Get out and explore! Excursions are offered for most semester, year, and summer programs. Semester students are typically offered between two to three excursions and summer study abroad students are typically offered between one to two excursions. You’ll receive a calendar of excursions during onsite orientation. Here are examples of excursions we have offered most recently.
Rome
A fusion of ancient, baroque, and modern architecture, tradition and the cutting-edge, Rome has been a center of power, culture, and religion for millennia. CEA CAPA staff brings you to must-see sites, such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. Rome truly has something to offer everyone and more-than lives up to its nickname: “The Eternal City.”
Turin
On this overnight excursion to Turin, explore royal palaces and the Cinema Museum, wander through Europe’s second-largest collection of Egyptian artifacts, and indulge in decadent gianduia chocolate. Located in the Piedmont region, Turin was the first capital of Italy in the 1860s. Today, the city is a center of industry and engineering; FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino), Italy’s proud every-man car manufacturer, was founded here.
Sorrento, Pompeii and Amalfi
We pack in a lot on this three-day tour, helping you discover a bit of Italy’s southern heritage and culture. Spend a morning exploring the ruins of Pompeii, a Roman city preserved under lava since 79CE, and the afternoon hiking along the coast of Sorrento in lemon groves. The Campania region of Italy is known for its cuisine, and CEA CAPA will take you off the beaten path to a farm to taste the best cheese in the world: fresh buffalo mozzarella. We complete our weekend with a few hours on the beach in Amalfi before heading back to Florence.
Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre National Park spans 4,300 acres across five picturesque villages (the Cinque Terre), connected by hiking paths and a train line. The area boasts delicious basil, lemons, and grapes. Spend a day hiking or at the beach, soaking up the sun, and enjoying the breathtaking stretches of beautiful coastline. Your Instagram followers will be green with envy!
Siena
One of Italy’s most picturesque and international medieval cities, Siena is home to well-preserved Gothic architecture and is the birthplace of one of Italy’s patron saints. Siena may be best known for its annual summer horse races, whose origins go back to the 1300s (Remember the horseracing scene in James Bond’s “Quantum of Solace”?).
Bologna
Bologna is best known for its medieval towers, porticoed streets, and hearty cuisine. It’s also home to Europe’s oldest university, founded in 1088. We'll tour the university’s main historical building and its Anatomical Theater, where the first autopsies were performed to train doctors in a university setting. We'll treat you to a group lunch before you have time to explore Bologna on your own.
Venice
In magical Venice, sun reflects off the canals that serve as city streets. A visit to the ethereal Church of San Marco will present Venice as a crossroads, where East meets West and beauty flourishes. Here it's impossible not to get lost… but simply embrace it, as Venice offers something surprising and unique at every turn.