Venice Tour title
Margaret Knight Tours

Venice is almost unique in Italy never having been a Roman town and coming into existence after most of Italy had fallen to the Germanic tribes. The area at the north end of the Adriatic sea was called Venetia by the Romans and contained important towns, cities and ports but the area which became the city of Venice was nothing more than a series of sparsely occupied islands within a lagoon surrounded by sand bars.

She was the freest of Italy's many free cities, she owned no ruler, had no city walls, no palace guards, no parade grounds for military drill and display. From the 6th century AD to the end of the 18th the Venetians were an entirely separate people.

While other empires rose and fell they elaborated a republican government in a form which was envied by other Italian city states. While most medieval communities the size of Venice were inevitably absorbed in the rise of strongly organised European monarchies Venice perfected her institutions as a city state and preserved her independence through diplomatic skill, by adjusting her trade and manufacturing to the new opportunities offered by an expanding Europe.

Venice and Ravenna are two of the most celebrated cities in Italy but few visitors see more than their most famous sights or have the opportunity to understand their rich, complex and sometimes ruthless histories. ‘Venice for the Curious’ is a tour for those who want to know more. Beginning at Ravenna, the first ruler of the lagoons we travel on to the birthplace of the Serene Republic on the lidi and the islands. The story of Venice will unfold as we explore the quarters of the city, each with their own architectural identity and treasure houses of art of all kinds.

Tuesday 17th March

08.40 Scheduled flight by British Airways from London Heathrow T5 to Bologna arriving at 11.45 local time. Transfer by private coach to Ravenna. Time permitting a brief walk through Ravenna.

Group dinner at the hotel.

Wednesday18th March

Ravenna with visits including the tiny, beautiful Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the oldest Christian building in the city, San Vitale with mosaics from the time of Justinian, the Baptistery of the Arians, the Neonian Baptistery and Sant’Apollinare Nuovo.
Group dinner at the hotel

Thursday19th March

By private coach to Sant’Apollinare in Classe, once situated in the ancient port of Classe at the mouth of the river Uniti. On to Chioggia, Venice’s guardian of the entrance to the southern lagoons.
Group lunch in Chioggia
Visits to San Domenico and the Duomo before departing by private coach and water taxi to Venice.

Group dinner

Friday 20th March


The Lagoon: By private boat for an all-day visit to the northern lagoon islands. Torcello, the first large Venetian settlement and the location of her first cathedral, the beautifully decorated Santa Maria dell’ Assunta, the martyrium of Santa Fosca and the Museo di Torcello on to San Francesco del Deserto with its monastery founded by St Francis of Assisi.

Group lunch on Burano

The Lazzaretto Nuovo, Venice’s quarantine island and Murano for the Veneto-Byzantine church of Santi Maria e Donato and The Museo Vetrario with its outstanding collection of Venetian glass.

Saturday 21st March

Rialto: By vaporetto to the Rialto, the commercial heart of medieval Venice for a walking tour to include San Giacomo di Rialto, the oldest church in the city, the Gothic Palazzo Mocenigo Vecchio and San Giacomo dell’Orio with its unique ‘ships keel’ roof.

San Polo: Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, the great Franciscan church of Venice with paintings by Giovanni Bellini and Titian. The 16th century Scuola Grande di San Rocco with cycles of paintings by Tintoretto.

Sunday 22nd March

Canareggio: By vaporetto for a walking tour to include the beautiful Renaissance church of San Giobbe. The Ghetto and synagogues, The merchant’s quarter of the Campo dei Mori, The Madonna dell’Orto with paintings by Tintoretto, The Ca’ d’Oro and the Gesuiti.
Piazza San Marco and the Piazzetta : San Marco, exterior and interior and the courtyards of the Palazzo Ducale. San Giorgio degli Schiavoni with a cycle of paintings by Carpaccio.

Monday 23rd March

Castello: AM - By vaporetto to the great Dominican Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo and Verocchio’s Colleoni monument, Pietro Lombardo’s Santa Maria dei Miracoli. San Giorgio dei Greci and the Museo Diocesano with a fine collection of Greek icons and San Zaccaria home to one of Bellini’s finest altarpieces.

Afternoon: - Palladio’s S. Giorgio Maggiore and on to La Giudecca for his Il Rendentore.

Group dinner

Tuesday 24th March

Dorsoduro: On foot to the baroque Church of the Salute and the Academia Gallery

Afternoon. Depart hotel for a 19.35 flight to London Gatwick arriving 20.40 local time.

A complimentary coach transfer to Heathrow will be available if required.

A complimentary coach transfer to Heathrow will be available if required.

Prices

£1765.00 per person sharing
Double for sole use supplement+£295.00 for the duration

Optional upgrade in Venice to Superior room with Canal View: £220 per room in total for the duration – on request and subject to confirmation on application (Please see Millenium Tours booking form)

Deposit required on this tour is £250 per person
ROE: £1.00 = €1.18 (refer to booking conditions at paragraph 8)

Hotels

2 x nights at the 4 star NH Hotel Ravenna in central Ravenna – half board
5 x nights at the 3 star superior Hotel American in central Venice – B & B

Tour includes

Scheduled flights with British Airways
Tuesday 17 March London Heathrow T5 / Bologna 08:40 / 11:45
Tuesday 24 March Venice Marco-Polo / Gatwick 19.35 / 20.40 with complimentary transfer to Heathrow if required
All airport taxes, security charges and UK Government levies
7 x nights at the hotels listed above
Dinner at the hotel in Ravenna each night including local wine ¼ L, ½ L mineral water, coffee/tea.
2 x lunches including ¼ L local wine, ½ L mineral water and coffee on Day 3 in Chioggia and Day 4 in Burano
2 x dinners in Venice on evening of arrival and the last evening including wine ¼ L, ½ L mineral water, coffee/tea.
Coach services in Ravenna
Assisted water taxi transfer services in Venice to Hotel American and on departure directly to Marco Polo airport.
Porterage services at each hotel on arrival & departure and from airport dock to inside the terminal at Venice airport
All entry fees
72 hours Venice Travelcard
Full day boat hire with assistant for visiting the Lagoon Islands including San Francesco del Deserto.
Local guide(s) in Ravenna for full day as required by local laws.
All local taxes including city taxes.
Millennium Tours travel accessories

Not included are:

1. Any other drinks except those specified above
2. Any other meals except those specified above.
3 Tips.
4. Items of personal expenditure.
5. Transport to/from UK airports.
6. Personal travel insurance.
7. Any other services not stated as included above

 

For more information please contact

Millennium Tours
Suite 67
95 Wilton Road
London SW1V 1BZ

Tel. 020 8875 9863
e-mail: groups@millenniumtours.co.uk

or

Margaret Knight

e-mail: cavalieri@waitrose.com

(copy and paste Margaret's address into your email address box)

 

All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in this brochure are operated by Millennium Tours Ltd ATOL 10040 and financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it.Atol logo

Please see the booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to:   http://www.caa.co.uk/ATOLCertificate

Venice flag


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