Italy 'Bucket List' original

Hiram College & The Olive Odysseys present

'Bucket List' Italy-Venice to Rome!

October 1-14 2018

Day 1

The beautiful city of Venice is the start of our odyssey. Join us in our centrally located hotel as we sip some Prosecco and taste test some of Italy’s favorite olives.

After introductions we will head out for a leisurely stroll along romantic canals and over quaint bridges, on our way to dinner. We have a special trattoria picked out for our first dinner together!

Prosecco & olives taste testing. Dinner together.UNESCO World Heritage Site (Venice & The Lagoon)/ Overnight Venice.

Brochure

Day 2

We head out early for our walk of historic Venice. We will start at the Basilica di San Marco to tour this magnificent church. Climbing up to the balcony to see the bronze horses up close (said to be from the Hippodrome in Constantinople) we will be treated to a stunning view of Venice.

We will make our way to the Rialto Bridge, catching a great view of "main street"- the canal, with majestic buildings rising from the water. A stop at the famous Rialto fish and produce market is in order as we make our way through the San Marco neighborhood. We will eat lunch together in a local cafe, trying the regional wine.

After lunch you will be free to explore on your own, sit at a sidewalk cafe and people watch, or go for a gondola ride. Dinner on your own with recommendations from us.

Breakfast/ lunch together/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Venice & The Lagoon)/ Overnight Venice.

Day 3

We say goodbye to Venice after breakfast today. We’ll take a ferry ride to meet our bus on the out- skirts of town. We are off to Modena, the home of Ferrari, the birth place of Luciano Pavarotte and of course, known for it's balsamic vinegar. We will have a local take us around this beautiful town where you can also take some time to sit and have a cafe in the main piazza. Afterwards, a local producer will provide not only some of the best balsamic vinegar to be had, but also the local cheeses, prosciutto and wine for an extended taste testing.

We’ll end the day in Bologna, famous for its culinary delights. You can taste these delights at dinner on your own at any of several great ristorantes close to our hotel.

Breakfast/ Tour of Modena/ Balsamic vinegar taste testing & local specialties/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Modena)/ Overnight Bologna.

Our Brochure

Day 4

We are exploring Bologna today. We will join a local guide whom will take us on a highlight walk of this medieval city, home to one of the oldest universities in the world. After lunch on your own you can catch up on your rest or further explore the city.

Be ready in the afternoon as a local chef gives us a lesson on pasta making. She will share her family's recipe and even divulge her secret to great Tortelloni. Together we will make these great dishes and along with some appetisers feast on what we just made. We will also enjoy some local wines and toast to another wonderful day!

Breakfast/Tour of Bologna-on the tentative list for UNESCO/Pasta making lesson & dinner together.

Day 5

We leave Bologna early and travel to a co-op producing one of the finest olive oils in this part of Italy. We will tour their production facilities and have a taste testing. We will also see their very unique way of dispensing wine! We have a special lunch planned at an out-of-the-way spot for you.

After lunch we make our way to Florence, arguably one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. After checking into our hotel, you are free to roam this Renaissance city. You can enjoy dinner on your own at any number of outdoor trattorias or pizzarias, with recommendations from us.

Breakfast/ Olive oil tasting/ Lunch together/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Florence)/ Overnight Florence.

Day 6

We will leave early this morning for our tour of the Galleria dell’Accademia, were we will see renowned works of art, such as as Michelangelo’s David. Next we will make our way to one of the most impressive monuments in all of Florence, the Duomo. Here you can take your time to visit the sanctuary or climb to the top of the tower, for some of the best views of the city. Lunch is on your own.

We will continue on to the main part of the city where we will walk by the Uffizzi gallery, cross the Pont de Veccchio, and end up at the Palazzo Pitti (former residence of the Medici family) on the other side of the river. The rest of the afternoon will be yours to further explore the beautiful city. We will meet later and walk to dinner together at a traditional tuscan trattoria.

Breakfast/ Galleria dell'Accademia/Tour of Florence/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Florence)/ Dinner together/ Overnight Florence.

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Day 7

We’ll leave the city of Florence today for rural Tuscany. Here we take the back roads through the Chianti region. We will take our time wandering through the town of Greve where you can sample wine, olives & olive oils. We’ll pick out some great cafes for lunch on your own.

We glide into the heart of Tuscany where we’ll stay in a converted farm estate. We will organize a shuttle to take those who want to to the mideval hill top town of San Gimignano. Join us back at the estate where we will have a special meal together.

Breakfast/ Town of Greve/ UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano/ Dinner together/ overnight San Gimignano.

Day 8

We stay in enchanting Tuscany today at our estate, in the midst of vinyards and cypress trees. You can further explore San Gimiagnano, or stay around the pool lounging and reading. Either way, join us for a taste testing of local wines before another multi-course dinner together.

Breakfast/ UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano/ Dinner together/ Overnight San Gimignano.

Day 9

We are off the the spectacular city of Siena. We'll start at the church of Saint Catherine of Siena, where we will visit this impressive building. Then we head to the center of town to one of the finest piazzas in Italy, the Piazza del Campo, home to the twice yearly horse races, the Palio. We will enjoy lunch in Siena together. Then we take our time and make our way to Italy's most famous city, Rome. After we will check into our hotel in the center of the city, we’ll have a few recommendations for you for dinner on your own. Be sure to follow up with some of the best gelato!

Breakfast/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Siena)/ Lunch together/ Overnight Rome.

Day 10

We start out visiting one of the most iconic ruins in Rome, the Coliseum. We will take our time exploring this impressive ruin before making our way through the heart of the city to the Trevi fountain and then onto one of the oldest monuments in Rome, the Pantheon. We end our walk in the Piazza Navronne where the sidewalk cafes are a must to sit and people watch. In the afternoon you are free to continue exploring Rome: the Spanish Steps, the Vatican City and Museum, (which houses the Sistine Chapel) or simply hit the shops. We will be there to help facilitate.

A special farewell dinner is planned tonight.

Breakfast/ The Coliseum/ Trevi Fountain & The Pantheon/ UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Center of Rome)/Farewell dinner/ Overnight Rome.

Day 11

After breakfast together we will say good-bye. There is plenty more to explore. You can spend another day in Rome or traipse off to other parts of Italy. Either way we will say Arrivederci!

Tour Cost
10 people-$4790
12 people-$4690
14 people-$4490

Deposits of $1000 per person are due by April 2 2018. This trip is limited to 14 people. To secure a place on this tour you are encouraged place your deposit as soon as possible. No one has a space on this tour until deposits are in and a Trip Term contract signed and returned. Final payment is due June 30 2018. Until final payment date all deposits are fully refundable.
To email us your questions click here.

Guarantee your place!

What do you get with this tour?

Visits to the following historical sites:

Basilica San Marco (venice) UNESCO World Heritage Site
Piazza San Marco (venice) UNESCO World Heritage Site
Palazzo Ducale (venice) UNESCO World Heritage Site
Piazza Grande & Cathedral - Modena UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic center of Florence UNESCO World Heritage Site
Galleria dell’Accademia (Florence)
San Gimignano (Tuscany) UNESCO World Heritage Site
Piazza del Campo & the Historic Center of Siena (Tuscany) UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Pantheon (Rome) UNESCO World Heritage site
Piazza Navronna (Rome)
The Coliseum (Rome) UNESCO World Heritage site
Trevi Fountain

PLUS!

Always small groups
Great Italian food
Visit to an olive oil producer
Tour of Venice
Custom itineraries
The vineyards of Tuscany
Balsamic vinegar taste testing in Modena
Cheese and prosciutto taste testing
Special wine tastings
Visit to local markets
Pasta making lessons in Bologna
Prosecco sampling
Olive Oil & Olive tasting
Meetings with the locals
Ten full Breakfasts
Three multi-course lunches (including wines)
Six multi-course dinners (including wines)
Experienced tour leaders
Comfortable transportation
Carefully selected hotels in great locations
Careful Attention paid to the pace of the trip, so you get the most impact!

Guarantee your place now!

What you are responsible for

Airfare and transportation to and from the airport at the start and end of the tour.

Some lunches and dinners (when noted) that will be on your own, with plenty of recommendations from us.

Expenses arising from personal needs such as medications, vaccinations, travel documents, communications or any other expenses incurred due to traveling.

Price is inclusive of all hotels, meals where indicated, and entrance to historic sites where noted. Also included is bus transportation starting after day one until the end of the scheduled tour. Bucket-list tour if Italy!

What to expect

Email or phone contact at any time you want it with your tour leaders pre tour (even pre-booking for questions)
A great paced tour-You will get to see a lot of sites but never rushed. In addition we allow plenty of time for seeing the sites on your own.
Skip the line tickets so you do not have to wait in line at very popular sites
Great attention to detail
We can handle the following dietary needs (if you tell us before the tour)

non alcohol
vegetarian
vegan
For non-gluten or other dietary restrictions please contact us by email

The easiest and fastest transportation. We pride ourselves on our transportation modes. When indicated we use fast trains, private coaches, easy walking, local transport. All in the effort to make getting around the easiest and fastest for you. If you have any questions about possible mobility issues please email us your concerns

Our tour starts in Venice and ends in Rome. Please book your flight accordingly.
We have a doc on booking your flights

Who are Your leaders?

Patricia Hajifotiou & Manolis Hajifotiou

Patricia Hajifotiou:
A native of the U.S.A., Patricia has been leading tours in Greece, Italy and France & Spain for 18 years. She lives on the island of Evia, Greece with her husband Manolis. When she is not on tour, she lives off the grid in a rock house, powered by the wind and sun. There she likes to spend her time tending her olive trees and digging in the garden. She is the authos of two books, the latest has to do with her travel adventures and is available on-line (Tap Here). She looks forward to showing you the places she likes the best - as a traveler, never a tourist. Hiram College class of 1984.

Manolis Hajifotiou:
A native of Greece, Manolis has been leading tours in Europe for 18 years. Besides traveling, his passion is playing his guitar and creating his own music. Designing one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry (using olive kernels!) takes up some of his spare time besides trimming olive trees and keeping up the stone house he shares with his wife, Patricia. He looks forward to showing you his favorite places and making sure you feel right at home.

Our philosophy about tours:

We are here to show you unique aspects of Italy and its culture. We like to run our tours as if you were our friends and we are hosting you. If your luggage is lost (let’s hope not!) we can get on the phone and help track it. If you need an item from the pharmacy, we can assist you. If you want seconds of a dish we are having for dinner, we will get you more. We want you to have a pleasant experience.

We will help you with your luggage, but you will be responsible for getting it to your room and back to specific loading points. We have checklists to help you avoid over packing. We take care of the details so all you have to worry about are what goodies you might like to take home with you and when to arrive for breakfast!

This is not a packaged bus tour. We will be traveling on a bus to get us from one point to another, but you will not hear us on the microphone pointing out obscure landmarks so that we can hear our own voices. You will be well-informed; we will brief you either the night before or in the morning as to what to expect.

Italy is a country with a history and culture so rich that no one can absorb it all in one trip. So we will give you highlights and insider recommendations on what to see at each site, then set you free to explore on your own. If you want to absorb every fact in each museum, it is up to you. If you want to photograph the unique way the The Pantheon catches the sunlight in the morning, you can. With limited exception, we do not go around each site as a group. You are free to explore at your own pace.

Singles are welcome! If you find yourself without a traveling companion this is a great way to travel within a group. You will be teamed up with another single (of the same gender) for room accommodations. On nights when dinner might be on your own, we will not let you be! If you want your own room, a Single Suppliment add-on is available for an additional $695.

Space is limited. For more information, please contact Patricia & Manolis at The Olive Odysseys. We live in Europe- we put together our tours from here. We offer phone consultations to answer your questions-at no charge. Email us right now to get your trip started!
The Olive Odysseys.

Pictures by P. Hajifotiou, M. Hajifotiou, Sue P.