Italian Opera Itineraries

Opera lovers know that Italy is not only the birth place of this musical genre, it is also where the some of the best opera in the world is still enjoyed. Italy Revealed has created many programs for Italy in which opera plays a significant part of the total travel experience or is combined with other elements to be one of many enjoyable elements on the program. Italy Revealed is uniquely able to do this because of its contacts with the major opera houses of Italy and its ticket purchasing capabilities. Therefore, if an outdoor operatic performance in Venice is to your taste, or a presentation of some of the great works of Rossini, found in Milan, Florence, Rome, or Naples, we can put it together!

Below is a sample itinerary that shows how opera can combine with other facets of Italian culture to make for a perfect Italy travel program. Remember all of our programs are flexible and can be combined to meet your taste!

Italian Lifestyles!

Italian Cooking, Spa, & Opera
October 2010
This tour showcases some of the essential elements that make the Italian lifestyle so popular and emulated worldwide. Beyond some site-seeing of the country’s most alluring cultural monuments, we will discover the essential elements of what it means to enjoy life like an Italian! From learning some of the essential elements of Italian cooking, or relaxing “Italian style” at one of the country’s prestigious spas, we will also be treated to an Opera in Rome. It is here that we will learn more about the origins, growth and mystical nature that this art form has on the country to this very day. 

Your personalized itinerary:

Day 1 -- Overnight flight from your home town to Florence.

Day 2 -- Arrive in Florence! Benvenuti in Italia!

Upon arrival, we will meet Mr. Walker, your personalized Italy specialist, and transfer by private motorcoach to Montecatini, Italy

Arrival at the Villa Lucia, enjoy a Welcome coffee and some time to settle-in. The Villa Lucia is one of the premier Villas of Tuscany. Great for relaxingamongst the quintessential Tuscan landscapes of olives, vineyards and old country homes, the Villa Lucia is also perfect for Cooking Courses by Top Chefs, wine tasting, boutique Olive Oil production, Italian language courses, and relaxing at the Spa. The Villa has its own well-being facility and there are 6 of the country’s top Spa locations, including the famous Grotta Giusti Resort which boasts Tuscany’s top mud baths, within just a few miles from the Villa itself… Late afternoon: Welcome cocktail and orientation by Joseph of Italy Revealed.

7:30 p.m.: Enjoy a delicious Tuscan Dinner at the Villa. Buona Notte!
Welcome coffee
Dinner

Day 3 -- Tour of Lucca / Italian Cooking Course

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.: Buongiorno! Breakfast

8:00 a.m. : Transfer by coach to Lucca. Tour of Lucca. Lucca is a charming Tuscan Town that boasts old defensive walls and a central piazza that was designed from an ancient Roman amphitheater.

1:00 p.m. : Lunch in Lucca. Lunch will be traditional fare with local wine. Return to Villa Lucia after lunch. Some free-time for relaxation.

4:30 p.m. : First cooking course. Welcome to authentic Tuscan Cooking hosted by a local celebritychef!

7: 30 p.m. : Dinner at the Villa Lucia

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 4 -- Cooking Course 2 / Spa Relaxation

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.: Breakfast

8:30 a.m. Enjoy your Second Tuscan Cooking Course

1:00 p.m. Lunch at the Villa

2:00 p.m. Departure for nearby Spa visit. Arrival and enjoyment of local Spa.

5: 30 p.m. Return to Villa Lucia. Relaxation or other activities at the Villa

7: 30 p.m. Dinner at a local Trattoria. Special, local, Tuscan cooking.

* If there are those in the group who will not be participating in this cooking course, we can arrange alternative things to do*

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 5 --Cooking Course 3 / Tour of Pisa and its Leaning Tower

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.: Breakfast

8:30 a.m. : Third Cooking Course with local chef*

1:00 p.m. : Lunch, after a delicious meal (2:00 p.m.), we will depart for a private tour of nearby Pisa. Pisa was once a powerful maritime medieval city-state with business interests across the Mediterranean. More than the famous leaning tower, it also has a wonderful Cathedral and Baptistery that are well worth the visit!

5: 30 p.m. : Return to Villa Lucia from Pisa

7:30 p.m. : Enjoy another great Dinner at the Villa

* If there are those in the group who will not be participating in this cooking course, we can arrange alternative things to do*

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 6 -- Tour of Renaissance Florence / Wine Tasting

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.: Breakfast

8:00 a.m. : Departure for Florence. Arrive in Florence and tour of the historic center including a visit of the Academia and Michelangelo’s David. Florence is the world’s most important city of Renaissance art and possesses an unparalleled beauty that balances art, architecture, and history with modern day opportunities for fun (such as great shopping and eating opportunities!)

1:00 p.m. : Lunch on your own. Afternoon free in Florence for shopping or more sight seeing.

5:30 p.m. : Return to Villa Lucia from Florence

6:30 p.m. : Farewell Tuscan wine tasting. Hosted by Leonard and local wine expert.

8:00 p.m. : Dinner in a local restaurant.

Breakfast
Dinner

Day 7 -- On to Rome, the Eternal City! Opera Seminar / Opera Performance

7:00 – 8:00 : Breakfast

Departure from the Villa Lucia and Montecatini for Rome

Arrival in Rome – After check-in, lunch will be on your own. Your Italy Specialist will be happy to provide some great suggestions to you. Benvenuti!

3:00 p.m. Introduction to Italian Opera. Mary Evanthia Tzambiras, a leading Italian Opera specialist and a former performer, will be your special guest lecturer.
(Discourse will be on the evening’s opera that we will be attending)

Early dinner on own account in hotel or nearby restaurants.

Evening: Opera Performance

Breakfast

Day 8 Tour of Ancient Rome

7:00 - 8:00: Breakfast in the hotel

8:30:Departure for private tour of historic center of Rome. We will cover the most important monuments of the past including the Roman Coliseum, the Forum, the Circus Maximus, and more! After tour, lunch on own.

Afternoon free in Rome to shop, visit other sites or to relax.

Optional Evening:Concert or opera performance in Rome. Please check with Mr. Walker beforehand to arrange another show for you.

Dinner on own.
Breakfast

Day 9 Return to the USA via Flight from Rome to your home town

7:00 – 7:30:Breakfast in the hotel.

07:30:Departure from Rome to Airport.
Buon Viaggio! Arrivederci!

Price per person:

Dates and Prices per Person : (upon request) per person in double occupancy (plus airfare)

Price Includes:

• 7 nights accommodation (4 Star Superior Luxury Villa in Tuscany & Hotel in Rome)
• All Private transfers as per itinerary (From/To airports, performance, tours)
• All Tours, Privately Guided, as per itinerary:
  • Lucca
  • Pisa
  • Florence
  • Ancient Rome
• All meals as per itinerary
  • 7 breakfasts
  • 3 lunches
  • 5 dinners (suppers)
  • Welcome Café’ and cocktail
• Cooking Class and Wine Tasting
• Opera Introduction seminar by former performer and Live Operatic performance
• 24/7 Assistance by Joseph Walker’s Italy Revealed