Italy Explorer - 16 days

Why you'll love this trip

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  Rome - The Eternal City opens the tour with a guided walk past the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Spanish Steps, with an optional guided tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum before a welcome dinner at a local Roman restaurant

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  Orvieto - Perched on a sheer volcanic rock above the Umbrian valley, this hilltop city rewards a funicular ride to the top for its cathedral, fortress, and Papal Residence before the road continues north to Venice

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  Venice - Two days in the floating city span an optional twilight water taxi cruise on arrival, a free day for gondola rides, St Mark's Square, the Rialto Market, and an optional lagoon tour to the colourful islands of Murano and Burano

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  Lake Garda - Italy's largest lake has drawn artists and poets for centuries, its southern shores making a scenic pause on the drive towards Florence and the Tuscan hills beyond

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  Florence - A locally-guided tour of the Renaissance city's landmarks leads into a leather workshop and free time to explore, with an included dinner before an overnight in the Tuscan countryside at Montecatini

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  Cinque Terre - Five fishing villages cling to a dramatically steep coastline above the Ligurian Sea, their brightly painted houses and vine-covered terraces making one of Italy's most photogenic stretches of coast

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  Pisa - The Leaning Tower and the surrounding Piazza dei Miracoli deliver their famous marble grandeur before the road turns back through the Tuscan hills

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  San Gimignano - A medieval hilltop town whose skyline of stone towers rises above the surrounding vineyards, with a Tuscan wine tasting waiting in the streets below

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  Siena - The Piazza del Campo, one of Italy's great medieval squares, sits at the heart of this terracotta city before the tour heads south to Rome for a second stay

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  Vatican - An optional guided tour of the Vatican Museums covers the Sistine Chapel and the extraordinary artistic legacy assembled within one of the world's smallest sovereign states

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  Pompeii - A guided tour of the ruins traces the streets, bakeries, and frescoed villas of a Roman city frozen in 79 AD, with Mount Vesuvius still looming over the site in the distance

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  Amalfi Coast - Two days on Italy's most dramatic coastline include an optional boat tour to Positano and Amalfi, a limoncello tasting, and a visit to a traditional paper museum tucked into the cliffsides above the sea

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  Matera - The ancient Sassi cave districts tumble down a ravine in one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited cities, its UNESCO-listed streets carved directly into the rock over thousands of years

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  Alberobello - A walking tour of this Apulian town with a passionate local guide introduces the whitewashed trulli, conical stone houses found nowhere else in the world, their distinctive rooftops covering an entire historic quarter

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  Taormina - A hilltop town on Sicily's eastern coast with a beachside hotel, a Greek theatre overlooking the sea, and an optional day trip to Mount Etna for a funicular ride to the crater and lunch on volcanic-soil wine and produce

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  Syracuse - Founded by Greek colonists in 734 BC, this Sicilian city layers Baroque architecture over ancient ruins, its UNESCO-listed centre and lively food market rewarding a morning's exploration

Is this trip right for you?

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  There are some long travelling days on this trip, but it’s all part of the adventure and a great way to get to know your fellow travellers.

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  This trip requires a moderate level of fitness as it involves some walking and swimming, allowing you to really get among nature. Please bring sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, a swimsuit and comfortable clothing.

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  Multiple activities on this trip are subject to weather and water conditions and on occasion, may be cancelled for safety or operational reasons. In the case of cancellation, we will endeavour to find a suitable replacement activity.