Itinerary
- Day 1
Venice
You'll arrive in Venice and have time to wander through the narrow streets and soak in the atmosphere of this canal city before meeting your tour leader at 6pm. The welcome meeting happens at your hotel, and there's an optional group dinner afterward if you're interested. This gives you a chance to settle in and get your bearings at your own pace.
Optional Activities
- Explore Venice's canals and narrow passageways on foot
- Dinner with tour group (optional)
Landmarks/POIs Venice Marco Polo Airport Piazzale Roma Ponte della Costituzione Santa Lucia Train Station - Day 2
Venice
Your guided walking tour takes you through Cannaregio's backstreets, then across the Rialto Bridge to Saint Mark's Square and Basilica. You'll see the Bridge of Sighs and Doge's Palace before hopping on a Vaporetto water bus to San Giorgio Maggiore Bell Tower for views across the city. After that, the day is yours to explore Venice however you'd like, whether on foot or by water bus.
Included Activities
- Orientation walking tour through Cannaregio and Saint Mark's Square
- Visit Saint Mark's Basilica
- See Bridge of Sighs
- See Doge's Palace
- Vaporetto water bus to San Giorgio Maggiore Bell Tower
- Vaporetto day pass included
Optional Activities
- Gondola ride through canals
- Visit Gallerie dell'Accademia
- Visit Peggy Guggenheim Collection
- Visit Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace museum)
- Shopping for glass from Murano, leather goods, paperware, or Carnival masks
- Aperitivo and cicchetti at local bars
Landmarks/POIs Rialto Bridge Saint Mark's Square Saint Mark's Basilica Bridge of Sighs Doge's Palace San Giorgio Maggiore Bell Tower Grand Canal Gallerie dell'Accademia Peggy Guggenheim Collection Murano Island - Day 3
Venice to Bologna
The high-speed train gets you to Bologna by late morning. After checking into your hotel, you'll have a guided walk through this historic city. Later comes the fun part - a pasta-making demonstration where you'll learn to make and eat traditional egg pasta shapes like tortelloni. Dinner with wine wraps up your evening.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner with glass of wine, following pasta-making demonstration)
Included Activities
- Orientation walk through Bologna
- Pasta-making demonstration with traditional sfoglia all'uovo (egg pasta)
- Learn pasta fillings and shapes (tortelloni, garganelli, strichetti, tagliatelle)
- Dinner and glass of wine
Optional Activities
- Climb Asinelli Tower (one of the Due Torri) for city views
Landmarks/POIs Asinelli Tower (Due Torri) - Day 4
Bologna to Florence
You'll head to Bologna's Quadrilatero district early to walk medieval streets and sample local street food. Then it's on to Florence via train (about 30 minutes). Your guided orientation walk covers San Lorenzo leather market, Central Market, the Duomo and Baptistry, Signoria Square, Palazzo Vecchio, and Ponte Vecchio. The afternoon is free for independent exploring.
Included Activities
- Visit Quadrilatero food market area
- Orientation walk through Florence including San Lorenzo market
- Visit Central Market
- Visit San Lorenzo church
- Visit Cappelle Medicee
- View Duomo (exterior)
- View Baptistry (exterior)
- See Palazzo Vecchio
- See Ponte Vecchio
Optional Activities
- Climb Duomo dome for city views
- Stroll along River Arno banks
- Visit Palazzo Vecchio interior
- Visit Museo di San Marco
- Visit Galleria dell'Accademia (home to Michelangelo's David)
- Visit Uffizi Gallery (book tickets in advance)
- Walk to Piazzale Michelangelo for evening city views
- Espresso and people-watching at outdoor cafes
Landmarks/POIs Quadrilatero San Lorenzo Market Central Market San Lorenzo Church Cappelle Medicee Duomo Baptistry Signoria Square Palazzo Vecchio Uffizi Museum Ponte Vecchio River Arno Museo di San Marco Galleria dell'Accademia Piazzale Michelangelo - Day 5
Florence to Pisa and Return
A local train takes you to Pisa in about an hour. You'll take a guided tour of the Campo dei Miracoli where you'll see the famous Leaning Tower, plus the Baptistry, Duomo, and Camposanta with their 11th to 13th century architecture. The rest of the day is yours to explore before heading back to Florence on your own schedule.
Included Activities
- Orientation tour of Pisa
- Visit Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Dreams)
- See Leaning Tower of Pisa
- See Baptistry
- See Duomo
- See Camposanta
Optional Activities
- Explore historic centre churches and palaces
- Climb Leaning Tower
Landmarks/POIs Campo dei Miracoli Leaning Tower of Pisa Pisa Baptistry Pisa Duomo Camposanta - Day 6
Florence to Rome
After arriving in Rome by high-speed train, you'll settle into your hotel and then head out with a specialist guide to the Colosseum, Roman Forum with its temples, and Palatine Hill. The remainder of the afternoon and evening is yours to explore the city at your own pace.
- Meals
- Dinner
Included Activities
- Specialist guided tour of Colosseum
- Specialist guided tour of Roman Forum
- Visit Palatine Hill
Optional Activities
- Visit Vatican Museums (book online in advance)
- Visit St Peter's Basilica
- Street-side espresso break
- Gelato
Landmarks/POIs Colosseum Roman Forum Via Sacra Palatine Hill Vatican Museums St Peter's Basilica - Day 7
Rome
This is your free day in Rome to explore independently. You might visit the Vatican and St Peter's Basilica early to beat the crowds, check out the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, or wander other parts of the city at your own pace. At 6pm, there's a welcome meeting with a new tour leader at your hotel reception, plus an optional group dinner.
Optional Activities
- Visit Vatican Museums (book online in advance)
- Visit St Peter's Basilica
- Visit Sistine Chapel
- Explore other Rome attractions
- Dinner with tour group (optional)
Landmarks/POIs Vatican Museums St Peter's Basilica Sistine Chapel - Day 8
Rome
Another free day in Rome means you can visit the Pantheon with its massive unreinforced dome, or head to Galleria Borghese to see works by Caravaggio, Bernini, and Canova. If you'd rather just experience Rome's food scene, Testaccio Market has diverse cuisine and street food worth exploring.
Optional Activities
- Visit Pantheon
- Visit Galleria Borghese (book tickets online in advance)
- Visit Testaccio Market
Landmarks/POIs Pantheon Galleria Borghese Testaccio Market - Day 9
Rome to Naples to Pompeii
The fast train takes you to Naples where your guide leads a short orientation walk through old Naples' streets and markets. You'll grab lunch and try traditional Neapolitan pizza with its thin center and fresh tomato base. In the afternoon, a charter bus heads to Mount Vesuvius for a walk from the car park to the crater rim (about 1 hour round trip) with views of Naples and the bay. You'll stay in a hotel in Pompeii that evening.
Included Activities
- Orientation walk through old Naples
- Charter bus trip to Mount Vesuvius
- Walk to volcanic crater rim
Optional Activities
- Traditional Neapolitan pizza lunch
Landmarks/POIs Mount Vesuvius - Day 10
Pompeii to Amalfi Coast
An early start gets you to Pompeii's archaeological site at opening time for a guided walk through this remarkably preserved Roman city. You'll see the forum, Temple of Jupiter, decorated villas like the House of Vetii, and the human casts left by the eruption. In the afternoon, you'll travel inland across the hills to the Amalfi Coast, stopping in the clifftop town of Ravello before heading to your hotel in Maiori, which has the largest beach along this coast.
Included Activities
- Guided walking tour of Pompeii archaeological site
- Visit Pompeii forum and Temple of Jupiter
- View decorated villas (House of Vetii)
- Visit Ravello
Landmarks/POIs Pompeii Pompeii Forum Temple of Jupiter House of Vetii Ravello - Day 11
Maiori to Amalfi
You'll walk the Path of the Lemons with views toward Capri and the Amalfi Coast. The route takes about an hour and winds through terraced lemon groves and ancient staircases and alleyways to Minori (around 2.5 kilometers). From there, a ferry takes you to Amalfi where you'll visit the 11th-century Cathedral of Saint Andrea with its Romanesque-Saracen design and bronze doors. The rest of the day is free to explore, hit the beach, or head to Positano.
Included Activities
- Walk Sentiero Dei Limoni (Path of the Lemons)
- Ferry from Minori to Amalfi
- Visit Cathedral of Saint Andrea
Optional Activities
- Explore Valley of the Mills
- Visit Amalfi beach
- Return to Maiori beach
- Visit Positano (by public bus or ferry)
Landmarks/POIs Sentiero Dei Limoni Minori Amalfi Cathedral of Saint Andrea Valley of the Mills Positano - Day 12
Amalfi to Sorrento
The drive to Sorrento along the Amalfi Coast road is incredible, with views hugging cliffs and coves past pastel-painted villages. Once in Sorrento, you'll explore the historic center with its narrow alleys and Chiesa di San Francesco, a 14th-century church with a tranquil cloister. You'll visit a local lemon grove to learn about cultivation and taste lemon products like flavored oils and limoncello. Piazza Tasso has artisan shops and restaurants if you want to browse.
Included Activities
- Visit local lemon grove
- Learn about lemon cultivation
- Taste home-made lemon products
- Taste flavoured olive oils
- Taste limoncello
Optional Activities
- Visit Chiesa di San Francesco
- Explore narrow alleys of historic centre
- Shop at Piazzo Tasso artisan shops
- Dine at Piazzo Tasso restaurants
Landmarks/POIs Sorrento Chiesa di San Francesco Piazzo Tasso - Day 13
Sorrento
You have a free day to relax in Sorrento or take a short 20-minute hydrofoil ferry to Capri. If you go to Capri, you can explore by private bus or check out the optional activities like Villa San Michele museum and gardens, Villa Jovis ruins, or a boat trip to the Blue Grotto sea cave.
Optional Activities
- Hydrofoil ferry to Capri
- Private bus excursion to Anacapri and Capri
- Visit Villa San Michele museum and gardens
- Visit Villa Jovis (Emperor Tiberius' palace ruins)
- Boat trip to Blue Grotto
Landmarks/POIs Port of Sorrento Capri Island Anacapri Villa San Michele Villa Jovis Blue Grotto - Day 14
Sorrento Departure
Your tour ends after breakfast at the hotel in Sorrento. There are no activities scheduled, so you can depart whenever you need to. The hotel can store your luggage if your flight leaves later in the day.
- Meals
- Breakfast
