Italy’s tour with a Jewish allure: Rome, Florence and Venice

Arrival at Rome’s airport; private transfer with driver to reach your hotel in Rome. You will stay at a Kosher B&B (in the area of the Jewish ghetto) that will include for your stay the kosher breakfast.
For all lunches and dinners, near the B&B you will find tasty kosher restaurants.

After breakfast, meeting with your guide to embark on an off-the-beaten-path journey through the most ancient Jewish Ghetto in the Western world. Follow your expert guide around the Ghetto – visit the Great Synagogue (ticket included), the famous 2nd century BC Portico d’Ottavia and the Turtle Fountain and let the delicious smell coming out of the traditional food and kosher restaurants guide along its cobble-stoned streets. You will then enjoy our special exclusive entrance at the Historical Jewish Archive where two Jewish archivists will give a brief presentation on the history of the Ghetto and then show some historical documents dating back up to 4-5 centuries ago, such as Sifrei Torah, Ketubboth, Chumashim and other records and photos.
After lunch (our guide will advise on the best kosher restaurant in the ghetto), our guide will lead the way to the Baroque gems and precious squares of Rome’s centre. Our visit starts from the beautiful Navona Square and its famous Fountain of the Four Rivers realized by the brilliant Gian Lorenzo Bernini, this masterpiece is framed by beautiful buildings and monuments designed by famous architects such as Francesco Borromini. The next highlights you will marvel will be the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and the stunning Trevi Fountain: here, traditionally for good luck, you can throw a coin.
After this engaging visit it will be time to relax at your B&B.

Breakfast at the B&B and meeting with your private guide. With a taxi (to be paid upon arrival at destination) you will go to the Vatican Museums (skip the line tickets included). The Vatican Museums' fame is more than well-deserved, given the priceless works such as the Sistine Chapel, which houses Michelangelo's The Last Judgment and The Creation of Adam, Raphael's rooms, the Gallery of Maps and the Cortile della Pigna. From the museums you'll arrive at St. Peter's Basilica, where at the entrance you'll immediately find the wonderful statue of the Pieta by Michelangelo, along with other masterpieces of rare beauty. After a 4-hour visit, you will have the afternoon at leisure to wander around the Eternal city on your own. Overnight stay at your B&B in the ghetto area.

Meeting with your guide (for a 3-hour long guided tour) at B&B and transfer by taxi to reach the Colosseum. Visit of the Colosseum (skip the line tickets included), called by the ancient Romans "Amphitheatrum Flavium", it was built by Emperor Vespasian around 72 AD, and inaugurated by his son Titus in 80 AD (using the funds from the treasures of the Temple in Jerusalem). Our guide will help you relive the atmosphere of the shows with wild beasts and gladiators that were held for centuries in this imposing monument. You will then visit the Roman Forum (with a focus on Titus arch with the iconic sculpted image of the Romans carrying the spoils of the Temple in Jerusalem) and the Imperial Forums. These are a series of five monumental squares built over the course of a century and a half (between 46 BC and 113 AD) in the heart of the city of Rome by Julius Caesar and the emperors Augustus, Vespasian, Nerva and Trajan.
Afternoon at leisure or in alternative visit with private van and guide to Ancient Ostia ruins, where you will find one of the most ancient sinagogues in Europe.
Overnight stay at your B&B.

Breakfast at the B&B and check out. Private transfer to Rome’s train station: train to Florence (Premium class). Once in Florence station, private transfer to reach your hotel: you will stay at a lovely 3* hotel very close to the city’s Synagogue, in double rooms. The hotel will be very close to a couple of kosher restaurants and one of these will deliver breakfast to the hotel.
In the afternoon, half day walking tour in the heart of Florence with our private guide (4-hours total). A radiant city we would like to present you through a pleasant stroll along the main points of interest, starting with Piazza Santa Croce and then Piazza del Duomo, with its magnificent monuments and building many of which designed and realized by famous Renaissance artists. From here you will be reaching Piazza della Signoria, where you will soon realize why Florence has been often designated an “open-air museum”. Your final stop will be the Accademia Gallery (skip the line tickets included), where the guide will reveal all the interesting details about the world-famous David by Michelangelo (did you know its eyes are heart shaped?). At the end of the visits, relax back at your hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, morning discovery of the Jewish Ghetto and the Synagogue with our guide for 3 hours. The first Jews arrived in the city in the 13th century and in the 1500s the Jewish ghetto was very important and lied in the city center. You are going to visit the magnificent Synagogue, built in 1892 following the inspiration of St. Sofia in Istanbul and its Museum offers an interesting and detailed description of the daily life in Florence’s ghetto.
On demand we can add a kosher cooking class for lunch.
Afternoon at leisure and preparation for Shabbat. We will provide you with both Shabbat meals, the dinner and the lunch, that you will be able to savour at your hotel.

Day at leisure for Shabbat observance; we will provide you with Shabbat dinner, breakfast and lunch.

Breakfast at the hotel and collection of your kosher packed lunch for the day. Private transfer to Siena where with our professional guide you will marvel at this precious Medieval city, full of ancient traditions like the world famous “Palio”, attracting every July crowds from all over the world. . Visit the Synagogue and the Jewish Museum, the perfect way to feel the Jewish past of this incredible Tuscan city.
After enjoying your packed lunch your private driver will drive you to San Gimignano that you will visit on your own. This town majestically raises on a hilltop – its towered skyline is soon recognisable from the distance. Stroll at your own pace along the history-soaked streets of the city, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site that inspired so many including the creators of the video game “Assassin’s Creed”. Climb up one of the towers (tickets to be purchased on the spot) and catch a 360° breath taking view of the landscape of the surrounding Elsa Valley to then proceed for another stroll to enjoy shopping at the local shops for authentic Tuscan ceramics and pottery, marbled paper and handcrafted jewellery.
An alternative experience would be to enjoy a kosher wine tasting in a winery in Chianti area (to be quoted on demand), instead of visiting San Gimignano.
Drive back to Florence. Accommodation at your hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel, check out, private transfer to the station and train ride (Premium seats) to reach Venice. Once at the station our host will walk you to your hotel in the ghetto area, a 3 star property with kosher breakfast and very close to kosher restaurants.
After lunch, meeting with our guide to explore for 2 hours the narrow alleys of the Ghetto, the oldest in the world established in 1513, and learn more about its history, as well as the local Jewish traditions. Striking and fascinating at the same time, you will notice that buildings are taller than everywhere else in the city. This because all Ghetto areas established throughout Italy were extremely small and the only way to accommodate the increasing population was to add floors to the existing buildings. Nevertheless, despite the difficult living conditions the ghetto became a hub of social, cultural and commercial exchanges, featuring five synagogues, built between the early 16th and the 17th century, a Museum, a Jewish library and archive, several of the first print houses of Jewish religious texts and nowadays several kosher food shops and restaurants as well as traditional handicraft shops.
Discover all the highlights this neighborhood offers.
Rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation at your hotel in the ghetto, close to many kosher restaurants.

Kosher breakfast at the hotel, meeting with your guide and with the public ferry you will reach the island of Murano. This island boasts a long and still-thriving tradition dating back to 1291, when glass artisans moved their kilns from the old city center for fear of fires. Observe at close quarters the skill of artisans as they forge objects of art – from figurines to chandeliers, from vases to wine stoppers – still employing ancient techniques.
Once back in Venice, at the end of 3-hours of visit, after a quick lunch in a kosher bar our guide will recommend you, stroll around the charming Venetian alleys and canals to reach the heart of the city, St. Mark’s square. Here the Cathedral and the Ducal Palace, the spiritual and temporal power of the city, face each other. Our guide, during this 3-hours long visit, will reveal all details about the “Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia” and its golden century.
2-hours guided tour of the heart of Venice. The journey through the wonders of Venice starts at St. Mark’s Square, the political, social and religious heart of the Maritime Republic. Breathe the power of this place while admiring the Bell Tower and the Clock Tower adorning the airy square before plunging into the discovery of the two main landmarks of Venice.
On request, you can visit the magnificent Basilica dedicated to the Patron Saint of the city and be inspired by its glittering golden mosaics, a finest example of Byzantine architecture in Western Europe. Learn how this holy place was built and the difficulties it had to bear due to severe weather conditions. Breathe then the power of the Great Council in the Doge’s Palace, with its stunning grand halls embellished by superb paintings by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto. At the end of the tour, afternoon at leisure and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Morning at leisure. In the early afternoon, our host and a private taxiboat will take you directly to the airport to fly to your next destination.
Good bye Italia!