Arrive in Newport, RI, home of Gilded Age mansions.  In the late 19^th century, America’s elite built their summer “cottages” in Newport to escape the hustle and bustle of New York City life.  These “cottages” however, are anything but quaint.

Check into your hotel for a three night stay.  Enjoy a free evening at Bowen’s Wharf, the Anchor of Newport’s Waterfront.  Brick walks, granite quays, and 18th century commercial wharf buildings bring you back to Newport’s beginnings as a thriving seaport in one of the finest natural harbors in New England.  There are many restaurants, shops and nightlife options available.

This morning, you enjoy a Gilded Age tour of Newport with the Grand Dame of Newport, Mrs. Caroline Astor.  Although her “coach” is much more opulent than yours, you may have more horsepower.  This tour includes Newport’s Colonial city center with centuries-old architecture, Ocean Drive with jaw-dropping vistas Bellevue Avenue’s historic Gilded Age ‘cottages.”  You will also see many locations where HBO’s series “The Gilded Age” was filmed.  Learn about legendary landmarks but also get the scoop on hidden gems!

Also included is a tour of the International Tennis Hall of Fame located in the historic Newport Casino on Bellevue Avenue.  Built in 1880, this National Historic Landmark was a premier social club for the Gilded Age elite and served as a key filming location for HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” showcasing the era’s Victorian Shingle Style architecture, social scenes, and early tennis history.

Next, enjoy free time for shopping along Bannister’s Wharf, the center of all the action in Newport since 1742!  Bannisters Wharf is home to some great restaurants like the Clarke Cooke House (favorite local spot of Ted Turner and Dennis Conner), The Black Pearl, Fluke and the White Horse Tavern, the ‘oldest Tavern in America.”  Bannisters Wharf has an incredible variety of unique shops for you to explore. In between all of the shopping, take a break and enjoy an ice cream, coffee or espresso by the waterfront!

The afternoon features a Harbor Cruise on the Gansett.  Enjoy a narrated tour of Newport Harbor & Narragansett Bay.  This cruise also includes your choice of complimentary local favorites: Del’s Lemonade or Coffee “Cabinet” Shake or Coffee Ice Cream.  Your knowledgeable guide will enthusiastically share the legends and rich history of this amazing seaport.

Dinner is included tonight at a local favorite, Johnny’s Restaurant at the Wyndham Resort.  Located on the historic grounds once owned by John Clarke, one of the founders of Newport, Johnny’s is a reincarnation of Newport’s legendary Atlantic Beach Club.  Johnny’s features a diverse menu in an upscale casual setting overlooking Easton’s Beach. (B,D)

Today, is filled with Newport Gilded Age Mansions.  The HBO series, “The Gilded Age,” from the creators of “Downton Abbey,” filmed on location in Newport at the three mansions you are touring today.  (Self-Guided Tour with audio provided.)

Start this morning at Rosecliff Mansion, which was built for silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs, who used it to host many fabulous Gilded Age entertainments.  Architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles.   With its celebrated heart-shaped grand staircase and the largest ballroom in Newport, this elegant mansion overlooking the Atlantic Ocean recalls lost Gilded Age summers filled with extravagant parties like the one featured in 1974’s The Great Gatsby, which included several scenes filmed at Rosecliff.

Next, tour The Elms, the summer residence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind of Philadelphia and New York.  Mr. Berwind made his fortune in the coal industry.  In 1898, the Berwinds engaged Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer to design a house modeled after the mid-18th century French chateau d’Asnieres (c.1750) outside Paris.  The interiors and furnishings were designed by Allard and Sons of Paris and were the setting for the Berwinds’ collection of Renaissance ceramics, 18th century French and Venetian paintings, and Oriental jades.

The elaborate Classical Revival gardens on the grounds were developed between 1907 and 1914.  They include terraces displaying marble and bronze sculpture, a park of fine specimen trees and a lavish lower garden featuring marble pavilions, fountains, a sunken garden and carriage house and garage.  These gardens have been restored in recent years.

Included today with your visit to The Elms is lunch in the newly restored Carriage House.  Located on the mansion grounds overlooking the historic Elms gardens, this is the newest dining experience for groups at the Newport Mansions.  Enjoy a farm-to-table lunch, featuring New England classics in a historic garden setting.

The afternoon feature a visit to the Breakers Mansion, the grandest of Newport’s summer “cottages.”  It is a symbol of the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial pre-eminence in turn-of-the-century America.  Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) established the family fortune in steamships and later in the New York Central Railroad, which was a pivotal development in the industrial growth of the nation during the late 19th century.

Dinner this evening is included at the historic La Forge Casino Restaurant on Bellevue Avenue.  Enjoy a delicious meal while overlooking the tennis courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame where Gilded Age society once played croquet and tennis.

After dinner, enjoy a recreation of a Gilded Age Cotillion with live music and easy dance steps. (B,D)

 After breakfast, depart for home. (B)