Oberammergau Passion Play, Rome, The Vatican & Lake Garda

Itinerary

• Day 1

  Local departure by coach or Door-to-Door service, then to northern France for an overnight stay.

• Day 2

  We travel south to the Cremona area in northern Italy for an overnight stay.

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 3 - Pisa

  We continue through Italy, making a call into Pisa where you can view the famous leaning tower before continuing to the spa town of Chianciano Terme, located in the wine-producing area of Umbria where we stay for five nights.

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 4 - Tuscan Countryside

  Today we offer an included excursion around the Tuscan countryside, with stops in the wine towns of Montepulciano, Pienza and Montalcino.

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 5 - Rome & The Vatican

  An included full-day visit to Rome and The Vatican City. We begin in The Vatican, where you can discover the treasures of St. Peter’s Square, where some of the most important Papal ceremonies take place. Perhaps visit the Sistine Chapel to take in the awe-inspiring frescoes (entrance at extra cost).

  Afterwards, enjoy free time in Rome, or why not join our optional guided sightseeing tour by coach and on foot to take in the sights such as the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, the Piazza Venezia and much more.

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 6 - Siena

  After a leisurely morning, join our optional afternoon excursion to Siena. No visit to Italy is complete without seeing this beautiful city. Discover the Piazza del Campo, claimed to be perhaps the most attractive in Europe and wander the maze of narrow medieval streets.

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 7 - Assisi

  Today we have an included visit to Assisi, known for the famous Basilica, where St. Francis is buried and one of the greatest Christian shrines in the world.

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 8 - Florence

  We leave Chianciano and call into Florence, where you will have some free time to relax and explore this marvellous city with its culture, art and outstanding Renaissance architecture.

  In the afternoon, we continue north to Lake Garda, our base for the next three nights.

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 9 - Lake Garda

  A day to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of life around this beautiful lake. Alternatively, join our optional guided tour visiting some of the local villages which sit on the shores of the lake, with a backdrop of mountains rising from the shore side

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 10 - Venice

  Join our optional excursion to Venice, the largest city in the Veneto area. Be sure to see some of the famous sights such as the Doge’s Palace, the symbolic seat of Venetian power and the enclosed Bridge of Sighs.

  A visit to St. Mark’s Square, the main public square of Venice, is also a must. It is dominated at its eastern end by the magnificent St. Mark’s Basilica, a superb example of the Romanesque-Byzantine style.

  Perhaps take a ride on a gondola, with your expert gondolier steering you through the busy waterways of Venice (at own cost) or maybe sit back and relax at Harry’s Bar with one of their famous Bellini cocktails, the choice is yours.

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 11

  We leave Lake Garda and travel north over the spectacular Brenner Pass from Italy into Austria and to our overnight hotel in the Tyrol.

  Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 12 - Oberammergau

  We head to Bavaria and to Oberammergau, where we stay overnight in the local area. Lunch will be at noon before the start of the Passion Play.

  The play has a running time of approximately five hours in total, with a meal served during the interval. The performance begins at 2:30pm* concluding around 10:30pm, with a three-hour break at 5:00pm when dinner is provided. After the performance, you will be transferred back to your accommodation.

  The play is traditionally performed in German and a textbook with the complete play text is included on all tours.

  * From 17th Aug-4th Oct, times for the play are as follows: performance begins at 1.30, dinner 4pm-7pm, performance ends at 9.30pm.

  Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 13

  Head north to our overnight hotel in Belgium.

  Meals - Breakfast

• Day 14

  Return home.

  Meals - Breakfast

Accommodation