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Valour Canada's Italian Campaign Tour

Group Information

Departing From:
Calgary
Departing:
November 1, 2026
Returning:
November 14, 2026
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Valour Canada is a not-for-profit organization that educates young Canadians about our shared military heritage by developing and providing learning opportunities designed to foster a deeper understanding of who we are as individuals, citizens, and as a nation. More information: https://valourcanada.ca/
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Tour Itinerary (Detailed)

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Day 1 Overnight Flight to Italy (Rome)
Day 2 Ciao Rome
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Rome city walk
Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona
Details: Rome city walk
Take a walk past Rome's most beautiful and unusual Baroque fountains. At the foot of the Spanish Steps, elegant cafes surround the central fountain. The water pressure here was so low that the artist had to sink the fountain into the ground to get any water going through it, so he went ahead and designed the fountain to look like a sinking ship. There's no shortage of water pressure at the nearby Trevi Fountain, a Baroque extravagance designed by master sculptor Bernini.
Details: Trevi Fountain
View the Trevi Fountain, where it is traditional to toss a coin into the fountain to ensure a safe return to the Eternal City.
Details: Piazza Navona
We will spend some time in the Piazza Navona area. Built on the foundations of Domitian's Circus, this magnificent square was designed by Borromini in 17th century. It is full of life and is highlighted by one of Rome's most spectacular fountains, the Four Rivers designed by Bernini. The square is often filled with local artists. The surrounding neighborhood is also one of the best places in Rome to get a tasty tartufo or gelato ice cream
Day 3 Rome--Catania
Vatican City guided sightseeing tour
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel visit, St. Peter’s Basilica visit
Fly to Catania
Details: Vatican City guided sightseeing tour
Visit St. Peter’s Basilica, with its vast colonnades that seem to embrace the world. Inside, admire Michelangelo’s soaring dome, rising 452 feet above the ground, and his renowned Pietà. Then step into the Sistine Chapel, where the artist reluctantly painted frescoes that today stand among the world’s greatest masterpieces. Please note that the Sistine Chapel portion of the visit is unguided and will be explored independently.
Day 4 Catania
Visit the Canadian Landing Beaches at Costa dell' Ambra
Museum of the Landing in Sicily 1943 (Museo Dello Sbarco) visit
Catania guided sightseeing tour
Details: Museum of the Landing in Sicily 1943 (Museo Dello Sbarco) visit
The Museo dello Sbarco in Sicilia 1943 in Catania is a powerful museum that immerses visitors in the story of the Allied invasion of Sicily, using lifelike exhibits and original artifacts to bring the events of World War II to life. It offers a vivid look at both the military operations and the civilian experience during one of the war’s most pivotal campaigns.
Details: Catania guided sightseeing tour
Catania is an ancient port city on Sicily's east coast. It sits at the foot of Mt. Etna, an active volcano with trails leading up to the summit. The city's wide central square, Piazza del Duomo, features the whimsical Fontana dell'Elefante statue and richly decorated Catania Cathedral. In the southwest corner of the square, La Pescheria weekday fish market is a rowdy spectacle surrounded by seafood restaurants.
Day 5 Catania
Enna and Assoro guided sightseeing
Agira Canadian War Cemetery visit
Grammichele town visit
Free evening in Catania
Dinner on your own
Details: Agira Canadian War Cemetery visit
Agira Canadian War Cemetery contains 490 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. On 10 July 1943, following the successful conclusion of the North African campaign in mid-May, a combined allied force of 160,000 Commonwealth and American troops invaded Sicily as a prelude to the assault on mainland Italy. The Italians, who would shortly make peace with the Allies and re-enter the war on their side, offered little-determined resistance but German opposition was vigorous and stubborn. The campaign in Sicily came to an end on 17 August when the two allied forces came together at Messina but failed to cut off the retreating Axis lines. Agira was taken by the 1st Canadian Division of 28 July and the site for the war cemetery was chosen in September for the burial of all Canadians who had been killed in the Sicily campaign.
Day 6 Catania--Monte Cassino
Fly to Rome
Travel to Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino Abbey visit
Monte Cassino Polish War Cemetery Visit
Details: Monte Cassino Abbey visit
Visit the Abbey of Monte Cassino. Founded by St. Benedict in the 6th century, the Abbey was the site of one of the fiercest battles of World War II.
Day 7 Monte Cassino
WWII Guided Sightseeing of the Liri Valley and Melfa River
Canadian Memorial in Pontecorvo Visit
Day 8 Monte Cassino--Ortona
Travel to Ortona via Termoli
Free Time for Lunch on your own in Termoli
Private Remembrance Ceremony at Moro Cemetery
Casa Berardi visit
Day 9 Ortona
Ortona guided sightseeing tour
Ortona War Museum visit
Church of San Tomaso Visit
Church of Maria di Constantinopoli Visit
Details: Ortona guided sightseeing tour
In 1943 Ortona was the site of the bloody Battle of Ortona, known as the "Italian Stalingrad". The battle was fought by Canadian troops from the 1st Canadian Infantry Division under Major General Christopher Vokes.
Day 10 Ortona
Free morning in Ortona
Travel to Rimini
Gradara War Cemetery Visit
Day 11 Rimini
WWII Guided Sightseeing of Cesena, Ravenna and the Savio River
Free Evening in Rimini
Dinner on your own
Day 12 Rimini
WWII Guided Sightseeing of Tavullia, Croce and Gemmano
Montecchio Cemetery Visit
Coriano Ridge Commonwealth Cemetery Visit
TD Led Sightseeing in San Marino
Day 13 Rimini--Venice
Venice guided sightseeing tour
St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace guided visit
Travel to Venice
Farewell dinner in Venice
Details: Venice guided sightseeing tour
Bubbling up on more than 100 islands in a lagoon off the Adriatic, Venice is an absolutely unique and unquestionably beautiful city. Step into Piazza San Marco, an airy expanse of arches, sunlight, and pigeons. The multi-domed Basilica on one end, completed in 1094 but decorated for centuries afterward, is the final resting place of the apostle St. Mark, Venice’s patron saint. The mosaics beneath the basilica’s outside arches depict the arrival of St. Mark’s body, stolen from Egypt in 828 by Venetian traders. The frothy Venetian Gothic Doge’s Palace stands next door. Continue on to a glass-blowing demonstration. Venetian glass has long been considered the best in the world, and its production was such a state secret that during the Middle Ages, any Venetian glassblower who attempted to ply his trade outside the city was immediately arrested.
Details: St. Mark’s Square
Stroll through St. Mark's Square. Bordered by Venice's greatest historic buildings, St. Mark's Square is the center of both the city and its water transportation system, as well as a popular tourist attraction.
Details: Doge's Palace guided visit
Discover the Doge’s Palace, once the seat of government and justice in the Venetian Republic. Its lavish rooms, monumental artwork, and intricate architectural details reveal the wealth and influence that defined Venice at its height.
Day 14 Flight home from Venice
Total Fee:* $8,655.00
Tour Quote Breakdown
The following fees apply to your full-paying participants:
Tour Fee* $7,947.00
Twin Room Fee $720.00
On-Tour Tipping $238.00
** Winter Travel Grant $ -250.00
 
Total Fee* $8,655.00
OR 4 monthly payments of $2,139.00
After initial payment of $99.00

* Last day for this Tour Fee is June 30, 2026.
** Only valid with voucher code ValourCanada
Following days have hotel level "Upgrade"
Day 2 - 13
The following days have upgraded dinners:
Day 2

Tour Fee Includes:

  • Round-trip airfare
  • 12 overnight stays (13 with extension) in hotels with private bathrooms
  • Full European breakfast daily
  • Dinner daily
  • Full-time services of a professional tour director
  • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
  • Visit to select attractions as per itinerary
  • Guided sightseeing tours with high-tech headset as per itinerary
  • Tour Diary™
  • Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
  • Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
  • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.