• 7 Dinner (D)
• 12 Breakfast (B)

• Rome: During an orientation with your Travel Director see the medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches scattered throughout the city.
• Rome: Enjoy an after-hours visit to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Get up close to the legendary Mouth of Truth, an ancient Roman marble mask said to bite any liar who places their hand in the mask’s mouth. Dare to test the legend yourself and take one of the city’s most coveted photos.
• Rome: Be inspired by the magnificence of Michelangelo and Botticelli at the Vatican Museums.
• Rome: In the Vatican City visit St. Peter’s Basilica. Witness the early genius of Michelangelo as you take in the Pietà.
• Rome: Discover ancient treasures of Rome with a Local Specialist. See Circus Maximus and visit the mighty Colosseum, which bears witness to the limitless courage of the gladiators.
• Pompeii: Walk with a Local Specialist through the cobbled streets of this ill-fated town, frozen in time since the 1st century.
• Capri: Join a Local Specialist for a guided walk through Capri’s elegant lanes and vibrant squares. Hear how this island has long attracted artists, writers and Hollywood icons. Visit historic landmarks and local boutiques, and discover how generations of islanders have lived alongside the glamour, from Roman emperors to the jet-set names of the 1950s and beyond.
• Assisi: With a Local Specialist, find out why the Basilica of St. Francis is considered to be one of the crowning artistic achievements of 13th-century Europe.
• Modena: Travel through the lush landscape of Emilia-Romagna, past hilltop towns and agricultural lands.
• Venice: Discover the ancient skill of Venetian glassblowing and play a part in preserving this traditional craft.
• Milan: See Milan’s central highlights.
• Como: Enjoy free time in Como to explore your way. Known for its Alpine backdrop and lakeside setting, Como offers cafe-lined squares, quiet lanes and waterfront views. 
• Pisa: In the Piazza dei Miracoli, see the baptistery, cathedral and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• Florence: See the area around Santa Croce Basilica, famous for the quality of its luxury goods, and witness a gold and leatherwork demonstration.
• Florence: Join a Local Specialist to view the multicoloured marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise. Visit the political heart of the city, Signoria Square.
• Florence: Stop at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial. Framed by wooded hills, view the memorial marked by symmetrical rows of 4, 392 headstones and towering pylon monument.
• San Gimignano: Visit the medieval Manhattan of Italy as you explore the UNESCO-listed centre of San Gimignano and admire the city’s distinctive towers. 

• Deluxe coach travel
• Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal
• 4-star stays

Trafalgar

Cross the Bay of Naples by ferry for a visit to Capri, with the return crossing included. On the island, walk Capri town’s lanes and squares with a Local Specialist, passing boutiques and pavement cafés among its landmark sights.

Hear how the island has attracted Roman emperors, artists, writers and the jet set, while generations of residents have sustained life beyond its glamorous reputation. Coastal views and lively streets give this island visit its distinctive character.

Discover Verona’s Roman arena and admire its imposing exterior beside Piazza Brà, one of the city’s principal public squares. This sightseeing visit brings you face to face with a monument that has remained part of Verona’s life for nearly two millennia.

Known to many as the setting of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Verona also has a substantial Roman heritage. The arena and surrounding square offer a vivid contrast between the ancient city and its lively present-day streets.

Visit Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli to view the Leaning Tower alongside the cathedral and baptistery. See how the tower’s unmistakable tilt changes its silhouette against the open square.

The ensemble is a testament to medieval Pisa’s wealth and artistic ambition. Its pale stone buildings stand together on an expanse of grass, giving you a clear view of the architectural relationship between the bell tower, cathedral and baptistery.

Discover Villa Olmo and Como’s grand lakeshore estates on an optional experience in Como. Enjoy time for a waterfront walk, with views across the lake towards the surrounding mountains.

The villa and neighbouring estates reflect the long appeal of Lake Como as a retreat for wealthy residents and visitors. This is a closer look at the shore beyond the included time in Como, at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore Rome with your Travel Director on an introduction to the Eternal City. Look for the layers of history in its streets, where medieval buildings stand among Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches.

This orientation offers a sense of how Rome grew around its ancient foundations. It is a chance to begin recognising the city’s different eras before exploring its individual landmarks in greater depth.

Step inside the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin after hours for a private visit to one of Rome’s most intriguing churches. See its crypt and the relics associated with St. Valentine, and get close to the marble Mouth of Truth.

According to legend, the ancient mask bites the hand of anyone who tells a lie. Hear its story and take a photograph at a Roman landmark that blends antiquity, faith and folklore.

Explore the Vatican Museums with a Local Specialist, using fast-track access to discover collections shaped by centuries of papal patronage. Look up at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling and see works associated with masters including Botticelli.

Visit St. Peter’s Basilica to view Michelangelo’s Pietà, carved when he was still a young artist. Access to the basilica or museums may be restricted on some departures; if museum tickets are unavailable, the visit is replaced by the Capitoline Museums.

Visit the Colosseum with a Local Specialist and picture the spectacles that once drew crowds into Rome’s vast amphitheatre. Its surviving arches and tiers reveal the scale of public entertainment in the ancient capital.

Also view Circus Maximus, the site of chariot races watched by thousands. Together, these landmarks show two sides of Roman spectacle: the enclosed arena of the gladiators and the long, open course built for speed.

Walk Pompeii’s ancient streets with a Local Specialist and see the remains of a Roman city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Follow its paved routes and examine the buildings that still trace the shape of everyday life.

The ruins make an extraordinary historical record: streets, public spaces and homes survived beneath volcanic material for centuries. Expert commentary brings the city’s residents and the sudden disaster into focus.

Visit the Basilica of St. Francis with a Local Specialist in Assisi, the Umbrian hill town where the saint was born. Explore a place of pilgrimage whose architecture and artworks made it a defining achievement of 13th-century Europe.

Set against the slopes of Mount Subasio, the basilica expresses the enduring influence of Francis and the religious community founded in his name. Expert insight connects its artistic importance with the town’s spiritual heritage.

Watch Venetian glassblowing craftsmen at work during a workshop visit in Venice. See how heat and practiced movements transform molten glass into the delicate forms for which the city is known.

Glassmaking has been central to Venetian craftsmanship for centuries, with skills traditionally passed between generations. Observing the process firsthand reveals the control required to shape each piece and offers a close look at a living local tradition.

Cruise through Venice by private launch, experiencing the city from the water as travellers have for centuries. Pass the Bridge of Sighs and Doge’s Palace and arrive at St. Mark’s Square to view its grand piazza and basilica.

The waterfront approach recalls Venice’s history as a powerful maritime republic. From the launch, its palaces and waterways form a distinctive cityscape; on the square, the basilica’s richly decorated exterior reflects centuries of trade and cultural exchange.

See Milan’s central landmarks, including the intricately decorated Gothic Duomo, La Scala Opera House and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This sightseeing visit introduces the architecture at the heart of Italy’s fashion and design capital.

The cathedral’s elaborate facade speaks to centuries of ambition, while the glass-roofed Galleria reflects the confidence of 19th-century Milan. La Scala adds the city’s renowned operatic tradition to a compact portrait of its cultural life.

Visit Lake Como and take in the waterfront setting and Alpine backdrop that have drawn visitors to this corner of Lombardy for centuries. Enjoy time in Como to appreciate the scenery, lakeside views and atmosphere at your own pace.

The town’s cafés and streets sit close to the water, making it easy to experience the contrast between urban life and the surrounding mountains. This is an included visit, rather than a guided tour of the lakeshore estates.

Explore Florence with a Local Specialist, visiting Piazza della Signoria and viewing the cathedral, bell tower and baptistery. From Piazzale Michelangelo, take in a panorama of the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio.

Hear how Medici patronage shaped the city’s Renaissance legacy, and watch demonstrations of Florentine leathercraft and 18-carat gold workmanship. The combination of civic landmarks, skyline views and working crafts connects Florence’s celebrated art history with skills still practiced in the city.

Meet hosts Anna and Alberto at Castello del Trebbio, a 12th-century castle near Florence, for a locally hosted Be My Guest experience. Explore the cellars and enjoy a traditional Tuscan buffet with olive oil and wine tasting.

Hear the story of the feud between the Pazzi and de Medici families, a dramatic chapter of Florentine history linked to the castle. Food, conversation and the historic setting offer a personal introduction to Tuscan hospitality.

Stop at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial to view its ordered rows of headstones and towering memorial, framed by wooded Tuscan hills. The peaceful grounds invite a moment of reflection.

The cemetery honours American service members who died during the Second World War, including those involved in the campaign to liberate Italy. Its setting and carefully kept memorial landscape give a human scale to a significant chapter of the country’s 20th-century history.

Explore San Gimignano’s UNESCO-listed centre and see the medieval towers that give this Tuscan hill town its distinctive skyline. Venture to Piazza del Duomo, surrounded by historic buildings, and view sections of the town’s 13th-century walls.

The surviving towers recall the status of the families who raised them above the streets. Walking through the compact centre offers a close look at the architecture that has earned San Gimignano its nickname, the medieval Manhattan of Italy.

Visit Burano on an optional excursion from Venice to see the island’s rows of brightly painted fishermen’s houses. Their colours bring a different character to the Venetian Lagoon, away from the grand palaces of the main city.

Explore the island’s streets and take in a waterside community shaped by fishing and everyday lagoon life. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; the exact activities and transport arrangements will be confirmed locally.