Arrive in Rome and be transferred to your hotel. After time to settle in, embark on a guided walking tour through the heart of the city, exploring its iconic sights like the Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Colosseum, alongside its hidden gems. Tonight, head to a local restaurant for a Welcome Dinner with your Tour Director and fellow travellers and delight in your first deep dive into Italian cuisine.

What better way to begin your first full day in Rome than with a skip-the-line guided tour of the Vatican Museum. Explore the museum, gaze up at the incredible Sistine Chapel and marvel at St Peter’s Basilica grand structure. Spend the rest of the afternoon at your leisure.

Enhance Your Journey – Colosseum Guided Visit

Join a guided visit to the Colosseum to learn in-depth the historical context and insights to this world-famous icon (own expense).

Enhance Your Journey – Italian Street Food Tour

Gain an authentic insight into local culture with a wander through the city’s lively local markets, where you can savour Italian street food, whether it’s pizza by the slice or golden, steaming arancini and more (own expense).

Early risers may wish to join your Tour Director for a serene dawn tour of Rome, before the crowds wake up. Enjoy the chance to peacefully soak up iconic sights, including the intricate sculptures of the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps bathed in morning light. After building up an appetite, stop for a typical Italian breakfast – a cornetto and cappuccino – at a local cafe. Afterwards, board your coach for the journey south to Sorrento, stopping en route at the World Heritage-listed Archaeological Park of Pompeii. Here, join a guided tour of the ancient city that has been preserved under ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. Continue to Sorrento.

Today is yours to uncover the splendours of Florence. Whether you’re an art lover or simply enjoy wandering, there’s much to discover. Visit the renowned Uffizi Gallery to see masterpieces by Botticelli, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo, or take time to explore the city’s charming streets. Admire the city’s stunning architecture, including the iconic Ponte Vecchio, and enjoy the atmosphere of Florence’s lively piazzas.

Enhance Your Journey – Explore Pisa

For those wishing to venture further, an optional excursion to Pisa offers the chance to see the world-famous Leaning Tower up close. Beyond the tower, enjoy the beauty of the Piazza dei Miracoli and the striking cathedral, or simply relax in the historic city.

Enhance Your Journey – Discover Cinque Terre

Alternatively, opt for a journey to Cinque Terre, a dramatic stretch of coastline where five colourful villages cling to cliffs above the sea. Explore the charming streets, take in breathtaking views, and experience the unique beauty of this coastal paradise.

Enjoy a slower start to your morning before boarding your coach for the trip to Naples. Upon arrival in Naples, embark on a journey to Florence. Arrive in the heart of the city this afternoon and take time to explore before an exciting Insider Experience this evening.

Insider Experience – Florence Sensory Exploration

Discover Florence’s culinary delights alongside its hidden cultural gems on this engaging exploration. Florence is recognised as the birthplace of the renaissance, and it is here you’ll find fine masterpieces from this period. You’ll also taste local dishes and visit one of the many famous wine windows around the city, where you can order a delicious Italian red through a small window carved into a wall.

Today is yours to uncover the splendours of Florence. If you’re an art lover, delight in a visit to the Uffizi Gallery. You may prefer to wander the city and admire the architecture, including the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge.

Enhance Your Journey – Venture to Pisa

If you’d like to explore further afield, join an optional tour to Pisa to clap eyes on the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa (own expense).

Enhance Your Journey – Discover Cinque Terre

Opt to journey to Cinque Terre, five villages built atop cliffs and ravines by the sea (own expense).

Venture into Tuscany’s sun-kissed countryside, making a pit stop in Siena. Spend time exploring the medieval streets and marvel at the impressive Piazza del Campo and Siena Cathedral. Continue to an exciting Insider Experience.

Insider Experience – Tuscany Winery Experience

Meet the family behind a Tuscan winery and vineyard, hear their stories, and enjoy a farm-to-table lunch paired with local wines. This is a day of cultural immersion, where you’ll experience the warmth and flavours of Tuscany firsthand.

Travel to Venice, a city of marble and stone built atop an island and intersected with great, gondola-studded canals. With such rich history, culture and artistry, you’ll find something extraordinary at every turn. This afternoon, discover the revered craft of glassblowing with a visit to a traditional glass furnace on Murano, and watch local artists demonstrate their skills. This evening, explore the city at your own pace.

Following an exciting Insider Experience this morning, join a guided tour through the city’s most famous landmarks, including Saint Mark’s Basilica, a magnificent cathedral showcasing a mesmerising blend of gothic, byzantine, Romanesque, and renaissance architectural styles. You’ll also wander by Doge’s Palace, an impressive 14th-century palace that once served as the residence of Venetian Doges and seats of power, before exploring the maze-like streets and laneways of Venice. For dinner, enjoy a memorable Farewell Dinner at an authentic Venetian restaurant.

Insider Experience – Gondola Workshop

Visit a local Squero, a gondola workshop, and learn about the craftsmanship behind the iconic boats and centuries-old trade.

Your great Italian journey comes to an end today after breakfast with a transfer to the airport. If you’re not ready to say goodbye, you might like to extend your journey with our Italian Lakes extension, or cruise across the Adriatic on our Adriatic Jewels Small Ship Coastal Cruise.