Travel from the shores of Venice to the ancient city of Rome on this 8-day guided tour of Italy. Begin your journey in Milan, where a festive feast complete with decadent Italian wines await you. In Venice, relax on a private boat as you pass by its iconic floating houses to St. Mark’s Square, where you will see a gilded basilica anchoring the bustling piazza. Later, take a traditional gondola ride and sail through the canals as your Italian gondolier serenades you with songs. See the legendary Colosseum in Rome, then travel to the Vatican Museums, where a Local Expert will lead you through the papal art collection and to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Dine in the Pope’s garden, beneath the cupola of St. Peter’s Basilica, and celebrate a fantastic trip.
  • 3 Dinner with Wine (DW)
  • 7 Breakfast (B)
  • Choose between two carefully selected activities
  • Florence: Wander through the market stalls and browse for local Italian souvenirs and leather goods on a guided shopping tour.
  • Milan: Enjoy a special Welcome Dinner with wine, as you get to know your fellow travellers.
  • Florence: During dinner, meet a sommelier who will talk you through a tasting of some of Tuscan's finest wines.
  • Rome: Enjoy a Celebration Dinner of delicious Italian cuisine and wine, accompanied by the rich tremolo of some of Italy's best loved songs.
  • Vatican: Gain priority access into the Vatican Museums and admire the famous Bramante Staircase. Witness the genius of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and view the splendid dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
  • Venice: Witness the ancient skill of glassblowing, now practised by precious few masters. Watch artisans create delicate works of art using rare traditional practices. The workshop's master craftsmen teach visitors about the traditional craft of glassblowing and its history which dates back to the 15th century. Every visit helps to support the workshop and the survival of this traditional craft. The workshop advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
  • Venice: With your Travel Director cruise to St. Mark's Square and see the Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark's Basilica.
  • Venice: Delight in the magic of this charming city as you are serenaded, travelling through the atmospheric canals by gondola.
  • Pisa: Your Local Expert will show you the baptistery bristling with marble spines, the colonnaded bell tower lurching behind the 11th century cathedral and of course, the famous Leaning Tower in the Square of Miracles.
  • Florence: See the area around Santa Croce Basilica, famous for the quality of its luxury goods and witness a gold and leatherwork demonstration.
  • Florence: Join a Local Expert to view the multi-coloured marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. Visit the political heart of the city, Signoria Square. See the area around Santa Croce Basilica, famous for the quality of its luxury goods.
  • Orvieto: During your orientation of this Umbrian hilltop town with your Travel Director, visit Piazza del Duomo to admire the cathedral.
  • : "Venice is so unique that anyone seeing it for the first time is never fully prepared for the magic, from seeing their first gondola to the facade of St. Mark’s Cathedral."
  • : "One food I really love introducing my guests to is tramezzini sandwiches because they are a real art form in Venice. For the locals it is a quick inexpensive bite to get them through the day...best eaten standing up at the bar!"
  • : "I really love about showing guests the huge variety that Italy has to offer, from quaint countryside villages to cities full of stupendous art and architecture."