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Grand Tour of Italy – from Venice to Sicily

£3,095.00

Riding the 120-year-old funicular to medieval Montecatini Alto for a Tuscan sunset to remember.

Savour every flavour of bella Italia on our two-week Italy tours, from the cultural highlights of the north to the carefree coasts in the south. Starting in the marshland-turned-masterpiece Venice, we’ll sweep through the lyrical landscapes of the Italian countryside. Stopping in ancient Rome and Sicily, sipping a glass of red overlooking beautiful Siena, seeing the ruins of Pompeii – you’ll be indulging in the Italian way of life faster than you can say ‘buongiorno’.

  • 14 excursions & visits
  • 21 meals
  • Active traveller pace
Category:

Your itinerary

Day 1 – Venice – Bassano del Grappa

Our door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Venice. We transfer to our hotel in Bassano del Grappa.

Bonotto Hotel Belvedere, Bassano del Grappa (4-star)

Today includes…

Dinner

Day 2 – Venice

We’ll whizz into Venice on a local train, for a guided walk that takes us to the main sights, including the Piazza San Marco and the Bridge of Sighs. Afterwards, you’re free to explore independently. Perhaps take some time to take in the stately arcades that line Piazza San Marco (and indulge in a thick hot chocolate at the famous Café Florian); float along the Grand Canal on a gondola or get lost in the warren of backstreets and canals and discover the ‘local’ Venice. An optional excursion (pre-bookable only) to visit the Doge’s Palace will take place this afternoon. You’ll see its grand façades and ornamentation – all a reflection of the city’s 14th-century wealth and power, portrayed with elaborate, Venetian Gothic flair.

Bonotto Hotel Belvedere, Bassano del Grappa (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit to Venice with morning guided walking tour and free afternoon (all day)

Breakfast

The Grand Canal and Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy

Day 3 – Bassano del Grappa

On our third day in the area, you’re free to explore on your own. Or, there’s an optional trip to the old university town of Vicenza, filled with charming 16th-century buildings. Here, you’ll enjoy a guided tour and entrance to the grappa museum with a tasting.

Bonotto Hotel Belvedere, Bassano del Grappa (4-star)

Today includes…

Breakfast

Free time

Bassano del Grappa is a city in northern Italy’s Veneto region, Italy. The Old Bridge also called the Bassano Bridge or Bridge of the Alpini is considered one of the most picturesque bridges in Italy.

Day 4 – Ferrara – Bologna – Montecatini Terme

Today, we travel into the region of Emilia-Romagna en route to Tuscany. We’ll visit Ferrara, one of the greatest walled cities in Italy. And we’ll stop by the regional capital Bologna, renowned for its food (though the porticoed red-brick buildings and ancient university are also worth a mention).

Grand Hotel du Park et Regina, Montecatini Terme (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit to Ferrara and Bologna (all day)

Breakfast and Dinner

Piazza del Nettuno fountain in Bologna in Emilia Romagna in Italy

Day 5 – Florence

A local train whisks us to Florence from our base in Montecatini Terme. Quite simply, Florence is utterly enchanting. From its towering, frescoed buildings, Gothic churches staggering red-tiled Duomo, you are sure to be charmed by this romantic city. A guided walking tour reveals the city’s highlights and includes entrance to the Basilica di Santa Croce, the burial place of some of the most eminent Italians. Brunelleschi and Vasari were involved in the architectural design of the basilica. The afternoon is free in Florence to make your own discoveries, before returning to the hotel.

Grand Hotel du Park et Regina, Montecatini Terme (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Excursion to Florence, including morning guided walking tour (all day)

Breakfast

Free time

Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy

Day 6 – Pisa – Lucca

Pisa and Lucca are on the itinerary today, as we head off on a full-day excursion. Pisa’s Miracle Square (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is where you’ll find the famous Leaning Tower, as well as the shiny white marble cathedral and baptistery. In the walled medieval town of Lucca, we take a guided walk to Piazza del Mercato. It’s also known as Piazza dell’Anfiteatro – once upon a time, a Roman amphitheatre stood here (which explains the piazza’s oval shape).

Grand Hotel du Park et Regina, Montecatini Terme (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit Pisa and walking tour in Lucca (all day)

Breakfast

Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Day 7 – Siena – Rome

After some time this morning to explore the ‘contrade’ (districts) of Siena, one of Italy’s most beautiful medieval cities, we wend our way south towards Rome. Along the way, we’ll quench our thirst with a wine tasting in one of the best grape-growing areas of Tuscany. We’ll arrive into Rome late afternoon.

Starhotels Michelangelo, Rome (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit Siena (morning)Winery visit and tasting (afternoon)

Breakfast and Dinner

Panorama of Siena, Tuscany, Italy

Day 8 – Rome

Known as the Eternal City, Rome’s ancient capital will take us back some 3,000 years with icons such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Pantheon dotted among the hustle and bustle of modern life. Our introduction to Rome includes a guided walk, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, and entrance to the Colosseum.

Starhotels Michelangelo, Rome (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit Rome, with morning walking tour and afternoon entrance to Colosseum (all day)

Breakfast

Colosseum in Rome, Italy

Day 9 – Rome

Spend this morning exploring on your own – perch on the Spanish Steps and throw a euro or two into the Trevi Fountain. This afternoon we’ll visit the world-renowned Vatican and Sistine Chapel and see iconic artworks, including those of Michelangelo.

Starhotels Michelangelo, Rome (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit to Vatican and Sistine Chapel (afternoon)

Breakfast

Free time

Basilica of Saint Peter, Vatican city

Day 10 – Pompeii – Salerno

Our tour today takes us to Pompeii. This wealthy town was buried and frozen in time in AD 79, by a massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This is undoubtedly Europe’s most compelling archaeological site. We&ll then continue on to Salerno for a two-night stay.

San Severino Park Hotel & Spa, Salerno (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Tour of Pompeii (morning)

Breakfast

Ancient Roman columns in Pompeii, Italy

Day 11 – Sorrento – Gragnano

We head to Sorrento this morning, for some free time to explore this pretty town on the Gulf of Naples. We&ll then continue to Gragnano, renowned for its distinct type of pasta. We&ll visit a pasta factory for a demonstration, before returning to Salerno.

San Severino Park Hotel & Spa, Salerno (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit to Sorrento (morning)Visit to a Gragnano pasta factory and demonstration (morning)

Breakfast and Dinner

Couple walking on the narrow streets of Sorrento, Italy. Local shops in Sorrento.

Day 12 – Giardini Naxos, Sicily

We’ll make our way south from Naples through Calabria – the ‘toe’ of Italy – right down to Sicily. We’ll visit a mozzarella producer for a tasting of this delicious buffalo milk cheese – you may catch a glimpse of some of the buffalo herds as we travel through the countryside. We&ll make a stop in Cosenza and then a short sea crossing from Reggio di Calabria takes us across to Messina on Sicily’s north-eastern tip.

Sant Alphio Garden Hotel & Spa, Giardini Naxos (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit to mozzarella farm with tasting (morning)Visit to Cosenza (afternoon)

Breakfast and Dinner

Altomonte, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy

Day 13 – Giardini Naxos

Relax and spend today at leisure.

Sant Alphio Garden Hotel & Spa, Giardini Naxos (4-star)

Today includes…

Breakfast and Dinner

Free time

The bay of Giardini-Naxos with the Etna and Catania in the background viewed from Taormina, Sicily Italy.

Day 14 – Giardini Naxos

Spend another day enjoying your surroundings or join a full-day optional excursion to Mount Etna and then Taormina, where there’ll be a guided walk and entrance to the ancient Greek theatre, in its splendid elevated position with glorious views.

Sant Alphio Garden Hotel & Spa, Giardini Naxos (4-star)

Today includes…

Breakfast and Dinner

Free time

Stunning views of Mount Etna, Italy

Day 15 – Acireale – Catania – In flight

After free time we’ll depart for the airport, stopping en route in the coastal baroque town of Acireale. Your flight leaves late evening and will arrive in the early hours of day 16 (subject to schedule changes).

Acireale – Catania – In flight

Today includes…

Breakfast

Air travel

Day 16 – Departure

Upon arrival, our vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.