Fireworks over San Marco                       December 27, 2015- January 2, 2016
-an STE Immersion program

Venice is unique and has to be on the top ten lists of most prospective travelers. It is a city of history and art and also of good food but what sets it apart is its relationship to the water and the ability to explore it on foot. Sure you may get lost for a while but you will eventually end up at a canal and follow it to your next destination or ask the friendly inhabitants. It is best seen in the off-season when the tourists ( and the cruise ships) are gone and the colder days add another layer of color to the city. And what could be more magical than to celebrate New Year’s Eve as the Fireworks burst over the Piazza San Marco?

8 days: $785 per person inclusive of accommodations in a 4 star hotel, 6 breakfasts, transfers, guided sightseeing as indicated, Vaporetti tickets. International airfare is additional and estimated at $1,032 departing from New York. We are happy to assist in making the reservations. An optional single supplement of $469 is available for those not wishing to participate in our roommate matching guarantee              Guaranteed Departure

• The  chance to enjoy Cicchetti the Venetian equivalent of Tapas with your new friends and traveling companions
• Your first ride on the Vaporetto as your cruise the Grand Canal
• An introduction to the highlights of Venice as you explore Piazza San Marco and other Venetian highlights
• Enjoying the private art collection of early 20th Century masters at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum
• Having a glass of Prosecco in the bar of the Aman Grande Canale where George Clooney got married
• Celebrating New Year’s Eve watching the fireworks over Piazza San Marco

Day 1: Depart USA

You board your aircraft for the overnight flight to Venice, the city on the lagoon, home to Casanova, realm of the gondola and the perfect place to start off a New Year

Day 2: Arrival in Venice

Upon arrival in Venice you are met and taken to your hotel to drop off your luggage and begin your exploration of this unusual city. If you are arriving from Florence following our Christmas in Rome program you will be met at the station and assisted to the hotel where you meet up with your fellow travelers. This afternoon try some Cicchetti (the Venetian equivalent of Tapas) at a neighborhood Bacari or wine bar, an excellent way to meet the local Venetians

Day 3: Introduction to Classical Venice 

After breakfast your guide meets for the start of a walking tour in Venice. You will start in St. Mark’s Square. Your first stop will be the Doges Palace where you will learn about the history, art and culture of the Venetian Republic. This former seat of government is richly decorated by some of the most important artists of the 16th Century and this is especially so in the Doge’s private apartments which you will also visit. You cross the Bridge of Sighs to see the old prison of the republic before returning to St Mark’s square where you enter Saint Mark’s Church. This was originally the Doge’s private chapel but is now the Venetian cathedral and is a rare example of Byzantine Art with its golden mosaics and the “Pala d’Oro” (Golden Altar), rich in enamels, precious stones and jewels. You visit the Gallery in order to see the original bronze horses brought from Constantinople during the second Crusade. After your tour the rest of the day is left open                                                                                         Breakfast

Day 4: Art in Venice

Today you start to immerse yourself in the life of a Venetian both in days gone by and today. We will provide a pass on the Vaporetti which are the water buses which run up and down the Grand Canal stopping on both sides of the canal, they, plus your walking shoes are the best ways to get around Venice. They run out to the islands in the lagoon like Murano and Burano and they can even take you across the lagoon to the Lido with its beachfront hotels. Either as a group or in small groups we have laid out some suggested routes although you are free to make your own way or re-arrange the order we have suggested. As you cruise the canal you will discover that the “canalasso” is the main “street” in Venice and was once the main residential area for noblemen and seat of the most important commercial activities. While a few are still in private hands most of the palazzos have been turned into luxury hotels like the Aman where George Clooney was married, or art galleries. This should be your focus today. You should get off at Ca’Rezzonica, a beautiful baroque palace where you can view 18th Century paintings, frescoes, furniture and furnishings and see how a noble family lived at the time. Your next stop should be Frari Church, an interesting historical and artistic complex with the church itself having works by Bellini and Titian and an annex called Scuola Grande di San Rocco known to Venetians as “Tintoretto’s Sistine Chapel”. After lunch you can walk to the Gallerie dell ’Accademia which was established by Piazzetta in 1750 and later run by Tiepolo. Inside is a large collection of Venetian art ranging from the 14th to the 18th Century.  Your last visit for the day should be the Peggy Guggenheim Museum situated right on the Grand Canal and located in the Palazzo Venier Dai Leoni, which was bought by the American heiress as her home in 1954. She was an avid collector and friend of many famous artists at the start of the 20th Century and, upon her death in 1979 the house was opened, full time, as a museum. The collection includes major works by Miro, Magritte, Boccioni, Picasso, Chagall, Mondrian, Kandinsky, Ernst and Dali. 
                                Breakfast

Day 5: Your Personal Venice

By now you should be used to using the Vaporetti do take this day to put together a group of your new friends and go exploring. You might want to rise early   and visit the Rialto Market whose fish and meat on display reinforce the relationship between Venice and the sea. You can inspect the stores on the Rialto Bridge and then if you’re looking for something different   take the Vaporetto across the lagoon to the Lido, walk the beach and have lunch at one of the grand old hotels facing the sea.               Breakfast

Day 6: Burano, the “Secret Island” and Countdown to 2016

While yesterday was spent in fulfilling the expectations you had of Venice, today we suggest you explore the lesser known Venice but one that we feel increases your knowledge of the city and its heritage. Again you take the Vaporetto to the Dorsoduro “sestiere” (the Venetian word for District). You start in Campo Santa Margherita close to the university and a major meeting point for students  then walk along the Zattere, a promenade along the lagoon with magnificent views well loved by Venetians. Make your way through typical Venetian alleys and arrive at Squero de San Trovaso where you visit one of the few remaining shipyards where Gondolas are still built and repaired. You will have a chance to visit the boatyard and also a workshop where the beautiful masks made for Carneval are created. Return to the canal to catch another Vaporetto out to Burano Island which is known for its colorful houses and for its fine lace which is created on the Island. Spend some time exploring the island  before crossing a footbridge to an island devoted to wine and food. We highly recommend that you  have lunch at Venissa, made from some of the organic ingredients grown at the farm and perhaps some fresh fish also raised at the farm. After lunch you can tour the farm and the vineyard which is enclosed by a wall dating back to the 15th century. You will taste the refreshing white wine grown within proximity to Piazza san Marco. You then catch the Vaporetto back to town.    This evening we have made reservations for you to join your fellow travelers in helping to celebrate the New Year. After dinner you join your “fellow Venetians “as you ring in the New Year watching the fireworks burst over Piazza San Marco               Breakfast   

Day 7: New Year’s Day in Venice

Today is your last day in Venice so you may want to sleep a little longer after the previous evenings celebrations. Later in the day however we recommend visiting one last area of the city.  The wealth of Venice was built on its seafaring prowess and its merchant skills. Walk to the Fonda co dei Tedeschi the building that housed the exchange of the Northern Merchants then head for the Castello area, the most typical district in Venice, located in the farthest eastern part of the city. You should start at the Pieta Church where Vivaldi, the great baroque musician worked all of his life while composing. Walk through the  Campo della Bragora with its ancient houses and churches before arriving at Campo dell’ Arsenale where, at one time, up to 12,000 workers built the Venetian galleys that assured Venice’s maritime dominance. Tonight you may want to join your fellow travelers where you started out, visiting various Bacari to drink some wine and taste some Cicchetti as you discuss the things you have seen and done in this remarkable city                                       Breakfast

Day 8: Return to USA

After breakfast you will be transferred to Marco Polo Airport where you begin your journey back to the USA arriving that same afternoon but a year later.                Breakfast

Accommodations

Venice (Mestre) Hotel Quid

Welcome to the new Quidexperience: neat, flexible and smart. This is us. This is our Quid Hotel. This brand new, environmentally friendly hotel is strategically located within the new commercial directional AEV Terraglio area in Mestre and directly connected to the Marco Polo Airport by a service. It’s easy living near the city! Flexible service, modern design, friendly technology and the full range of facilities all come together in this 4 star Hotel

• Free buffet Breakfast. Full energy to enjoy every day - whether you plan to spend it shopping, relaxing or sightseeing within Venice or the enchanting cities surrounding it.

• Free Wi-Fi connection throughout the hotel, including the restaurant and rooms. Stay connected to the entire world with your laptop, netbook or iPhone - for work or for fun.

• Mover Restaurant: fabulous food for passionate globetrotters. Traditional dishes, light lunches, coffee breaks and buffet are all available on the first floor. 

For more on this trip, please contact Ultitude at
Phone: 407 549 5640
Email: concierge@ultitude.com
Or click the reservations link at the bottom of this page to book your space on the trip.
Florida Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST37189

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