Italian Showcase by Cosmos Vacations

Cosmos Rome, Sorrento and Capri with Sicily

Italian Showcase

1-877-510-4653

COSMOS Vacations

Affordable Escorted Vacations!

Italian Showcase

Duration: 14 Days

Land Tour w/deluxe motorcoach

POMPEII, ASSISI, FLORENCE, NAPLES, ROME, SIENA, CAPRI and RAVENNA

Specially-priced Air Rates Available: YES

This is a comprehensive, affordable tour of Italy, showcasing some of the world’s most beloved cities (including Rome, Florence and Venice), historic sites, small towns, and scenic wonders. You’ll start and end in Rome focusing on Tuscany and the Sorrento coast, but also visiting Venice, San Marino (one of the world’s smallest countries), and Assisi.

Enjoy two nights in the Tuscan countryside, famous for medieval villages, charming towns, and the celebrated wine-growing regions. From your base, visit Siena, home of the famous palio horse race. Enjoy a walking tour of the Renaissance city center of Florence. You’ll see Piazza Signoria – the center of the city’s political life since the 14th century.

Discover the charm of Bologna, with its Medieval towers, and spend three nights in the area of Sorrento, a laid-back town with amazing views of the azure seas and cobblestone streets lined with shops and restaurants. Take the excursion to Capri, with is crystal-blue water, legendary piazzetta, and fashionable boutiques; Explore Pompeii, which was completely buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. This preserved archaeological site gives you an amazingly detailed insight into ordinary life at the peak of the Roman Empire.

This Italy tour also visits Ravenna, with its Byzantine mosaics dating from the 5th century AD; Urbino, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has preserved its Renaissance appearance; Gubbio, dating to the 14th century, and Assisi, where you’ll visit the Basilica of St. Francis that houses the tomb of St. Francis. To top it all up, visit Rome, the “eternal city,” including a guided city orientation showing the main sights, from Vatican City to the Colosseum.

From the small, historic towns to the vibrant cities, this affordable Italy tour for value-minded travelers has it all!

SIGHTSEEING:
See

Archeological Site of Pompeii
Assisi (the Basilica of San Francesco)
City of Verona
Costiera Amalfitana
Historic Centre and Mount Titano
Historic Centre of Florence
Historic Centre of Naples
Historic Centre of Rome - various properties Vatican City
Historic Centre of Siena
Historic Centre of Urbino
Venice and its Lagoon

SCENIC HIGHLIGHTS:

SIENA See the Leaning Tower
TUSCAN HILLS
FLORENCE Guided walking tour
BOLOGNA Visit
VERONA Visit
VENICE Boat ride to St. Mark’s Square, visit glassblowing workshop
RAVENNA and SAN MARINO Visit
URBINO & GUBBIO Visit
ASSISI Guided tour including St Francis Basilica
CAPRI Full-day excursion
POMPEII Guided walking tour of the excavations
NAPLES Orientation
ROME Guided sightseeing, see St. Peter’s Square

Inside visits and special features:
Shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description including admission charges where applicable.

OPTIONALS:
Choice of optional excursions at reasonable prices to customize your own experience. Please find a detailed list in your travel documents

HEADSETS throughout the tour

ROME GRAND FLEMING HOTEL (F)
TUSCAN HILLS HOTEL VILLA SAULINA (ST)
BOLOGNA AREA LIVING PLACE (F)
VENICE AREA POPPI (ST)
SAN MARINO TITANO (MF)
ASSISI AREA CITY HOTEL & SUITES (ST)
SORRENTO AREA PANORAMA PALACE (F)

HOTELS - (SF) Superior First-Class (F) First-Class Moderate (MF) First-Class (ST) Superior Tourist Class (T) Tourist Class

DINING HIGHLIGHTS

Buffet breakfasts daily; 6 dinners

TRANSPORTATION
Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi; canal transfer boat in Venice; boat transfer to Capri

AIRPORT TRANSFERS
Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements.

Day 1 Arrive in ROME, ITALY

Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Italy’s ancient capital with the help of the CosmosGO app. This evening, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.

Days 2 ROME–SIENA–TUSCAN HILLS

This morning, journey to Siena, rightly considered the jewel of Tuscany. The Piazza del Campo is quite unique in shape and setting, and famous all over the world for the medieval-style Palio horse-racing event. Enjoy the beauty of the Tuscan countryside with its hillside towns and villages.
Today’s Distance: 168 mi/ 270 km

Breakfast Daily

Day 3 TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE

Spend the day at leisure or take advantage of today’s optional excursion to San Gimignano and Monteriggioni, two of Italy’s best-preserved medieval towns. Admire their towers and the countryside dotted with vineyards and olive trees

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 4 TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE–FLORENCE–BOLOGNA AREA

Arrive in Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Admire the city’s timeless beauty during the included walking tour with a Local Guide. Continue to the Bologna area.
Today’s Distance: 109 mi/ 175 km

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 5 BOLOGNA AREA–VERONA–VENICE AREA

Spend some time visiting Bologna, Italy’s oldest university city this morning, then head for the Venice area. Stop in Verona to visit the romantic city of Shakespearian plays. You’ll have time for a stroll in the center to see the Roman Arena.
Today’s Distance: 165 mi/ 265 km

Breakfast

Days 6 VENICE

Venice is a city of unparalleled beauty and a feast of wonderful sights. View the delightful crisscrossing canals, gondolas, water buses, arched bridges, palaces, and piazzas. The included orientation, starts with a BOAT RIDE to St. Mark’s Square, followed by time at leisure and a visit to a typical Venetian GLASSBLOWING WORKSHOP. A variety of optional excursions is available.

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 7 VENICE AREA–RAVENNA–SAN MARINO

Travel to Ravenna, a city that preserves the richest heritage of Byzantine mosaics dating from the 5th century AD. After a stop here, continue to the tiny hilltop Republic of San Marino, one of the smallest countries in the world.
Today’s Distance: 139 mi/ 224 km

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 8 SAN MARINO–URBINO–GUBBIO–ASSISI AREA

First to Urbino to see its magnificent Ducal Palace towering over the town, then on to the verdant Umbria region to visit medieval Gubbio, where the superb view of the rooftops of the town from the Consul’s Palace is a must. Continue on to Foligno.
Today’s Distance: 99 mi/ 160 km

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 9 ASSISI AREA–SORRENTO AREA

Start the day in Assisi with a guided tour of the town, including the BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS with its famous paintings by Giotto dating back to the 1300s. Cross the Apennines to the shores of the Mediterranean for three overnights in the picturesque Sorrento area.
Today’s Distance: 267 mi/ 430 km

Breakfast

Day 10 SORRENTO AREA. EXCURSION TO CAPRI

Today, cross the crystal-blue waters to Capri. This legendary island, surrounded by rose-tinted rocks, has incredibly beautiful coves of translucent blues and greens. The town, with its pretty piazzetta, maze of streets, fashionable boutiques, and cozy restaurants, is a mecca for the jet set. An optional tour takes you around the island with its steep roads and panoramic views. Return to the Sorrento Area for an overnight.
Today’s Distance: 9 mi/ 15 km

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 11 SORRENTO AREA

Spend the day relaxing in the sun, explore on your own, or join an optional excursion to discover the unique beauty of Positano.

Breakfast

Day 12 SORRENTO AREA–POMPEII–NAPLES–ROME

Leave the Sorrentine Peninsula to discover one of the most intriguing archaeological sites in the world: POMPEII. This village was caught by surprise by the Vesuvius volcanic eruption in 79 AD, and excavations have uncovered a snapshot of ordinary Roman life. Back to the present, you’ll enjoy an orientation drive of culture-rich Naples before arriving in Rome.
Today’s Distance: 173 mi/ 278 km

Breakfast

Day 13 ROME

Steeped in history, Rome is vibrantly alive and exciting, and absolutely unique. Included sightseeing with a Local Guide starts with St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. Other highlights are the iconic Colosseum, the largest amphitheater ever built and Circus Maximus. Consider an optional visit to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, world famous for Michelangelo’s impressive fresco of The Last Judgment.

Breakfast

Day 14 ROME

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Breakfast

Italian Showcase

14 Day Tour

From $1999USD
(Less applicable COSMOS PROMO(S) and Gardner Travel Discounts)

REQUEST RATES, AVAILABILITY AND OTHER INFORMATION HERE

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You may reserve your tour online OR email us and we will provide our private rate back to you by email response or phone call as you prefer it.

PLEASE NOTE:
We have access to the U.S./Canada reservations only for this tour. If you reside outside of the U.S./Canada please contact the closest Globus Family of Brands travel agent in your country of origin.

Exceptional Vacations

Celebrating over 85 Years of Touring!

Prices are per person based on double occupancy and are land only. We also offer competitive group-based airfares from your home city airport that fit with this particular touring program.

Toll Free Call
1-877-510-4653
USA and Canada

We provide an additional agency point-of-sale discount for all Globus, Cosmos and Avalon Waterways tour programs. Offer subject to availability and change without notice.

TALK TO AN EXPERIENCED

As a full-service travel provider, we can help you in finding your perfect tour at the best price available, today. We've been representing the GLOBUS Family of Brands for over 35 years as a Premier Agency Partner - a designation only awarded to the top tier agencies that are authorized to represent the full Globus Family of Brands. We can take you all the way from your own hometown to some of the most beautiful touring experiences in Europe and then back again - all with the expertise of a seasoned COSMOS professional representative. When it is important to get it right, you can trust the services of our own professional COSMOS Certified travel specialists.

Requesting Availability
We will check your requested tour program and accommodations for the date range that you may specify in the boxes below and reply back to you as soon as possible. Of course the more information that you can provide us, the closer we will be in matching your needs and preferences. We will not knowingly sell or pass along your information that you provide to any third party for any reason (see Liabilities and Privacy Policy). And we use SSL Technology to safeguard your information on our tour request forms that we have posted throughout our website.

We are available to answer your inquiries in person Monday - Friday (except holidays) from 8:30am until 5:30pm CST (1-877-510-4653 | 817-788-5210). We are available from time to time on the weekends via email to answer your questions. Our typical response time for your email request ranges from 3 hours to as many as 72 depending upon the availability of onsite resources and those of the tour companies and resorts/lodging establishments, as well as any variations you may request from our listed programs. We will respond to your requests as quickly as possible and as soon as we have all components of your package confirmable. All tour program rates are based upon double occupancy unless otherwise specified.

Thank you for your interest in this quality Cosmos Tour by The GLOBUS Family of Brands!

Randy C. Gardner
President
Gardner Travel Service, Inc.

More than three decades ago Cosmos pioneered the idea of quality value travel to Europe. Since then we've developed and refined the concept of vacation packages. Over a million people have come back to us for a second or third vacation...or more!

Our clients' repeat business is the best testimony to the incredible value and experience we offer.

If you've never taken a package vacation, consider this: Traveling with Cosmos is less expensive, more comfortable, and far easier than going it alone. Our volume contracting for hotels and services provides you with travel at wholesale prices. A Cosmos package is carefully planned to make the best possible use of your time.

Our team of experts has refined our itineraries to combine the must-see sights with significant time on your own, offering more choice and flexibility. You can travel relaxed and hassle-free, knowing that we've taken care of all the details.

Arthur Fromer Europe on a Budget

Once you've discovered the special advantages of traveling with Cosmos, you'll never want to travel any other way again. Cosmos is "A Smart Way To Go."

Guidance

At the heart of every great Cosmos tour are the friendly, knowledgeable folks who show you around and help you maximize your free time. We go to incredible lengths to find the most professional Tour Directors and Local Guides. They deliver commentary in English, but are multilingual so they can navigate Europe with ease and give you the richest experience possible.

Headsets
For all guided visits and included sightseeing in Europe, Cosmos will provide personal audio headsets. See tour itinerary for details.

The Right Balance
No one enjoys a vacation where every second is spent on a schedule. We build free time into every Cosmos vacation, so you can eat, shop, and explore the way you want. Your Tour Director and Local Guides can offer suggestions for things to see and do-or you can join one of our many intriguing optional excursions.

Sightseeing
Our packages include guided sightseeing and scenic highlights that reveal the best of Europe, North America, and South America. Enjoy inside visits of the must-see sites with knowledgeable Local Guides who will bring each destination to life. Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description. See individual itinerary pages to learn what is included in your vacation.

Personalize Your Vacation with MyCosmos
Cosmos lets you enhance your tour with optional excursions that are meaningful to you. Whether you enjoy art, music, food, wine, history, or whatever, we give you the freedom to truly personalize your trip. Best of all, you can make your selections-and even pre-pay-in advance online at Cosmos.com/MyCosmos.

Cosmos Takes Care of Your Hotels

Where you stay makes all the difference
After a day's traveling you want to relax at a comfortable, clean, and attractive hotel. We have chosen hotels with the best rooms, service, and food for the money. Of course, they vary as different countries have different standards. However, we ensure that everywhere you get the best available in cleanliness and comfort.

Cosmos hotels are always located in good neighborhoods, some more centrally and others in residential areas. Especially in large cities we sometimes prefer good hotels in residential areas on the outskirts to less desirable or overpriced downtown hotels.

Rooms at all our hotels include private facilities: private bath or shower and a toilet.

Triple rooms are usually no larger than twin rooms and the third bed is often a roll-away bed put into a twin-bedded room just for the night.

Cosmos specifies your hotels
Our hotels are mainly superior tourist-class (ST) and tourist-class (T) establishments, but we also feature some first-class (F) hotels. Cosmos hotel ratings follow standards set by the independent Official Hotel Guide (OHG) or by national tourist boards. The specific rating for each contract hotel is determined by our quality controllers.

We reserve the right to substitute hotels listed on the tour pages with hotels of equivalent standard. With your Cosmos travel documents you'll receive a list of hotel addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers for your tour.

Stretch Your Vacation Dollars

Value-packed vacations at bargain prices.
With Cosmos, a company that specializes in package travel arrangements, you'll visit the world without spending a fortune. Because all our buying power is devoted to package travel, our clout with suppliers is powerfully concentrated -- and we pass the savings on to you with affordable vacation packages for every budget.

Singles save with "guaranteed share" rates
More than one-third of all people traveling with Cosmos are traveling independently. We therefore accept reservations on a "guaranteed share" basis. We charge singles the basic price and match up singles of the same gender in twin-bedded rooms. For mutual comfort we adopt a no-smoking rule in shared rooms. "Guaranteed shares" are not available for extra nights before or after your tour, on tours with overnight trains, or on train or cruise extensions.
If we cannot find a roommate for a traveler who has booked on a "guaranteed share" basis, we'll absorb the single room supplement, and that traveler will be accommodated in a single room at no extra charge.
Of course we do offer single rooms when available to those who prefer to travel solo and pay the single supplement.

Triple room reduction
Cosmos grants a reduction to three people who travel together and share the same accommodation. Triple room reductions, when available, are listed in the Dates and Prices box on the tour page.

A word of caution: Triple rooms usually are no larger than twin rooms, and the third bed, if there is one, is often a rollaway bed put in a twin-bedded room for the night.

Discount for young tour members
Cosmos grants a 10 percent discount on the land tour price to travelers who are under 18 years old on the tour departure date, provided they are accompanied by an adult. We do not accept children under eight on our tours because we have found that they are too young to enjoy these vacations.

Cosmos Vacations Offer Flexibility

Joining late and leaving early*
Many Cosmos land arrangements start and end in London. If you have already spent time in the British capital, you may want to skip one or more of the included London nights or even join at the first overnight hotel on the Continent. Call your Travel Agent for any reductions that apply to your vacation for joining late or leaving early. Vacations with these reductions are sold on a land-only basis.

A professional team takes care of you in London
For any help or information you might require during your London stay, please contact the Cosmos hospitality desk at your hotel. Our knowledgeable staff will serve you with a smile; give you guidance on what to do and where to go; and arrange excursions, evening entertainment, and theater outings for you.

Extra nights*
If you'd like more hotel nights than we've provided at the start or end of your tour, we can make reservations for you at the rates quoted below, provided you request them at the time you book your vacation. Rates are per person, per night, and include room with private bath, breakfast, service charges, and taxes.

Extra nights are only available immediately prior to or after your tour. Extra pre-tour nights in London are not available if you join your tour later than Day 2.

Every effort is made to reserve extra nights at the hotel where your tour stays. If space at the tour hotel is not available, alternative accommodation will be reserved at a hotel of equivalent standard. When this is the case, the transfer to and from the tour hotel is at our expense.

As hotel space is limited, we cannot reserve more than two extra nights before and/or after a tour, unless they are needed to bridge the gap between two Cosmos vacations. During particularly busy periods, hotel space in certain cities can become so tight that we may be unable to sell extra nights.

Trust & Travel Insurance

For generations, Globus has worked hard to provide the best on-trip experiences, world-class customer service, and the best consumer protection plans available in the travel industry.

DETAILS OF THIS INSURANCE PROGRAM WILL BE INCLUDED IN ALL OF OUR QUOTES.

and The Globus Family of Brands

More than 90 years ago, Antonio Mantegazza bought a rowboat to transport commercial goods across Lake Lugano in Switzerland. Who could know that rowboat would launch the world's leading escorted travel company? Today Globus is a global, family-owned company reaching every corner of the world. Globus is now the first choice among individuals looking for vacations with both domestic and international travel in a variety of styles to six continents and hundreds of itineraries to choose from (see Globus History video right).

Antonio's frequent trips across the scenic lake led him to consider opportunities in a different market - tourism. His entrepreneurial instinct pushed him to gradually acquire some motorcoaches to transport tourists around the Lake Lugano area. In 1928, Antonio opened a company specializing in motorcoach touring called Globus Viaggi. The company began with a fleet of 12 coaches which operated local excursions for European tourists in Switzerland.

By 1950, Globus Viaggi had grown to a fleet of 33 coaches and featured overnight excursions to Rome, Venice, the Dolomites and the French Riviera. Gradually, these became regularly scheduled tours and grew longer to cover more ground. Later that decade, under the leadership of Werner Albek, Antonio's business partner, Globus pioneered the concept of Grand European Touring by offering first-class European tours to North Americans. By 1961, the company launched its Cosmos arm, which featured affordable, value-priced European touring for the cost-conscious British traveler.

The coach tours were so successful that Cosmos soon introduced another form of travel for the British market: air holiday packages to the sunny destinations of southern Europe. By 1968, Cosmos air holidays became so popular the company formed its own airline, Monarch Airlines. Monarch Airlines started out modestly with two used Britannia aircraft and eventually blossomed into one of the most successful European charter companies with a large fleet of modern jets and its own engineering division.

Under the flagship of Sergio Mantegazza, current president and son of Antonio, Globus began expanding its markets beyond Great Britain and North America. Since 1974, travel packages have been sold in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and most recently in Southeast Asia. Starting in the 70s, the company also aggressively expanded its offerings, introducing travelers to more countries than any other tour operator with packages to Africa, South and North America, Europe, the South Pacific and Asia.

Today, the Globus family of brands is marketed and operated by a network of more than 32 independent tourism and aviation businesses, serviced by a group of more than 5,000 professionals worldwide. Combined, Globus, Cosmos, and Monograms carry over 500,000 passengers a year, making the organization the leading operator of guided vacations worldwide. Globus attributes its success to the ideals of founder Antonio Mantegazza. For three generations, his vision, hard work, love for travel, and commitment have guided the company. These values are the cornerstone on which Globus was built and will continue to grow.