May 28 | Fly from USA to Milan

This day will be spent on the plane traveling to Italy.

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May 29 | Arrival in Milan
After checking in at our hotel in the center of Milan and enjoying a light lunch, we start our tour of Milan with a visit to the Duomo square, where we will have a chance to admire the city from on high, either from the roof of the cathedral or from the newly opened High Line, above the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.  We will also have a chance to admire the Galleria from below when we traverse it to reach Piazza della Scala where the famous opera theater is.  From La Scala we will move to the neighboring Brera district, where we’ll enjoy some drinks at one of the many bars with tables on the ancient cobblestone streets.
We will conclude the day with dinner in a restaurant in the Navigli neighborhood, where we will also have a chance to photograph the sunset or the blue hour from one of the bridges spanning the canal. (LD)

May 30 | Milan
The day will be dedicated to exploring the city, starting with a visit to the Cimitero Monumentale, arguably the most spectacular cemetery in the world. Its quiet tree-lined lanes host an incredible variety of sculptures spanning one-and-a-half centuries.  We will then move to Porta Nuova, a recently renovated business and residential district showcasing some of Milan’s most exciting examples of modern architecture, including the Bosco Verticale and the Unicredit Tower, Italy’s tallest building.  From there, we will walk down Corso Como and Corso Garibaldi, two elegant streets full of stores, restaurants, and bars, where the Milanese like to stroll and shop after a long day’s work.  After having dinner in a typical restaurant, we will photograph Piazza Duomo during the blue hour.  (BLD)

May 31 | Genoa
In the morning, we take a high-speed train that, in about one hour and a half to Genoa.  We will start our tour of the city from its most central square, Piazza De Ferrari, lined with elegant buildings, including the Carlo Felice opera house, and sporting a magnificent fountain in its center.  From Piazza de Ferrari, we walk down to the old city center, a daedalus of narrow streets surrounding the medieval cathedral of San Lorenzo and reaching as far as the old port.  We will then walk across the Strade Nuove area, home of the Palazzi dei Rolli, a collection of palaces dating to the 500’s and 600’s that constitute a UNESCO World Heritage site.
We will conclude the day with a visit to Boccadasse, a charming fishing village that has retained its character, despite being now surrounded by a modern city.  (BLD)

June 1 | Cinque Terre
In the morning, we take a local train to the city of Monterosso al Mare (1h 10m) and begin our exploration of the Cinque Terre.  Our tour of the Cinque Terre starts from Monterosso, the largest of the five villages.  From there, we will transfer to Vernazza for more exploration and a change to photograph the sun setting over the harbor.  (BLD)

June 2 | Cinque Terre

We will continue our exploration of the five villages of the Cinque Terre looking for landscapes, seascapes, and village images.  Our second day in Cinque Terre will take us to another charming village: Riomaggiore. We will then board a boat to reach the town of Portovenere, at the entrance of the Gulf of La Spezia
On the way back from Porto Venere, we will disembark at Manarola, for dinner and a sunset or blue hour photography session.  (BLD)

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June 3 | Pisa

We will transfer to Pisa by train (about 1 h 15m) and explore the city sites and hidden gems.  Our tour of Pisa will of course include the famous Piazza dei Miracoli, notable not only for the leaning tower, but also for the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Cemetery, all stunning examples of medieval religious architecture.
The historical center of Pisa also offers many other opportunities for photography, especially along the Arno River.   (BLD)

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June 4 | Florence

This morning we'll take a 1-hour train ride to Florence and begin our exploration of this magnificent city and all she offers.  After checking in, we will start exploring Florence and its many monuments, starting in Piazza della Signoria with Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with Giotto’s bell tower, Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, and more.  At the end of the day, we will move to Piazzale Michelangelo to enjoy a vista over the city at sunset.  (BLD)

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June 5 | Florence

We'll continue with our Florence adventure and fill our time with as many possible locations as possible.  We continue our tour of Florence with more sightseeing. The day will also include a trip to the Chianti region to explore one of its many charming villages and do some wine tasting.  We will then return for Florence in time to photograph Ponte Vecchio across the river at sunset and at the blue hour.  (BLD)

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June 6 | Bologna

This morning we'll take a 45-minute train ride to Bologna and begin our exploration of the city, her sites, and the images that await.  After checking in, we will explore the center of Bologna and some of its most notable monuments, like the Piazza Maggiore, with the cathedral of San Petronio, the Fontana del Nettuno, and the medieval towers of Garisenda and Asinelli.  (BLD) 

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June 7 | Verona
This morning we'll take a train to Verona (50m).  We will spend the rest of the day visiting the city of Romeo and Juliet and its many Roman and medieval monuments, including the famous Arena.  We start our tour of Verona from Piazza Bra, with a visit to the Arena, the ancient Roman amphitheater that is still used for concerts and operas.  We will then move the Castelvecchio, the medieval castle overlooking the Adige River, Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza dei Signori, and Ponte di Pietra, before climbing the hill of Castel San Pietro (on foot or with a funicular) for a view over the city across the river at sunset.  (BLD) 

June 8 | Return to Milan
Today we'll train back to Milan (1h 15m).  For our final day, we will explore some parts of Milan that we might have missed during our previous visit, like Via Montenapoleone and the Quadrilateral of Fashion, the basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, San Lorenzo, or the Castello Sforzesco.  Our farewell dinner as a group is tonight.  (BLD)

June 9 | Flights home

Please note that this is subject to change depending on weather conditions.