Following the footsteps of Virgil, Dante, Joan of Arc, the Three Musketeers, and many more, you will explore Rome, Florence, Normandy, and Paris through the languages, texts, and figures of your Classical education.
Starting in Rome, you’ll stay in a former convent, near the Vatican. This week your Italian expedition will balance the active and contemplative life (Festina Lente) as the texts, artists, and ideas you have studied are brought to life by the monuments they created and places they lived.
Throughout your journey, you'll return ad fontem to the original sources and authors that have guided your educational pilgrimage.
In Rome, you’ll uncover almost three thousand years of continuous Roman history with visits to the Palatine, Forum, Vatican City, early Christian churches, pagan temples, and the great mosaics, canvases, and statues that have endured the ravages of centuries.
In Florence, you’ll dive into the world of the Medieval and Renaissance city state with visits to Dante’s house, the Uffizi, the Monastery of San Marco, the Accademia, and the great architectural achievements like Brunelleschi’s dome, where you’ll see humanism of the fourteenth century transformed into a metaphor for human aspiration.
In Normandy, you'll experience Medieval, Gothic, and twentieth-century history while staying in the beautiful Manoir de Conteville. With excursions to Rouen, the nearby villages, and the Normandy beaches you'll traipse across the centuries that reflect the cost of liberty and the richness of French countryside living.
Concluding in Paris, the city of lights, your final stop will culminate with the highlights of Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, and Enlightenment ideals.
Your tour of Rome will begin at 5:00 pm. Your Alithea guide will provide a trip orientation and an introduction to retracing the footsteps of Classical authors. The goal of your journey will be to see how the texts, authors, and ideas of your education are still living in the streets you'll walk—not as tourists on a vacation, but as friends seeking to be reunited after a long journey.
The evening your Alithea guide will lead a walk through the Eternal city that focuses on the founding myths of Rome. Using Virgil and Ovid as guides, you will locate the seven hills of Rome and the Tiber, you'll encounter the figures of Hercules, Aeneas, and Romulus, and you'll see the how the Romans understood themselves through an intermingling of myth, history, cultures, and geography of the city.
At the conclusion of your walk through a thousand years, you’ll have your first taste of traditional Roman cuisine at a local trattoria.
After breakfast in your hotel, you’ll set out with your local guide for a walk that follows the history of the city from its founding by Romulus in 753 BC, through its seven kings, to the Roman republic, and finally to the rise and fall of the empire itself. You’ll start with a visit to one of the most revelatory sites of Rome, the eleventh century church of Saint Clemente where you can seemingly travel back in time as you descend into the excavated underground of the ancient city to see the ruins of the fourth century church, a temple to Mithras, the ancient alleyways of Rome, the living room of a Roman villa, and the underground spring still flowing today.
Your morning will continue with an introduction to the nearby Colosseum, the iconic amphitheater built over the Domus Aurea of the emperor Nero in the first century AD. And, after a break for a cappuccino, gelato, or pastry, your morning will continue with a visit to the Roman Forum and Palatine. On this morning’s walk you’ll follow the history of the city through the texts of Livy, Cicero, and Saint Paul. While visiting palatine you’ll consider the rise of a tribe of shepherds who came to rule the world while witnessing the opulence of the emperors and the abandonment of virtue and principles that led to the city’s demise.
The afternoon you’ll be free to visit the city on your own.
Pertinent readings:
After breakfast in your hotel, you’ll travel by train to the roman city of Pompeii, which was both destroyed and therefore preserved for posterity, by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Here you’ll walk the streets of a first century city with your local guide introducing the theaters, temples, forum, villas, baths, tavernas, frescoes, gardens, and the rhythms of daily life. You’ll have time to explore the city on your own and we’ll stop for a famous Neapolitan pizza before returning to Rome in the late afternoon.
Pertinent readings:
This morning your journey will continue with a visit (pending availability) to the Vatican museums where you’ll see some of the greatest sculptures of antiquity, the gallery of maps and tapestries, the rooms of Raphael, including his famous School of Athens, and the Sistine chapel painted by Michelangelo.
After visiting these galleries which were once the private collections of the popes, you’ll ascend the steps to St. Peter’s, the church originally founded by the emperor Constantine and built directly over the burial place of St. Peter. Together you’ll have an opportunity to pass through the door of the Jubilee, see the Pieta of Michelangelo, and the Baldacchino of Bernini.
After a free afternoon, you’ll regroup for an evening stroll through the Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish steps, followed by dinner.
This morning you'll depart by train for Florence. After checking into our hotel, a centrally located convent, you’ll regroup this afternoon for a walking tour of the city, where you’ll see the rise of Florence as an independent city state through the buildings that come to represent the freedom of individuals, the guilds, and the ideas that characterize the Renaissance.
Your walk will conclude with a visit to the Academy Gallery where you’ll see Michelangelo’s David, his ‘prisoners’ or the unfinished sculpture for Pope Julius II tomb, and one of the city’s great collections of late medieval and early renaissance paintings.
Pertinent readings:
After breakfast in your hotel, this morning you’ll visit the monastery of San Marco where the humanism of the 14th century first took root. Here you’ll see the beautifully frescoed rooms painted by Fra Angelico including his Annunciation of the Angel to the Virgin Mary.
Your journey through the foundations of Western Civilization will continue this morning with a stroll through the city of Dante, Petrarch, Lorenzo de Medici, Savonarola, Giotto and the many buildings connected with their lives. Your morning will conclude with a timed entrance to climb Brunelleschi’s dome.
After breaking into small groups, you’ll visit Uffizi Gallery following a visual journey from the late Medieval to the high Renaissance. Here you’ll see the great works of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Titian, Rafael, Caravaggio, and many more.
You'll check out of your hotel in the early morning before catching a flight from Florence to Paris. After collecting your bags, you'll meet your bus and head to the city of one hundred spires, Rouen. Here, French students will have an opportunity to converse in French as you split into small groups to visit one of the great Medieval cities of Normandy.
After free time for lunch, you'll have time to visit Rouen Cathedral, the focus of more than thirty paintings by Monet and the resting place of the tomb of Richard the Lionheart. You'll also witness the sites that tell the story of Joan of Arc and the angelic vision that inspired the French resistance.
In the later evening, you'll check into the Conteville Manor, a charming 19th-century manor house nestled between the sea and the Norman countryside. Formerly a hunting lodge, the estate has preserved its authentic character while providing the comfort expected for a relaxing stay in Normandy.
After breakfast in your Norman manor, you'll split again into French-speaking and English-speaking groups. Your day today will be dedicated to experiencing the local character of countryside France. These activities are still in development and may include cycling to medieval ruins and visiting with farmers and tasting local cheese. Stay posted for further information here.
In the later afternoon, you'll return to Conteville for a French cooking lesson focused on the Normandy classics.
You'll depart after breakfast this morning for a day dedicated to D-Day landing of American troops on June 6, 1944. Today's visits will be a somber reminder that freedom is never without cost; it is always the actualization of self-sacrifice in the context of a greater good. Perhaps no other place in modern history so keenly reflects the consequences of human action and the preservation of Western democratic values. Today you'll see the American cemetery where 9,400 American service members are buried. You'll have an opportunity to stroll the wide beaches in silence and consider the responsibilities and risks that come with freedom.
This afternoon, you'll return to your beach-side manor in time for dinner and an early night.
You’ll depart Normandy early in the morning as we embark on the last leg of our journey. Around nine we’ll arrive in Versailles for a visit to the palace and gardens.
In the early afternoon, after dropping your bags at your hotel and a quick lunch, you’ll set out for a walk through the city’s Latin Quarter. Famous for the intellectuals and literary greats inspired by the beauty and cultural life of the city, the Latin Quarter is one of those remarkable French neighborhoods that can trace its roots back to Julius Caesar. Your walk today will bring you through almost every moment of history your journey has touched. From the Roman baths and monastery at Cluny, to Charlemagne and the Medieval castle of the French Kings. You’ll see the sites of the French Revolution and the Enlightenment expression of the ideals of freedom, equality, and brotherhood. Your walk will conclude with a visit to one of the greatest surviving examples of Gothic architecture, Sainte-Chappelle.This evening You'll be free to enjoy the city on your own, whether that be a celebratory dinner in one of the great brasseries of Montparnasse, a stroll through the quiet neighborhood of Montmartre, or a picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens.
Accompanied by the insights of Dumas, Proust, Sartre, and Hugo, you’ll break into small groups to explore the sites of the Three musketeers, the cafes of Ernest Hemingway, and the great museums where we'll see Degas, Monet, Da Vinci, and countless others. You'll have an opportunity to visit the gardens of the Medici queens of France, see the French senate, and visit the former palace of the French King’s, the Louvre. You’ll let the centuries unfold as you cross the Pont des Arts, stroll through the Tuileries gardens, and visit the Musee D’Orsay, the great museum of French Impressionism. Here you’ll see Monet, Manet, Degas, Rodin, Pissarro, and the great masters of the nineteenth century who reimagined what painting and sculpture might become. This evening you’ll gather one final time for a French feast aux Parisien. Tonight over dinner you’ll take time to celebrate your fellow travelers and to make toasts to the places that have filled your hearts and minds with a renewed love of the beautiful, the good, and the true.
Recommended readings: The Four Quartets, by T.S. Eliot, A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway, The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas.
Our journey through Italy and France concludes today after breakfast. There are no scheduled activities, but your Alithea guide will be available to help with flight connections and continued travel adventures throughout breakfast.
Our guides- Leo and Anna!! Their knowledge, encouragement, and engagement created space for questions, adventure, and FUN! I can’t imagine roaming Italy without them- they are a blessing!!
I loved seeing all of the sites and learning about the history of those places. It was beautiful to see Italy, especially when connecting it to Classic Literature. Every church was spectacular and gorgeously decorated—traveling with Alithea was a great experience.
I loved all of the thoughtful conversation. Our guides were present and open to connecting, creating a rich and comfortable experience throughout the trip. One of my favorite days was Paestum and the beach, where an environment of contemplation and rest made the experience indelible.
For further questions don't hesitate to reach out to us directly.
If you are a U.S. citizen, you can apply for a passport through the U.S. Department of State. Processing times vary throughout the year, so we encourage applying well in advance of departure. You can find complete instructions, required documents, and current processing times at:
Yes. Starting in late 2026, U.S. citizens will be required to obtain an ETIAS travel authorization before entering Europe.
ETIAS is a simple online application, with responses typically issued within 96 hours. Once approved, it is electronically linked to your passport.
ETIAS is not yet in operation, but it is expected to be introduced soon. We kindly ask travelers to check whether ETIAS is required for their travel dates and to complete the application if necessary.
To apply, please visit: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias
We recommend coordinating with your fellow travelers and booking your flights around the same time. The Alithea team will send recommended flight options and help coordinate arrivals so everyone can begin the journey together.
Airport transfers are not included. However, the Alithea team will provide detailed arrival instructions and assist travelers with planning transportation to and from the airport.
Yes.
After paying your deposit, your remaining balance will be divided into scheduled payments leading up to departure. If you need a customized payment schedule, please contact the Alithea team and we'll be happy to help.
Yes.
The final cost per traveler depends on the number of students participating. As more students join the journey, shared travel expenses are distributed across the group, lowering the cost per traveler.
Please refer to the pricing table above for estimated costs based on group size.
We recommend budgeting for:
Most businesses accept credit cards, but it's always helpful to carry a small amount of euros for smaller purchases.
This journey includes daily walking through historic cities, museums, archaeological sites, and scenic villages. Travelers should be comfortable walking several miles each day, often on cobblestone streets, uneven terrain, and stairs.
We recommend bringing:
While not required, we strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance that includes medical coverage, trip cancellation, travel delays, and lost baggage.
