Italy Tailor-Made Tours

Welcome to Venice. If you have time today maybe get acquainted with the city with a quick walk around the maze of streets behind San Marco Square and begin to understand the complex canal system of Venice. After some time to freshen up, your guide will meet you in reception and welcome you to the city over a complimentary refreshment. Now is the time to ask any questions or ask for any local recommendations – your guide will be more than happy to assist you while they brief on the days ahead. This evening is free for you to relax or explore – your guide will have all the best suggestions for dinner. Perhaps seek out Venice's distinctive culinary heritage, which goes back to ancient times and features rich risottos, saline baccala (salted cod) and creamy polenta.

Inclusions

• Arrival transfer from Venice Marco Polo Airport to hotel

Optional Activities:

• Chicetti and Wine Tour of Venice - EUR101 per person (based on two people participating)

After breakfast explore Venice with a help of your local guide. This grand city of bridges, towers, piazzas, canals, churches and gondolas – practically unchanged for 600 years – is literally sinking under the weight of its iconic sights. Venice is built over a hundred small islands connected by 400 bridges. Still rich with artistic masterpieces, modern Venice combines history with contemporary life through food, performance, art and architecture. There are two ways to get around this city – on foot or by boat. Take in the famous sights – the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge, Doge's Palace (the ruler of Venice), the Piazza San Marco with its golden Basilica, and of course, the evocative Bridge of Sighs. Take the vaporetto (water bus) over to the island of San Giorgio to climb the bell tower for the best view of Venice. Later enjoy some free time, you could while away some time in San Marco square or journey down the Grand Canal in a Venetian gondola. There’s creativity everywhere, overflowing into the canals; see it in the Venetian glass in Dorsoduro or down the streets spreading out from the Campo Santo Stefano. Visit the Palazzo Ducale, overflowing with paintings by Italian masters, and contrast it with the modern Guggenheim.

Inclusions

• Walking tour of Venice with a local guide

This morning leave Venice and travel by train to Milan, then take a private transfer to iconic Lake Como (approximately 3.5 hours). It’s an area of stunning beauty full of unique and evocative landscapes, and you’ll feel like time stands still in Varenna. Traditional activities such as fishing or the extraction of typical black marble have always been fundamental to the area, and probably always will be. Head toward the lake and walk along the narrow streets branching off from Piazza San Giorgio and explore corners of this picture-perfect area. Use your free time in Varenna to soak in the atmosphere and perhaps pop into one of the charming restaurants for a dinner with a view.

Inclusions

• Arrival transfer from Venice Piazzale Roma to Varenna

Even surrounded by the lavish luxury of Lake Como, the heartbeat of the area is still the simple things, so this morning meet your local guide and together discover the art of making bread. Through the experience and the practice of an expert, you can follow this process and help the local baker make some of their daily dozens. The baker will explain the different methods and techniques used, and show you how to make sourdough using the starter they will have nurtured for years. At the end of the class, you’ll get to taste the bread with some cold cuts and cheeses – and a glass of wine of course. The rest of the day is free to explore. Maybe take the ferry between the various parts of this area of Lake Como, like Cadenabbia or the film-famous Villa Balbianello. Villa Carlotta is another waterfront villa open to the public. It holds a range of artwork and is surrounded by acres of manicured Italian gardens. Just past Cadenabbia is Tremezzo, where you can find delicious food or an apéritif – sitting dockside, lakeside, or out on a verandah. Simply strolling and admiring the beautiful views whichever way you turn is an ideal way to spend the rest of the day. With some fine Italian food tonight, of course.

Inclusions

• Bread making experience

After breakfast it's time to say goodbye to the stunning scenery of Lake Como and return to Milan, where you will board a train bound for La Spezia, now the gateway to the famous Cinque Terre. The name Cinque Terre comes from the five tiny villages – Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore – whose position, wedged into a series of coves between sheer cliffs, makes this one of the highlights of the whole of Italy. After checking into your hotel, you’ll get a true taste of Italy when heading out to meet a different kind of sommelier – a local olive oil expert. They will guide you through the experience of smelling and tasting different olive oils on a variety of bruschetta. Not only will you learn which oil goes with which food, but you’ll also get the benefit of their wine expertise and find matches there too. Discover the secrets of recognising the best oils and how to buy the best back home. It’s a day full of interesting insights among the peaceful surroundings of a terraced olive grove in Poet’s Bay.

Inclusions

• Transfer Lake Como to La Spezia
• Extra virgin olive oil – mini course

Today you will venture out on the footpaths of Cinque Terre, a region of Italy famed for its coastline and pastel villages. The footpaths that run between the villages were once the only way to travel in the region, and take you through olive groves and vineyards, and on to spectacular views of the towns below hugging the cliffs. You can choose to walk just a few sections, which will still unveil a great amount of majestic scenery. Some sections of the path can be difficult, as there are challenging uphill stretches, narrow paths, steep cliffs and foot bridges, but the views are more than worth the effort. It's possible to take the train between any of the villages or back to the base in La Spezia whenever you want. The rest of the day is free. In the evening, there's no better way to recover from your day of walking than indulging in more Mediterranean delights.

Inclusions

• Guided hike to Cinque Terre

Start the day with a drive to Lucca, one of Tuscany's real hidden gems with centuries-old buildings, beautiful churches, charming piazzas and narrow streets to explore within its ancient city ramparts. Then your next stop is Pisa, home to the world-famous Leaning Tower. Here there'll be time for you to see the tower, as well as the nearby Duomo in Piazza dei Miracoli and the Pisa Baptistery. The Leaning Tower was built in the 12th century, but its foundation was on shifting sand and clay, meaning that it now leans at an angle of four degrees, after restoration and stabilising work. Continue on to one of the highlights of your trip, tucked within the Tuscan hills. If your mind’s eye had to summon the image of a 10th century Tuscan monastery, you’d probably get Castello di Spaltenna down to the last hand-chiselled limestone block. It’s overflowing with rustic Italian charm, with rolling hills and vineyards around every corner and sculpted poplar trees dotted throughout the grounds. It’s the perfect Tuscany countryside retreat, and you’ll celebrate your first night here with a memorable 3-course dinner.

Inclusions

• Transfer La Spezia to Chianti via Lucca and Pisa
• Lucca stop
• Pisa stop

You can’t stay in a place like this and not simply take the time to enjoy it. Today’s all about soaking up the atmosphere and making the most of the Castello’s beautiful setting. Perhaps pamper yourself in the on-site spa, go for a walk in the surrounding area, enjoy a swim in the pool, or taste some quality wines from the cellars.

It’ll be tough to tear yourself away from the Castello, but at least you’ll be staying in a palace in Rome tonight! But first make your way to Siena by private vehicle and enjoy a guided walk of the city. At its heart is the Piazza del Campo and nearby is the small but no less stunning Siena Cathedral. Peaceful yet vibrant, visiting Siena is like going back in time to medieval Italy, where everything is still preserved to the time when it was first built. If you’re there for lunch keep an eye out for two classically delicious dishes: Pappardelle pasta with rabbit sauce and Ribollita, a Tuscan vegetable soup. Continue to Rome for your overnight stay in your lavishly decorated hotel.

Inclusions

• Transfer Chianti to Rome via Siena
• Siena guided walking tour with Siena Cathedral admission

Get the inside insight into Rome today with a local guide at your side. Uncover the secrets of the Eternal City as you taste your way though some of its most famous districts, trying the best food specialities along the way. Navigate the characteristic fresh vegetables and fruits market stalls of the Campo de Fiori, pass through Trastevere and its colourful, crumbling old buildings, cobbled lanes with ivy climbing the walls, then discover Jewish-Roman cuisine in the city’s ancient Jewish neighbourhood. You’ll experience Rome will all your different senses and at every stop along the way taste the city like a local. From handmade ice-cream to white pizza, proper espresso or carciofo alla giudia, this is an eye-opening and stomach-filling experience. The rest of the day is free to follow your interests – simply discovering new neighbourhoods and their distinctive characters is more than enough.

Inclusions

• Art and food tour of Rome with tastings

Today is free for you to explore this great city as you please, and it’s overflowing with iconic sites such as the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine, the Forum (centre of ancient Rome), the Victor Emmanuel Monument, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Via Dei Condotti and Piazza Venezia. No visit would be complete without a trip to Vatican City and St Peter's Basilica. Entry to the Basilica is free and there's a small charge to climb the dome for a panorama over the city. Use your free time to also visit the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Rome is packed full of restaurants and trattorias that cater to every taste and budget. Local specialities tend to be quite heavy, and include pastas such as carbonara (egg, cheese and bacon) and amatriciana (tomato, bacon and chilli). Eating in trattorias will give you a chance to sample some Italian wines, with house choices usually very good and affordable.

Optional activities

• Guided tour of the Vatican - EUR144 per person (based on two people participating)
• Guided tour of the Colosseum - EUR149 per person (based on two people participating)

Your private transfer will pick you up from your hotel to take you to the central train station in Rome, where you catch a high-speed train to Naples. Then by private transfer travel to the stunning Amalfi Coast, your base for the next few nights. The Amalfi peninsula is a land of rocky coasts, cliff-top vistas, azure seas, tiered lemon groves, whitewashed villages clinging to steep cliffs, and bright blue skies.

Inclusions

• Transfer Rome hotel to Rome train station
• Highspeed train Rome to Naples
• Transfer Naples train station to Amalfi Coast hotel

Enjoy a day at leisure on the Amalfi Coast. Perhaps take the opportunity to book your private day trip to Capri. If you choose to do so it'll be an unforgettable experience. During the boat trip to Capri you can admire the incredible scenery, the breath-taking views and the marvellous coastline of the Amalfi Coast. You’ll discover the hidden beauties of the "Blue Island" – the Blue Grotto, the White Grotto, the Green Grotto, the Faraglioni Rocks, Marina Piccola, Punta Carena. With plenty of stops for swimming, snorkelling, jumping in the water or just relaxing in the sun, you’ll really be able to feel the Mediterranean life. You will have some free time to visit Capri and Anacapri or to enjoy a lunch in one of the many great seaside restaurants of the blue island.

Optional activity

• Private day trip to Capri - EUR625 per person (based on two people participating)

This morning travel to Naples airport for your onward flight.

Inclusions

Transfer Amalfi Coast hotel to Naples airport