Depart on an afternoon flight from Kansas City to Milan. Meals and snacks will be served on the flight.

Upon our early morning arrival in Italy, we will be met by our Tour Escort. A private motor coach transfers us to our hotel accommodations located along the shores of Lake Garda, which is one of Italy's largest and most scenic lakes. After we check into the hotel, we will have the day to refresh and gather our first impressions of the high Alpine peaks that frame the blue waters of Lake Garda.

Dinner will be served at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, relax and explore Lake Garda; stroll down to the lakefront cafés and experience your first Italian Espresso or visit a "Gelateria" for a sumptuous "Gelato."

Following dinner at the hotel, transfer by motor coach to the nearby center of Verona for the Opening Celebration of the Days of International Choir Music in Verona. This festive ceremony is highlighted by a welcome from the hosts, Associazione Gruppi Corali Verona, and a concert performed for the guest choirs by a well-known choir or symphony.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will participate in the adjudicated concert in Verona's Teatro Nuovo. The concert takes place before a distinguished international jury. After we sing, we can enjoy listening to some of the other participating choirs perform and get a taste of the varied choral traditions from around the world.

Enjoy time for lunch (arranged individually) in the historic center before embarking on an afternoon guided city tour of Verona. During the tour, we will explore the breathtaking Roman Arena and visit Juliet's house with the balcony where the famous scene from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is reputed to have played out in 1302. Wander along the open Piazzas lined with 14th century buildings and open-air markets displaying fresh produce and local handicrafts. Contemporary stores fill historic buildings with modern products while the Veronese architecture echoes back to earlier centuries.

In the evening, we will return to the hotel on Lake Garda for dinner.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we will travel east for a day excursion to Venice, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Venice is made up of 118 islands, over 450 bridges and more than 180 canals.

It is these crisscrossing canals that give Venice its unique atmosphere. We will enjoy a tour of the city's major sights such as Piazza San Marco, the famous glass blowers' shops and the Canal Grande dotted with Gondoliers. Join the promenade of people strolling over the Ponte di Rialto and stop to enjoy a cool drink at one of the many outdoor cafes.

In the late afternoon, we will return to the hotel on Lake Garda for dinner.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for Verona to attend the Festival Closing Ceremony. The festivities begin with the Awards Ceremony, where trophies will be distributed to all placing choirs, followed by performances by choirs who have received gold medals. Following the performances, all participating choir members, judges and festival guests are invited to a colorful reception with sandwiches and beverages. The Closing Ceremony ends with a grand procession from the reception through the city of Verona to the Roman Arena, where all choirs will join together in song under the direction of the chairperson of the jury.

Following the ceremony, we can stay in Verona to further explore the city or we can opt to return to our town on Lake Garda to enjoy the serene and tranquil setting of the lake.

In the evening, we will enjoy dinner at the hotel. Following the meal, we will depart for a nearby village to participate in a friendship concert with a local Italian choir. After our performance, we will have time to socialize and share a cultural exchange with our Italian hosts before returning by motor coach to the hotel

Following breakfast, we will check out of the hotel and depart for the airport and our return flight to Kansas City.

OR

Following breakfast, we will check out of the hotel and transfer to Florence. Upon arrival, there will be a break for lunch (arranged individually). After the pause, join your tour escort for an walking tour of the city. The city of Florence sprang to life as a Roman colony in 59 B.C. Captured by the Lombards in the 6th century the city later emerged from the Dark Ages as an independent city-state. By the 13thcentury, the city was flourishing through its wool and textile trade and a powerful banking sector, which turned the city into one of Italy's leading powers. At first Florence was ruled by the guilds and later by the Florentine Republic, but in time, power passed to the leading noble families, of which the most influential were the Medici, a hugely wealthy banking dynasty. Florence and later Tuscany remained under the family's control for three centuries. During this time, Florence became the intellectual and cultural heart of Europe. By 1737 the Medici family had died out, leaving the city under Austrian (and briefly Napoleonic) control until Italian Unification in 1860. From 1865-1871, Florence was the capital of the new Kingdom of Italy. As you walk through the narrow streets of Florence, take in its spectacular history and culture, which has long sustained Florence as one of Italy's most fascinating cities.

In the afternoon, time permitting, take a self-guided tour of the Galleria dell'Accademia ($15 admission). Founded in 1563, the Accademia was the first school in Europe to start teaching the techniques of drawing, painting and sculpting and, by 1784, the gallery was formed with the sole purpose of providing students of the academy with material to study and to copy. Since 1873, many of Michelangelo's most important works have been housed in the Accademia, including perhaps his most famous piece, David (1504).

Check in to your hotel in the late afternoon. In the evening, dinner will be served at the hotel or at a nearby restaurant.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will meet your local English-speaking guide for a half-day tour of the city. Florence is a treasure trove of art and architecture. It is a city in which past Italian, artistic and intellectual genius such as Michelangelo and Dante flourished and no doubt, from which future masterpieces will evolve. See Santa Maria del Fiore - the Duomo, or cathedral of Florence. This structure dominates the city with its enormous dome, which was built to dwarf even the great buildings of ancient Greece and Rome. The Baptistry, located next to the Duomo, contains colorful 13th century mosaics and is the place where Dante was baptized. Also at the Bapistry admire Lorenzo Ghiberti's glowing doors, often termed the "Gates of Paradise" because of its 10 panels, displaying scriptural subjects in gold. See the Palazzo Vecchio or "Old Palace". Completed in 1322, its huge bell was meant to warn citizens of fire, flood or enemy attack. Stop at the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge, which was built in 1345 and is the oldest bridge in Florence. There will also be free time for those interested in revisiting favorite sights or wandering through the city's famed leather markets.

In the evening, enjoy dinner at the hotel or at a nearby restaurant.

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to Rome, Italy's capital city and check in to your hotel. After a break for lunch (arranged individually), meet your local English-speaking guide for a half-day tour of Ancient Rome. The combination of Roman antiquities, Christian monuments and contemporary Italian style make Rome continuously fascinating and enticing. Visit the Roman Forum, which was formerly the religious, political and commercial center of ancient Rome. The site was left in ruin following the decline of the empire and the rise of Christianity. It is here that one can see much of ancient Rome through recent excavations. By throwing two coins into the massive Trevi Fountain, one can both fulfill a wish and guarantee a return to Rome. This baroque fountain was built onto the backside of a Renaissance palace. The Pantheon is a perfectly preserved Church founded originally as a Temple in 27 BC and reflects the real age of this ancient city. Visit Piazza Navona, one of Rome's main squares and surrounded by cafes and restaurants on all sides. In the center you will find Bernini's baroque masterpiece, "Fountain of the Four Rivers". See the famed Coliseum which offers an example of classical architecture with its use of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles. Imagine the gladiator contests, the bullfights and the races that provided entertainment for thousands of Romans. As you pass the Coliseum you will find the triumphal Arch of Constantine, which celebrates Constantine's victory over Maxentius in 315 AD.

In the evening, dinner will be served at the hotel or at a nearby restaurant.

After breakfast in the hotel, meet your local guide for a tour of the Vatican City. Discover the treasures of the Vatican Museums, such as the Sistine Chapel, with its breathtaking frescos by Michelangelo, and the Raphael Rooms, which displays works that established Raphael's reputation in Rome. Discover the beauty of St. Peter's Basilica, Catholicism's most sacred shrine, where you will see the Pieta by Michelangelo and the awe-inspiring interior work by Bernini. Visit St. Peter's Square, the largest part of Vatican City, which is the world's smallest and only European state to be ruled by an absolute monarch, the Pope. Established in 1929 to include 109 acres, it is home to about 500 people, who live in accommodations for staff and ecclesiastics. The city has its own post office, banks, currency, judicial system, radio stations, shops, and a daily newspaper.

In the afternoon, enjoy some leisure time on your own exploring personal areas of interest. Your local guide and tour escort can make suggestions and help you get oriented to the city so you feel at ease using public transportation.

In the evening, a special farewell dinner will be served at a local restaurant.