Tour for cruise passengers from Venice port. You will visit the town of Padua, one of the most important art cities of Italy. And on the way back, you will drive along the Brenta Riviera where the Venetian nobles built their holiday villas.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
✓ Private transportation
✓ Air-conditioned vehicle
✓ Parking Fees
✗ Lunch
✗ Gratuities
WHAT TO EXPECT
1. Piazza delle Erbe
After 40 minutes driving distance by highway, you will reach the town of Padua, a Roman Empire city of which very little is left today. From the Middle Ages, the town develops with churches and palaces under the rule of the Carrara family. And it became an important university center that dates back to 1222, just after Bologna. In this town, you can admire a masterpiece of the Italian medieval art: the Scrovegni Chapel that Giotto frescoed to the Carrara family. It is required a pre-booked ticket to visit this building that must be purchased from their website.
Padua is also the city of St Anthony. In the basilica there are the relics of the saint, an important religious site visited by pilgrims coming from all over the world. And near this area, for botany lovers (and not only), we find the first university botanic garden in Europe. Founded in 1545, it is part of the Unesco World Heritage List, and member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Of particular value is the pedestrian historic center with the Herbs squares and remarkable buildings.
At approximately 12:30pm you will leave the town to drive along the Brenta riviera, after your lunch break in an Italian restaurant with local meal.
The Brenta waterway is the most famous and attended itinerary among those suggested to visit the Venetian villas. A waterway long about forty kilometers, which links Venice to Padua by tracing the course of an ancient branch of the river Brenta. From the fifteenth century, it was channeled and harnessed by locks for the navigation.
ADDITIONAL INFO
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Five suitcases and five trolley-bags are the maximum numbers of luggage to fit in the trunk
• A dress code is required to enter in the Basilica of Saint Anthony. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
• Your professional driver is not a licensed tour guide. Due to strict Italian laws and regulations in order to protect officially licensed guides, drivers can comment and explain attractions only from inside the vehicle. Drivers are not allowed to elaborate on the attractions when they are outside of the vehicle.
