipendenza streets. After the Bologna city tour, we head to our hotel in the Venice region. Upon arrival at the hotel, room check-in and free time to rest.
VENICE – (Venice Masterpieces and Hidden Venice Walking Tour) – (Venice Colorful Islands & Gondola Tour)
After breakfast, we offer a full day of free time. Within this free time, guests who wish may join our extra Venice Masterpieces and Hidden Venice Walking Tour (85 Euro – including Vaporetto transportation costs) program. In the first part of our tour in Venice, we will see the main iconic structures such as St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace designed and used as a symbol of splendor and power, the Clock Tower, the Bridge of Sighs, and the historic Campanile Bell Tower, built from stone and marble with its columns brought from Istanbul, and then enjoy a pleasant walk through the streets of Venice, connected by bridges and stretching along narrow canals. In the free time to be offered at the end of the tour, guests who wish may join our extra Venice Colorful Islands and Gondola Tour (75 Euro) (this tour can only be organized for guests participating in our Venice Masterpieces and Hidden Venice Walking Tour program). In this tour, where we will have the chance to observe Venice Island from different angles by passing through the lagoons, we will see the Lido and Murano islands from the sea and visit Burano Island, the fishing village famous for its lace and known as one of the 10 most colorful places in the world. After free time for sightseeing and shopping, we return to Venice and complete our tour with the gondola ride, which has become the symbol of the city. With the end of our Venice Colorful Islands and Gondola Tour program, we return to our hotel in the Venice region.
VENICE – (Verona and Outlet Tour) – ISTANBUL
After breakfast and hotel check-out procedures, we depart for Venice Marco Polo Airport for our flight to Istanbul. En route, guests who wish may join our extra Verona and Outlet Tour (65 Euro) program. Our first stop on the tour will be Verona. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, Verona also hosts Italy’s second-largest amphitheater after the Colosseum and, at the same time, the home of Shakespeare’s famous work Romeo and Juliet, which tells the greatest love story known in the world today. After our panoramic sightseeing tour, which we will carry out on foot along Via Mazzini (main square) and Erbe Square, surrounded by many shops, cafés, and stores, and where we can also see Verona Cathedral, we arrive at the outlet center, our tour’s other stop. At the outlet center, which hosts stylish stores of many prestigious brands, cafés and restaurants, and personal activity areas, after a pleasant free time for affordable and quality shopping, we complete our tour and continue our journey to Venice Marco Polo Airport. Upon arrival at the airport, after completing baggage check-in, ticket, and passport control procedures, we fly to Istanbul at 19:40 with Turkish Airlines scheduled flight TK1870. Arrival at Istanbul Airport at 00:20 local time and end of the tour.