This tour offers a wonderful opportunity to visit two very different but equally exquisite hilltowns, each boasting a world-renowned basilica. Your day begins when your tour guide meets you at your downtown Rome hotel for a drive to Orvieto. Here you will visit what many believe to be Italy's most beautiful church. Its cornerstone was la id in 1290, and over the next two centuries countless artisans and masters added their exquisite touches to its marble facades, its intricate carvings and inlaid floors. Perhaps the crowning glory of this treasure trove is Luca Signorelli's unforgettable frescoes depicting the end of the world, the resurrection of the dead, heaven and hell. This lovely little hill town of Orvieto is also famous for its colorful ceramics and its crisp white wine. You will have ample time to experience both.

For lunch, you might enjoy a meal at a country inn or in Assisi. Even if you prefer to stop only for a sandwich, you will now be rested and ready for your spiritual pilgrimage to Assisi, the immaculate medieval hill town that was home to Italy's patron saint, St. Francis. Always a vortex of beauty and spirituality, it also offers some wonderful frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue.

Anyone who takes the time to meander through the impressive Basilica, its quaint chapels, and the narrow cobblestone streets of the town will come away enchanted. Artisan shops abound, and on the way home we will cruise past miles and miles of silvery olive groves and bright yellow sunflower fields.

This tour lasts nine hours. Prices include private car and driver and personal tour guide. Entrance tickets and meals are not included. If your group includes at least two adults plus children, a maximum of two children under 12 years pay nothing for the tour.