La Dolce Vita - 11 days

Welcome to Italy! On arrival in Rome, make your own way to our start hotel. Our tour begins at 19:45 so if you arrive early you will have time to do some independent sightseeing - perhaps head to the Colosseum?



When better to explore this most romantic of cities than with a sunset walking tour? Our expert local guide takes us to highlights including the Spanish Steps and the Piazza Della Rotonda, home of the Pantheon. Throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain for good luck and taste some authentic Italian gelato. After our tour ends, the rest of the evening is at leisure.



Please note: Pick-up from the hotel is at 19:45 for our evening walking tour of Rome, so please make sure you arrive in Italy in plenty of time on day 1 or before, to avoid missing the tour!

Rome - Assisi - Siena - Florence. It's an early start as we depart Rome at 7:15 and journey to the medieval walled town of Assisi. There's time to visit the picturesque Basilica of St Francis independently if you choose.



Then we continue to Siena, a UNESCO-protected town known for its incredibly narrow streets, medieval brick buildings and fan-shaped main square: Piazza del Campo. After a short visit we continue to our hotel in Florence, where dinner is included.

Today we enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of Florence, 'Cradle of the Renaissance' and home of Michelangelo. Take in the beautiful Duomo, formally known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Other highlights of the city include the town hall - Palazzo Vecchio and the Basilica of Santa Croce, burial place for illustrious Italians including Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. We enjoy lunch in a typical Tuscan restaurant in Piazza Santa Croce.



This afternoon you can continue exploring Florence independently. We recommend pre-booking a visit to the Uffizi Gallery or the Academia (home to the original David). Alternatively, you can book an optional excursion to nearby Pisa, home to the iconic Leaning Tower.

Florence - Bologna - Padua - Venice. Departing Florence, we drive to beautiful Bologna, capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. Enjoy a walk through the elegant city centre to see some of the beautiful porticos and shopping streets. Stroll from Piazza Malpighi to Piazza del Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore in the heart of the city, and see the Basilica of San Petronio. There's free time to find a good restaurant for lunch.



In the afternoon we pay a short visit to Padua, a riverside city west of Venice. We'll see the Basilica of Saint Anthony, which is one of the most visited churches by pilgrims in the Catholic world. Then it's on to Venice, where we check into our hotel for the next two nights.

After breakfast it's time to explore perhaps Italy's most famous and romantic destination. The floating city is a photographer's dream, and we'll be taking in the main highlights. Our tour begins in Piazza San Marco, in English known as St Mark's Square. It's the focal point of the city, dominated by St Mark's Basilica. We also see the Gothic Doge's Palace and the legendary Bridge of Sighs.



After our tour, we enjoy some traditional cicchetti (Italian tapas) and a glass of prosecco in our beautiful setting. Then there is free time for you to explore further - we strongly recommend a gondola ride on Venice's famous canals!

Venice - Tuscany wine region - Rome. Leaving Venice, we head into Tuscany, one of Italy's most idyllic regions. A land known for its beautiful scenery, historic castles, and some of Italy's finest wines. We enjoy a stop in the medieval town of Montepulciano for lunch, where you can try a glass or two of the region's vino. Then we enjoy a short amount of free time to explore the town further, before returning to Rome for the evening.

Today we explore Vatican City, home to the Pope and technically an independent country - another one you can tick off your list!



Departing the hotel after breakfast, we'll enjoy a guided tour of the Vatican's museums and galleries with 'skip the line' tickets. Take in the Gallery of Tapestries, the beautifully decorated frescoes of Raphael's Rooms, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. We can also admire the stunning St Peter's Basilica from the outside. This iconic landmark dominates the Vatican and is one of the largest Christian churches in the world, as well as being the pinnacle of Renaissance architecture. It is allegedly where Saint Peter was buried and titans of Italian design including Donato Bramante and Michelangelo had a hand in its creation. The rest of today is at leisure in Rome.

Rome - Naples - Sorrento. As we set off from Rome once more, we head south this time, passing through Lazio and Campania to reach Naples, the birthplace of pizza! We'll take a short hike up Vomero Hill to enjoy panoramic views of the Gulf of Naples, Mount Vesuvius, Capri, Ischia and Naples below.



Then we make the short drive to Pompeii, in the shadow of Vesuvius. Lunch is included so you can try some authentic Neapolitan pizza before our tour of Pompeii.



In the year 79 AD, the residents of Pompeii, a prosperous and sophisticated Roman city, were going about their day. Suddenly and without warning, the normally quiet Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the city in up to 6 metres of ash and pumice. Whilst many Pompeiians escaped, approximately 2,000 people were buried and perished. The ash perfectly preserved the city, and on our guided tour we will see some of the surviving artifacts, mosaics and buildings, and will find out more about the eruption and what life was like in the city before this fateful day.



After our tour of Pompeii we head along the picturesque Sorrentine coast to Sorrento, where dinner is included - please dress smartly as it is a formal dinner!

Sorrento - Capri - Sorrento. Today we explore the beautiful and exclusive Mediterranean island of Capri. Weather permitting, we will visit the Blue Grotto sea cave by row boat. You can enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before there is free time to explore the island. Capri was a summer home for the Roman emperor Augustus and today is popular with celebrities. After our visit, we return to Sorrento.

Sorrento - Rome. There is free time today for you to explore Sorrento. Perhaps enjoy some shopping, or sample some local limoncello. You can also book an optional excursion to the Amalfi coast before we return to Rome at approximately 16:00.

Enjoy a final breakfast in the hotel before our tour arrangements come to an end.