Today, I am delighted to announce details of my next garden/culture tour – a wonderful 15-day exclusive trip in September to Umbria, Italy, starting in Rome, and continuing with an exciting exploration of Croatia, from Dubrovnik to Zagreb, with time in Solvenia and Montenegro.
This one-of-a-kind, four-countries, customized tour is specifically designed to take you to places of exceptional beauty and destinations of great historical and cultural significance.
You will see spectacular art, iconic architecture but, as always, the connecting link will be beautiful, timeless gardens and landscapes.
Part of what makes this tour unique is that you will be hosted and guided in Umbria by our long-time friend, Massimiliano Delgado, who has a country home near Orvieto.
Max will be with us from the moment we arrive in Rome, but as a special treat he has invited us as guests to go to his country home for lunch, after which he wants to guide us around his local area.
The tour will start in Rome, but this will be Rome that a lot of people don’t see or experience. We will visit the Trastevere at its most ambient and engaging.
And I want you to experience Rome from one of the most beautiful rooftops in the city where you get a lovely panoramic perspective of the city and sweeping views of many of the architectural wonders.
Trastevere
It’s long been my habit to arrive a day or two ahead of a tour. For those of you who want to do the same (and will be in Rome with me before this tour begins) there will be the opportunity to come with me to see some additional special sights.
In Rome, we will also visit the Pope’s garden in Vatican City as well as the incredible Galleria Borghese – a stunning art gallery containing many of the world’s favourite Italian sculptures and paintings – and we will also have time to look around the Borghese gardens, which are also full of beautiful scenes.
From Rome, we will head north to Umbria, one of the most unspoiled and prettiest areas of the country. There, we will visit some amazing gardens, such as Villa Lante, Palazzo dei Papi, Sacro Bosco di Bomarzo and Giardini Barbanera.
Our goal in Umbria is to soak up the atmosphere that is uniquely Italian and enjoy the unspoiled bucolic charms of the region. This means, of course, that we won’t be rushing to see every famous site in the area.
Max has lived in this region of Italy for years and knows it well and wants to show us some of the hidden gems that are overlooked by rushing tourists.
From Orvieto, we will move to the capital of Umbria, Perugia, a lovely town full of charm and character.
We will pause to taste wine and learn more about olive oil by visiting special wineries and farms. But it would be remiss not to take time to visit Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis, and one of the region’s most important towns, although we don’t intend to exhaust ourselves exploring it and there will be plenty of free time for shopping, coffee and lunch stops.
From Italy, we decided to change countries, without sacrificing beauty or novelty or picturesque views or the ability to visit delightful towns and villages and experience exciting taste treats – so, we have picked Croatia as the destination for the second leg of this tour.
But that is not all. We have also worked some magic to make it possible to also visit Slovenia and Montenegro, two other countries that were also part of the former Yugoslavia. In Slovenia, we will visit the capital, Ljubljana, and in Montenegro we will explore Kotor, Bduva and Perast. How exciting. But let’s now get too far ahead of ourselves. First, we must fly out of Rome.
From Rome, we will quickly skip to Dubrovnik and from here we will start our exploration of the Croatian coastline to Orebic, Trogir and Split, gradually moving north to the impressive Krka National Park, Sibenik and Plitvice.
If you’ve not been to Croatia before, this will be a first-class introduction. You’ll find it is a country with beautiful beaches, charming towns and villages with their own attractive style and feel. I think you will love discovering this part of the world.
The beauty of this part of the tour is that is starts with a magnificent city – Dubrovnik – and ends in an equally lovely city, Zagreb, with its 13th century churches and streets lined with inviting outdoor cafes and restaurants.
From Zagreb, we head over the border into Slovenia and to the capital, Lublijana, after first taking a lovely train ride through the Postonjna Caves.
We will have time for last minute shopping and a celebratory farewell dinner before we say our goodbyes and head back to Vancouver.
The tour includes 14 breakfasts, 3 lunches, rooftop reception and 7 dinners plus other items. Full details are available from our agent.
For a day-by-day itinerary, see below.
BOOK NOW
Your next step is to reserve your place on the tour by calling Lyle Truden at Flight Centre in Vancouver: Office: 604-926-5037.Email: lyle.truden@flightcentre.ca Bookings will be taken on a first come, first served basis.
TOUR PRICE: Double occupancy: $7,911 per person; single occupancy: $9,853. SEPT 15 – 29.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrive at Rome airport and met by tour manager Max that will remain with group until day 15. Transfer to hotel for check-in and free time to rest. The group will then enjoy a lovely welcome dinner at a local restaurant in the Trastevere area.
Day 2 – A half day guided sightseeing with entrance to Galleria Borghese and time to explore the beautiful gardens. In the afternoon, a guided tour of the Vatican gardens. In the evening, the group will transfer to rooftop garden at hotel in Vatican area for sunset drinks/canapes reception. Transfer to hotel.
Day 3 – Group leaves Rome for Umbria. We will head to Bagnaia and enter Villa Lante followed by entrance to the impressive Palazzo dei Papi in Viterbo and free time for lunch. Transfer to Orvieto where the group will take a walking tour of the city before checking into hotel.
Day 4 – Entrance to the gardens of Bomarzo for a guided tour followed by lunch where we will be guests at Max’s country house in the area. Afternoon exploring the area with Max and return to Orvieto in the evening.
Day 5 – Transfer to Spello and entrance to Orto Giardini Barbanera. Guided tour of the vineyards at Vineria del Carmine with wine and olive oil tasting and a light lunch included. Transfer to Perugia.
Day 6 – Tour of Assisi in the morning followed by lunch in a local agriturismo. Return to Perugia and remainder of day free at leisure.
Day 7 – Transfer to Rome airport where the group will get their included flight to Dubrovnik. Arrive at Dubrovnik and transfer to hotel for check-in and to drop luggage. In the evening, welcome drinks and dinner at a local bar/restaurant with views of the city.
Day 8 – Today the group will now enjoy a full day excursion with a local guide to Montenegro with stops in Kotor, Budva and Perast. Return to Dubrovnik.
Day 9 – Touring coach will join the group from today and remain until day 12. Transfer to Split where the group will enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city to view the main sights followed by a walking tour of Trogir.
Day 10 – This morning the group will visit the impressive Krka National park. A guided tour with a park guide is arranged for two hours. From here the group will head to Sibenik where they will have free time for lunch followed by a city tour. Return to Split.
Day 11 – Plitvice lakes is one of the main natural attractions in Croatia. The group will take a guided tour of this stunning park and will then transfer to a hotel in the area for overnight.
Day 12 – Transfer to Zagreb where the group has included a half day guided tour of the city to view the main sights including the Botanical garden and the historical upper area of the city.
Day 13 – Group to depart Zagreb and head to beautiful Slovenia. Entrance to Postojna Cave, a stunning underground world that is 23,340 metres long. The group would then head to Slovenia capital, Ljubljana, for overnight.
Day 14 – Half day tour with a local guide to view the main sights of the city. Afternoon is free at leisure. In the evening the group will enjoy a lovely farewell dinner in the old town.
Day 15 – Transfer to airport. Goodbyes and home to Canada.
