Venice to Athens

421 Days until departure
May 26, 2026 - June 4, 2026
Trip ID: Reagan-7295

Tour Itinerary print itinerary

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Day 1 Overnight flight to Italy (Venice)
Day 2 Ciao Venice
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Day 3 Venice landmarks
Details: Venice guided sightseeing tour
Bubbling up on more than 100 islands in a lagoon off the Adriatic, Venice is an absolutely unique and unquestionably beautiful city. Step into Piazza San Marco, an airy expanse of arches, sunlight, and pigeons. The multi-domed Basilica on one end, completed in 1094 but decorated for centuries afterward, is the final resting place of the apostle St. Mark, Venice’s patron saint. The mosaics beneath the basilica’s outside arches depict the arrival of St. Mark’s body, stolen from Egypt in 828 by Venetian traders. The Venetian Gothic Doge’s Palace stands next door.
Details: Bridge of Sighs
View the famous Bridge of Sighs, which was built in the seventeenth century and connects the Old and New Prison. Local legend is that as prisoners walked across the bridge to their execution they would sigh as they got one last glimpse of the outside world.
Details: Doge's Palace guided visit
Enjoy a visit to the Doge's’ Palace, residence of the rulers of the Serenissima Republic. We will explore the ornate and grandiose rooms of the palace, including a walk across thefamous Bridge of Sighs to the cells, where Casanova was once imprisoned, as well as the Grand Council chamber, featuring Tintoretto's Paradise, said to be the world's largest oil painting.
Details: St. Mark's Cathedral visit
Visit St. Mark's Basilica, where Monteverdi was the maestro di capella and the Gabrielis composed their antiphonal brass pieces.
Day 4 Venice--Florence
Travel to Florence via Ravenna
Details: Mosaic Sites
Marvel at the early Christian and Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna.
Details: LEAP Patron of the Renaissance
Imagine you’re a Medici. Suppose you’re a Sforza. Use this innovative activity to explore the motives of the patrons of the Renaissance.
Day 5 Florence landmarks
Florence guided sightseeing tour with Whisper headsets
Accademia Gallery visitBaptistery DoorsChiesa di Santa CroceDuomoPonte Vecchio
Optional  Uffizi Gallery  $19
LEAP Cucina Fiorentina!
Cooking class with dinner
Details: Accademia Gallery visit
Founded in 1563, the Accademia was the first school in Europe established to teach drawing, painting, and sculpting. Michelangelo's David (the biblical hero who slayed Goliath) is the most famous work on display.
Details: Ponte Vecchio
Stroll along the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest of Florence's six bridges and one of the best-loved sites of Florence. Lined with numerous shops, visitors often do not realize they are on a bridge until the reach the center arches that look out over the Arno.
Details: LEAP Cucina Fiorentina!
Bring your appetite with you and cook up a traditional Florentine meal. With our chef as our guide, we will prepare some traditional Italian dishes and learn about Italian culture through the art of cooking.
Day 6 Florence--Rome
Travel to Rome
Details: Rome guided sightseeing tour
Gods and gladiators, glory and gore. Ancient Rome lives on in its spectacular monuments, flavoring the frenetic present with tastes of the past. Don a space-age Whisper headset to get the inside scoop on the most spectacular, the Colosseum, a grisly battle arena that seated more than 45,000. An enormous retractable roof awning system kept spectators cool on sunny days. The nearby Forum provides a glimpse into everyday ancient life, with markets, meeting places, and temples all combined into one vast space.
Details: Colosseum visit with Whisper headset
The Colosseum, considered to be the greatest symbol of Ancient Rome's power and glory, was completed under Titus in 80 A.D. The Colosseum could hold 55,000 spectators, on a par with many of today's modern sports stadiums. Among the sights included is the Arch of Constantine, a triumphal arch finished in 315 A.D., commemorating the victory of Constantine I over Maxentius in the year 312 A.D.
Details: Forum Romanum visit
Tour the ruins and excavations of the Roman Forum, which features the remains of magnificent temples, basilicas, and triumphal arches that once formed the heart of the Empire.
Day 7 Rome
Vatican City guided walking sightseeing tour with Whisper headsets
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel visitSt. Peter’s Basilica visit
Details: Vatican City guided walking sightseeing tour with Whisper headsets
Visit St. Peter’s Basilica where from the outside, the church has four rows of columns that radiate out like welcoming arms; inside, the church seems enormous enough to embrace the entire world. The dome, partially designed by Michelangelo, rises 452 feet above the ground. Michelangelo’s mark is everywhere here, from the costumes worn by the Swiss Guards to his exquisite “Pietà” sculpture (the only sculpture he ever signed) to the amazing frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. Because he considered himself a sculptor and not a painter, Michelangelo hated working on these paintings, now considered masterpieces.
Day 8 Rome--Athens
Fly to Athens
Details: LEAP Return or Remain: Who Owns Art?
The Parthenon Sculptures, taken by the British Earl of Elgin in the early 19th century, are now in the British Museum, leading to a controversy over whether they should stay in London or return to Greece.
Day 9 Athens landmarks
LEAP Mousaka & Sousta
Greek Taverna dinnerGreek dance lesson
Details: Athens guided sightseeing tour
Athens is one of the oldest and greatest cities of Western Civilization, with a recorded history that extends back 3,400 years. During the Classical Era, Athens was a center for the arts, learning, and philosophy. It was the home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. Modern Athens is still a vibrant city with a rich culture that takes great pride in its long and complex history.
Details: Acropolis site visit
Visit the Acropolis, which has overlooked Athens for over 2,000 years; habitation traces indicate that it was occupied as early as the Neolithic Age. View the Temple of Athena Nike, and its successor, The Parthenon. The Parthenon is the crowning achievement of the Doric order, built to demonstrate the wealth of Athens in tribute to its patron goddess, Athena.
Details: Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square, located directly in front of the Old Royal Palace, is the central square of Athens.
Details: Agora
The Agora, or marketplace, is located at the base of the Acropolis. It has been a meeting place for thousands of years, going through cycles of destruction and rebuilding. Signs of its changing nature are abundant.
Details: Acropolis Museum guided visit
Experience an up close look at the history, art and culture of ancient Greece from the foot of the Acropolis. Walk through this magnificent museum to see examples of Greek art and culture from the Archaic period all the way through the 7th century AD. Learn more about the world famous Acropolis, the Parthenon and the history that surrounds them.
Details: LEAP Mousaka & Sousta
Join hands for traditional Greek line dancing. Next, head to the taverna and live like a local. Enjoy Greek culture, cuisine—and a show!
Day 10 Flight home from Athens

Tour Includes

  • Round-trip airfare and other transportation described in the itinerary
  • Basic Medical, Dental, Emergency Evacuation Insurance during trip
  • Up to three college credits upon course completion (grades 9-12) or high school credit (grades 6-12)
  • Centrally located three- and four-star hotels
  • Plentiful daily breakfast to start the day energized and ready to go
  • Appetizing, culturally representative, three-course dinner daily
  • Full time, multilingual, WorldStrides tour director who is LEAP-trained in experiential education
  • Local guide at sites and on city tours as described in the itinerary
  • LEAP! Learning through Exploration and Active Participation; trademarked immersive approach of learning by doing
  • Entrances and transportation to sites and activities described in your itinerary
  • Local guide and local bus driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
  • 24/7 On Tour Emergency Support
  • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
  • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, any required passport or visa fees, optional excursions, or recommended Tips for the Tour Director or multi-day Bus Drivers. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid tips, or other individual/group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.

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