Take the train to Tivoli and start at Villa Adriana, or Hadrian’s Villa, an expansive imperial retreat that recreates landscapes and architectural styles from across the empire, reflecting both power and personal vision. Check dress codes before visiting.

Head back to Centro Storico di Tivoli for lunch and to explore the narrow alleys and local shops.

Optional add-on: Visit Villa Gregoriana for its views of waterfalls and trails leading to ancient Roman ruins, gorges, and caves.

Explore Villa d’Este, a Renaissance villa famed for its elaborate terraced gardens and fountains, showing how later elites reinterpreted Roman ideas of luxury and landscape.

Head to Giuseppe Garibaldi Square for a café break before heading back to Rome.

Travel to and explore Ostia Antica Archaeological Park, Rome’s ancient port city, where preserved streets, homes, shops, and bathhouses provide a picture of everyday Roman life beyond the capital.

Head to Lido di Ostia Levante for beachside relaxation and views of the ocean.

Optional add-on: Stroll around the Porto Turistico di Roma and stop for a meal and a gelato.

Head back to Rome.

Optional add-on: Take a very early train to Florence in order to climb to the top of the dome of Florence Cathedral (Duomo) or ascend Giotto's Campanile for panoramic views over Florence’s terracotta rooftop. The dome offers an immersive architectural experience, while the bell tower provides the best external view of the cathedral itself.

Take an early train to Florence and start with the interior of Florence Cathedral (Duomo), where the vast scale and frescoed dome convey the grandeur of Renaissance Florence and then visit the nearby Baptistery of St. John, renowned for its glittering mosaic ceiling and bronze doors.

Requirements for respectful/modest attire apply at churches and other religious sites. Visitors should avoid disrupting religious observances and remain mindful of posted customs.

Wander through the Uffizi Gallery, home to an extensive collection of Italian Renaissance art, including works by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, as well as other master painters.

Pause for gelato and stroll through Piazza della Signoria, the historic political heart of the city, where sculptures in the open-air **Loggia dei Lanzi **create a museum-like setting. Stop for a photo op of the exterior of Palazzo Vecchio, which reflects Florence’s civic power.

Walk across Ponte Vecchio and browse the nearby jewelry stores and small artisan workshops that reflect Florence’s goldsmithing heritage.

Take a walk along the Arno River before heading back to Rome.

Travel by train to Orvieto and take the funicular up to the town. Head to Orvieto Cathedral and marvel at the façade of golden mosaics, intricate marble reliefs, and carved biblical scenes. Inside, make sure to take a look at the dramatic frescoes of the Cappella di San Brizio.

Requirements for respectful/modest attire apply at churches and other religious sites. Visitors should avoid disrupting religious observances and remain mindful of posted customs.

Optional add-on: Visit Etruscan Museum Claudia Faina for its Etruscan artifacts and coins.

Join a pre-booked tour of Orvieto Underground to explore tunnels and chambers carved into the volcanic rock by the Etruscans more thousands of years ago.

Head to Torre del Moro, an ancient clock tower with panoramic views of terracotta rooftops, the cathedral dome, and the valley beyond. Have lunch with a glass of the local wine, Orvieto Classico, at Piazza della Repubblica, considered to be the ancient heart of the city.

Wander through the Medieval Quarter to Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Patrick’s Well) with its two spiral staircases arranged in a double helix, allowing donkeys to descend with empty vessels and ascend with full ones without ever crossing paths.

Take the funicular back down and head back to Rome.

Travel by train to Naples and begin with a photo op of Castel dell’Ovo, the oldest standing fortress in Naples, and a brief waterfront walk.

Then head to Piazza del Plebiscito, a ceremonial plaza. Stop for a photo op of the Royal Palace of Naples, with its Baroque architecture.

Explore the Centro Storico and Spaccanapoli with its crumbling palazzi, baroque churches, and street food vendors. Pass by Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo with its diamond design façade.

Optional add-on: Stroll down Via San Gregorio Armeno, with its artisans making presepi (handcrafted nativity scenes).

Head to the Duomo di Napoli to see its Neo-Gothic façade, Gothic interior, and frescoes. The cathedral is dedicated to San Gennaro and said to have vials of his blood that turn to liquid a few times annually.

Have some Neapolitan pizza for lunch eaten the local way, folded in four.

Take the funicular up to Castel Sant'Elmo, an ancient fortress with a view of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius.

Then head to Certosa e Museo di San Martino, a former monastery with a terrace garden and a collection of historical presepi (nativity scenes). Requirements for respectful/modest attire apply at churches and other religious sites. Visitors should avoid disrupting religious observances and remain mindful of posted customs.

Take the funicular back down and head back to Rome.