Highlights
Italy’s Markets are smaller and more intimate than the famous German markets, and offer a more traditional and intimate Christmas experience. From Milan’s Oh Bej! Oh Bej! (How Beautiful! How Beautiful!) is one of the longest-running, dating back to at least 1510. to Naples oldest neighborhood San Gregorio Armeno. You will discover very talented artisans exhibiting their craft especially in their nativity scenes. The small shops and stalls become alive offering a true Magical Christmas Spirit.
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Itinerary - click for more
Day 1: Milan Welcome to Milan! Milan is Italy’s city of the future, a fast-paced metropolis where money talks, creativity is big business and looking good is an art form.
Upon arrival at Milan International Airport, private transfer to your centrally located hotel in city centre .Check in and rest of time to relax. Overnight MilanDay 2: Milan
Breakfast in hotel. This morning meet your local guide and begin a walking tour of the city. Visit the main attractions of the city including the Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele, and Sforza Castle and learn the history of each attraction. At the end of your guided tour, head to the “Fiera di Obej Obej” (in Milanese: “oh so nice! oh so nice!”): it’s the most important and traditional Christmas fair in Milan. It is held from 7 December (day of the patron saint of Milan, Ambrose) until the following Sunday. The fair is also informally known as the Fiera di Sant’Ambrogio (“Saint Ambrose Fair”).The Oh bej! Oh bej! fair has been held in different areas of Milan; until 1886, it was located in Piazza Mercanti (in the surroundings of the Duomo); from 1886 to 2006, it was held by the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio; in 2006, it was relocated again, to the area of the Sforza Castle. The most typical goods that are sold at Oh bej! Oh bej! are sweets and Christmas or winter delicacies, handcrafts such as Christmas decorations, toys, antiques, souvenirs, bric-a-brac, and more. Overnight Milan Free evening in Milan.
Day 3: Milan-Bolzano
After breakfast in hotel, independent transfer to the train station and catch your train to Bolzano.
Bolzano, the provincial capital of South Tyrol, is worldly and has in the past engaged, as a conduit between cultures that have recently become home to Europe’s first trilingual university. Its quality of life – one of Italy’s highest – is reflected in its openness, youthful energy and an all-pervading greenness. A stage-set-pretty backdrop of grassy, rotund hills, rows of pastel-painted townhouses, while bicycles on riverside paths and wooden market stalls are laid out with Alpine cheese, speck (cured ham) and dark, seeded loaves. German the first language of 95% of the region, but Bolzano is an anomaly. Today its Italian-speaking majority – a legacy of Italianisation program of the 1920s and the more recent call of education and employment opportunities – looks both north and south for inspiration. Arrive Bolzano, check into your hotel and time to do a walk-about the city centre.Day 4: Bolzano – Merano
Breakfast in hotel. This morning visit Bolzano’s Christmas market: every year this awaited event is aimed at rediscovering the traditions that, in South Tyrol, are hidden behind the four weeks of Advent. There is a strong link to family traditions: the festive decorations on the white tree, the nativity, the advent crown, the scented cakes and confectionery made week after week by the expert hands of those who keep their secret recipes and tricks. A traditional market, yet always novel for the small but significant touches, the surprises and renewed traditions that seemed to have sunk into oblivion. Gastronomy also continues to attract the attention and curiosity, with fresh products on the various market stalls: from mulled wine to apple fritters, from apple juice to Strudel, and children will not forget their first encounter with the Market: the miniature train, the merry-go-round, the puppet theatre, the horse-drawn carriage through the streets of the city or the market stalls with kids’ entertainment.
In the afternoon, a 40-minutes train ride will take you to Merano, a pretty town and one-time Tyrolean capital, that was a Habsburg-era spa and the hot destination of its day, favored by the Austrian royals plus Freud, Kafka and Pound. Along the enchanting Cure Promenade, in the Advent period there is the popular Merano Christmas Market. Gift ideas and a special Christmas atmosphere – that’s what you are going to come across at Merano. Mediaeval market booths offer special beverages and delicacies, such as honey wine, a brandy punch and grilled buckwheat dumpling slices. Also, handicraft products are offered, such as home-made candles, felt slippers or Christmas decoration. The special attractions for children, however, include a Christmas Train. Return to Bolzano by train for an independent evening. Overnight Bolzano.Day 5: Bolzano – Florence
Breakfast in hotel. This morning independent transfer to Bolzano’s train station and catch your train to Florence. Upon arrival you can walk to taxi to hotel relatively close to Main Rail Station. Check in and time to enjoy a guided walking tour of Florence, to understand the charm of this renaissance city. This walking tour is a perfect introduction to Florence, presenting the most famous monuments and at the same time offering a stroll through the streets and squares from Piazza Duomo to Ponte Vecchio. You’ll discover the history of Florence, considered by many academics to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance, and declared by Unesco a World Heritage Site in 1982. You’ll hear about its culture, Renaissance art, architecture and monuments, such as the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio… experiencing with your own eyes that Florence, as Forbes ranked it thanks to its artistic and architectural heritage, really is one of the most beautiful cities in the world! The rest of the day and evening are free, overnight Florence.Day 6: Florence
Breakfast in hotel. Today, enjoy Florence’s Christmas markets: many Christmas markets take place in Florence and it’s surroundings in the weeks before Christmas (especially during the weekends). Here you’ll find gifts of various kinds, from furnishings, food, and wine. The biggest Christmas market in Florence is located in Piazza Santa Croce, and generally lasts from the end of November to the last days before Christmas. It draws on the tradition of German markets, with the typical small wooden houses, and offers different items from crafts to food products, small furniture and Christmas decorations. Overnight FlorenceDay 7: Florence – Naples
Breakfast in hotel. This morning independent transfer to Florence train station and catch your train to Naples. Upon arrival, walk to your hotel, drop your luggage and enjoy a guided walking tour of Naples, so you have a first taste of the city.
“See Naples and Die.” A city of breathtaking beauty perched on the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean in the brooding shadow of Mount Vesuvius: there’s nowhere quite like Naples. Discover the extraordinary riches of the gem in southern Italy’s crown, and embark on a journey through more than two millennia of history as you wander through a bewildering array of cobbled streets and stunning piazzas, eerie churches and glittering palaces, imposing castles, creepy catacombs and much more. Naples boasts the largest historic centre in all of Europe, but there’s more to the city than art and history. Bustling Naples has an atmosphere and energy all its own, where the colourful streets teem with real-life theatre and the food is simply to die for. Enjoy this insider journey to the heart of one of the world’s most vibrant cities and discover why you haven’t lived until you’ve got a taste of Naples!Day 8: Naples Christmas Market
If you plan to bring some Italian festive cheer into your home, then you will have to go to San Gregorio Armeno. It is not only a simple Christmas market but a whole part of the city comes alive at Christmas time: the narrow alleys of San Gregorio Armeno and San Biagio dei Librai are crammed full of stalls selling nativity scene statuettes for the traditional “presepe”. Basically, a presepe is a scene of the stable where Jesus was born, complete with figurines to represent Mary, Joseph, Jesus and the Wise Men (to be added on the 6th of January), shepherds and animals. Depending on the size, the scene may include buildings for an entire village. Whether big or small, if you’re in Italy during Christmas time, you’ll always find a presepe somewhere.
Walking down Christmas Alley in Naples is a must do when visiting the city. The pedestrian street is only about 200 meters long, but it’s filled with artisan workshops and hundreds of nativity scenes, known as presepe. Shops are open all year round, but in December, it’s extra festive and feels like Naples’ version of a Christmas market… just don’t expect mulled wine!Day 9: Departure
After breakfast, private transfer to Naples International Airport for your return flight. Arrivederci Italia!
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2021 Dates & Rates
| No of Travellers (Min.4) | Rate each shared double/twin | Rate each shared triple | Single supplement |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2210 | $1955 | $875 |
The CAD ($) rate is indicative of Euro price and subject to change.
Price per person in CAD $ Dollars.