Full Itinerary


A.G.S. WESTERN HERITAGE TOUR

Friday 23 June to Sunday 23 July 2017


Day.
Date.
Location.
Activities.
1
Fri 23 June
Auckland
Meet at airport by 17h00
Depart Auckland to Athens via Dubai 20h30
2
Sat 24 June
Athens
Arrive Athens at 2 pm; take airport bus to hotel
Syntagma Square & central Athens
Orthodox Basilica & minor Byzantine churches
Evening walk up Mount Lykevittos
3
Sun 25 June
Athens
National Archaeological Museum
Acropolis (Propylaia, Parthenon, Erechtheion)
Greek Agora, Temple of Hephaestos
New Acropolis Museum                      
Syntagma Square & environs for shopping
4
Mon 26 June
Athens
Day trip to Delphi 8 am to 6 pm
Evening walk to Monastiraiki Square, Hadrian’s Library, Roman Agora, Tower of the Winds, Monument to Lysikratos, Hadrian’s Gate, Temple of Zeus, Olympic Stadium
5
Tues 27 June
Athens
Day trip to Corinth Canal, Corinth and Mycenae
Depart from Patras for Ancona by overnight ferry
6
Wed 28 June
[transit]
Rome
Arrive at Ancona; intercity train to Rome

7
Thu 29 June
Rome
Santa Maria Maggiore, San Pietro in Vincoli, Imperial Fora, Temple of Mars the Avenger, Trajan’s Column, Vittorio Emanuele Monument, Capitoline Museum, Theatre of Marcellus, Isola Tiberina, Temple of Vesta, Temple of Fortuna Virilis, Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Circus Maximus
Afternoon excursion to Tivoli: Hadrian’s Villa
Night tour of Colosseum & Imperial Fora, Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps,

8
Fri 30 June
Rome
Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Maria della Vittoria
Walk down via Cavour to Il Gesù, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Pantheon, San Luigi dei Francesi, Piazza Navona, Castel Sant’Angelo, Ara Pacis, Piazza del Popolo, Santa Maria del Popolo
Mid-afternoon tour: St John Lateran and Holy Steps, via San Clemente
Metro back to Piazza del Popolo and evening walk up Il Corso
Free time: Borghese Gallery
9
Sat 1 July
Rome
Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Square & Basilica
Free time: Via del Corso
10
Sun 2 July
Rome
Day trip to Naples National Archaeological Museum & Pompeii (free entry on first Sunday of month)
11
Mon 3 July
Rome
Day trip to Ostia
St Paul’s Without the Walls
Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Arch of Constantine, Arch of Titus, Forum Romanum
Free time: Palazzo Barberini
12
Tue 4 July
Rome
Florence
Travel by train from Rome to Florence, viewing Piazza della Santa Maria Novella & Il Duomo
Afternoon excursion to Pisa: Leaning Tower of Pisa, Cathedral and Baptistery
Night tour of Florence, including Il Duomo, Piazza della Republica & La Signoria (Palazzo Vecchio), Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, Florence & the Arno by night
13
Wed 5 July
Florence
Uffizi Gallery
Mercato Centrale
Afternoon visit to Fiesole
14
Thu 6 July
Florence
Santa Croce, Orsanmichele, Santa Maria Novella & cloisters, San Lorenzo & museum & library, Il Duomo
Afternoon excursion to Sienna
Evening trip: night view of Florence
15
Fri 7 July
Florence
Venice
[transit]
Travel by train from Florence to Venice
Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco & Basilica San Marco, Grand Canal by vaporetto
Travel by overnight train from Venice to Dijon
16
Sat 8 July
[transit]
Nice/
Avignon
Beaucaire
Continue by TGV from Dijon to Avignon
Collect cars and drive to Beaucaire
Tour of town & supermarket stop
Tour of l’Église St. Paul, l’Hôtel de Ville, l’Église Notre Dame des Pommiers, l’Arènes, le Château
17
Sun 9 July
Beaucaire
Beaucaire markets
Pont du Gard
Nîmes (Maison Carrée & Amphithéatre, Tour Magne d’Auguste)
Excursion to Arles: amphitheatre, theatre, Église de St. Trophime, obélisque, riverside walk
18
Mon 10 July
Beaucaire
Excursion to Avignon: Palais des Papes, Pont d’Avignon & township
Les Antiques & Glanum (St. Remy de Provence), Châteaux des Baux-de-Provence, Tarascon Castle

19
Tue 11 July
Beaucaire
Excursion to Orange: Théâtre d’Auguste et l’Arche, de Triomphe de Jules César
Free time
20
Wed 12 July
Beaucaire
Paris
Drive to Avignon and return cars
TGV from Avignon to Paris (Gare de Lyon)
Take metro to hotel; tour of environs
Notre Dame, l’Hôtel de Ville, Tour de St. Jacques, La Conciergerie, Sainte Chapelle
Evening Tour: Palais de Louvre, Pyramides & Tuileries Gardens, Place de la Concorde, Champs Elysées, Arc de Triomphe
21
Thu 13 July
Paris
Les Invalides, Military Museum & Napoléon’s Tomb
Eiffel Tower via the Champs de Mars
Afternoon excursion: Basilique de St. Denis
Evening excursion: Sacré Coeur & Montmartre
22
Fri 14 July
Paris
Louvre Museum
Panthéon, Rue Mouftard, Gay-Lussac district
La Défence, La Grande Arche
23
Sat 15 July
Paris
Église de la Madeleine, Fauchon, Opéra House & Place Vendome, Boulevard Haussmann
Afternoon excursion: Palais de Versailles
Free time: Tour Eiffel, Champs Élysées, Louvre
24
Sun 16 July
Paris
Musée d’Orsay
Afternoon excursion: Chartres Cathedral
25
Mon 17 July
Paris
London
Travel by Eurostar from Gare du Nord to London
Visit Big Ben, Houses of Parliament & Westminster Abbey; evensong at Westminster Abbey (5 pm)
Return to Buckingham Palace, and walk to hostel via Kensington Gardens & Hyde Park
Dinner & free time (evening show)
26
Tue 18 July
London
British Museum
Camden Markets
Evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral
Dinner & free time (evening show)
27
Wed 19 July
London
Excursion to Cambridge (Corpus Christi College, Parker Library, lunch at Corpus Christi, tour of colleges, Cast Museum)
Evensong at King’s College Chapel
28
Thu 20 July
London
Bus tour from Paddington to Trafalgar Square
National Gallery
Free time: Sloane Collection, British Library, Wallace Collection, Madame Tussaud’s, Harrods, etc.
Dinner & free time (evening show)
29
Fri 21 July
London
[transit]
Brampton Oratory, Victoria & Albert Museum, Natural History Museum
Tower of London, London Bridge
Free time
Evening: pack for Heathrow
Train to Heathrow Airport
Depart London to Auckland via Dubai
30
Sat 22 July
[transit]
In transit
31
Sun 23 July
[transit]
Auckland
Arrive in Auckland about 1 pm