DAY 1 | June 26. Depart for Florence, Italy.
DAY 2 | June 27
Upon arrival in Florence, transfer and check in to the Hotel & Residence Palazzo Ricasoli. Attend a welcome briefing with your AHI travel director at which you will be given an Italian cell phone to use throughout your stay. Then join your fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception and Dinner.
DAY 3 | June 28
At the start of each day, enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, get to know your new home. Explore the highlights of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on a guided walking tour. See Il Duomo and Ponte Vecchio, among other highlights. Enjoy lunch at a Florence restaurant.
DAY 4 | June 29
Tour the language school, take your language placement test and attend your first Italian class. Visit a local market and hone your grocery-shopping skills with your Lifestyle Guide. Dinner is served at a restaurant.
DAYS 5-7 | June 30 – July 2
Experience Florence through your language lessons and excursions with your Lifestyle Guide and on your own. After your Tuesday lesson, attend a lecture on Renaissance Art. On Wednesday, visit the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s “David.”
DAY 8 | July 3
Enjoy an entire day at leisure to explore Florence on your own.
DAYS 9-10 | July 4
On Saturday, discover an incredible wealth of medieval relics in the lovely town of Lucca. Then visit Carrara, famous for its marble. Lunch is at a local restaurant. Join your fellow travelers for dinner, wine and camaraderie on Sunday.
DAYS 11-14 | July 5-8
On Monday, attend a lecture on Contemporary Italy. On Wednesday, savor local specialties during lunch at a restaurant. Then visit the Uffizi Gallery, home to one of the most illuminating art collections in the world. On Thursday, join your fellow travelers for dinner at a local restaurant.
DAY 15 | July 9
Travel to Castello di Monsanto in the heart of Chianti for a tasting of the region’s distinctive wines and olive oils. Afterward, learn about Tuscan cuisine during a cooking demonstration followed by lunch. Then visit the historic hill town of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
DAYS 16-17 | July 10-11
On Sunday, admire the artistic and architectural treasures of the hilltop Tuscan town of Cortona. Enjoy a visit to the Etruscan Museum. Savor lunch at a restaurant in town.
DAYS 18-21 | July 12-15
Through your lessons, continue your immersion into the language and culture of Florence. Relish dinner on Monday and lunch on Wednesday at local restaurants with your new friends.
DAY 22-24 | July 16-18
On Friday, venture to the well-preserved medieval town of Colle di Val d’Elsa. Savor a delicious lunch at a restaurant in town. Continue to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Siena for a walking tour and some free time to explore on your own. On Saturday, trade stories of your week with your fellow travelers during dinner at a restaurant.
DAY 25-28 | July 19-22
Continue your immersion into the language and culture. On Tuesday, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. On Thursday, celebrate your journey at a Graduation Ceremony.
DAY 29 | July 23
Visit your favorite spots one last time during your final day in Florence. This evening join your fellow travelers for a festive Farewell Dinner.
DAY 30 | July 24
After breakfast, transfer to the Florence airport for the return flights to your gateway city.
