Live la dolce vita, the good life, a bit like an Italian in the spa town of Montecatini Terme as you are taken around Tuscany with delightful experiences. Visit a winery, Siena, the towers of San Gimignano, Lucaa., Pisa, and Florence. Then, continue on via St. Francis' Assisi to Rome to see both Ancient Rome and St. Peter's Basilica. Leave right from Champaign.

• Stay in both Montecatini Terme & Rome • Siena Walking Tour • San Gimignano Visit • Florence City Tour • Academy Gallery - Statue of David • Leaning Tower of Pisa • Pisa's Piazza Dei Miracoli • Lucca Visit • Tuscany Winery Visit & Tasting • Assisi Tour • Rome City Tour • St. Peter's Basilica • Roman Farewell Dinner with entertainment

*Price is per person based on room occupancy chosen. Premier World Discovery operates the tour as a disclosed principal. The deposit is $999 per person. The tour balance is due 7/15/24 with a discount of $100 per person if paid by paper check or e-check via WeTravel.

• The document required is a valid passport valid through 1/23/25. • Insurance coverage included is Premier’s TPP; for coverage details, see premierworlddiscovery.com/tpp.html covering cancellation charges; other terms at steviejaytravel.com/terms are incorporated by reference. • A local host is provided only from Champaign to Chicago O’Hare Airport to get you checked in for your flight, but not as a host on the tour. Price and details are subject to change. If you do not want to be covered by the included Travel Protection Plan (TPP), enter the discount code NO-INSUR for a $399 per person reduction when booking.  

EASY 1 2 (3) 4 ACTIVE. On a scale of 1 to 4, the tour is a 3, more active than average.

Level 1: The tour operates at a very leisurely pace and involves some minimal physical activity such as climbing stairs, boarding a motorcoach, walking into a museum or other venue and walking from the hotel reception area to hotel rooms and dining areas.

Level 2: This tour requires average physical activity. You should be in good health, able to walk some stairs and walk reasonable distances, possibly over uneven ground and cobblestoned streets.

Level 3: This tour includes moderate physical activity. The itinerary blends some longer days with shorter days. You should be in good health, able to walk a flight of stairs or more and participate in walking tours or nature walks possibly over uneven ground and cobblestoned streets with periods of standing.  There could be some early and late activities, and temperature and altitude changes.

Level 4: This tour is active, requiring participants to be good physical shape to fully enjoy the experiences. This itinerary has more activities which may include such things as longer walking tours over uneven ground, transfers over uneven and dusty terrain, high altitudes or very early morning departures. All conditions do not apply to all days, so please read the itinerary carefully and speak to one of our Reservations Coordinators to determine if this tour is right for you. Unfortunately, this tour is not appropriate for individuals who use wheelchairs, scooters, walkers or similar equipment.

The Premier Compass Club rewards our valued guests with special recognition and a Compass Club Loyalty Credit on future tours and cruises. Guests who have completed a trip will automatically be enrolled and receive an additional $100 per person or $200 per couple Compass Club Loyalty Credit applied to their next Premier World Discovery tour or River Cruise. Loyalty Credit is valid for 24 months from your last tour.

FULL REFUND if sick and unable to travel*, or canceling for any reason, get a 75% credit towards a future Premier World Discovery tour later in the year (the latter applies up to 48 hours before scheduled departure). The included Travel Protection Plan costs $325/399/499 per person and is not refundable.

The Travel Protection Plan also includes Post-Departure coverages for Trip Interruption and Delay, Baggage/Personal Effects and Delay, Emergency Accident/Sickness Medical Expense, Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation of Remains, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Non-Insurance and Emergency Travel Assistance Services 24/7. 

premierworlddiscovery.com/tpp.html

*You are also covered if there is a death in the immediate family.

Book securely online 24/7* by clicking the green button, or call Bill Owen at 217 619-0202 or Mary Beth at 217 840-8724. Or mail a deposit check to Stevie Jay Travel, 4413 Trostshire Cir, Champaign, IL 61820. 

*Credit cards or "e-checks" from a checking account are welcomed and entered securely on WeTravel.

Montecatini Terme, Italy (5) Hotel Adua, Hotel Puccini or Hotel Manzoni

Rome, Italy (2) Hotel President, Smooth Hotel Rome West, Church Palace Hotel, Golden Tulip Rome Piram

On some dates, alternative hotels may be used

Board our private vehicle to Chicago O'Hare and fly overnight to Europe.

More Photos includes a larger map in the Photo Gallery at the bottom of the webpage

Arrive in Florence, meet your Tour Director and transfer to your hotel in the Tuscan resort and spa town of Montecatini Terme for a 5-night stay. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner of Tuscan favorites and locally produced wine with your fellow travelers. (D)

Photo: Montecatini Terme

Travel to Lucca to explore the Old Town, filled with quaint shops and Gothic palaces. Lucca’s great era was in the Gothic time, just before the Renaissance, and the city contains stunning architecture from that period. 

Later, visit one of the most famous cities in Italy, Pisa. Here, you will stroll into the Piazza Dei Miracoli to see the Duomo, the historic Baptistry, and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. The tower is 180 feet high and no less than 13 feet off of the perpendicular; an amazing sight to see. 

Later, stop for a Tuscan Winery Visit and Tasting experience, where you will learn about and sample a selection of local wines while enjoying stunning views of the vineyards. Continue through the lush countryside back to your Montecatini Terme hotel. (B)

Photo: a Tuscan winery

Today, enjoy a Florence City Tour featuring a visit to the Academy Gallery to see Michelangelo’s original Statue of David, a truly awesome sight. Then view the Cathedral to see Giotto’s Belltower and Baptistry with its impressive ‘Gates of Paradise’. These buildings demonstrate the traditions of Florentine art and architecture from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Also, see the open-air museum of Piazza Della Signoria & Santa Croce, which houses the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo. The insightful walking tour also features a stroll across the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge, lined with shops. Later, explore this beautiful city on your own, shop for gold jewelry & leather items, and enjoy an outdoor cafe. 

Return to Montecatini Terme and enjoy dinner with your fellow travelers. (B,D)

Photo: Ponte Vecchio Bridge 

Today enjoy an entire day at leisure. Maybe stroll along quaint pedestrian streets and cafes located in the Montecatini Terme town center. Perhaps shop at some of the specialty boutiques or have lunch at one of the many restaurants. An optional tour will be available to picturesque Portofino on the Italian Riviera. (B)

Photo: for just a few Euros, you can take the funicular train up to Montecatini Alto

This morning, travel to Siena, the heart of Tuscany. Enjoy a Siena Walking Tour as you stroll the medieval streets to the dramatic Campo scene of the annual Palio horse race. Also, see the town’s famous black and white striped cathedral and enjoy some time at leisure. 

Later, travel to the famous hilltop town of San Gimignano. The town is one of the most picturesque of Italy’s perfectly preserved medieval towns, with medieval towers, built in the 12th century. Join your Tour Director and fellow passengers on a stroll through the quaint streets and visit Piazza della Cisterna, one of Italy’s most beautiful town squares. Enjoy the scenic return to Montecatini Terme for an evening at leisure. Relax at your hotel or step out to a local restaurant and enjoy the wonderful tastes of Tuscany. (B)

Photo: the factions' banners of the Palio horse race

Today, travel south and into the Umbrian countryside to the beautiful hilltop town of Assisi. During your Assisi Walking Tour, visit both the upper and lower parts of the great Basilica of St. Francis. Everything is in some way associated with St. Francis, who was born here in 1182. 

Later, travel to Rome & check in for a 2-night stay. The ‘Eternal City’ is the capital and largest city in Italy. Rome, as a center of power, culture, and religion, has exerted a huge influence over the world in its roughly 2,800 years of existence. (B)

Photo: Assisi

Today, enjoy a Rome City Tour and enjoy some of the highlights of Ancient Rome. See the Colosseum, The Arch of Constantine, Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia, and the Pantheon. Later, visit St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within the city of Rome. 

Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to explore the ‘Eternal City’ on your own. Enjoy a cappuccino or perhaps visit the Treasures of the Vatican Museum, home to Michelangelo’s impressive Sistine Chapel. 

This evening, enjoy a Roman Farewell Dinner featuring great wine and entertainment. (B,D)

Photo: St. Peter's Basilica from the River Po

We are taken to the airport to board a same-day flight home with wonderful memories of Rome & Tuscany. On arrival, we travel to Champaign in our private vehicle. (B)

Photo: Tuscany